For years, big tech companies like Amazon and Google have been trying to make virtual try-ons engaging to encourage consumers to shop more online. Startups also tried to solve for inspiration and fit in fashion using AI. A new startup called Doji is now entering this space with an app designed to make apparel try-ons…
Category: Fundraising
a16z, AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, Hedra, video generation
Hedra, the app used to make talking baby podcasts, raises $32M from a16z
Hedra, which offers a video generation and editing suite powered by its Character-3 model, has raised $32M.
AI, coatue, Fundraising, Global Security News, Harvey, Kleiner Perkins, legaltech, openai, Sequoia Capital
Harvey reportedly in discussions to raise $250M at $5B valuation
Harvey AI is in discussions to raise more than $250 million in a funding round led by Kleiner Perkins and Coatue that would value it at $5 billion, Reuters reported
AI notetaker, Apps, Fundraising, Global Security News, granola, lightspeed, Nat Friedman
AI note-taking app Granola raises $43M at $250M valuation, launches collaborative features
AI-powered notetaking app Granola is raising $43 million in funding at a $250 million valuation. It is also launching a team sharing feature.
AI, amd, data centers, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, tensorwave
TensorWave raises $100M to grow its AMD-powered cloud infrastructure
TensorWave, a data center provider building facilities primarily with AMD hardware, has raised $100 million as it seeks to further build out its data center infrastructure. The funding round was led by Magnetar and AMD Ventures, and brings the company’s total capital raised to $146.7 million, according to Crunchbase. Maverick Silicon, Nexus Venture Partners and…
Climate, Fundraising, Fusion, fusion power, Global Security News, nuclear fusion, Realta Fusion
Realta Fusion taps $36M in fresh funds for its fusion-in-a-bottle reactor
Realta hopes to build power plants cheaply enough to supply power as low as $40 per megawatt-hour.
Fundraising, Global Security News, newsletters, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Startups Weekly: Different paths on the road to liquidity
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week was busy for startups: While there were no IPOs of note, there were other exits and even unusual liquidity events, as well as a significant…
Bill Gates, Fundraising, Gates Foundation, Global Security News, Health, philanthropy, public health
Bill Gates tells his foundation to spend it all by 2045
The Gates Foundation is expected to spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to support causes related to health and human development.
Bill Gates, Fundraising, Gates Foundation, Global Security News, Health, philanthropy, public health
Bill Gates tells his foundation to spend it all by 2045
The Gates Foundation is expected to spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to support causes related to health and human development.
Bill Gates, Fundraising, Gates Foundation, Global Security News, Health, philanthropy, public health
Bill Gates tells his foundation to spend it all by 2045
The Gates Foundation is expected to spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to support causes related to health and human development.
Bill Gates, Fundraising, Gates Foundation, Global Security News, Health, philanthropy, public health
Bill Gates tells his foundation to spend it all by 2045
The Gates Foundation is expected to spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to support causes related to health and human development.
Bill Gates, Fundraising, Gates Foundation, Global Security News, Health, philanthropy, public health
Bill Gates tells his foundation to spend it all by 2045
The Gates Foundation is expected to spend $200 billion over the next 20 years to support causes related to health and human development.
Exclusive, Finom, Fintech, Fundraising, General Catalyst, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
Finom, a challenger bank aimed at SMBs, lands $105M in growth funding from General Catalyst
Finom, an Amsterdam-based digital bank for small- and medium-sized businesses, has raised €92.7 million (roughly $105 million) in a growth investment from General Catalyst’s Customer Value Fund, the company tells TechCrunch exclusively. The capital infusion “will be used exclusively and only for growth” and not for operational expenses or product development, Kos Stiskin, Finom’s chairman…
Bow Capital, carbon credits, carbon offsets, Climate, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, markets, sustainability
Cnaught wants to make carbon credits easy for businesses small and large
Cnaught is a market maker seeking to ease the pain of buying carbon credits for companies without dedicated teams.
Accel, Computer Vision, consumer, consumer hardware, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware, Startups
Meet Posha, a countertop robot that cooks your meals for you
In 2017, Raghav Gupta set out to solve a personal problem: he wanted easy access to the home-cooked meals he grew up eating without having to spend time cooking or spend money on takeout or hiring a private chef. He turned to robotics, which led him to found the startup Posha. Posha, a former TechCrunch…
AI, defense, Fundraising, Global Security News, orca ai
Boosted by defense and Starlink, Orca AI pulls in $72.5M for its autonomous shipping platform
The autonomous navigation market — where ships, guided by AI, steer themselves, resulting in fuel and time savings — is projected to sail past $11 billion by 2028. As a result, companies in this space are pushing on an open door. The latest is Orca AI, which closed a Series B funding round of $72.5 million…
Apps, BLiNQ, digital business card, Fundraising, Global Security News, paper business card
Blinq lands $25M to further its mission to make business cards passé
It’s 2025, but business cards are still in vogue — just visit any conference or industry expo and you’ll end up with a pile that’s likely to be discarded sooner than later. But as smartphones have become our repositories of information and contacts, people are understandably keen to try out digital alternatives to business cards.…
Apps, donations, Funding, Fundraising, Global Security News, nonprofit, Startups
A new startup called Bono aims to modernize the way people donate to charities
Every year, donors contribute billions of dollars to charities, yet the donation process still feels outdated and cumbersome. Founders Dan Eblagon and Ron Levy believe there is an easier way to donate, leading to the creation of Bono, a platform designed to facilitate a more modern and streamlined approach to giving. The platform (named after…
acquisition, Datadog, Enterprise, eppo, Fundraising, Global Security News, Startups
Datadog acquires Eppo, a feature flagging and experimentation platform
Datadog is on an acquisition spree. Just a few weeks after snatching up Metaplane, an AI-powered observability startup, the cloud monitoring and security company has acquired Eppo, a feature flagging and experimentation platform. Eppo will continue supporting existing customers and bringing on new ones under the brand “Eppo by Datadog.” Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed,…
a16z, AI, ai coding, cursor, Fundraising, Global Security News, Thrive Capital
Cursor is reportedly raising funds at $9 billion valuation from Thrive, a16z, and Accel
Startups providing AI-powered coding tools are striking a positive chord with investors. Cursor, one of the most popular tools in the segment, has attracted $900 million in a fresh round of funding led by Thrive Capital, as per a report from the Financial Times. The FT noted that other top venture firms such as Andreessen…
Fundraising, Global Security News, Venture
Warren Buffett will step down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO
Legendary investor Warren Buffett announced today that he will ask the Berkshire Hathaway board to have Greg Abel replace him as CEO at the end of 2025. “I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the chief executive officer of the company at year end,” Buffett said at the end of the company’s…
Fundraising, Global Security News, newsletters, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Startups Weekly: Drama or game-changer? You decide
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week was low on M&A and IPO news, but there was still some drama to follow, if that’s your thing — and more importantly, some worthy…
Ara Partners, Climate, decarbonization, Fundraising, Global Security News, Infrastructure, Private Equity
Ara Partners new $800M fund will decarbonize old industrial assets
Ara Partners recently raised an $800 million infrastructure fund focused on reducing carbon emissions in industrial sectors.
AI, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, legaltech, Startups, supio
Supio, an AI-powered legal analysis platform, lands $60M
Supio, a startup that uses AI to automate data collection and analysis for legal teams, has raised $60 million in a funding round led by Sapphire Ventures with participation from Mayfield and Thomson Reuters Ventures. The new capital, which brings Supio’s total raised to $91 million, will be put toward growth, hiring, and go-to-market efforts,…
AI, Automation, Cast, cast ai, containers, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, GPUS, Kubernetes
Cast AI raises $108M to get the max out of AI, Kubernetes and other workloads
The crush of traffic going into training and running AI has quickly turned into a major cost and resource headache for organisations. Today, Cast AI — a startup building tools to ease and optimise AI and other workloads with automation — is raising a major round of funding on the back of its strong growth…
AI, Exclusive, figure ai, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotics, secondary market, Venture
Figure AI sent cease-and-desist letters to secondary markets brokers
Last month, Brett Adcock, founder of a robotics startup Figure AI, claimed in a post on X that his company “is now # 1 most sought-after private stock in the secondary market.” But the company has sent cease-and-desist letters to at least two brokers who run secondary marketplaces, those brokers told TechCrunch.These people said Figure…
agriculture, AgTech, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy, Climate, cows, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, Hoofprint Biome, methane, sosv
Hoofprint Biome boosts cow nutrition while slashing methane burps
The startup’s enzymes modify a cow’s microbiome using enzymes, slashing methane while boosting the nutrients available to the cow.
alexa fund, Amazon Alexa Fund, Biotech & Health, eyewear, Fundraising, Gadgets, Global Security News, Hardware, ixi, Nokia, pixieray, varjo, Vision
IXI raises $36.5M from Amazon and more to bring the concept of autofocus to prescription glasses
Blink and you’ll miss it: a startup out of Finland is taking a new look at the market for prescription eyewear. Tapping into innovations in eye-tracking and liquid crystal lens technology, IXI is building low-power glasses that will invisibly, automatically adjust to account for Presbyopia (far-sightedness), for the wearer. Four years into its life, Hensinki-based…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage 2025, Venture
Vote for the session you want to see at TechCrunch All Stage on July 15
We’ve been blown away by the overwhelming response to speak at TechCrunch All Stage on July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston. After thorough consideration, we’ve selected six standout finalists. The power to choose who will take the stage and share their startup scaling expertise is now in your hands! This Audience Choice voting…
Automation, Climate, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Exclusive, Fundraising, glacier, glacier robotics, Global Security News, recycling, Startups
Amazon-backed Glacier gets $16M to expand its robot recycling fleet
The world has a trash problem. The amount of stuff we throw away is expected to nearly double, to 3.8 billion metric tons, by 2050. Reducing what we use would go a long way to addressing the issue, but let’s face it, we’re not very good at buying less either. That leaves recycling, which has…
AI, coding, debugging, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, ide, Lightrun
Lightrun grabs $70M using AI to debug code in production
AI-based coding has exploded in popularity on the promise that it will make developers’ jobs faster and easier. But it’s also resulted in something else: a vast increase in lines of code, and thus the likelihood of bugs resulting in crashes or other mishaps. Today, an Israeli startup called Lightrun — which has built an…
Fundraising, Global Security News, newsletters, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Startups Weekly: Tech IPOs and deals proceed, but price matters
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week confirmed that deals can still happen in a troubled world, but price considerations and adjustments are now part of the picture. Most interesting startup stories…
AI, Apps, Biotech & Health, Climate, Crypto, Disrupt 2025, Fintech, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Security, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Venture
Speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Applications now open
TechCrunch Disrupt returns October 27–29 to Moscone West in San Francisco — and we’re inviting thought leaders, founders, VCs, and tech experts to apply for a chance to take the stage at one of the most anticipated tech events of the year. Applications are now open to speak at Disrupt 2025, where over 10,000+ tech…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startup Battlefield, Startup Battlefield 200, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200, Venture
Founders, your moment is now: Apply for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200
Founders, the battlefield is open. And the bold are stepping forward. Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is now accepting startups to compete in the ultimate pitch showdown in front of over 10,000 tech leaders from around the globe to witness.. This is no ordinary pitch. This is the fight for visibility, capital, and…
carbon capture, carbon removal, Climate, direct air capture, Exantia Capital, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, taranis
RepAir Carbon is making carbon removal machines inspired by batteries
RepAir recently raised a $15 million extension to its Series A.
defense tech, Fundraising, Global Security News, Isembard, manufacturing, Startups, supply chain
British startup Isembard lands $9M to reshore manufacturing for critical industries
Geopolitical pressures are accelerating a demand in many countries and regions to reshore — that is, to redevelop critical industry infrastructure, and to bring back businesses, which had moved or outsourced some or all of their industrial operations to cheaper countries further away. But that is easier said than done. In the key area of…
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Enterprise, evergreens, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
Here are the 19 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2025
Last year was monumental for the AI industry in the U.S. and beyond. There were 49 startups that raised funding rounds worth $100 million or more in 2024, per our count at TechCrunch; three companies raised more than one “megaround,” and seven companies raised rounds $1 billion in size or larger. How will 2025 compare?…
AI, ai code, endor labs, Fundraising, Global Security News, Security
Endor Labs, which builds tools to scan AI-generated code for vulnerabilities, lands $93M
AI-generated code is no doubt changing how software is built, but it’s also introducing new security challenges. More than 50% of organizations encounter security issues with AI-produced code sometimes or frequently, according to a late 2023 survey by developer security platform Synk. For Endor Labs, that opportunity proved alluring enough that it chose to change…
Alpaca, api, Europe, Fintech, Fundraising, Global Security News, Portage Ventures, Startups
Alpaca raises $52M Series C to take its API brokerage platform to new markets
Alpaca said on Wednesday it has raised a $52M Series C round to expand into more foreign markets, including the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Cybersecurity, Cynomi, Fundraising, Global Security News, Insight Partners, Security, smbs, SMEs
Cynomi cinches $37M for its AI-based ‘virtual CISO’ for SMB cybersecurity
Small and medium businesses are the latest targets for cybersecurity attacks, with one in three small businesses experiencing a data breach last year. SMBs are becoming more proactive in detecting and stopping these threats, and today a startup called Cynomi is announcing $37 million in funding to meet that demand. Insight Partners and Entrée Capital are co-leading…
Europe, Fintech, Fundraising, Global Security News, sme
Froda secures $23M Series B for its debt financing platform for SMEs
Swedish Fintech startup Froda has secured a $22.7 million (€20 million) Series B round led by Incore Invest, also based in Sweden. The move bucks the trend of a slight slowdown in investments into fintech, plus a further confirmation of the long-term trend towards the ’embedded finance’ model. Largely operating in northern European countries from…
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, law, Legal, Noxtua
Noxtua raises $92M for its sovereign AI tuned for the German legal system
Back in 2020, Xayn was a privacy-based, on-device AI startup designed specifically for smartphones. But that early experience eventually saw the company pivot into developing sovereign AI for the legal sphere. Now Xayn has rebranded as Noxtua and raised a $92.2 million (roughly €81.2 million) Series B round. The round was led by strategic investor…
cement, Climate, coal, construction materials, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, Waste
PHNX Materials found a way to decarbonize concrete using dirty coal waste
PHNX Materials has devised a way to strip fly ash of sulfur and aluminum, impurities that concrete companies would rather avoid.
evergreens, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, unicorns
20 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025 so far
Despite a still tight venture capital market, new unicorns are still being created every month. Using data from Crunchbase and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the newly VC-backed startup minted unicorns so far this year (as of the end of January). These include healthcare companies like Hippocratic AI and satellite space companies like Loft Orbital. This…
Fundraising, Global Security News, newsletters, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Startups Weekly: Mixed messages from venture capital
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week brought us mixed messages. A fresh IPO filing, but a bleak outlook for exits overall. New funding rounds, but founders frustrated over lack of capital.…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startup Battlefield, Startup Battlefield 200, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200
From Bogotá to the Battlefield: LatAm startups are winning big in TechCrunch Startup Battlefield
For startups around the world, the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield program offers unmatched exposure, credibility, and connections to scale their businesses. TechCrunch has long been committed to spotlighting companies solving real-world problems in scalable and sustainable ways — making it a powerful launchpad for startups both in and outside the U.S. Several Latin American startups have…
coding, developer tools, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, Startups, wasp
Wasp’s platform is the glue that holds web dev apps together
When Matija Šošić started working in web development, he was surprised by how hard it was to build a full-stack production-ready web application. One of the biggest hurdles Šošić faced was navigating the fragmented dev tooling landscape. Coding a web application required utilizing different tools for developing the front-end versus the back-end, and so on.…
Climate, construction robotics, Exclusive, Fundraising, Giant Ventures, Global Security News, robotics, solar panels, Solar Power
Cosmic Robotics’ robots could speed up solar panel deployments
Cosmic Robotics has developed a robotic assistant that does the heavy lifting on solar job sites.
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, voice agents
Telli, a YC alum, raises pre-seed funding for its AI voice agents
Former Y Combinator startup telli is helping companies alleviate the bottleneck that occurs when a high-volume of customers try to, for example, book appointments. Its AI voice agents kick in and handle basic operations while handing off more-complex processes to human operators. The Berlin-based startup has now raised $3.6 million in a pre-seed funding round led…
Climate, Exclusive, Fundraising, fusion power, Global Security News, lasers, MaC Venture Capital, nuclear fusion
Fusion power has a fuel problem; Hexium has a laser-powered solution
Hexium has emerged from stealth with $8 million in seed funding.
Fintech, Fundraising, Global Security News, insurtech, marshmallow
Marshmallow, the UK insurance startup for migrants, raises $90M at a $2B+ valuation
U.K. startup Marshmallow has blown up over the years by using innovations in data science to build car insurance policies for immigrants and other consumers who have been overlooked or priced out of traditional insurance. Now, with a million drivers insured and a profitable annual revenue run rate of $500 million, Marshmallow has raised a…
Collaborative Fund, Fundraising, Global Security News, Hardware, North America, SpaceX, Startups, supply chain, Transportation
Parallel Systems is building autonomous electric rail for short-distance freight
The business of moving goods in the United States is dominated by trucks, which handles about two-thirds of the 20.2 billion tons of freight that’s transported annually. Parallel Systems founder and CEO Matt Soule wants to change that by putting a modern autonomous and electric twist on the centuries-old railroad system. The Los Angeles-based company…
Fundraising, Global Security News, newsletters, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Startups Weekly: Enjoying the reprieve
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. Startups aren’t isolated from the world. But this week, funding news felt positively uncorrelated from the overall news cycle, offering somewhat of a reprieve — or perhaps…
Fundraising, Global Security News, Startups, StrictlyVC, StrictlyVC London, TC, Venture
Leaders from Accel and Paladin Capital Group join the stage at StrictlyVC London in May
Mark your calendar — StrictlyVC London is just around the corner on 13 May. Designed for founders, entrepreneurs, and investors, this exclusive gathering promises deep VC insight and high-value connections. We’re thrilled to welcome our first pair of confirmed speakers: Nazo Moosa, managing director of Paladin Capital Group, and Sonali De Rycker, partner of Accel…
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, In Brief, Mira Murati, Thinking Machines Lab
Mira Murati’s AI startup is reportedly aiming for a massive $2B seed round
Thinking Machines Lab, the new AI startup from ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is reportedly attempting to close one of the largest seed rounds in history. Business Insider reported on Thursday that Thinking Machines Lab has doubled the target for its seed funding round to $2 billion. The round, should it close according to plan, would…
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, In Brief, Mira Murati, Thinking Machines Lab
Mira Murati’s AI startup is reportedly aiming for a massive $2B seed round
Thinking Machines Lab, the new AI startup from ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is reportedly attempting to close one of the largest seed rounds in history. Business Insider reported on Thursday that Thinking Machines Lab has doubled the target for its seed funding round to $2 billion. The round, should it close according to plan, would…
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, In Brief, Mira Murati, Thinking Machines Lab
Mira Murati’s AI startup is reportedly aiming for a massive $2B seed round
Thinking Machines Lab, the new AI startup from ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, is reportedly attempting to close one of the largest seed rounds in history. Business Insider reported on Thursday that Thinking Machines Lab has doubled the target for its seed funding round to $2 billion. The round, should it close according to plan, would…
Commerce, Enterprise, Fintech, Fundraising, gig workers, Global Security News, hiring, jobandtalent, recruitment, temps, wage workers
Jobandtalent raises $103M on a down-round $1.5B valuation as it looks to AI to recruit temps
Jobandtalent, an AI-based “workforce as a service” marketplace that connects people with companies looking for hourly workers, announced it has raised €92 million ($103 million). The Series F — which includes participation from Atomico, BlackRock, DN Capital, Hercules, Infravia, Kibo, and Kinnevik — values the Madrid, Spain-based company at €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) post-money. On the surface,…
Commerce, Enterprise, Fintech, Fundraising, gig workers, Global Security News, hiring, jobandtalent, recruitment, temps, wage workers
Jobandtalent raises $103M on a down-round $1.5B valuation as it looks to AI to recruit temps
Jobandtalent, an AI-based “workforce as a service” marketplace that connects people with companies looking for hourly workers, announced it has raised €92 million ($103 million). The Series F — which includes participation from Atomico, BlackRock, DN Capital, Hercules, Infravia, Kibo, and Kinnevik — values the Madrid, Spain-based company at €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) post-money. On the surface,…
Commerce, Enterprise, Fintech, Fundraising, gig workers, Global Security News, hiring, jobandtalent, recruitment, temps, wage workers
Jobandtalent raises $103M on a down-round $1.5B valuation as it looks to AI to recruit temps
Jobandtalent, an AI-based “workforce as a service” marketplace that connects people with companies looking for hourly workers, announced it has raised €92 million ($103 million). The Series F — which includes participation from Atomico, BlackRock, DN Capital, Hercules, Infravia, Kibo, and Kinnevik — values the Madrid, Spain-based company at €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) post-money. On the surface,…
AI, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, Incident Response, Incident.io
Incident.io raises $62M at a $400M valuation to help IT teams move fast when things break
In the world of tech, some might argue that the term of the decade is AI, but in the bigger scheme of things, beyond this single sector, the most important word may well be “resilience.” How well prepared are people, organizations, and countries for unforeseen, negative economic, geopolitical, social, and environmental developments? It’s a question…
AI, car insurance, Fintech, Fundraising, Global Security News, insurance, insurtech, oninimo, Wefox, zurich
AI insurtech Ominimo bags its first investment at a $220M valuation
How do you get talented engineers to work for a startup in a mundane field at a time when more exciting companies are paying well and hiring aggressively? Here’s an answer from one insurance startup out of Poland called Ominimo: make pay competitive, but more importantly, give those engineers the license to apply their talent…
a16z, Addition, Andreessen Horowitz, Batteries, battery storage, Climate, Fundraising, Global Security News, lightspeed venture partners, valor equity partners
a16z backs Base Power in $200M round for home backup batteries
The money will fund a rapid expansion, including dozens more megawatt-hours of battery storage and plans for a domestic battery factory.
AI, AI agents, AI SDR, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
Artisan, the ‘stop hiring humans’ AI agent startup, raises $25M – and is still hiring humans
It’s been a tough but exciting year for 23-year-old Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, founder and CEO of AI sales agent startup Artisan. Artisan just raised a $25 million Series A led by Glade Brook Capital, Carmichael-Jack exclusively tells TechCrunch. Y Combinator, Day One Ventures, HubSpot Ventures, Oliver Jung, Fellows Fund, and others participated as well. A year…
autonomous vehicles, Fundraising, Global Security News, nuro, Startups, Transportation
Nuro’s $106M raise backs its shift from delivery robots to licensing autonomy tech
After months of hearty marketing efforts and large-scale technology demos across the U.S., Nuro has secured $106 million in fresh funding to help scale its autonomous driving technology and advance commercial partnerships. The Series E round brings Nuro’s total funding raised to $2.2 billion and its valuation to $6 billion. That’s a drop from the…
AI, Biotech & Health, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC Sessions: AI, TechCrunch Sessions: AI, Transportation, Venture
The complete agenda for TechCrunch Sessions: AI unveiled
It’s been a couple of years since our last topic-focused, one-day event — but with AI transforming the tech landscape, we couldn’t miss the chance to gather 1,200 founders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone shaping the future of AI for a deep dive into what’s next. On June 5 in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley,…
Fundraising, Global Security News, legal tech, Solve Intelligence
Solve Intelligence raises fresh $12M to bring AI to IP, patent workflows
Legal tech has come a long way, but the bulk of an intellectual property or patent lawyer’s work today is still done with spreadsheets, word processors and PDFs. A startup out of Delaware, Solve Intelligence, is using generative AI to speed up that work, believing its tech is uniquely suited to the needs of patent…
Disrupt 2025, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startup Battlefield, Startup Battlefield 200, Startups, TC, TechCrunch Disrupt, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Founders, TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 is calling! Apply to enter!
Founders, the battlefield is calling! Startup Battlefield 200 applications are now live — and the race has begun. If you’ve got a groundbreaking idea and the guts to pitch it to the world, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is your arena. You’ll face elite VC judges. You’ll compete against 199 of the world’s most promising startups. And…
ben leventhal, blackbird labs, blockchain, Crypto, Fundraising, Global Security News, payments, Restaurants, Startups
Blackbird gobbles up $50M for its blockchain-based payment-loyalty app for restaurants
A founder who has carved out a name for himself building products to help restaurants connect better with would-be diners has raised $50 million for his latest startup: a new take on the idea of customer loyalty. Blackbird Labs has built a payments-meets-loyalty-meets-blockchain platform for restaurants to grow repeat business while reducing some of the…
food delivery, Fundraising, ghost kitchens, Global Security News, seed funding, Startups
Sizl raises $3.5M to expand its cook-to-order food delivery service
Dark kitchens– also referred to as ghost kitchens, cloud kitchens, or virtual kitchens– often receive criticism for their food quality. Sizl, a cook-to-order delivery service based in Chicago, seeks to change this perception by delivering meals made with fresh ingredients in around 30 minutes flat. The company announced its recent $3.5 million seed round on…
Emerging Tech, Fintech, Fundraising, Global Security News, mobile wallets, Turkey
Turkey’s Sipay raises $78M to expand its Stripe-like services into emerging markets
Billing itself as “Stripe for emerging markets,” Turkish Fintech Sipay has raised a $78 million Series B funding round, claiming a valuation of $875 million in the process. This round is significant, as Sipay plans to expand into markets outside of Turkey, offering additional services like remittances that Stripe currently does not offer in those…
Emerging Tech, Fintech, Fundraising, Global Security News, mobile wallets, Turkey
Turkey’s Sipay raises $78M to expand its Stripe-like services into emerging markets
Billing itself as “Stripe for emerging markets,” Turkish Fintech Sipay has raised a $78 million Series B funding round, claiming a valuation of $875 million in the process. This round is significant, as Sipay plans to expand into markets outside of Turkey, offering additional services like remittances that Stripe currently does not offer in those…
Climate, electrical grid, Fundraising, Global Security News, Heron Power, smart grid, Tesla
Former Tesla exec Drew Baglino’s new startup is rethinking the electrical transformer
Heron Power is raising between $30 million to $50 million for a Series A, according to a report.
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, moonvalley
AI video startup Moonvalley raised a fresh $43M, SEC filing shows
Los Angeles-based startup Moonvalley, which is developing AI tools for video creation, has raised a fresh $43 million in venture capital, according to an SEC filing. The filing, which lists 11 unnamed investors, comes roughly a week after Moonvalley launched its first AI video-generating model, Marey. Moonvalley previously raised $70 million in seed funding from backers…
AI, consulting, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, Hakkoda, IBM, Mergers and Acquisitions
IBM acquires Hakkoda to continue its AI consultancy investment push
IBM on Monday said it has acquired Hakkoda, a data and AI consultancy based in New York. The acquisition would “further expand” IBM’s ability to bring consultants and AI to clients, particularly customers in industries like financial services, public sector, and healthcare and life sciences, said Mohamad Ali, SVP and head of IBM’s consulting business,…
EvenUp, Fundraising, Global Security News, grammarly, limited partners, pre-seed, seed stage, signalfire, Venture
SignalFire raises over $1B as LPs embrace data-driven investing
Thirteen years ago, when Chris Farmer founded early-stage venture firm SignalFire with data analysis at the core of its investment strategy, many were skeptical about the approach — conventional wisdom dictated that nascent companies didn’t have enough data to make investment algorithms effective. “This was a very radical idea, and everyone thought I was crazy,”…
AI, AI hardware, Fundraising, Global Security News, jony ive, openai, sam altman
OpenAI reportedly mulls buying Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s AI hardware startup
OpenAI is said to have discussed acquiring the AI hardware startup that former Apple design lead Jony Ive is building with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. According to The Information, OpenAI could pay around $500 million for the fledgling company, called io Products. Ive, who left Apple in 2019 to start his own design firm called…
Fundraising, Global Security News, newsletter, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Startups Weekly: Stay tuned for the Rippling espionage movie
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week reminded us that different startups share a different approach to news: Some choose to remain quiet for a very long time, even about their acquisition…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
TechCrunch All Stage: Learn how AI can supercharge your MVPs with Chris Gardner
TechCrunch All Stage, our big event for founders of startups at all stages of funding (see what we did there?), is coming up July 15 at Boston’s SoWa Power Station. And it’s our pleasure to announce that Underscore VC’s investing partner Chris Gardner will join a loaded lineup of speakers by leading a breakout session…
Fundraising, Global Security News
Grace raises €5.9 million seed to offer insurance to luxury goods
Grace, an insurance company for luxury goods, announced a $6.4 million (€5.9 million) seed round led by FinTechCollective and Speedinvest. Grace, an insurance company for luxury goods, works with luxury brands to protect purchased consumer goods. If an item is stolen or damaged, a consumer can create a claim through the Grace app. For the…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
Call for speakers: Showcase your knowledge at TechCrunch All Stage
Calling founders, VCs, and startup experts — share your scaling strategies! TechCrunch All Stage 2025 is assembling top minds in startups and venture capital on July 15 in Boston. If you have valuable insights on scaling, now’s your chance to share them with 1,200+ founders, investors, and entrepreneurs. Lead thought-provoking sessions, interactive roundtables, and actionable…
AI, ElevenLabs, Fundraising, Global Security News, lux capital, MIT, voice AI
Voice AI platform Phonic gets backing from Lux
The quality of AI-generated voices is good enough for things like creating audiobooks and podcasts, having articles read aloud to you, and basic customer support. But many businesses don’t think AI voice tech is quite reliable enough to deploy. That’s why two MIT grads, Moin Nadeem and Nikhil Murthy (pictured above), founded Phonic, a company…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
New session at TechCrunch All Stage: Jahanvi Sardana on how top startups reshape markets
TechCrunch All Stage — the ultimate founder summit — is shaping up to be a powerhouse event where 1,200 founders and VCs across all stages will come together to forge meaningful connections and gain practical insights they can immediately apply to scale their startups. Join us on July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston…
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment
Runway, best known for its video-generating AI models, raises $308M
Runway, a startup developing a range of generative AI models for media production, including video-generating models, has raised $308 million in a Series D funding round. General Atlantic led the round, which had participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Nvidia, SoftBank, and others. The fresh capital will be put toward AI research…
AI, AI GPUs, AI hardware, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, Startups
Parasail says its fleet of on-demand GPUs is larger than Oracle’s entire cloud
Cloud infrastructure is dominated by several large industry players: AWS, Microsoft’s Azure, and Google Cloud. While to some it may look like AI is headed in a similar direction, the founders of Parasail think AI infrastructure will look very different — and are betting their company’s fate on it. Parasail works with dozens of providers to…
Climate, data centers, electrolyzers, Exclusive, Fourier, Fundraising, Global Security News, Hydrogen, manufacturing, Transportation
Fourier is making hydrogen electrolyzers inspired by data centers
Most recent hydrogen startups have been focused on making modular electrolyzers, but Fourier has taken that trend to the extreme.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Climate, consumers, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, Marketing, Northwind Climate, Surveys
Who are climate conscious consumers? Not who you’d expect, says Northwind Climate
Rather than divide people into demographic buckets, Northwind Climate analyzes survey responses for behavioral clues.
AI, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, Qualcomm, vinai
Qualcomm acquires generative AI division of Vietnamese startup VinAI
Qualcomm has acquired the generative AI division of VinAI, an AI research company headquartered in Hanoi, for an undisclosed amount, the companies announced on Monday. The move marks Qualcomm’s continued expansion into the AI tooling sector. VinAI, which was founded by former DeepMind research scientist Hung Bui, develops a range of generative AI technologies, including…
Construct Capital, defense tech, Fundraising, Global Security News, manufacturing tech, Venture
Construct Capital raises $300M fund for defense and manufacturing tech
Construct Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in startups applying technology to sectors like manufacturing, transportation, and defense, has closed its third fund with $300 million in capital commitments. The Washington D.C.-based firm previously raised a $225 million second fund and a $75 million capital pool for later-stage companies in 2022. While many…
AI, Fundraising, Global Security News, In Brief, openai, Softbank
OpenAI raises $40B at $300B post-money valuation
OpenAI on Monday announced that it closed one of the largest private funding rounds in history. According to a blog post on the company’s website, OpenAI raised $40 billion in a round that values the company at $300 billion post-money. SoftBank led the financing, CNBC reported. Other participants included Microsoft, Coatue, Altimeter, and Thrive, all…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
Less than 24 hours to save $300+ on founder and investor passes for TechCrunch All Stage
Last chance! Less than 24 hours left to grab your $300+ discount on TechCrunch All Stage founder and investor passes. Planning to bring more than just you? Bundle tickets for even greater savings! Don’t wait — prices rise at 11:59 p.m. PT tonight. TC All Stage is the ultimate event where founders turbocharge growth, and…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
Just 2 days to secure your founder or investor pass with $300+ off for TechCrunch All Stage
Time is running out! Less than 48 hours left to lock in your $300+ discount for TechCrunch All Stage founder and investor passes. More than just you? Save even more with bundle tickets. Rates increase on March 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT. TC All Stage is where founders accelerate their growth and investors discover their…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
Only 3 days left to save $300+ on investor and founder tickets for TechCrunch All Stage
The final countdown is here! This is your last weekend to lock in Early Bird pricing for TechCrunch All Stage founder and investor tickets. Save up to $320 before the clock strikes 11:59 p.m. PT on March 31. Founders, charge ahead. Investors, power the mission! On July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston, 1,200…
Fundraising, Global Security News, newsletters, Startups, Startups Weekly, venture capital
Startups Weekly: Mercury more than doubled its valuation, and other news
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week reminded us that creative accounting doesn’t only happen in Hollywood. Some hopes were dashed, but startups are delivering on all sorts of promises, from nuclear…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
4 days left to lock in $300+ savings for investor and founder tickets for TechCrunch All Stage
Time’s running out — 4 days left to save over $300 on Founder and Investor Passes for TechCrunch All Stage! Founders, accelerate your journey. Investors, fuel their success. Join us on July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston, Massachusetts, for TC All Stage, where 1,200 founders and VCs come together to scale from seed…
eBay, Enterprise, Fundraising, Global Security News, GraphQL, open source, Startups, WunderGraph
Ebay backs WunderGraph to build an open-source GraphQL federation
A fledgling open-source startup that’s setting out to tackle API sprawl in the GraphQL ecosystem has secured the backing of e-commerce giant eBay. WunderGraph, as the company is called, today said it has raised $7.5 million in a Series A round of funding to “scale its open source GraphQL federation.” Investors include eBay’s VC arm…
Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC All Stage, TechCrunch All Stage, Venture
4 days left to lock in $300+ savings for investor and founder tickets for TechCrunch All Stage
Time’s running out — 4 days left to save over $300 on Founder and Investor Passes for TechCrunch All Stage! Founders, accelerate your journey. Investors, fuel their success. Join us on July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston, MA, for TC All Stage, where 1,200 founders and VCs come together to scale from seed…
Fundraising, Global Security News, Magnetar Capital, openai, Softbank
OpenAI will reportedly close its SoftBank-led $40 billion round soon
While you’re busy Ghibli-fying your images with ChatGPT’s new image-generation capabilities, OpenAI is out raising a ton more cash. The company is close to finalizing a new $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank, according to a report from Bloomberg. The report noted that other funds, including the hedge fund Magnetar Capital, Coatue Management, Founders…
Enterprise, enterprise startups, Fundraising, Global Security News, Startups
Island lands $250M in funding at a $4.8B valuation
Enterprise browser startup Island just raised a sizable funding round — one that bumps up its valuation significantly, and less than one year after its last fundraise. Dallas-based Island raised $250 million in a Series E round led by Coatue that valued the company at $4.85 billion, the startup announced today. This brings the company’s…
AI, deepfakes, forensics, ForgePoint Capital, Fundraising, GetReal, Global Security News, impersonations, In-Q-Tel, Security
Has GetReal cracked the code on AI deepfakes? $18M and an impressive client list says yes
The proliferation of scarily realistic deepfakes is one of the more pernicious byproducts of the rise of AI, and falling victim to scams based on these deepfakes is already costing companies millions of dollars — not to mention the implications these could have on national security. A startup that’s built a toolset aimed at governments…