Fundraising | TechCrunch

Physical AI startup BrightAI bootstraps to $80M in revenue

Rebecca Szkutak — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:00:00 +0000

When Alex Hawkinson was the CEO of SmartThings, the consumer-focused connected devices company he co-founded and sold to Samsung for around $200 million, he kept thinking that Internet of Things (IoT) technology could probably solve bigger issues. He left SmartThings in 2018 to figure out where connected devices could make the largest impact. He co-founded […]

Database startup Neo4j embraces AI to supercharge growth

Kyle Wiggers — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:59:38 +0000

To make AI possible, you need to create connections between vast quantities of data. That’s where tech like graph databases come into play. Graph databases handle fast-changing, interconnected data more adeptly than traditional databases, which were designed to store rigidly structured information. Of course, graph databases need to be managed in order to be useful. […]

Spectro Cloud nets $75M to help companies manage their Kubernetes installations

Kyle Wiggers — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:00:57 +0000

Kubernetes, the open source system that helps manage containerized applications (software packages that run in isolated environments), long ago breached the mainstream. According to one recent poll, 60% of organizations have adopted Kubernetes, and Gartner estimates that more than 90% of all enterprises could run Kubernetes in production by 2026. But Kubernetes itself remains difficult […]

Lightyear is on a mission to modernize network procurement

Kyle Wiggers — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Dennis Thankachan isn’t someone you’d expect would launch a digital procurement startup. After college, Thankachan went to work for Goldman Sachs as an investment banker. Two years later, he left for a hedge fund, PointState Capital, where he helped to manage equity investing. At PointState, which specializes in telecommunications, Thankachan said he encountered an unexpected […]

Agentio raises $12M from Benchmark for its YouTube ad marketplace

Ivan Mehta — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Creator marketplace startup Agentio, which has built an automated platform for YouTubers to sell their ad slots to brands, has raised $12 million in Series A funding led by Benchmark with participation from returning investors Craft Ventures and AlleyCorp. With the new funding, the startup aims to scale its marketplace for YouTubers and bolster its […]

Workbrew makes open source package manager Homebrew enterprise-friendly

Paul Sawers — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:56:00 +0000

Workbrew emerges from stealth with the mission of mitigating the risks of "shadow IT" practices around Homebrew package manager deployments.

In Mexico’s tense job market, Minu’s take on employee benefits includes financial wellness

Anna Heim — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 12:00:00 +0000

In a tight labor market, the best way to attract and retain talent is to look after employee well-being. As Mexico is nearing full employment, this creates tailwinds for these endeavors, but with particular awareness that financial, physical, and mental health are interconnected. “The main problem to solve in Mexico is around financial matters,” said […]

Venture funding in Europe fell to $45B in 2024, says Atomico

Ingrid Lunden — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 00:10:32 +0000

Funding for European tech appears to have stabilized in 2024 after dropping precipitously in 2023, but the signs continue to point to more tough times ahead, according to the latest State of European Tech report. The annual survey, produced by European VC firm Atomico, notes that startups in the region are on track to raise […]

In 2023 VCs returned the lowest level of capital to their investors since 2011

Rebecca Szkutak — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 22:16:30 +0000

It’s no secret that the venture capital industry is facing a liquidity crisis as IPOs and other exits remain few and far between after 2020 and 2021’s record-breaking years. Now, we have numbers that show just how bad it’s gotten. In 2023, the U.S. VC industry invested $60 billion more into startups than it collected […]

Ex-Duolingo execs raise $13M for a startup that’s making it easier to access a college education

Lauren Forristal — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

As college tuition increases and the student loan debt crisis continues, three former executives from language learning app Duolingo are building a new startup aimed at making college education more affordable and accessible. The company, tentatively named Outsmart Education (the name is not final yet), is headed by co-founders Daniel Falabella (CPO), former senior director […]

SuperAnnotate helps companies manage their AI datasets

Kyle Wiggers — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

SuperAnnotate, a platform for managing and prepping AI training data sets, has raised a new round of capital.

Text marketing firm Blip secures backing from SoftBank, Microsoft

Kyle Wiggers — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 12:00:16 +0000

Take Blip, a conversational marketing platform, has raised $60 million in funding from SoftBank and Microsoft.

Juna.ai wants to use AI agents to make factories more energy-efficient

Paul Sawers — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 10:19:18 +0000

Juna.ai wants to help factories become more efficient by automating complex industrial processes using AI agents.

Oyo founder seeks new investment at $3.8B valuation

Manish Singh — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 04:44:22 +0000

An investment vehicle backed by Oyo’s founder, Ritesh Agarwal, has proposed to inject another $65.1 million into the Indian hospitality startup, according to notices to shareholders that were reviewed by TechCrunch. The investment, through Redsprig Innovation Partners, would value the SoftBank-backed company at $3.8 billion, according to terms shared in a notice to shareholders. While […]

OpenAI at one point considered acquiring AI chip startup Cerebras

Kyle Wiggers — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:27:35 +0000

OpenAI was at one point considering acquiring Cerebras, an AI chipmaking company that’s in the process of going public, according to new legal filings. Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit against OpenAI has new exhibits that describe how OpenAI was contemplating snatching up Cerebras in or around 2017 — a year after Cerebras’ founding, and just a […]

The US IPO window hasn’t reopened yet, but startups take what they can

Anna Heim — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 20:05:00 +0000

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! Despite the short workweek in many locations, the last few days have been crammed with deal announcements and funding news, although it is too early to tell how much was just on hold before […]

Drone manufacturer Skydio raises $170 million extension round

Margaux MacColl, Sean O'Kane — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 18:05:31 +0000

American drone manufacturer Skydio has raised an extension round of $170 million, adding onto the $230 million Series E it closed early last year.

Ecolectro stuffs hydrogen production into shipping containers to cut costs

Tim De Chant — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +0000

The startup figures the best way to rein in costs is to bring production closer to where it’s being used.

SwiftConnect lets workers access the office with a smartphone swipe

Kyle Wiggers — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 15:00:10 +0000

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 […]

German travel startup Tourlane raises $26M led by Sequoia

Ingrid Lunden — Thu, 14 Nov 2024 14:14:01 +0000

Global travel continues to gain ground, with the World Travel and Tourism Council predicting the industry will cross $11 trillion in revenues this year. Consumers are evolving from the so-called “revenge travel” of the post-COVID-19 years, dedicating a growing share of their budget to a wider array of experiences away from home. Add AI to […]