Study: Return to office isn’t working | Newsletter

Our weekly tech newsletter. Subscribe today on our blog.

Quick Hits

Audio upgrade: Spotify close to lossless.

AI spies: Microsoft develops spyware.

Brain gain: Complex jobs reduce dementia risk.

Bond blockchain: Germany debuts crypto security.

Continental shift: Amazon delivers to Africa.

Digital diplomacy: Ukraine creates AI spokesperson.

Digital twins: U.S. invests in chip research.

Chipper news: Apple adds M4 chip to iPad.

Cloud expansion: Singapore attracts billions.

Crypto crackdown: Nigeria detains execs.

Making Wayves: EV competitor nets $1B.

New entrant: Microsoft competes with OpenAI.

Trending Startups

Study: Return to office mandates hurt morale

A University of Pittsburgh study of return to office (RTO) mandates finds no significant improvement to the bottom line and a sharp drop in job satisfaction. “Before the pandemic, you wake up in the morning and you automatically assumed that you should go into the office to work. Now you know that there’s another option,” says one of the researchers.

Can CRISPR solve blindness?

A pioneering clinical trial using CRISPR showed significant improvement in vision for 8 in 10 participants with a rare form of blindness caused by a gene mutation.

Startup unleashes AI doppelgängers

Sprinklr introduced “digital twins,” autonomous AI brand replicas that mirror and enhance the work of customer-facing teams. “The ultimate promise of AI for customer experience is unlimited digital capacity across the front office,” the company’s founder says.

Tech expands rap battleground

An ongoing diss-track rap battle between Kedrick Lamar and Drake exemplifies how tech shaping hip-hop with curated releases on social platforms and the rise of AI-generated songs.

Altman: AI is a ‘super smart know-it-all’

In an interview with MIT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the killer app for AI as a “super-competent colleague that knows absolutely everything about my whole life, every email, every conversation I’ve ever had, but doesn’t feel like an extension.”

Recently Funded

• Sydney-based Brainfish Raises $2.5M Round for AI Customer Support

• India-based Plotline Raises $2.6M in Funding for B2C Product Marketing Platform

• Bengaluru-based Parseable Raises $2.75M for Log Analytics

• Palo Alto-based DwellFi Raises $3M Seed for AI and Blockchain Solutions

• Las Vegas-based Volta Raises $4.1M Seed for Digital Asset Infrastructure

• Berlin-based Deltia.ai Raises $4.8M in Seed Funding for Warehouse Optimization

• India's Lendingkart Raises $10M for Onward Lending to Small Businesses

• Boston-based Neurable Raises $13M for Neurotechnology

• Boston-based Opmed.ai Secures $15M in Series A for Healthcare Optimization AI

Weekly Pulse

What We’re Reading

Remote developers are finding hiring hard, and this is why (VentureBeat)

Want a job in AI? Start at your local community college (Fast Company)

Synthetic cow embryos, and AI jobs of the future (MIT)

How to choose a deep tech startup program (TechCrunch)

Why we need fewer performance reviews—and more check-ins (Fast Company)

Ways to think about AGI (Benedict Evans)

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.

Registration is FREE

Podcasts of the Week

HR Works Podcast: Balancing Data with Decency in Layoffs and Return to Office (HR Works: The Podcast for Human Resources)

Clarity CEO & Co-Founder Michael Matias: It's All About Being on the Court (Midstage Startup Momentum)

Startups Hiring Now

Steadily: Building a full-stack insurance service for landlords | 28 open roles

Brahma: The complete on-chain execution and custody environment | 4 open roles

The RealReal: Online marketplace for authenticated, consigned luxury goods | 119 open roles

Help us spread the word: we'll pay you $200 for every friend you get hired through Wellfound!