23andMe is raising close to $200 million in a funding round led by Sequoia, multiple sources tell us. We’re also hearing that Fidelity is looking to participate. We’ve heard for a while the personal genetics company was looking for more money to expand its genetics research arm and develop new products. This adds to the over $230 million that the company has raised, dating back… Read More
from TechCrunch
For someone getting major dental work or reconstructive surgery, it can be hard to visualize what they’ll look like afterwards. You can do casts and make wax molds, but that’s a bit… 19th century, isn’t it? A Swiss startup brings the in retrospect obvious solution of augmented reality to the problem, giving patients a virtual view of the smile they could soon have. Read More
from TechCrunch
You can’t walk outside your door in San Francisco these days without seeing some tech worker or VC wearing a pair of Allbirds. The eco-friendly wool shoes have taken over the tech world since the startup’s launch a mere 18 months ago. Now, it plans to expand globally and develop new materials beyond its signature merino wool. Allbirds has a good amount of capital to go there as… Read More
from TechCrunch
Sony is investing in Acutronic Robotics‘ Series A round, via its Sony Innovation Fund. Sony will also adopt Acutronics Hardware Robot Operating System (H-ROS), for use in its own robotics division, the company says. This funding follows investment by DARPA in the Acutronics platform, which aims to become an industry standard for robotics components from across hardware and software… Read More
from TechCrunch
Event Pop, a two-year-old digital ticketing startup from Thailand, has raised a $1.6 million Series A round to expand its product and move into new markets.
The round was led by Thai investors InVent, a subsidiary of the parent of operator AIS, and Kasikorn Bank’s $30 million Beacon fund. Event Pop had previously raised $500,000. One of its backers is millionaire businessman Ittipat… Read More
from TechCrunch
Used to be when we thought about identity as it relates to computers and software, it involved a person logging into an application or service. Increasingly though, you also have machines and sensors attempting to authenticate as they access your systems. That creates complications for identity management vendors because instead of managing thousands or tens of thousands of identities, it… Read More
from TechCrunch
Aifloo, a Swedish startup that combines hardware sensors and AI to offer a ‘smart wristband’ to help care for the elderly, has raised €5.1 million in new funding. The Series A round is led by EQT Ventures. Read More
from TechCrunch
Imagine some time in the not-so-distant future. After making your way to the nearest “community landing strip,” you’ll pull out your phone, and, with a single tap, hail the nearest ‘air taxi’ to take you to your chosen destination. The experience will have Uber-like convenience but the mode of transport couldn’t be any more different. Read More
from TechCrunch
It’s not all Blue Apron and Snap. Of the tech companies that have gone public this year, most are trading above their IPO price.
But there haven’t been many of them, with just 15 tech companies debuting so far this year, making it the second slowest start since 2009, according to Dealogic. Although it isn’t quite as bad as the 11 seen by this time last year, it’s a… Read More
from TechCrunch
As outsized ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft continue to build out their taxi-style marketplaces largely based around connecting individual passengers to individual drivers, a startup focused squarely on the carpooling opportunity has raised a large round of funding to expand outside of the U.S. Via — which has developed a shuttle-based carpooling service that it offers directly… Read More
from TechCrunch