a16z

11x.ai, a developer of AI sales reps, has raised $50M Series B led by A16Z, sources say

Fundraising /

11x.ai, a startup that develops AI-powered sales development bots, has secured roughly $50 million in Series B funding, TechCrunch has learned. The new round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the company at around $350 million, multiple sources told TechCrunch. The recent deal follows the company’s $24 million Series A, which was led by Benchmark […]

11x.ai, a developer of AI sales reps, has raised $50M Series B led by A16Z, sources say Read More »

Adam Neumann’s startup Flow opens co-living community in Saudi Arabia

Venture /

Flow, Adam Neumann’s co-living startup, opened a compound with 238 apartments in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, and Forbes has some details. The opening included an Aztec-themed hot chocolate ceremony and tote bags with the words “holy s— I’m alive” on them. The rent for the furnished units starts at $3,500 a month and includes hotel-style

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Fei-Fei Li’s World Labs comes out of stealth with $230M in funding

AI /

Fei-Fei Li, the Stanford professor many deem the “Godmother of AI,” has raised $230 million for her new startup, World Labs, from backers including Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, and Radical Ventures. World Labs is valued at over $1 billion, and the capital was raised over two rounds spaced a couple of months apart, TechCrunch reported in

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Andreessen Horowitz shutters its Miami office after two years

Venture /

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has closed a satellite office in Miami Beach just two years into a five-year lease it signed for an 8,300-square-foot space. The reason? Disuse, reports Bloomberg. Miami — once a hotspot for crypto, an area of interest for a16z — has struggled to retain venture cash and entrepreneurial talent in recent years,

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A16z’s Joshua Lu says AI is already radically changing video games and Discord is the future

Venture /

Andreessen Horowitz’s partner Joshua Lu knows that, in the video game industry, you can never get too comfortable. When he was head of product at Zynga, he experienced the height of mobile games, working on hits like Words with Friends; then as a vice president at Blizzard Entertainment, he helped produce tentpole hits like Diablo

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California AI bill SB 1047 aims to prevent AI disasters, but Silicon Valley warns it will cause one

AI /

Update: California’s Appropriations Committee passed SB 1047 with significant amendments that change the bill on Thursday, August 15. You can read about them here. Outside of sci-fi films, there’s no precedent for AI systems killing people or being used in massive cyberattacks. However, some lawmakers want to implement safeguards before bad actors make that dystopian

California AI bill SB 1047 aims to prevent AI disasters, but Silicon Valley warns it will cause one Read More »

Viggle makes controllable AI characters for memes and visualizing ideas

AI /

You might not know Viggle AI, but you’ve likely seen the viral memes it created. The Canadian AI startup is responsible for dozens of videos remixing the rapper Lil Yachty bouncing on stage at a summer music festival. In one video, Lil Yachty is replaced by Joaquin’s Phoenix’s the Joker. In another, Jesus seemed to

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Former a16z VC Balaji Srinivasan obtained a private island for his new longevity ‘technocapitalist’ school

Cypto /

Depending on your thoughts on the intersection of crypto and Silicon Valley’s libertarians, this is either a dream idea or an odd one: former a16z-investor Balaji Srinivasan has booked out an island in Singapore to create his own “Network School.” This is where he’ll run programs on crypto, longevity and what it takes to establish “a technocapitalist

Former a16z VC Balaji Srinivasan obtained a private island for his new longevity ‘technocapitalist’ school Read More »

California AI bill SB 1047 aims to prevent AI disasters, but Silicon Valley warns it will cause one

AI /

Update: California’s Appropriations Committee passed SB 1047 with significant amendments that change the bill on Thursday, August 15. You can read about them here. Outside of sci-fi films, there’s no precedent for AI systems killing people or being used in massive cyberattacks. However, some lawmakers want to implement safeguards before bad actors make that dystopian

California AI bill SB 1047 aims to prevent AI disasters, but Silicon Valley warns it will cause one Read More »

NEA led a $100M round into Fei-Fei Li’s new AI startup, now valued at over $1B

Fundraising /

World Labs, a stealthy startup founded by renowned Stanford University AI professor Fei Fei Li, has raised two rounds of financing  two months apart, according to multiple reports. The latest financing was led by NEA and valued the company at over $1 billion, TechCrunch has learned from several people with knowledge of the investments. This

NEA led a $100M round into Fei-Fei Li’s new AI startup, now valued at over $1B Read More »