With sights set on developing fully autonomous driving technology, MIT spinoff startup Optimus Ride has raised $5.25 million in seed funding, led by NextView Ventures and FirstMark Capital. With the funding, Boston-based Optimus Ride hopes to provide something unique to the self-driving technology market, powered by a team with over 30 years of collective experience in robotics, on-demand… Read More
from TechCrunch
A venture fund that backs very early-stage advanced tech and science startups, Breakout Labs, has invested in 4 new deals, according to founder and Managing Partner Lindy Fishburne.
The fund, which is part of the Thiel Foundation, typically invests $350,000 in each startup, with no strings attached. If a startup’s research and development does not lead to commercialization as hoped… Read More
from TechCrunch
Despite massive structural changes in the American healthcare system, proper care for the nation’s aging baby boomers remains out of reach for many people. Assisted living centers for our parents and grandparents suffering from dementia and Alzheimers can cost upwards of $5,000 per month and personal caregivers signed through agencies can easily cost considerably more.
A new startup… Read More
from TechCrunch
VenueNext Inc. has raised $15 million in Series B funding to bring its venue management technology to Europe, and beyond the live entertainment industry. Among other things, using VenueNext apps, people can wave their mobile tickets at the gate to get into a game or concert, order food, drinks or merchandise to be delivered to their seats, and get information and amenities that they need when… Read More
from TechCrunch
Zymergen, a Bay Area startup creating all sorts of materials from genetically altered microbes, just raised $130 million in Series B funding from Softbank. For those unfamiliar, the company makes crazy new materials out of genetically alter microbes. It was busy buying up a bunch of robots to make these microbes for mass production of various materials during its last round of funding. CEO… Read More
from TechCrunch
Two European Airbnb rivals have agreed to join forces. An early Rocket Internet Airbnb clone, Wimdu, and another accommodation platform originally headquartered in Germany, 9flats, are merging some five years after firing up their respective businesses. Read More
from TechCrunch
Millennials hate advertising and don’t respect brands – so what is a self-respecting 21st century marketer to do? Callum Negus-Fancey and his company StreetTeam would have you leverage the power of the upwardly mobile ambitious twenty-somethings themselves.
StreetTeam helps brands build, deploy, and manage large decentralized ambassador programs to sell more goods. The English… Read More
from TechCrunch
Soundtrap, a cloud-based music and audio recording platform, has raised $6 million in Series A funding. Nordic VC firm Industrifonden led the round, with participation from an array of existing investors and other new backers, including Peter Sterky, former CFO and COO of Spotify. It brings total funding to $8.5 million. Read More
from TechCrunch
Glisser, a London-based startup on a mission to end tedious presentations by letting presenters include real-time polls and Q&As, has closed a $1 million seed round. Read More
from TechCrunch
Can a chatbot help you manage your money? Three London-based fintech startups are betting on the answer being yes and have jumped aboard the messaging gravy train as they seek to entice millennials to their respective platforms. Read More
from TechCrunch