TechCrunch Startup News
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HomeBoost’s app will show you where to save on your utility bills; plus, Waymo reportedly raising a $16B funding round
The startup is partnering with utilities to help homeowners determine the best upgrades to cut their energy use. Also, Waymo is reportedly finalizing a new funding round that will value the robotaxi company at $110 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Upwind raises $250M at $1.5B valuation to continue building ‘runtime’ cloud security; plus, AI security startup Outtake raises $40M
The $250 million Series B was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Salesforce Ventures and Picture Capital. Also, Outtake makes an agentic cybersecurity platform to help enterprises detect identity fraud. Its angel investors are a who's who. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Flapping Airplanes and the promise of research-driven AI; plus, Upwind raises $250M at $1.5B valuation to continue building ‘runtime’ cloud security
A new AI lab called Flapping Airplanes launched yesterday, and a Sequoia partner has an interesting take on why they stand out. Also, Upwind's $250 million Series B was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Salesforce Ventures and Picture Capital. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tiny startup Arcee AI built a 400B-parameter open source LLM from scratch to best Meta’s Llama
30-person startup Arcee AI has released a 400B model called Trinity, which it says is one of the biggest open source foundation models from a U.S. company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jennifer Garner’s Once Upon a Farm resumes IPO plans; plus, Fashion rental app By Rotation partners with Uber
Once Upon A Farm food company may debut as soon as next week. It has issued a price range for shares, an SEC filing shows. Also, By Rotation, one of the UK’s most popular peer-to-peer fashion rental platforms, is partnering with Uber to deliver ski clothes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Phia raises $35M to ‘make shopping fun again’; plus, Risotto raises $10M seed to use AI to make ticketing systems easier to use
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni’s Phia raises $35M to ‘make shopping fun again’ Also, designed to autonomously resolve help desk tickets, Risotto has raised $10 million in seed funding in a round led by Bonfire Ventures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Northwood Space secures a $100M Series B and a $50M Space Force contract; plus, AI chip startup Ricursive hits $4B valuation
This is the El Segundo, California-based startup's second raise in less than a year. Also, Ricursive joins Recursive and Unconventional AI in raising massive funds at multi-billion valuations out of the gate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI startup CVector raises $5M for its industrial ‘nervous system’
Industrial AI startup CVector built a brain and nervous system for big industry. Now, founders Richard Zhang and Tyler Ruggles are tasked with a bigger challenge: showing customers and investors how this AI-powered software layer translates to real savings on an industrial scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How PopWheels helped a food cart ditch generators for e-bike batteries
PopWheels realized its battery swapping network could be used for more than food delivery workers who need to charge their e-bikes. Now, its planning for an "aggressive rollout" this summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This startup will send 1,000 people’s ashes to space — affordably — in 2027
Started by an engineer who worked on the space shuttle program, and at Blue Origin, Space Beyond has a spot on a 2027 Falcon 9 flight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OpenAI is coming for those sweet enterprise dollars; plus, Anduril expanding to Long Beach
OpenAI has reportedly appointed Barret Zoph to lead its push into enterprise just a week after Zoph rejoined the company. Also, Anduril announced its plans to expand its Southern California presence with a major campus in Long Beach, the town where founder Palmer Luckey grew up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Struggling fusion power company General Fusion to go public via $1B reverse merger
General Fusion's merger with an acquisition company will net the company over $300 million. Just last year, the company ran into trouble raising money from other investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
From invisibility cloaks to AI chips: Neurophos raises $110M to build tiny optical processors for inferencing
Neurophos is taking a crack at solving the AI industry's power efficiency problem with an optical chip that uses a composite material to do the math required in AI inferencing tasks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Language learning marketplace Preply’s unicorn status embodies Ukrainian resilience
Language learning marketplace Preply is now valued at $1.2 billion after raising a $150 million that marks a new chapter for the 14-year-old company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
PraxisPro raises $6M seed from AlleyCorp to coach medical sales reps
PraxisPro, founded by a former pharma sales rep, offers small language model AI training specifically designed for medical product sales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Retail startup Another raises a $2.5M seed to help sell excess inventory
Another raises a $2.5 million seed round led by Anthemis FIL and Westbound to help retailers with off-channel inventory. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Humans&, a ‘human-centric’ AI startup, raised $480M seed round; plus, Grubhub parent acquires restaurant rewards startup Claim
Humans&, a startup that believes AI should empower people, not replace them, has reportedly raised a $480 million seed round at a $4.48 billion valuation. Also, Grubhub's acquisition of Claim will give restaurants access to Claim’s customer acquisition and retention tools, while Grubhub diners can receive rewards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI cloud startup Runpod hits $120M in ARR — and it started with a Reddit post
Their startup journey is a wild example of how if you build it well and the timing is lucky, they will definitely come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI video startup, Higgsfield, founded by ex-Snap exec, lands $1.3B valuation; plus, Symbolic.ai signs deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp
Higgsfield says its on a $200 million annual revenue run rate. So it opened its previous Series A round back up and sold another $80 million in shares. Also, Symbolic.ai claims its AI platform can help optimize editorial processes and research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
India’s Emversity doubles valuation as it scales workers AI can’t replace
Emversity has raised $30 million in a new round as it scales job-ready training in India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How one startup is using prebiotics to try and ease the copper shortage
Transition Metal Solutions is applying a special cocktail to coax microbes into unlocking more copper from ore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Parloa triples its valuation in 8 months; plus, robotics software maker Skild AI hits $14B valuation
The massive round was led by existing investor General Catalyst, with participation from other returning backers. Also, Skild AI, which is building general-purpose robotic software, just raised a $1.4 billion funding round led by SoftBank. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bandcamp bans AI generated music, plus Bill Gates-backed Type One Energy raises $87M ahead of $250M Series B
"We want musicians to keep making music, and for fans to have confidence that the music they find on Bandcamp was created by humans," the company said. Also, Type One Energy has raised more than $160 million from investors to date. The new funding will help the company further refine its stellarator technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SkyFi raises $12.7M to turn satellite images into insights; plus, OpenAI buying health records startup Torch
The Austin-based marketplace offers imagery from more than 50 space-based imagery providers. Also, AI health records startup Torch will be using its tech for OpenAI's new ChatGPT Health, according to co-founder Ilya Abyzov. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Converge Bio raises $25M, backed by Bessemer and execs from Meta, OpenAI, Wiz
AI drug discovery startup Converge Bio raised $25 million in a Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with additional backing from executives at Meta, OpenAI, and Wiz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
These Gen Zers just raised $11.75M to put Africa’s defense back in the hands of Africans
After five years of building an edtech company, Nathan Nwachuku, 22, realized that Africa was at a crossroads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How the Sleepbuds maker, Ozlo, is building a platform for sleep data
The company's plan kicked into high gear at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week as the company met with prospective partners to expand its reach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wing to expand drone delivery to another 150 Walmart stores
The two companies announced on Sunday plans to bring the on-demand drone delivery service to an additional 150 Walmart stores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Former Bolt CEO Maju Kuruvilla’s startup triples to $100M valuation
Spangle has raised $15 million in a Series A round to expand its AI-generated shopping experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
EverNitro is simplifying the process of crafting silky nitro coffee at CES 2026
Get that silky-smooth nitro coffee at home without the wasteful cartridges with EverNitro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OpenAI acquiring the team behind Convogo; also, Data security startup Cyera hits $9B valuation 6 months
OpenAI is acquiring the team behind executive coaching AI tool Convogo in an all-stock deal, adding to the firm's M&A spree. Plus, Cyera raised another $400 million just six months after its last huge round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Yes, LinkedIn banned AI agent startup Artisan, but now it’s back
Several viral posts noticed that Artisan was banned. But the CEO tells us it wasn't for the reasons many thought. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Quilt solved the heat pump’s biggest challenge
Quilt's heat pumps are built containing a suite of sensors, which have delivered mountains of data that allow its engineers to wring added performance out of its systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LMArena lands $1.7B valuation four months after launching its product; plus, Intel spinout Articul8 raises more than half of $70M round at $500M valuation
LMArena, which started as a UC Berkeley research project, has raised about $250 million total and become a unicorn in about seven months. Also, Articul8's valuation for its current funding round marks a roughly fivefold increase since its Series A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How World Cup champion Mario Götze built a parallel career as an angel investor
Mario Götze will go down in soccer history as the player who scored the winning goal that made Germany the 2014 FIFA World Cup champion. But he is also an increasingly seasoned angel investor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Teradar reveals its first terahertz-band vision sensor for cars
The company is tapping the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum to bring out the best qualities of more common lidar and radar sensors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Even as global crop prices fall, India’s Arya.ag is attracting investors
Arya.ag, an Indian agritech company offering storage facilities near farms and offering lending services to hundreds of thousands of farmers, has drawn investor interest and remained profitable even as global crop prices continue to fall in a volatile commodities market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘College dropout’ has become the most coveted startup founder credential
AI founders are increasingly using their "dropout" status as a credential during YC pitches. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How to make your startup stand out in a crowded market, according to investors
At TechCrunch Disrupt, three investors took the stage to dissect what makes — and breaks — a pitch deck. They shared with the crowd their candid views on what works in a pitch deck — and what doesn’t. Their biggest pet peeve? Buzzword overload. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Investors share what to remember while raising a Series A
Investors share what founders should remember if looking to raise a Series A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How Mill closed the deal with Amazon and Whole Foods
Matt Rogers's food waste startup will soon deploy its commercial food waste bins in grocery stores throughout the U.S. Here's how Rogers thinks about preparing a startup for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why ‘hold forever’ investors are snapping up venture capital ‘zombies’
An investor explains the "buy, fix, and hold" model employed by Bending Spoons and similar companies that buy distressed startups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How a headphone site operator built loyalty startup Lantern to solve his own problems; plus, Deel hits $17.3B valuation after raising $300M from big-name VCs
After struggling to retain customers at his e-commerce site Headphones.com, founder Andrew Lissimore built his own loyalty solution — and it’s now a startup called Lantern. The Shopify-native platform helps brands boost retention through customizable loyalty, referrals, and account management tools. Also, Deel says it's been profitable for three years and surpassed $1 billion in ARR, including having a month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How AI startups should be thinking about product-market fit; plus Immortality startup Eternos pivots to a personal AI that sounds like you
Two experienced investors share their tips for founders and operators hoping to nail product-market fit at their AI startups. Also, Uare.ai, formerly Eternos, raised $10.3 million in seed funding led by Mayfield and Boldstart Ventures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The tooth fairy just got reimagined for the tech-savvy generation; also, Lemon Slice nabs $10.5M from YC and Matrix to build out its digital avatar tech
Move over, Santa. Now there’s another magical character for kids to track: the Tooth Fairy. After making a personalized Tooth Fairy video for his nephew, Oliver Finel noticed a gap. While there are plenty of Santa trackers, nothing similar existed for the Tooth Fairy. Also, digital avatar generation company Lemon Slice is working to add a video layer to AI chatbots with a new diffusion model that can create digital avatars from a single image. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As EU waters down 2035 EV goals, electric startups express concern
The future may be electric, but that future is being postponed. The European Commission, citing the need for flexibility, has softened its ambitious plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Yann LeCun confirms his new ‘world model’ startup, reportedly seeks $5B+ valuation
Renowned AI scientist Yann LeCun confirmed on Thursday the worst-kept secret in the tech world: that he had indeed launched a new startup. Although he did say he will not be running the new company as its CEO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OpenAI is reportedly trying to raise $100B at an $830B valuation; also, Krafton hikes India bet with new $670M fund
The ChatGPT maker is aiming to raise the funding by the end of the first quarter in 2026, and the company may ask sovereign wealth funds to invest in the round. Also, called the Unicorn Growth Fund, the investment vehicle is a collaboration between Krafton and South Korean internet conglomerate Naver, and investor Mirae Asset. It aims to deploy around $669.3 million over four years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Vibe-coding startup Lovable raises $330M at a $6.6B valuation
Lovable has seen its valuation more than triple just five months after the company's last funding round in July. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Weeks after raising $100M, investors pump another $180M into hot Indian startup MoEngage
The deal valued MoEngage at "well over" $900 million post-money. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices