3 VCs weigh in on when to follow the hype cycle — and when to ignore it
It's OK for a founder to jump into an emerging hype cycle, but only if they have a genuine interest in that area that reaches back in time.
Read moreThis limited-edition Flipper Zero is the latest transparent gadget
It’s the Flipper Zero. Clearly. | Image: Flipper Zero The Flipper Zero — which the company calls a “portable multi-tool for pentesters and geeks in a toy-like body,” Verge friend Chris Person calls “a Swiss Army Knife of antennas,” and my kids call “the meebo” because I use it to
Read moreSamsung’s SmartTag2 is smaller and lasts longer
Samsung’s SmartTag2 is smaller and has a larger keyring hole than the previous model. | Image: Samsung Samsung is announcing a new version of its SmartTag item trackers at its Developer Conference today. The aptly named SmartTag2 is the company’s second-generation locator device and now features longer battery life, more
Read morePick n Pay asap! Unveils a New Era of Shopping Convenience
Pick n Pay asap! has relaunched its rapidly growing on-demand delivery app, offering customers unlimited free delivery throughout October. The app has experienced remarkable growth in 2023, and these upgrades aim to provide a smoother, faster, and more convenient online shopping experience with 60-minute grocery delivery. The revamped asap!
Read moreGradient raises $10M to let companies deploy and fine-tune multiple LLMs
Gradient, a startup that allows developers to build and customize AI apps in the cloud using large language models (LLMs), today emerged from stealth with $10 million in funding led by Wing VC with participation from Mango Capital, Tokyo Black, The New Normal Fund, Secure Octane and Global Founders Capital.
Read morePhaver raises $7M to help make onboarding to web3 social platforms easier
Phaver aims to to build a service that provides a web3 onboarding experience that’s similar to existing social platforms.
Read moreObservability platform Observe raises $50M in debt, launches gen AI features
Venture investors see potential in observability software — i.e. software that gives teams the ability to monitor, measure and understand the state of a system or app. And that’s not surprising. The observability market is forecasted to reach $2 billion by 2026, climbing from $278 million in 2022, according to
Read moreConsumer brand accelerator SuperOrdinary gets $58M Series B at $800M valuation
The average shopper probably hasn’t heard of SuperOrdinary, but if they are a beauty or skincare fan, they’ve definitely heard of some of the brands the startup works with: Olaplex, Farmacy and Biossance, to name a few. The Los Angeles-headquartered company works behind the scenes to help American and European
Read moreVera wants to use AI to cull generative models’ worst behaviors
Liz O’Sullivan is on a mission to make AI “a little bit safer,” in her own words. A member of the National AI Advisory Committee, which drafts recommendations to the White House and Congress on how to foster AI adoption while regulating its risks, O’Sullivan spent 12 years on the
Read moreGoogle’s Inaugural ‘AI First’ Cohort Takes the Stage
Google has unveiled the first cohort for its ‘Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First’ program. The 11 startups, selected from a pool of innovative talent, use cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence to address Africa’s and global challenges. These startups will undergo a 10-week accelerator journey, gaining Google’s AI expertise, $350k in Google
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