American drone manufacturer Skydio has raised an extension round of $170 million, adding onto the $230 million Series E it closed early last year. The new tranche of funding brings in strategic investors like Japanese telecom operator KDDI and Axon, the creator of the taser and other police tech. It also includes previous investors, like […]
Drone manufacturer Skydio raises $170 million extension round Read More »
In a splashy op-ed in Time published this summer, Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced Thrive AI Health, a venture with the goal of building an AI-powered assistant to promote healthier lifestyles. Backed by Huffington’s mental wellness firm Thrive Global and the OpenAI Startup Fund, Thrive AI Health would seek to
Sam Altman and Arianna Huffington’s Thrive AI Health assistant has a bare-bones demo Read More »
For all its promise as a climate friendly fuel, hydrogen hasn’t had much luck. It lost the battle over personal transportation to battery electric vehicles, and for industrial users, it remains far more expensive than natural gas. That’s in part because natural gas can flow through sprawling networks of pipelines. Hydrogen doesn’t, which means buyers
Ecolectro stuffs hydrogen production into shipping containers to cut costs Read More »
With the advent of flexible workspaces, companies are increasingly adopting smartphone-based authentication to let employees enter and leave. In a recent poll, nearly two in five firms said they’re letting staff use their phones to access office buildings. The boon has benefited vendors like SwiftConnect, which sells a platform for managing access to physical offices. Chip
SwiftConnect lets workers access the office with a smartphone swipe Read More »
A 2018 Supreme Court ruling eliminated the requirement that an e-commerce retailer needed a physical location in a state in order for said state to be able to collect sales tax on purchases made by residents. While the decision was a boon for states, it created a headache for e-commerce sellers. Kintsugi is looking to
Sales tax automation startup Kintsugi doubled its valuation this year Read More »
Carl Madi spent a chunk of the last decade working for Uber and Handy, an online marketplace for cleaners. “I spent a lot of time convincing drivers, handyman and cleaners, to join the gig economy,” he told TechCrunch. But when the pandemic struck, he saw many people lose their jobs overnight. He noticed that there
Stepful raises $31.5M to address healthcare staffing shortage with AI-powered training Read More »
Starfish Space has closed a new tranche of funding led by a major defense tech investor as it looks to launch three full-size satellite servicing and inspection spacecraft in 2026. The Washington-based startup’s Otter spacecraft is designed for two primary missions: extending the operational life of expensive satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) and disposing of
Starfish Space raises $29M to launch satellite-servicing spacecraft missions Read More »
An integration with LTK, an app that lets consumers shop from creator and influencers’ recommendations, is rolling out on TikTok, according to videos by select creators viewed by TechCrunch. The collaboration could boost fashion creators’ ability to earn affiliate commissions via LTK, while also making it easier for consumers to locate the clothes and accessories
TikTok is integrating with influencer shopping app LTK, videos show Read More »
Luggage storage as a vector for piling into convenience-based revenue opportunities in the business of global travel continues to put a spring in San Francisco-based Bounce‘s step. The startup has just tucked $19 million in Series B funding into its suitcase, with a plan to keep rolling revenue that’s grown 20x since its $12M Series
Bounce bags $19M to expand its traveler convenience network Read More »
When Suzanne Zamany Andersen arranged her trip to greenhouse grower Koppert Cress in the Netherlands, she thought she would just be pitching her startup’s device, which turns electricity and air into ammonia, a widely used fertilizer. Not only did the company agree to test the ammonia production system made by her company — Denmark-based NitroVolt
NitroVolt is helping farmers make their own fertilizer using renewable power Read More »
