I am having one of those weeks where I am just constantly, very slowly shaking my head at people. As I sat down to read all the stories on TechCrunch and write the Startups Weekly newsletter, well, things didn’t get better.
Just when you thought the dating scene couldn’t get any more exclusive, along comes Score, the app that says, “Love is in the air . . . but only if you’ve got the credit score to breathe it.” Launched by a financial platform, this app is for those who’ve managed to navigate the treacherous waters of adulting with a half-decent credit. Because nothing says true love like a solid financial report, right? But wait, there’s a twist! The app is not just exclusive, it’s temporary. For those who don’t make the cut? Well, they’re sent off to financial literacy boot camp, because nothing heals a bruised ego like being told you’re not financially savvy enough for love.
America, ladies and gentlemen.
Elsewhere in the land of unicorns . . .
Most interesting startup stories this week
Image Credits: Tesla
In the latest episode of “How Not to Win Friends and Influence Government Agencies,” the Dawn Project, a safety advocacy group, decided to spice up their Super Bowl ad with an ad that was essentially a call to arms against Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software. The NTSB was quick to issue a “take our seal off your homework” order to the Dawn Project.
Oh, but there was plenty more drama where that came from:
Some smoke, some mirrors: Boston Dynamics’s secret sauce is a blend of advanced robotics and marketing genius, served with a side of “don’t try this at home” warnings. But beware, not all that glitters in robot videos is gold: Many robot demo videos are bending the truth to varying degrees.
Everything is fine, AI promise: Andrej Karpathy, the AI maestro who was one of the founding members of OpenAI, has once again exited the company. Karpathy insists it’s all smooth sailing, devoid of drama or clandestine plots.
Shut your piehole, AI: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has officially declared AI-voiced robocalls as the latest public enemy, branding them illegal.
Most interesting fundraises this week
Image Credits: Derek Berwin / Getty Images
In a twist that’s got the venture capital world buzzing, Foundry Group, the Boulder-based VC firm known for backing hits like Fitbit and Zynga, is hanging up its investment top hat. Foundry still plans to lead Series A and B financings with the remaining third of its last fund, but the decision to not raise more funds raises eyebrows and questions about the future for its portfolio companies.
This move follows a similar unexpected announcement from Boston-based OpenView at the tail end of last year.
Big raise for banking small companies: Finom, a European challenger bank tailored for SMEs and freelancers, has successfully secured $54 million in a Series B funding round. This funding round underscores the growing demand for specialized financial services for SMEs.
Lettuce raise some more money: Hippo Harvest emerges as a beacon of hope, securing $21 million in Series B funding.
Well done — have a cookie: SocialCrowd, a performance management startup, has successfully raised $1.6 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Bread & Butter Ventures.
This week’s big trend: Hardware
Image Credits: Cory Green/Yahoo
The industrial robotics sector, after enjoying a surge in orders during the pandemic, experienced a significant downturn in 2023, with orders dropping by nearly one-third, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).
More hardware startup nuggets:
Dry powder for the big guns: Biofire has managed to attract institutional VC backing, raising a $7 million round from notable investors.
Notion recently expanded its suite with a privacy-centric acquisition, purchasing Skiff.
That’s a wrap on the unmissable stories from TechCrunch this week. Stay up to date with the latest news by subscribing to Startups Weekly.
