Upside Robotics reduces fertilizer use and waste in corn crops
The founders of Upside Robotics met in 2023. Both wanted to build an impact-driven company that impacts climate and agriculture. Less than a year later, they were sleeping in a camper on the side of a Canadian cornfield, building a robotics startup. Waterloo, Ontario-based Upside Robotics builds lightweight, solar-powered autonomous robots that deliver the right […]
Integrate raises $17 million to move defense project management into the 21st century
John Conafay, a United States Air Force veteran, has spent most of his career leading business development for public and private aerospace companies, including Spire, Astranis, and ABL Space Systems. Conafay encountered the same software hurdles at every company. Collaborating on government contracts was logistically confusing, forcing his team and their federal counterparts to rely […]
Humanoid robot startup Apptronik raises $935 million at a valuation of more than $5 billion
Apptronik, a University of Texas spinout that develops humanoid robots such as Google DeepMind, announced Wednesday that it has relaunched its Series A to raise a total of $935 million in a round. The company has not disclosed its valuation, but TechCrunch has separately learned that the valuation is approximately $5.3 billion after the withdrawal […]
Compliance raises $20 million to help businesses manage risk and compliance
Richa Kaur says she’s a bit picky about data privacy. For example, at parties, she helps people with their cell phone privacy settings. “We’ve come to realize that the best way to actually protect consumer data is to ensure the safety of the companies that hold it around the world.” So she started a company […]
Meridian raises $17 million to reimagine agent spreadsheets
The battle to tame spreadsheets with AI is far from over. A new company called Meridian has emerged from stealth with a more comprehensive IDE-based approach to agent financial modeling and deep pockets to build it. On Wednesday, the company announced it had raised $17 million in seed funding at a post-money valuation of $100 […]
Elon Musk speaks to the moon as co-founder leaves and IPO looms
On Tuesday night, Elon Musk called an all-hands meeting for xAI employees. Apparently he wanted to talk about the future of his AI company, especially how it relates to the moon. According to The New York Times, which heard the meeting, Musk told employees that xAI would need a lunar manufacturing facility, a lunar factory […]
Now, exactly half of xAI’s founding team has left the company.
On Monday night, xAI co-founder Yuhuai (Tony) Wu announced that he is leaving the company. “It’s time for the next chapter,” Wu wrote in a post on the late-night X show. “This is a time of possibilities. Small teams armed with AI can move mountains and redefine what is possible.” Less than a day later, […]
Amazon may launch a marketplace where media sites can sell content to AI companies
The AI industry’s pursuit of licensable content has been fraught with lawsuits and accusations of copyright infringement. Now, as tech companies look for legally secure sources of AI training data, Amazon is reportedly considering launching a marketplace where publishers can license their content directly to AI companies. The Information reported on Monday that the e-commerce […]
Ice dance duo skated to AI music at the Olympics
Czech ice dancers Kateřina Mrášková and Daniel Mrázek made their Olympic debuts on Monday. This is an immense feat that requires a lifetime of dedication and practice. However, this sibling duo used AI music in their rhythm dance program. This doesn’t violate any official rules, but it serves as a depressing symbol of how perfectly […]
VC Marcia Butcher, an associate of Epstein and founder of Day One, explains it herself.
Marcia Butcher, a Silicon Valley VC and founder of Day One Ventures, addressed reports this week documenting her close business and personal relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Butcher’s name, primarily her maiden name Masha Drokova, appeared more than 1,600 times in the latest Epstein file dump, the San Francisco Standard reported. “He made […]