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How customer service AI startup Neuron7 convinced Keith Block to invest

Startups /

Five-year-old AI customer service startup Neuron7 just closed an oversubscribed $44 million series B round led by Keith Block and his year-and-half-old venture firm, Smith Point Capital. Neuron7 sits in one of the most promising areas for AI technology: customer service. But unlike the hoards of ChatGPT customer chatbot startups, or those doing natural language […]

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Xscape is building multicolor lasers to connect chips within datacenters

AI /

The GPUs and other chips used to train AI communicate with each other inside datacenters through “interconnects.” But those interconnects have limited bandwidth, which limits AI training performance. A 2022 survey found that AI developers typically struggle to use more than 25% of a GPU’s capacity. One solution could be new interconnects with much higher

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Aerleum plans to turn CO2 directly into fuel for cargo ships and, eventually, airplanes

Fundraising /

It only took four phone calls for Sébastien Fiedorow to quit his job as a venture capitalist. The first one came from Marble, a startup studio based in Paris. They had a scientist looking for help founding a company that would remove carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere — what experts call direct air capture, or

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Silicon Valley is debating if AI weapons should be allowed to decide to kill

AI /

In late September, Shield AI cofounder Brandon Tseng swore that weapons in the U.S. would never be fully autonomous — meaning an AI algorithm would make the final decision to kill someone. “Congress doesn’t want that,” the defense tech founder told TechCrunch. “No one wants that.”  But Tseng spoke too soon. Five days later, Anduril

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Amazon team in charge of Just Walk Out loses three execs, gains one

Enterprise /

Three Amazon executives in charge of developing new technologies for checking out of physical stores – including Just Walk Out, Dash Carts, and Amazon One – are leaving or have left the division, TechCrunch has learned. In addition, a former high-ranking advertising executive at Amazon, Colleen Aubrey, was recently put in charge of Just Walk

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SpaceX alums are working to raise a hefty $550M first deep tech fund

Startups /

Interlagos, the venture capital firm started by former senior SpaceX leaders, is looking to raise $550 million for its first venture fund, according to regulatory filings and a confidential deck sent to prospective LPs and viewed by TechCrunch.  The existence of the firm was first reported by TechCrunch in April, but almost nothing has been

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