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Quick Hits
Slow your scroll: Insta tests unmovable ads.
Search stumble: Google unplugs AI.
Horizon line: Ford speeds to hands-free.
Chat motion: Substack adds video DMs.
Auto commute: Zoox enters Florida, Texas.
Future funding: Firm launches $180M AI fund.
D.C. VC: District welcomes $100M defense fund.
Brainy breakthrough: Scientists create living computer.
J-AI-lbreak: ChatGPT has a ‘Godmode.’
Nordic AI: Microsoft plans $3.2B expansion.
Citation needed: Perplexity introduces shareable pages.
Post of the Week
Trending Startups
'Re-staking' is the latest crypto craze
Nearly than $20B has flooded into Seattle-based “re-staking” platform EigenLayer, which offers investors rewards for locking up their crypto tokens. Another thing that has investors buzzing: Bitcoin, the biggest cryptocurrency, is near all-time highs while ether, the second biggest, is up more than 60% this year.
AI dominates VC funding
AI startups dominate recent venture funding, and M. Three of the four U.S. tech companies raising $1B+ in May are AI startups—including Elon Musk's xAI ($6B) and CoreWeave ($1.1B).
Venture warms to Iceland
With its unique resources and a growing number of tech companies, Iceland is becoming a hotbed for innovation and venture capital. Medtech and fintech are flourishing.
VCs bet on Asia
Asia presents the biggest opportunity for growth in the world, according to a Singapore-based investor. “The next Google, Facebook, or Apple might be created here in Asia,” says Antler’s founder.
Rust shines with developers
Rust is the "most admired" programming language among developers with over 80% saying they’d use it again, according to a Stack Overflow developer survey. “Rust is a language that generates desire to use it once you get to know it,” according to the report.
Recently Funded
- India's LogicLadder Raises $2.5M for Climate Action SaaS
- San Francisco-based Zendata Raises $2M for AI Governance
- Virginia’s Caju AI Raises $3M for AI-powered Customer Engagement
- Quebec’s Saguaro Biosciences Raises $3M for AI-enhanced Cell Reagents
- India's Vegapay Raises $5.5M for Fintech Platform
- Menlo Park, Calif.-based AirMDR Raises $5M for AI-powered Cyber
- Japan’s Hypersonic Laboratories Raises $7M for Gaming
- San Diego, Calif.-based Psylo Raises $8M Seed for Next Gen Neuroplastogens
- India’s Astrotalk Raises $9.5M for On-Demand Spiritual Guides
- Bengaluru-based TechnoSport Raises $21M for Performance Wear
Weekly Pulse
What We’re Reading
Helping robots grasp the unpredictable (MIT)
CEOs Could Easily Be Replaced With AI, Experts Argue (Futurism)
AI Is Your Coworker Now. Can You Trust It? (Wired)
This is why you should work on your body language to get a new job quicker (VentureBeat)
Poll of the Week
Podcasts of the Week
How to Understand your Users with Shivani Siroya of Tala (For Starters with Alexa von Tobel)
HR Works Podcast: Can the Employee Experience Be Personalized and Shared? (HR Works: The Podcast for Human Resources)
Startups Hiring Now
AppSumo: #1 digital marketplace for millions of everyday entrepreneurs | 5 open roles
Steadily: Steadily is an insurtech startup building a full-stack insurance service for landlords | 33 open roles
Karbon: Collaborative work management software for accounting firms | 36 open roles
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