Our weekly tech newsletter. Subscribe today on our blog.
Quick Hits
Social ban: Fla. cancels youth social media.
Talking news: Newspaper unveils Ask FT.
Dairy debut: India’s Amul enters U.S.
Same-day Rx: Amazon speeds drug delivery.
Bitcoin bounces: Continues run, jumps 6%.
Funding future: $6B for emission cuts.
AI vs. docs: Software detects tiny cancers.
AI vs. actors: No AI in ‘voice actor.’
Return to WeWork?: Founder eyes return.
Design merge: Canva acquires Affinity.
Hollywood AI: OpenAI woos directors.
Reddit rally: Shares soar on debut.
De-stabalizing: Binance ends USDC support.
Trending Startups
Reversing the Chinese tech ‘brain drain’
Chinese researchers are opting to stay home over attending American universities, reversing a decade-long brain drain, according to think tank MacroPolo. China produced nearly half of top AI researchers in 2022, eclipsing the U.S.—though the U.S. remains the preferred destination for top work.
Saudi Arabia's $40B AI gambit
Saudi Arabia plans a $40B fund for AI investments, potentially becoming the world's largest backer of the technology.
Restaurants bet on bots
Amid labor shortages, restaurants across the U.S. are tapping automation startups like Bear Robotics, Miso Robotics, and San Francisco's Chef Robotics for kitchen and serving tasks.
Faxing into the Future
Startup Tennr raises $18M from Andreessen Horowitz and others to develop AI that analyzes faxed health documents, automating manual work for providers still reliant on antiquated machines.
Uzbekistan hatches a unicorn
Uzbek e-commerce startup Uzum is the country’s first unicorn, having transforming online shopping in a nation where it barely existed.
Recently Funded
- NYC’s LIS Technologies Raises $1.3M for Laser Uranium Enrichment
- San Francisco’s Quilt Secures $2.5M for AI Assistants
- Los Angeles' Popularium Raises $2M for Gaming
- Web3 Startup Tensorplex Labs Raises $3M Seed
- Food-as-Medicine Startup Chiyo Nets $3M
- Nashville's WavMaker Launches with $5M for Music Licensing
- Toronto's Rails Raises $6.2M for Self-Custodial Crypto Exchange
- California's AirMyne Secures $6.9M for Greentech
- San Francisco's Mermaid Chart Raises $7.5M for Diagramming Tools
- Nigeria's Zone Boosts Africa's Payments with $8.5M Funding
- Sustainable Sourcing Platform Circular.co Raises $10.5M for Recycling Expansion
- California-Based Firestorm Labs Secures $12.5M for Modular UAS Technology
- Boston-Based Ediphi Announces $12M for Cloud-Based Estimating
- New York-Based Team-Building Platform Confetti Raises $16M
Weekly Pulse
What We’re Reading
Four things you need to know about China’s AI talent pool (MIT)
From ChatGPT to Gemini: how AI is rewriting the internet (TheVerge)
Inside Austin’s bitcoin underground (CNBC)
Where Active AI Investor Felicis Is Placing Its Bets (Crunchbase)
Discussion w Arthur Mensch, CEO of Mistral AI (Elad Gil)
Poll of the Week
Post of the Week
Podcasts of the Week
Luke Anear (Founder & CEO – SafetyCulture) on lessons from building a $2.7B company (Startup Playbook)
Creating Future-Ready Organizations with AI-Driven Talent Optimization (HR Works)
Startups Hiring Now
Hostfully: Helping vacation rental companies and their guests make the most of every stay | 5 open roles
Kalogon: Smart Seating Solutions for Those Who Spend Extended Time Sitting | 11 open roles
Digioh: 20k+ Brands Trust Us to Power their Website's Success & Needs for Growth | 4 open roles
Help us spread the word: we'll pay you $200 for every friend you get hired through Wellfound!