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Quick Hits
Oh la la: Mistral valued at $6B.
New Chat: ChatGPT flirts, teaches math.
Euro vision: Accel raises $650M.
Social search: TikTok tests AI.
Ear-cam: Meta invents camerabuds.
Quantum leap: Ultra-pure silicon excites.
DPGs: India launches unified portal.
Space-time: Study hints at warp drives.
Brain disconnect: Neuralink implant fails.
Creators connect: Instagram expands market.
No track: Big Tech tightens bluetooth security.
Starship surge: SpaceX plans 44 Fla. launches.
Cancer kit: At-home test approved.
AI Glue: David Sacks starts again.
Factory fracas: Activists target Tesla.
Initial meltdown: Altman's Oklo dips on debut.
Auto-ship: Dubai welcomes autonomous trucks.
Trending Startups
Founders’ fav universities
Stanford University, Harvard University, and MIT continue to dominate the leader board for graduating founders who go on to raise the most VC money. Two public universities—UC-Berkeley and the University of Michigan—made the top 10.
Bay Area leads in AI startup funding
AI startups based in and around Silicon Valley netted $27B in funding last year, more than half of the world’s AI startup funding, according to a Crunchbase analysis.
AI ‘tsunami’ impacts global labor
AI will impact 60% of jobs in advanced economies and 40% of jobs around the world in the next two years, according to the IMF.
Cow dung powers India's energy revolution
India-based startups are harnessing cow dung as an energy source, producing biomethane in an effort to reduce dependence on imported gas. The government aims for a 5% blend by 2028.
Wearable tech protects workers from heat
A Texas construction company arms its workers with wearable tech to protect them from scorching heat that claims hundreds of lives a year. The device attaches to a watch to capture biometrics such as heart rate and core body temperature and sends alerts.
‘No reasonable accommodation’
Tesla drew criticism for what some saw as an a starkly chilly, impersonal approach to mass emails with lines like: “it was determined that there was no reasonable accommodation that would enable you to perform the essential functions of your position in your role.”
Recently Funded
- Stockholm’s Grasp Raises $1.9M for Investment Banking AI Assist
- India’s BimaPay Nets $2M to Offer Tech-Based Insurance Solutions
- India-based Cornext Raises $2.2M for Fodder Ecosystem
- Indonesian Jejakin Raises $2.7M for Climate Tech
- NYC-based Roam Raises $3M for Assumable Mortgages
- Senegal-based Maad Raises $3.2M for B2B E-commerce
- Los Angeles-based Zest Protocol Raises $3.5M for Bitcoin Lending
- Mass.-based Active Surfaces Raises $5.6M for Flexible Solar Panels
- Idaho-based Switchboard Health Raises $6.5M for Specialty Care
- San Francisco’s Artisan AI Raises $7.3M for Enterprise AI
- Bengaluru-based Niqo Robotics Raises $13M for AI-Powered Spot Spraying
Weekly Pulse
What We’re Reading
GPT-4o: The Future of Language AI (Sam Altman)
AI’s Second Order Effects (Andreessen Horowitz)
The Great Flattening (Stratechery)
Does Perplexity’s “answer engine” threaten Google? (The Economist)
Generative AI is speeding up human-like robot development. What that means for jobs (CNBC)
Poll of the Week
What we're listening to
Tune in to hear from Wellfound's CEO, Amit Matani & other remote leaders speak on the future of remote work. Amit Matani will be discussing building and advancing RecruiterCloud: an AI-backed product with the focus of helping remove the friction of recruiting, foster more seamless connections, and enable great teams with future-defining ideas.
Podcasts of the Week
HR Works Podcast: Balancing Data with Decency in Layoffs and Return to Office (HR Works: The Podcast for Human Resources)
HR Superstars: Finding Success in Results-Only Work Environments (HOR Superstars)
For Starters: How to Harness the Power of Curiosity with Trevor Martin of Mammoth Biosciences (For Starters)
Startups Hiring Now
Hinge Health: Every body moving | 22 open roles
Whoop: A performance optimization system for elite athletes and teams | 36 open roles
RiotGames: A great home for people who love making games | 45 open roles
Help us spread the word: we'll pay you $200 for every friend you get hired through Wellfound!