TechCrunch Startup News
3,836 episodes — Page 48 of 77
Motivo raises $12.5M Series A to speed up chip design with AI
Chip design is a long slog of trial and error, taking years to bring a design to market. Motivo, a five year old startup from a chip industry veteran is creating software to speed up chip design from years to months using AI. Today the company announced a $12.5 million Series A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Consumer goods software company Aforza bags $22M to open US headquarters
Built on Salesforce and Google Cloud platforms, consumer goods companies can use Aforza to digitally transform product distribution and customer engagement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Space manufacturing startup Varda inks deal with Rocket Lab for three spacecraft
Orbital manufacturing startup Varda Space Industries is moving fast. Only a few weeks after announcing a $42 million Series A, Varda has signed a deal with launch company Rocket Lab for three Photon spacecraft to support the startup’s initial missions. The first spacecraft will be delivered in the first quarter of 2023, with the second […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bite Ninja scoops up pre-seed funding to reimagine restaurant working environments
The company's remote hiring technology enable restaurants to fill last-minute drive-thru or cashier shifts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The art of startup storytelling with Julian Shapiro
"Signal is more important than frequency in an era where we're overloaded with content." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
WoodSpoon’s food delivery service cooks up support for home chefs with $14M round
The co-founders reached out to local home chefs and gathered them together in a marketplace where they could share their culture and passion of food with others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Canopy raises $15M Series A after posting 4.5x customer growth in H1 2021
Canopy's leaders expect focused fintech products to win out over large bundles of services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
CommandBar raises $4.8M to make web-based apps searchable
James Evans and his co-founders at CommandBar were working on a different software product when they hit a wall while trying to find certain functionalities within the software. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The first Zambian startup to get into YC is developing Africa’s first card-issuing API
More than 40 African startups from a handful of countries have gone through YC over the past decade. Zambia joins that list today, and its entrant, Union54, is a worthy first entry. Union54 (54 is a nod to the number of African countries) is a fintech company founded by Perseus Mlambo and Alessandra Martini. The […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Micromobility startup Voi raises $45 million to end sidewalk riding, improve safety
Micromobility startup Voi has raised $45 million, funds it says will be used to research and develop technology that will improve safety, keep users from riding on sidewalks and ensure scooters are properly parked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
3 invaluable founder lessons I learned on my immigration journey
In my journey to the U.S., I became good at three things: accepting uncertainty, building resilience and maintaining a positive mental attitude. I needed them all to get my startup off the ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Bluecore lands $125M Series E on $1B valuation as e-commerce personalization grows
During the pandemic, especially when we were in lock down, just about every retailer had to build its online presence and do it quickly. As people move to shop online in larger numbers, being able to personalize that experience has become more crucial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Robinhood is now a stonk
The wild swing in the price of Robinhood today appears from our vantage point to be another stonk moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Buildots raises $30M to put eyes on construction sites
Buildots' technology automatically validates images captured by hardhat-mounted 360-degree cameras, detecting any gaps between the original design and what's actually happening on construction sites. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why Draper Esprit doubled down on its status as a publicly listed VC
Draper Esprit, another British venture capital firm, moved from the AIM to the LSE proper, with a secondary listing on Euronext Dublin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Wireless charging firm Aira raises $12M
Founded in 2017, Arizona-based Aira didn’t waste any time proving out its technology. We’ve written about the company’s wireless charging a few times over the years, including the “FreePower” technology it has baked into Nomad’s charging pads, which brings a more streamlined version of the Apple’s abandoned AirPower. The tech allows for users to charge […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Planted raises another $18M to expand its growing plant-based meat empire (and add schnitzel)
Swiss alternative protein company Planted has raised its second CHF 17M (about $18.5M at present) round of the year, a “pre-B” fundraise that will help it continue its growth and debut new products. A U.S. launch is in the cards eventually but for now Planted’s exclusively European customers will be able to give its new […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Platform-as-a-service startup Porter aims to become go-to platform for deploying, managing cloud-based apps
Any DevOps team can use Porter to manage applications in the cloud, delivering the full flexibility of Kubernetes through a Heroku-like experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Catch takes hold of $12M to provide benefits that aren’t tied to employers
Catch is working to make sure that every gig worker has the health and retirement benefits they need. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Japanese sneaker platform SODA raises $56.4M, accquires rival Monokabu
Just half a year after leading SODA’s Series B, SoftBank Ventures Asia is raising its bet on the Tokyo-based sneaker resell platform. The early-stage venture capital arm of SoftBank Group announced today it has returned to lead SODA’s Series C, which currently totals $56.4 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ConverseNow is targeting restaurant drive-thrus with new $15M round
One year after voice-based AI technology company ConverseNow raised a $3.3 million seed round, the company is back with a cash infusion of $15 million in Series A funding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Student labor marketplace Pangea closes $2M seed round
The startup runs a marketplace that links college-age talent to companies in need of their services. Social media and web developer work are popular on the Pangea platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Egyptian ride-sharing company Swvl plans to go public in a $1.5B SPAC merger
Queen's Gambit Growth Capital, the women-led SPAC in charge of the deal, called Swvl 'a disruptive platform that solves complex challenges and empowers underserved populations.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
MedRhythms raises $25M to get patients back in tune after a stroke
The company's digital therapy platform works to measure and improve someone’s ability to walk after they have experienced a neurologic injury or disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Blameless raises $30M to guide companies through their software lifecycle
Blameless’ platform provides the context, guardrails and automated workflows so engineering teams are unified in the way they communicate and interact while building their software systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
SoftBank-backed Embark Veterinary valued at $700M after $75M Series B
Now that you have that COVID dog, Embark Veterinary wants to help him or her be in your life for a long time by offering DNA testing with the goal of increasing their lifespan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
iRocket to begin rocket engine testing at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Reusable rocket startup iRocket has entered into a new partnership with NASA in its quest to reach commercialization in just two years. The partnership will give iRocket access to testing facilities and engineering support, chiefly at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The company is hoping that it will conduct its first […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sproutl is an online marketplace for gardeners founded by former Farfetch executives
Meet Sproutl, a marketplace for gardeners living in the U.K. The startup founded by former Farfetch executives has raised a $9 million seed round. It wants to make gardening more accessible by providing a curated list of items, relevant advice as well as inspiration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Serverless Stack raises $1M for open-source application framework
Open-source framework startup Serverless Stack announced Friday that it raised $1 million in seed funding from a group of investors that includes Greylock Partners, SV Angel and Y Combinator. The company was founded in 2017 by Jay V and Frank Wang in San Francisco, and they were part of Y Combinator’s 2021 winter batch. Serverless […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
i80 Group has quietly committed $1B in credit to the fintech and proptech worlds
Not every startup wants to raise venture capital. And then there are those that do want to raise VC money but don’t want to use it for specific things. In recent years, a number of firms have emerged looking to meet the credit needs of such venture-backed and growth startups: i80 Group is one of […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mural raises $50M Series C after tripling its ARR in the last year
This morning Mural, a startup that builds digital collaboration software with a focus on visual presentation, announced that it has closed a $50 million Series C. The new capital, co-led by prior investors Insight Partners and Tiger Global, values the startup at more than $2 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Spendesk raises $118 million for its corporate spend management service
French startup Spendesk has announced earlier today that it has raised a $118 million funding round (€100 million) led by General Atlantic. Overall, the company has raised $189 million (€160 million) since its inception. Existing investors Index Ventures and Eight Road Ventures participated once again in today’s funding round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Okendo raises $5.3M to help D2C brands ween themselves off of Big Tech customer data
While direct-to-consumer growth has exploded in the past year, some brands are finding there’s still plenty of room to forge ahead in building a more direct relationships with their customers. Sydney-based Okendo has made a splash in this world by building out a popular customer reviews systems for Shopify sellers, but it’s aiming to expand […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Little Spoon scoops up $44M to grow its children’s nutrition delivery service
The quest to disrupt the traditional baby food aisle continues as more of today’s parents seek out nutritional food for their children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Metal 3D printing company Fabric8Labs raises $19M
Fabric8Labs this morning announced that it has raised $19.3 million. The Series A was led by Intel Capital and features Lam Capital, TDK Ventures, SE Ventures, imec.xpand, Stanley Ventures and Mark Cuban. It follows $4 million in seed funding raised in mid-2018. The San Diego-based startup specializes in metal 3D printing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
CityRow raises $12M for connected rowing machines and studios
Founded in 2014 as an in-person rowing studio, CityRow was relatively early to adopt the at-home connected model. The New York-based company launched a digital platform in 2018, two years before the pandemic completely transformed the way many of us work out. Of course, things have been trending that way a while, but 2020 accelerated […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
LeagueApps raises $15M to be the ‘operating system’ for youth sports organizations
Youth sports are an integral part of our communities, bringing families together and helping kids all over gain confidence and skills. Most of us don’t think about all the work that goes into setting up, growing and maintaining these leagues. It’s a lot. Today, LeagueApps, which aims to be the operating system for youth sports […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Rise Gardens grows with $9M Series A to help anyone be an indoor farmer
As more consumers embrace plant-based diets and sustainable food practices, Rise Gardens is giving anyone the ability to have a green thumb from the comfort of their own home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Taste intelligence startup Halla closes $4.5M Series A1 to predict which grocery items shoppers will buy
Halla wants to answer the question of how people decide what to eat and now has $4.5 million in fresh Series A1 capital from Food Retail Ventures to do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Lightyear nabs $13M Series A as online network procurement takes shape
It seems like everything is being pushed online now, but network procurement stubbornly has remained an in-person or phone-based negotiation. Lightyear, an early stage New York City startup decided to change that last year, and the company announced a $13.1 million Series A today. The round was led by Ridge Ventures with participation from Zigg […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Shopmonkey raises $75M Series C to help auto repair shops streamline their business
Walking into an auto repair shop can sometimes feel like taking a step into the past. The handwritten notes and receipts, the clunky point-of-sales system and scheduling tools — if those are even there — can make customers feel like they’re in the 1990s, not the 21st century. Shopmonkey is trying to change that. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Gourmey is a cell-based poultry startup working on lab-grown foie gras
Meet Gourmey, a new French startup that recently raised a $10 million founding round in equity and debt. The startup is working on meat grown in laboratories from animal cells. In particular, the company is focusing on poultry and aims to convince chefs that they should use the company’s products in their restaurants. “We’ve been […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cadoo gets $1.5M to gamify fitness with betting challenges
Cadoo, a US-startup that’s gamifying fitness by turning it into a betting opportunity, using the prospect of winning (or losing) cold hard cash to motivate people to get off the couch, has collected $1.5 million in seed funds from Sam & Max Altman’s Apollo VC and the student-focused Dorm Room Fund. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Looking Glass launches second-gen holographic displays
Brooklyn-based Looking glass today announced the release of a pair of second-gen holographic displays. Following up on late-last year’s release of the entry-level Portrait, the startup is offering new versions of the Looking Glass 4K and 8K systems, which sport 15.6- and 32-inch displays, respectively. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sourcegraph raises $125M Series D on $2.6B valuation for universal code search tool
Sourcegraph, a late stage startup that wants to bring the power of search to code, announced a $125 million Series D investment today on a $2.625 billion valuation, a 3x growth from its previous valuation in December 2020, according to the company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mighty Buildings lands $22M to create ‘sustainable and affordable’ 3D-printed homes
Oakland-based Mighty Buildings, which is on a quest to build homes using 3D printing, robotics and automation, has raised a $22 million extension to its Series B round of funding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
VU raises $12M to remove cybersecurity friction from digital experiences
Pretty soon, people won’t have to provide a fingerprint or a driver’s license to prove their identity — if VU has its way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dovetail, the venture studio that has worked with startups like Afterpay, is raising a new fund
Based in Sydney and Auckland, Dovetail is a full-service venture studio that works closely with founders who have a great idea, but may lack technical backgrounds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Cloud security platform Netskope boosts valuation to $7.5B following $300M raise
Netskope, focused on Secure Access Service Edge architecture, announced Friday a $300 million investment round on a post-money valuation of $7.5 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
r2c raises $27M to scale its security-focused code analysis service
This morning r2c, a startup building a SaaS service around the Semgrep open-source project, announced that it has closed a $27 million Series B. Felicis led the round, which the company said was a pre-emptive deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices