Startups

Golden Dome may not be the golden ticket Silicon Valley is hoping for

Startups /

Golden Dome, the Trump administration’s gambit to build a next-generation missile defense system, has startups and longstanding defense contractors preparing to duke it out for a piece of a $151 billion multi-year contract.  The process to qualify for the $151 billion contract vehicle, essentially an umbrella program, is stacked against most startups – not because […]

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Why Dispo’s co-founder made the leap from social media to steelmaking

Startups /

Daniel Liss, co-founder of the social network Dispo and the dating app Teaser AI, is convinced he’s onto the next big thing: steelmaking.  It all started, incongruously, with a few op-eds he wrote for TechCrunch about anti-trust enforcement in social media. The commentaries apparently caught the attention of some folks in Washington D.C., Liss told

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How a Y Combinator food delivery app used TikTok to soar in the App Store

Startups /

The internet trend is simple: A friend or family member looks into the camera and tells viewers, in a slightly aggressive tone, that they are about to witness a presentation and that they had better be nice.  That’s what Kendall, the sister of Lucious McDaniel IV, did, and after she stepped aside, her brother pitched

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This industrial AI startup is winning over customers by saying it won’t get acquired

Startups /

When industrial AI startup CVector meets with manufacturers, utility providers, and other prospective customers, the founders are often asked the same question: will you still be here in six months? A year?  It’s a fair concern in an environment where the biggest, richest tech companies are luring top talent with eye-watering salaries and increasingly targeting

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Preston Thorpe is a software engineer at a San Fransisco startup. He’s also serving his eleventh year in prison.

Startups /

If you omit some key details, all Preston Thorpe has to do to become a senior software engineer at a promising tech company is walk through the door. For about six months, Thorpe was a prolific volunteer contributor to an open-source project led by database company Turso. His work was impressive enough that Turso’s CEO,

Preston Thorpe is a software engineer at a San Fransisco startup. He’s also serving his eleventh year in prison. Read More »

Preston Thorpe is a software engineer at a San Francisco startup — he’s also serving his 11th year in prison

Startups /

If you omit some key details, all Preston Thorpe has to do to become a senior software engineer at a promising tech company is walk through the door. For about six months, Thorpe was a prolific volunteer contributor to an open source project led by database company Turso. His work was impressive enough that Turso’s

Preston Thorpe is a software engineer at a San Francisco startup — he’s also serving his 11th year in prison Read More »

How TRIC Robotics is reducing pesticide use on strawberries using UV light

Startups /

Strawberries are the most popular berry in the U.S. for both consumers and farmers alike. They’re also some of the most pesticide-reliant fruits and consistently top the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list of the most contaminated produce. TRIC Robotics, a San Luis Obispo, California-based, think it can help strawberry farmers reduce chemical use with

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Amazon backs programmable optics startup Lumotive

Startups /

Programmable optics startup Lumotive has added a few more strategic backers to its recent Series B round. Redmond, Washington-based Lumotive reopened its recent Series B funding round to bring in Amazon, through its Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, and ITHCA Group, the technology investment arm of Oman’s sovereign wealth fund, as investors. These fresh funds bring

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Figma’s Dylan Field will cash out about $60M in IPO, with Index, Kleiner, Greylock, Sequoia all selling, too

Startups /

When Figma announced its initial hoped-for price range on Monday ($25-$28), it also revealed an unusual decision for its highly anticipated IPO.  It will allow existing shareholders to sell more shares than the company plans to sell, by a high ratio. The company plans to offer about 12.5 million shares. Yet existing shareholders will be

Figma’s Dylan Field will cash out about $60M in IPO, with Index, Kleiner, Greylock, Sequoia all selling, too Read More »