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Quick Hits
- Ventures in AI: VCs are writing bigger checks to fast-track the growth of AI startups, prompted by demand from businesses for generative AI tools.
- Call to serve: The White House and Peace Corps have a message for the 170k tech workers who were laid off so far this year: consider public service.
- Twitter ads CEO: Elon Musk made good on an offer to step down as CEO following a highly scientific Twitter poll. A former Big Media ad exec now holds the title.
- Montana spies: Montana is set to become the first state to ban TikTok from personal devices, in an effort to protect people from Chinese surveillance.
- Heat in Texas: The Long Horn state is emerging as a promising testing ground for geothermal energy development.
- If streets could talk: Purdue University researchers invent “talking” concrete with embedded sensors to monitor a road’s condition and alert engineers when repairs are needed.
- Tamagotchi throw-back: In an homage to the ‘90s era virtual pet, Pokemon Go creator Niantic releases its second AR title, Peridot.
- Quantum boost: IBM and Google pledge $150M for quantum research at the University of Chicago and the University of Tokyo as the U.S. and Japan tag-team against China.
- VC debt dips: Venture debt plunged to $3.5B in the U.S. in the first quarter, the lowest level since 2017.
Beyonce’s Big Brother
If you’re one of the 60k people headed to Wales to see Beyonce perform hits like “Put a Ring on It,” you might consider putting a “adversarial patch” on it—to protect you from facial recognition cameras that will scan concert goers throughout the stadium. The AI-produced patterns on clothing can trick AI-powered security cameras into thinking you’re a giraffe.
Truckers slow-roll EVs
California’s trucking industry wants regulators to pump the brakes on the rush to an all-electric future. “It’s the whole cart-before-the-horse thing,” an industry spokesman told WIRED. Meanwhile, sales of electric-powered passenger cars and trucks continue to leave rubber marks. They’re up 45% compared to this time last year, and experts say they could top 1M in the U.S. for the first time this year.
Cosmic leap for e-planes
Denver-based Cosmic Aerospace is developing an electric plane that can fly 600 miles in one stretch with no emissions. The secret is in the battery tech and aerodynamics. Existing electric planes can carry about a dozen passengers less than 100 miles.
Back to SPAC?
Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) surged in popularity in 2020 and 2021, reaching $250B in volume, as a faster way to list than an IPO. They tapered off when the economy soured. A $27B SPAC merging two car companies is a notable exception to the trend.
The Weekly Pulse
The tech job market remains competitive, recruiters tell CNBC, even if workers are entertaining fewer offers at a time. “They’ve still got product they need to build and ship, so they need people,” one recruiter said. According to a survey of 400+ hiring managers, the most in-demand tech skills are cloud/container (50%), cybersecurity (50%), AI (46%), database and data management (37%), and advanced analytics and data science (37%).
Tweet of the Week
Trending in Tech
Top 5: Aerospace
The more satellites and balloons that governments, firms, and private individuals send into the atmosphere and beyond, the more firms rush to support that industry. Startups disrupting the industry include Urban Sky, Near Space Labs, Starfish Space, Metasolis, and Turion Space.
Top 5: 3D printing
Since its commercial debut in the past few decades, 3D printing has grown explosively. Startups reshaping this industry include Formlabs, Hubs, Launcher, Markforged, and Gantri.
Top 5: Crypto art
If Tensor and Masterworks are teaching us anything, it's that the art market is ripe for web 3.0 penetration. Startups capitalizing on that market include: Verisart, Bluethumb, Minted, Mona, and Cuseum.
Top 5: Fintech
With the decreasing support coming from SPACs, tech firms will have to look elsewhere for financing. Startups changing the field include Enki, Credible, Decentro, Finoramic, and Petal.
Top 5: Transportation
With global warming marching along uninterrupted, fossil fuel-based transportation is increasingly coming under scrutiny. Startups disrupting this industry include Bolt, Veo, Share, Wanderu, and Revel.
What We’re Reading
Uber will let teenagers ride alone, with parental tracking (Washington Post)
Your iPhone will be able to talk in your voice soon (MorningBrew)
OpenAI Reportedly Lost $540 Million Developing ChatGPT in 2022 (TheWrap)
Meta open-sources multisensory AI model that combines six types of data (The Verge)
A new cloned horse offers hope for endangered species (WIRED)
Sam Altman wows lawmakers at closed AI dinner: ‘Fantastic… Forthcoming’ (CNBC)
Why DeepMind is sending AI humanoids to soccer camp (WIRED)
EV big rigs already make sense for half of the $4 trillion freight truck market, says Einride CEO (CNBC)
The No. 1 trend in developer hiring according to industry researchers: Mind-boggingly long job descriptions. (Reddit)
Companies in the News
- London-based Builder.ai, a software development platform, raised an undisclosed amount from Microsoft. They’re hiring software engineers and technical leads.
- San Francisco-based car sharing company Getaround acquired HyreCar’s assets for $9.45M. They’re hiring backend developers, fullstack developers, and customer associates.
- New York-based Integrated Projects, a provider of digitization services for building owners and design professionals, raised a $3M seed fund led by Founder Collective. They’re hiring MEP Specialists.
- San Francisco-based Amino, a healthcare wellness benefit that eliminates barriers for employees, raised $80M in debt and equity financing led by Transformation Capital. They’re hiring sales platform engineers, implementation managers, and account executives.
Startups hiring now
FunnelStory: Revenue Data Platform for Go To Market Teams | 4 open roles
Breef: The Only Way To Agency | 3 open roles
DIMO: Digital Infrastructure Inc | 11 open roles