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No, the FAA isn’t fining SpaceX because of Elon Musk’s politics, former FAA head says

Government & Policy /

This week, Elon Musk identified a new constraint for his Mars-bound ambitions. It wasn’t the -85°F surface temperature, or the 140 million miles he’ll need to travel. Rather, it’s something far more pedestrian: “The fundamental problem is that humanity will forever be confined to Earth unless there is radical reform at the FAA,” he posted […]

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Tidal Metals sees seawater as the solution to a critical mineral shortage

Fundraising /

Last year, the U.S. designated magnesium as a critical mineral, one of the “electric 18” that are critical for the energy transition. The metal is used in a range of electronics, and it weighs less than aluminum, making it an attractive alternative for automakers.  But like with so many other minerals, China has grown to

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Zeno emerges from stealth to crib Tesla’s master plan for Africa and beyond

Climate /

When Elon Musk published Tesla’s first “master plan” in 2006, it seemed a bit far-fetched that batteries would end up changing the automotive industry, much less global power production and consumption. Today, as electric vehicles continue to gain market share and massive batteries displace smoke-spewing power plants from the electrical grid, that notion seems less

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Karman Industries hopes its SpaceX-inspired heat pumps will replace industrial boilers

Fundraising /

Industrial heat, which is used by companies as diverse as breweries and food processors to chemical manufacturers and paper mills, is one of the last bastions of fossil fuels. After all, it’s pretty hard to beat a flame when you need to heat something up. But recently, a slew of startups have started exploring ways

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Phlair’s carbon sucking technology could lower direct air capture’s costs

Climate /

When it comes to climate change, there’s no such thing as a “get out of jail free” card. But there might be an inexpensive alternative: direct air capture. The technology isn’t exactly an exoneration, but more like community service; it promises to suck massive amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, atoning for our

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India weighs easing market share limits for UPI payment operators

Government & Policy /

The governing body overseeing India’s popular UPI payments rail is considering easing its proposed market share cap for operators like Google Pay, PhonePe and Paytm as it struggles to enforce limitations, two people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which reports to India’s central bank, is considering increasing the

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Fal.ai, which hosts media-generating AI models, raises $23M from a16z and others

Fundraising /

Fal.ai, a dev-focused platform for AI-generated audio, video, and images, today revealed that it’s raised $23 million in funding from investors including Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Black Forest Labs co-founder Robin Rombach, and Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas. It’s a two-round deal. $14 million of Fal’s total came from a Series A tranche led by Kindred Ventures.

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Hgen draws on lessons from Tesla and SpaceX to drive down the cost of hydrogen 

Fundraising /

Hydrogen might be touted as a fuel of the future that stands ready to decarbonize shipping and industry, but for the 90 million metric tons used today in everything from fertilizer production and chemical manufacturing, 96% is derived directly from natural gas, oil, or coal. For instance, one of the most common ways is through

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Greenlite, founded by an ex-Gopuff exec, automates construction permitting

AI /

Construction permitting often involves drafting lengthy applications, leading to unpredictable timelines for developers and businesses. There are tens of thousands of jurisdictions — each with their own different forms and application processes for building permits. Ben Allen knows a thing or two about permitting. While leading business expansion and strategy at Gopuff, Allen was charged

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Orb founders grew so frustrated dealing with billing at Asana, they built their own billing software

Startups /

Billing might not be something that the average person thinks about on a regular basis. But for companies — particularly those in the business of selling software — it’s massively important. They rely on billing systems to ensure that customers pay on time and have a range of ways to pay. The trouble is, configuring

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