Alphabet X spins out again to pursue one of the world’s most expensive bureaucratic nightmares
For more than a decade, Alphabet’s X Moonshot factory has been quietly trying to improve one of the world’s most stubborn industries. It has failed twice, but this time the industry itself is on board. On Thursday, X announced that Anori, a platform for streamlining the notoriously complex process of building approvals and construction, has […]
K2 launches first high-performance satellite for space computing
An ambitious satellite maker plans to launch one of the most powerful spacecraft ever built in the coming weeks to demonstrate the technology needed to build data centers in orbit. K2 Space, founded in 2022 by brothers and former SpaceX engineers Karan Kunjur and Neil Kunjur, has packed the Gravitas satellite onto a SpaceX Falcon […]
Consumer-focused privacy company Cloaked raises $375 million to expand into enterprise
Consumer-grade security tools often focus on one type of measure, such as password protection, VPN, or identity management. Because of this, people need to use multiple tools to protect their data privacy. Cloaked, a company that offers a bundle of alternative security and privacy solutions, announced Thursday that it has secured $375 million in Series […]
Ark expands commercial electric and defense boat business with $50 million in funding
Los Angeles startup Ark Boat Company is expanding its nascent commercial operations to include selling electric propulsion systems to defense contractors, fulfilling founder Mitch Lee’s desire to electrify everything on the water. To that end, Arc has raised $50 million in a Series C funding round from Eclipse, a16z, Menlo Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Necessary Ventures, […]
Two Palantir veterans secretly show up with $30 million and Sequoia’s endorsement
Edra, a New York-based startup that claims to help companies automate their workflows by turning existing operational data into a living knowledge base, just received a meaningful vote of confidence. A $30 million Series A led by Sequoia with participation from 8VC and A*, a venture firm founded by serial entrepreneur Kevin Hartz. The founder […]
Nothing CEO Karl Pei says smartphone apps will disappear if they are replaced by AI agents
Carl Pei, co-founder and CEO of Nothing, envisions a future beyond the iPhone. The iPhone doesn’t run apps; it’s a device with an AI agent. “In terms of AI in software, I think people need to understand that apps are going to die,” said Pei, whose consumer electronics brand makes unique smartphones and other accessories. […]
Nvidia is secretly building a multibillion-dollar behemoth to rival its chip business
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang pushed the company to start developing AI-specific chips in 2010, more than a decade before AI became a hot topic today, staying years ahead of the market. A similar move in 2020, doubling down on data center networking through strategic acquisitions, created one of the company’s most profitable and fastest-growing divisions, […]
FBI buys location data to track U.S. citizens, director admits
The FBI has resumed purchasing large amounts of Americans’ data and location history to aid federal investigations, FBI Director Kash Patel testified to lawmakers Wednesday. This is the first time since 2023 that the FBI has acknowledged purchasing access to people’s data collected from data brokers, which obtain much of the information, including location data, […]
Patreon CEO says AI companies’ fair use debate is ‘bullshit’, says creators should be paid
Patreon CEO Jacques Conte said he is not anti-AI. That can’t be true. “I run a hell of a technology company,” he told an audience at the SXSW conference in Austin this week. Still, creator platform founders have their limits. Conte doesn’t think AI companies should be able to train models based on creators’ work […]
Rebel Audio is a new AI podcasting tool aimed at first-time creators
You’ve probably all had those moments where you’re sitting with a friend and a conversation strikes up, making each other laugh, and maybe even saying something surprisingly insightful. Then someone said, “You should start a podcast.” Most of the time, the idea disappears just as quickly as it came to mind. Not because it’s necessarily […]