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Quick Hits
Access denied: Wiz rejects Google bid.
Air mobility: U.K. startup unveils vertiport.
Better beats: Spotify introduces hi-fi audio.
Crypto cars: Ferrari takes bitcoin.
Eco lounge: Herman Miller goes plant-based.
Folding iPhone: Apple follows trend.
Fund diversification: VCs target minority founders.
Heavy lifting: Ex-Tesla exec builds warehouse robots.
Lunar lake: China rover reveals moon water.
Mega model: Meta introduces new Llama.
Meta move: Verified launches in India.
Mini AI: OpenAI releases GPT-4o mini.
Model rivalry: Mistral's introduces Large 2.
Quality control: Google removes useless apps.
Rover reverse: NASA grounds VIPER.
Space boost: India invest in spacetech.
Sporting threads: Reddit partners with NBA.
Video emergency: iPhone eyes 911 video calls.
Way more $: Alphabet invests in Waymo.
Wind power: Startup builds kite boats.
Trending Startups
Telegram closes in on 1B users
Buoyed by Web3 offerings for developers, Telegram is on track to surpass 1B active users and plans to launch its own app store.
Collaborative AI on the horizon
AI-powered agents will be able to work together and solve tasks in a so-called multi-agent AI system by 2025, according to one tech giant.
ETFs start strong in U.S.
U.S. exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to the price of ether debuted with a strong start, giving crypto investors more reason to be optimistic.
AI training data dries up
AI companies face an ever-shrinking pool of training data on the web, according to a new report by the MIT-led Data Provenance Initiative.
U.S., Canada dominate tech funding
U.S. and Canadian startups secured $80B in funding in the first half of 2024, surpassing the rest of the world combined, according to CrunchBase. AI startups account for over a quarter of the total.
Lidar-free means cheaper robots
California-based Vayu Robotics developed on-road delivery robots without expensive lidar sensors by using transformer-based "mobility foundation model."
Big Oil puts AI in the field
Chevron unleashes generative AI on its massive datasets to draw insights into where and how to drill.
Meta AI learns new languages
Meta AI is now available in seven new languages, including Hindi.
Recently Funded
- Gurugram, India-based MyPickup Raises $200k for EV Ride-Hailing
- India’s Honestly Secures $400k to Revolutionize Beauty Reviews
- Dublin-based Skippio Raises $600k to Enhance Fan Experience
- Bengaluru-based Lifetime Health Raises $1.5M for At-Home Medical Care
- Spain’s nhance.ai Raises $1.5M for Smart Buildings Solutions
- India’s Fibr Raises $1.8M for AI-powered Personalization Platform
- South Korea's MetaBeat Raises $3M for Fan-to-Earn Kpop Music NFT Platform
- Florida-based AppMagic Raises $3M for Mobile App Data Platform
- Seattle-based EdgeRunner AI Raises $5.5M for Generative AI at the Edge
- India-based byteXL Raises $5.9M for Edtech Startup in Engineering Education
- Philadelphia-based Resquared Raises $5M for B2B Local Sales Platform
- NYC-based Didero Raises $7M for AI Procurement
- Gurugram, India-based Incuspaze Raises $8M for Flexible Workspaces
- New York’s Igloo Raises $11M for Consumer Blockchain
- San Francisco-based Splight Raises $12M for AI Grid Operations
- Bengaluru-based Stable Money Raises $15M for Wealthtech Solution
- San Francisco’s Artificial Agency Raises $16M for Realistic Video Game NPCs
Weekly Pulse
Post of the Week
What We’re Reading
Why Chinese companies are betting on open-source AI (MIT)
Tech billionaires can’t build their ‘California Forever’ city yet (The Verge)
The world is not quite ready for 'digital workers' (The Guardian)
Bye-bye bitcoin, hello AI: Texas miners leave crypto for next new wave (CNBC)
TTT models might be the next frontier in generative AI (TechCrunch)
Poll of the Week
Podcasts of the Week
HR Legend Steve Browne: People Over Pizza (The Pozcast)
Finding Remote Work’s Sweet Spot with Nick Bloom (HR Superstars)
Startups Hiring Now
Fictiv: A leading tech company building the future through our digital echosystem | 27 open roles
Headspace: Headspace is your lifelong guide to better mental health | 14 open roles
Settle: We help small businesses thrive by taking the worry out of cash flow management | 3 open roles
Help us spread the word: we'll pay you $200 for every friend you get hired through Wellfound!