Startups / Funding
Following the money and the vision. Insights into early-stage startups, major funding rounds, VC ecosystem shifts and tech-driven industry disruption.
166 articles
Bluebird's Tweet.app Relaunches Twitter With AI Moderation and a Paid Model
Bluebird's Tweet.app revives Twitter with a paid model, AI moderation, and a 'freedom of speech but not freedom of reach' approach.
AI Sales Startups Claim Growing Share of Dwindling Venture Funding
Venture funding for sales and marketing startups has dropped from pandemic peaks, but AI-focused companies are capturing a larger slice. Notable raises include AppsFlyer, Parloa, and Clay.
Joby Aviation Completes First Fully Autonomous Cross-Country Flight
Joby Aviation flew its eVTOL aircraft autonomously from California to North Carolina, marking a milestone for autonomous air travel.
Crusoe's Modular Data Center Vision Attracts $30.9 Billion in New Funding
Crusoe raises $30.9B for modular data centers to solve AI infrastructure bottlenecks. Major investors back the approach. CEO Chase Lochmiller touts scalability.
Skalar Offers Startups a Flexible Alternative to Venture Debt for Customer Acquisition
Skalar provides capital for customer acquisition costs, repaid from the revenue those customers generate. The model reduces cash crunches and differs from venture debt.
Column Builds a Payment Issuer Processor From Scratch
Fintech startup Column has built its own payment card issuer processor, a rare technical feat. The move gives Column full control over card transactions and reduces reliance on legacy providers.
NATO-Backed Startup Deploys Small AI for Autonomous Drone Attacks
NATO-backed Scaleout Systems is deploying Small AI models on drones for autonomous target identification and attack, a shift driven by the war in Ukraine.
Seed-Stage Startups Face a New Playbook as Capital and Distribution Shift
After reviewing 25,000 applications, LvlUp Ventures identifies key shifts in seed-stage startups: non-dilutive capital, distribution-first design, and AI as infrastructure. Founders must adapt or fall behind.
Fusion Startup Pacific Fusion Breaks Ground as Physics Hurdles Remain
Pacific Fusion broke ground on a test facility in New Mexico, but net energy gain remains elusive. The event highlights the gap between startup promises and persistent physics challenges.
Floating Nuclear Reactors and AI Building Markets Highlight Recent Startup Funding
Two startups raised a combined $81M for floating nuclear reactors and an AI marketplace for building materials, signaling a shift in venture capital toward industrial innovation.
Software IPOs Vanish as Energy and Defense Dominate 2026 Listings
U.S. venture-backed tech IPOs surge to nearly $90 billion in 2026, but enterprise software is almost entirely absent. Energy, defense and AI infrastructure companies capture the bulk of proceeds.
A New Benchmark for Innovation: South Korea's Ecosystem Puzzle
Alberto Onetti of Mind the Bridge presented a framework for measuring innovation ecosystems in Seoul, applied to South Korea. The pyramid model separates startups, scaleups, scalers and innovative SMEs.
Nvidia Surges Into Top Startup Investor Ranks as Funding Hits $42 Billion in August
Y Combinator led in deal count, General Catalyst in lead rounds, while Nvidia's venture dealmaking hit a record high in August, participating in nine rounds of $5M+.
AI Startup Wealth Outpaces Personal Financial Experience
AI-native startups reach billion-dollar valuations in half the time, creating sudden wealth for founders and employees. Financial planning struggles to keep pace with the compressed growth cycle.
Startup Equity Vesting Flaw Fuels Costly Litigation and Dead Weight
Standard four-year vesting schedules create dead weight on cap tables and lead to lawsuits. David Siegel of Grellas Shah LLP proposes fixes.
Making Startups Powerful Sparks Debate Among Founders
A report called 'Making Startups Powerful' ignites debate after Hacker News comments highlight contrasting views on scaling strategies for early-stage companies.
German Startup Isar Aerospace Breaks New Ground for European Commercial Launch Industry
Isar Aerospace becomes the first purely commercial European company to reach orbit with its Spectrum rocket, marking a historic milestone for Europe's launch industry.
Four U.S. Startups Raise Over $1 Billion Each in Record Funding Week
The Boring Co., Cognition, Motive and Stoke Space each secured $1B+ rounds, driving a surge in U.S. venture funding focused on infrastructure, AI and aerospace.
Boutique Launch Providers Find Favor as SpaceX Adjusts Falcon 9 Schedule
SpaceX's Falcon 9 slowdown opens doors for boutique launchers. Isar Aerospace's orbital debut proves small launch viability. Satellite operators gain more options.