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A hub for startup news, trends, and insights, covering the global startup ecosystem for founders, investors, and innovators. Community: @startupdis Buy Ads: @bobbyADS (this is our only account).
🎥 Cheehoo builds AI-powered tools to simplify animation workflows
Cheehoo, founded by Hollywood veterans and AI experts, is creating a new generation of AI-driven animation tools aimed at making the production process faster, cheaper, and more accessible for studios and independent creators.
⚙️ Rebuilding animation pipelines with AI
• Provides rapid prototyping and iteration tools for animators
• Integrates AI for character creation, motion stylization, and scene composition
• Works with platforms like Maya and Unreal to fit existing production pipelines
🎯 Backed by $10M to transform studio workflows
• Raised $10M in funding led by Greycroft to scale product development
• Collaborating with IP holders, studios, and creators to refine tools
• Planning future consumer-focused products to broaden adoption
⚡️ Changing who gets to create animated stories
• Cuts production costs and complexity for animation projects
• Empowers smaller teams and independent creators without sacrificing creative control
Will AI finally democratize high-end animation — or just shift the bottleneck to new creative challenges?
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🧠 Neuralink pushes the frontier of brain-computer interfaces
Neuralink, founded by Elon Musk, is building brain implants designed to let users control devices with their minds. After becoming the first company to successfully implant a device into a human brain, Neuralink is accelerating toward broader applications and commercialization.
⚙️ What Neuralink is building
• A tiny brain implant (“Link”) connected to ultra-thin threads for reading neural activity
• Enables mind-controlled interaction with external devices
• Long-term vision includes memory enhancement and human-AI integration
🚀 Where they are heading
• Preparing for a major funding round that could push valuation to ~$9B
• Secured FDA clearance for human trials in 2023
• Expanding trials after the first successful human implantation
⚡️ Why it matters
• Opens new possibilities for treating mobility impairments and neurological conditions
• Positions Neuralink at the edge of merging biological and digital intelligence
Is the future closer than we think — or are we still just scratching the surface of brain-tech innovation?
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🦄 Top Latin American Unicorns by Valuation
Latin America’s startup ecosystem has exploded, producing billion-dollar companies across fintech, proptech, crypto, logistics, and more. Here’s a quick look at the region’s biggest private tech players:
🏪 Rappi ($5.25B)
• Colombia’s super app for delivery, payments, and more, now eyeing an IPO after reaching break-even.
🏠 QuintoAndar ($5.1B)
• Brazilian proptech giant transforming real estate rentals and sales across six countries.
💳 Creditas ($4.8B)
• Brazilian fintech specializing in consumer loans, with a growing foothold in financial services.
🛒 Nuvemshop (Tiendanube) ($3.1B)
• E-commerce platform for SMEs, often called “Latin America’s Shopify.”
🎮 Wildlife Studios (~$3B)
• Mobile gaming studio from Brazil, backed by Benchmark, facing slower growth after fast scaling.
🏠Loft ($2.9B)
• Digital real estate platform from Brazil, navigating market turbulence while expanding.
🪪 Unico ($2.6B)
• Brazilian ID tech leader and major SaaS player, enabling secure digital verification.
🏦 C6 Bank ($2.28B)
• Brazilian digital bank with 35M clients, now partially owned by JPMorgan Chase.
📈 Kavak ($2.2B)
• Mexican platform for buying and selling used cars online, rebuilding momentum after valuation cuts.
💱Bitso ($2.2B)
• Leading Latin American crypto exchange facilitating cross-border payments.
💳 CloudWalk ($2.15B)
• Payment infrastructure company behind InfinitePay, now profitable and scaling fast.
🛍 Clip ($2B)
• Mexico’s answer to Square, offering fintech tools and POS systems for businesses.
🚗Loggi (~$2B)
• Logistics startup specializing in last-mile delivery across Brazil.
Despite market challenges, Latin America’s leading startups show that the region’s tech scene is not just surviving — it’s building a foundation for the next global breakout companies.
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🚀 Albedo is building satellites that can track people from space
Albedo is raising a Series B round at a $285M valuation to scale its ultra-high-resolution satellite imagery technology. The startup offers a new way to map, monitor, and transform industries like agriculture, energy, and defense — but not without privacy concerns.
⚙️ What they’re building
• Very low-Earth-orbit satellites delivering the highest commercially available resolution
• Imagery for agriculture, insurance, energy, utilities, and defense sectors
• First satellite (Clarity-1) successfully launched
• Contracts signed with the US Air Force for up to $12M
🚀 How they’re scaling
• Raising close to $100M in new Series B funding
• Valuation almost doubled from $150M to $285M pre-money in under two years
• Backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Initialized Capital, AWS Startups, and others
❓Why it’s controversial
• Satellites capable of tracking people sparked dystopian privacy concerns
• Company claims humans can be imaged but not individually identified
Is ultra-precise satellite imagery the future — or a surveillance nightmare in the making?
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⚡️ Slate Auto debuts ultra-customizable, low-cost EV to challenge Tesla's dominance
⚙️ What they’ve built:
• Unveiled a modular EV pickup called Blank Slate, starting under $20,000 post-tax credit
• Manual windows, no default infotainment screen, and no paint - fully customizable design
• Offers two battery options: 150 miles or 240 miles range
• 150kW rear motor, small size compared to rivals, and basic federally mandated safety features
❓How they’re changing the game:
• Over 100 accessories at launch, letting owners transform the vehicle from pickup to SUV
• DIY kits, wraps, and accessories via “Slate University” for non-gearheads
• Focus on cutting production costs by eliminating paint shops and embracing personalization
• Building factory in Indiana, focusing on domestic production and low overhead
🚀 Why it matters:
• Targets a severely underserved low-cost EV segment
• Reverses the usual “high-end luxury EV first” approach seen with Rivian, Lucid, Fisker
• Bezos and other heavyweight backers provide financial firepower for scaling
• Could redefine how Americans think about EV ownership — affordable, modular, personal
In a market drowning in $70K EVs, Slate Auto is betting that cheap, customizable, and proudly analog is the real future of electric vehicles.
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⚙️ British startup Isembard wants to bring precision manufacturing back home
London-based Isembard is building a network of smart factories to reshore production for critical industries like aerospace, defense, and energy — starting with a $9M seed round.
⭕️ Their industrial reboot
• On-demand precision part manufacturing from local facilities
• First factory already live in London since January
• Unified tech layer MasonOS connects and automates operations across locations
💠 What makes it different
• Focused on distributed manufacturing, not mega-factories
• Provides quoting, scheduling, machine programming — all via proprietary software
• Aims to outcompete outdated suppliers with speed, automation, and resilience
💰 Who’s backing them
• Led by Notion Capital, joined by 201 Ventures, Material Ventures, and others
• Angels include Andreas Klinger (EU Inc) and Joshua Western (Space Forge)
🌎Bigger mission
Isembard isn’t just chasing market share — it’s building the infrastructure to re-industrialize the West. From drones to defense, they want local supply chains to work like global ones — fast, cheap, and software-first.
Will the distributed model beat the megafactory playbook in reshoring critical supply chains?
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⚡️ RepAir wants to slash the cost of carbon removal using battery-like tech
Israeli climate startup RepAir Carbon is reimagining direct air capture with a reversible, battery-inspired system that could make CO₂ removal far cheaper and more scalable.
🧪 Rethinking the chemical process
RepAir replaces heat-based CO₂ extraction with electricity-driven electrochemical reactions. Using stacked electrodes and a membrane, its system continuously traps and releases carbon without downtime, unlike traditional solvent-based tech.
🔋 Built for scale and efficiency
The platform mimics the design of a fuel cell or battery, but works bidirectionally — regenerating in real time while operating. This makes it compact, efficient, and modular, with the potential to drop costs to $70–$80 per ton (vs. ~$600 today).
🌎 Where it’s headed
The startup just secured a $15M Series A extension led by Extantia and Taranis, plus a $3M grant from the Israeli Innovation Authority. It’s now exploring deployments in gas turbines and data centers for industrial carbon removal.
💡 Final thought:
RepAir’s “electro-capture” model could mark a turning point — bringing carbon removal tech closer to economic viability and mainstream adoption.
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🚗 Slate Auto wants to reinvent the car as a customizable ‘Transformer’
Backed by Jeff Bezos, stealth EV startup Slate Auto is preparing to unveil its first vehicle — a shapeshifting electric car with modular design at its core. Ahead of its April 24 reveal, Slate has already planted disguised prototypes on California streets, hinting at a bold strategy to blur the line between pickup, SUV, and hatchback.
⚙️ How it works (allegedly)
• The “Blank Slate” base model can be fully customized by buyers
• Concept versions seen so far include: a pickup truck, an SUV-style cover, and a hatchback shell
• Internally, the team pitched it as a “Transformer-style” vehicle with interchangeable components
• Marketing plays include fake business wraps and countdown websites tied to the launch
🔐 What they’re building behind closed doors
• A $25K price target for the modular EV
• Investor demos featured live transformation setups — a base vehicle was modified mid-meeting
• Over $100M raised, with board seats filled by heavyweights like Guggenheim CEO Mark Walter
❓ Why it’s different
Most EV startups race to release another Tesla clone. Slate is betting on physical flexibility as a core value — like turning one vehicle into several based on context. Think “Rivian meets IKEA” with an edge.
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📞 Lace AI wants to turn your missed calls into money
Ex-Meta engineer Boris Valkov is tackling a quiet revenue leak in home services — phone calls that don’t convert. His new startup, Lace AI, uses AI to analyze 100% of inbound calls for missed sales opportunities.
🧠 From PyTorch to phone calls
After building PyTorch at Meta, Valkov realized AI could reshape the software layer. His journey began in his family’s grocery store, where customer service was everything. With co-founder Stan Stoyanov, he turned that insight into a startup aimed at HVAC, plumbing, and roofing businesses.
💬 What Lace actually does
• Monitors and analyzes every customer call
• Flags dropped leads or mishandled interactions
• Helps reps recover and improve conversion rates
• Operates on a per-agent SaaS model
📈 Early traction and funding
• 100+ business clients
• 1000% ARR growth in 2024 (after launching late 2023)
• $19M raised to date — including a new $14M seed led by Bek Ventures
• Team set to triple from 20 employees
For sectors with $300M+ revenue, even a 1% booking boost adds millions — and Lace says some clients are already seeing double-digit growth.
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💻 Adaptive Computer wants to let anyone build apps — no coding needed
Adaptive Computer, the latest venture from Mem co-founder Dennis Xu, aims to redefine how everyday people interact with software. Instead of learning to code, users simply describe what they want — and Adaptive builds the app for them.
🧠 A new kind of “personal computer”
Forget hardware — Adaptive’s platform (ac1) is a no-code web-based engine that builds real apps from text prompts. It handles everything from backend setup to payments, user auth, AI tools, and database management.
⚡️ Built for non-technical creators
Unlike tools like Replit or Lovable, which started with developers in mind, Adaptive is designed for total beginners. No API keys, no config hell — just describe the app you want, and it's up and running in minutes.
⚙️ It’s more than an app builder
Apps created inside Adaptive can talk to each other — one user built a file-sharing tool, then made a second app that used those files for AI storytelling. Xu calls it “an operating system for your ideas.”
💰 Backed by $7M in fresh capital from Pebblebed, Conviction, and others, the platform is still in alpha but already showing off real use cases: PDF readers, e-comm stores, AI companions.
Is “vibe coding” the beginning of a world where building software is as easy as talking?
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🧪Skin Analytics wants to eliminate deaths from skin cancer with AI-first diagnostics
British HealthTech company Skin Analytics is using AI to transform how skin cancer is diagnosed, aiming to fix the global shortage of dermatologists and reduce time-to-diagnosis with scalable, regulated automation.
⚙️ What they’ve built:
Skin Analytics developed DERM, the world’s first AI medical device to receive EU MDR Class III CE mark for making independent clinical decisions on skin cancer. The tool can autonomously discharge up to 40% of urgent referrals, reducing face-to-face appointments by up to 95%.
🌎 Where they’re headed:
With fresh €17.5M in Series B funding led by Intrepid Growth Partners, the startup plans to expand across Europe, Australia, and the US. Already deployed in 26 NHS sites and used by over 150,000 patients, Skin Analytics wants to become a global triage standard.
⚪️ Why it matters:
Dermatologist shortages are worsening worldwide — with just ~30 specialists per million people across Europe. DERM has already helped detect over 14,000 cancers, boasting a 99.8% Negative Predictive Value, close to dermatologist-level accuracy.
Skin Analytics isn’t just digitizing care — it’s rebuilding the frontlines of cancer detection with regulatory-grade AI.
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💦 “Owen Nowhere” Will Launch With a Crypto Wallet — And It's for Kids
We Ghosted Media, founded by “Bob’s Burgers” AD Chris Jammal and “Peg + Cat” producer Jaclynn Demas, is ditching networks and streaming for blockchain. Their new kids’ show will debut this fall on Lamina1, a decentralized platform — with every viewer getting a crypto wallet.
🥋 What they're creating:
• An animated series centered on Owen Gloom, a preteen creator on a bizarre family road trip
• The show lives inside Lamina1’s Spaces, a virtual world with interactive digital experiences
• Viewers can suggest episode ideas, vote on plot points, and collect digital outfits, props, and souvenirs
🌎Why they're using web3:
• “Owen Nowhere” isn’t just a show — it’s an open metaverse IP
• Digital collectibles double as community tokens, giving fans influence over content
• The creators aim to set a “new standard” for decentralized children’s entertainment
👪Who it’s for — and the risks:
• Targeted at preteens and older — but onboarding kids into crypto is controversial
• Lamina1 says the focus is token-gated access and community rewards, not trading or speculation
• Parental concerns over wallet management and financial safety are still being worked out
With funding from heavyweights like Reid Hoffman and visual effects projects from Wētā launching on the same platform, “Owen Nowhere” might be the strangest — and most forward-looking — kids’ show launch of the year.
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📸 Inside Meta’s Antitrust Trial: What Zuckerberg Really Said About Instagram
As Meta faces an antitrust showdown in the U.S., internal emails reveal how deeply Facebook feared — and plotted against — rising platforms like Instagram in the early 2010s.
🧠 What Facebook saw in Instagram:
• Zuckerberg flagged Instagram’s growth as an existential threat as early as 2011 — citing rapid user expansion and mobile dominance.
• Execs worried it could be bought by Google or Apple, or evolve into a full social platform itself.
• Facebook’s photos team started scrambling to replicate Instagram’s simplicity with its own app offerings.
💰 Why they wanted to buy it:
• By 2012, Zuckerberg floated a $500M price tag and argued Instagram had “a better thesis” on what users wanted.
• His plan? Keep the app alive publicly but shift its growth and features back into Facebook’s ecosystem.
• In Zuckerberg’s words: “What we’re really buying is time.”
💥 The FTC’s case:
• The FTC argues these messages show a “buy or bury” strategy meant to suppress competition.
• They say Meta knowingly acquired threats to preserve its monopoly, including Instagram and WhatsApp.
• The trial could force a breakup of Meta’s empire, separating Instagram and WhatsApp into independent companies.
This is a rare inside look at how Facebook played offense in tech's most ruthless decade — and the receipts may now help regulators rewrite the rules.
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🧠 Safe Superintelligence wants to build AGI — but safely, and with no products (yet)
Founded by former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, Safe Superintelligence (SSI) is taking a radically different approach to AI development: no product launches, no public demos — just a singular focus on building safe superintelligence, from the ground up.
💰How they’re funding the vision:
SSI just raised a massive $2B round at a $32B valuation, with backing from Greenoaks, Google (Alphabet), NVIDIA, a16z, Lightspeed, and others. The round includes deep infrastructure deals — like access to Google Cloud’s TPUs — and puts SSI at the heart of the AI safety race.
🧪 What they’re actually doing:
Unlike OpenAI or Anthropic, SSI isn’t launching consumer products or chasing chatbots. Its only goal is to build “safe superintelligence” — a system more powerful than current LLMs but aligned and controllable. Their research focuses on alignment, safety protocols, and novel reasoning methods.
🌎 Where they’re building:
SSI operates out of Palo Alto and Tel Aviv — hubs for top-tier AI and cybersecurity talent. The team is small, elite, and mission-aligned. Founders include ex-OpenAI researchers and Apple vets, and they’re hiring globally for long-term fundamental research.
🔐 Why it matters:
While most AI labs push fast releases, SSI is doubling down on risk mitigation. Its bet: safety-first AGI could become the gold standard. With $3B total raised and zero public products, SSI reflects a shift in how Silicon Valley thinks about power, governance, and the future of AI.
By staying quiet and focused, SSI could be building the most important AI system you’ve never seen — yet.
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☢️Thorizon wants to turn nuclear waste into clean power
Franco-Dutch deeptech startup Thorizon is developing a next-gen molten salt reactor that safely reuses nuclear waste — aiming to deliver carbon-free energy while solving one of nuclear’s biggest problems.
⚙️ What they’ve built:
A modular molten salt reactor called Thorizon One, designed to:
• Run on long-lived radioactive waste
• Use a cartridge-based fuel system that improves safety and lowers costs
• Generate 100 MWe of electricity or 250 MWt of industrial heat
📈 Where they’re headed:
Backed by €20M in new funding, Thorizon is:
• Prototyping its cartridge system
• Finalizing the reactor design
• Advancing licensing with Dutch and French regulators
• Targeting a 2030 construction start and 2032 deployment
⚡️ Why it matters:
Most reactors still create more waste than they solve. Thorizon’s “walk-away safe” MSR tech turns that waste into fuel — offering a circular, stable energy source just as Europe looks to reduce fossil dependence.
With 50+ engineers across Amsterdam and Lyon and support from EU programs and industry giants like Orano and Tractebel, Thorizon is positioning itself as a clean energy frontrunner in the nuclear revival.
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⭕️ Glacier expands its AI-driven recycling robots to tackle the trash crisis
Glacier, a 6-year-old robotics startup, is using computer vision and AI to build smarter, cheaper recycling systems. As the world’s waste problem grows, Glacier’s robots offer a way to improve recycling rates where manual labor struggles to keep up.
⚙️ Reinventing recycling with smart robots
• Builds low-cost robotic arms that identify over 30 types of recyclable materials
• Deployed in cities like San Francisco, Chicago, and now expanding to Seattle
• Uses computer vision to outperform human sorting on the recycling line
✨ Solving labor shortages at recycling facilities
• MRFs (materials recovery facilities) face high turnover and staffing challenges
• Glacier’s robots offer a faster, more consistent alternative to human workers
• Flexible sales models include outright purchase, lease-to-own, and maintenance support
📊 Turning waste into valuable data
• Offering analytics tools for MRFs, brands, and regulators to audit waste streams
• Helps track valuable losses (like aluminum) and real-world recycling performance
Will automation finally fix the broken economics of recycling — or just shift the challenge elsewhere?
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💻 Supabase powers the future of developer-friendly databases
Supabase is building the next generation of open-source infrastructure, offering scalable, intuitive tools for modern app developers. As AI reshapes how coding is done, Supabase is quickly becoming a favorite backend for startups and enterprises alike.
⚙️ What they’ve built
• Open-source backend platform built on PostgreSQL with developer-first design
• Features like authentication, auto-generated APIs, and real-time updates out of the box
• Tools like Supabase Cron and Edge Functions support AI-native and automation-heavy apps
🚀 How they’re scaling
• Serves over 2 million developers across 3.5 million environments
• Trusted by companies like Mozilla and GitHub
• Managed cloud offering growing rapidly as AI-driven development accelerates
⚡️Why it matters
• Positions open-source solutions at the heart of the new AI-era infrastructure
• Makes advanced backend capabilities accessible for startups and enterprises globally
Can Supabase become the backbone of the next billion-user AI-native apps?
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🔎 CSignum builds wireless data networks for underwater environments
Scottish startup CSignum is developing wireless communication systems that transmit data through water, ice, soil, and rock. As industries demand better real-time monitoring, CSignum’s technology could change how we manage underwater and underground infrastructure.
⚙️ What they’re building
• EM-2 technology based on patented electromagnetic field signalling (EMFS)
• Wireless data transmission through submerged and buried environments
• Deployed in water quality monitoring, ship maintenance, and infrastructure security
📈 How they’re growing
• Secured over €6.9M in Series A funding led by Archangels, Par Equity, and others
• Expanding engineering teams and developing new product lines
• Scaling operations across the UK, EU, and US as environmental regulations tighten
⚡️ Why it matters
• Enables real-time monitoring in places where traditional networks fail
• Supports industries facing stricter compliance and resource management needs
Underwater wireless communication become a new standard for smart infrastructure.
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🤖 DBR77 Robotics raises €3.5M to take industrial automation global
🔩 What they’ve built:
• Developed a platform combining IoT sensors, digital twin technology, and a robotics marketplace
• Offers real-time process simulation, data-driven automation, and access to robotics from suppliers like ABB, Fanuc, Mitsubishi
• Business model blends SaaS subscriptions with commissions from the marketplace
🌎Where they’re headed:
• Launching GO GLOBAL expansion into Western Europe and the United States
• Opened new subsidiaries in Berlin and Pittsburgh to drive regional growth
• Plans to enhance AI integration and accelerate development of its digital twin platform
❓ Why it matters:
• Manufacturing and logistics sectors face massive volatility — DBR77 offers real-time optimization in a rapidly shifting global landscape
• Early adoption of industrial IoT and digital twin tech could set new standards for operational efficiency
DBR77 isn’t just building tools — it’s betting that data-driven, automated factories will be the norm faster than anyone expects.
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🍷WineFi wants to modernise fine wine investing for a new generation
London-based startup WineFi is reshaping the fine wine investment world, blending financial expertise with data-driven technology to make wine a serious alternative asset for high-net-worth investors.
🧪 How WineFi is changing the game
• Targets investors who view wine primarily as an asset class, not just a collectible
• Offers syndicated wine portfolios starting from £3,000 and bespoke solutions for family offices
• Leverages data science and deep industry expertise to guide portfolio construction
🚀 What's next after the £1.5M raise
• Fuel team growth and expand partnerships across the NHS, enterprise, and local authorities
• Push for industry fiduciary standards like audits, segregation of client assets, and transparency policies
📈 Why this matters
• Fine wine is increasingly seen as a diversified, low-correlation asset, alongside collectibles like art and whisky
• WineFi’s low-fee structure and brokerage-inclusive model disrupts traditional merchant commission systems
Would you ever diversify your portfolio with fine wine – or does investing in bottles feel too vintage for modern times?
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🤖 Uber and Volkswagen team up to launch robotaxi fleets in the U.S.
A major new partnership is putting self-driving electric vans on U.S. roads. Uber and Volkswagen will roll out autonomous ID. BUZZ robotaxis, starting in Los Angeles by 2026, with fully driverless rides expected in 2027.
🔧 What’s in motion
• Joint effort between Uber and Volkswagen’s ADMT subsidiary
• Robotaxis based on VW's ID. BUZZ electric microbuses, powered by Mobileye AV tech
• Initial rides will include safety drivers, shifting to full autonomy in 2027
📍Where and when
• Los Angeles is the pilot market, with testing beginning later this year
• More cities planned, but not yet named
🚘 Why this matters
• VW previously pulled out of AV startup Argo and is now going all-in on own fleet + tech
• Uber adds another partner to its 14+ AV collaborations across robotaxi, delivery, and trucking
• The ID. BUZZ rollout combines high-volume production with urban AV deployment
Will passengers get into a fully driverless microbus by 2027 — or will regulators and tech delays stall the ride?
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⚡️ Flock Mobility is rethinking how institutions move people
London-based Flock Mobility is building a cleaner, smarter way for organisations to manage transport — with modular EV fleets and AI-optimised routing for shared rides, shuttles, and self-drive services.
🔄 What they’re changing:
• Combines on-demand, scheduled, and self-drive EVs into one flexible platform
• Offers both plug-in software and full-service solutions (drivers, EVs, insurance, charging)
• Already deployed at NHS Trusts and residential estates, reducing emissions and boosting vehicle utilisation by up to 70%
📊 What’s next for Flock
With new capital from the Skyscanner founder and the European Space Agency, the startup is:
• Expanding into more NHS networks and city councils
• Adding use cases like emergency deliveries and medical transport
• Hiring across product, data, and operations to scale its optimisation engine
💜 Why this matters
Legacy fleet solutions are rigid and carbon-heavy. Flock enables a multi-modal, low-emission system tailored to how people actually move — from care workers to commuters.
Will this kind of modular, AI-driven mobility become the default for public services and enterprise fleets?
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🧪Aquark traps cold atoms underwater — and opens a new quantum frontier
British startup Aquark Technologies just made history by trapping cold atoms underwater for the first time — in partnership with the National Oceanography Centre and their famously named sub, Boaty McBoatface.
💧 A new testing ground for quantum
• Aquark’s Super Molasses Trap (SMT) maintained ultra-cold atom clouds inside a moving underwater vessel
• Successfully operated in high-pressure, low-temperature conditions in NOC's massive indoor tank
• Demonstrated extreme robustness — key for quantum sensing in real-world deployments
⭕️ Why this matters for the future
• Cold atoms are sensitive to gravitational and magnetic changes, making them ideal for precision navigation and seabed imaging
• Aquark’s platform can one day help measure mineral densities, detect hidden objects, or navigate in GPS-denied environments
• A step toward real-world, long-duration quantum sensing — even in oceans or polar regions
⚙️ Where they’re headed next
Aquark plans to scale its SMT for deployment in autonomous underwater vehicles (like Boaty), with near-term applications in defense, climate monitoring, and resource exploration.
Is this how we’ll one day map the ocean floor — with lasers, atoms, and a submarine named Boaty McBoatface?
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⚡ Ather trims IPO target as EV market cools in India
Indian EV startup Ather is downsizing its IPO, aiming to raise $308M at a $1.4B post-money valuation — down from last year’s $2B ambition.
📉 Adjusting expectations
Citing market conditions, Ather slashed its offering by 18%. Existing shareholders, including Tiger Global and co-founders, are selling fewer shares than initially planned. Hero MotoCorp, its largest backer (40% stake), isn’t selling.
💰 Where the money goes
Ather plans to channel funds into:
• A new EV manufacturing plant in Maharashtra ($108.8M)
• R&D efforts ($88M)
• Marketing ($35.2M)
• Debt repayment ($4.7M)
📊 EV sales snapshot
Ather sold over 126K units in 2024, securing a 10.7% market share. That’s a 21% YoY sales bump — but still dwarfed by rival Ola Electric’s 34.1% hold. Ola’s IPO soared on debut but has since dropped 42%.
Is Ather's more conservative listing a smart play — or a signal of slowing EV hype in India?
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🚁 Hammer Missions wants to streamline building inspections with drone AI
London-based startup Hammer Missions is rethinking how structures are inspected — using drones and AI to turn slow, expensive site visits into automated, data-rich assessments.
🔍 How it works:
Hammer’s software enables fully automated drone flights to map and inspect buildings.
It captures high-res data for use cases like facade scanning, defect detection, roof analysis, and thermal forensics, generating 3D reports without needing bulky equipment or scaffolding.
⭕️ Why the need is real:
Traditional inspections are costly, slow, and often limited by access.
In the wake of the UK’s Building Safety Act and global attention to structural risk, real-time, scalable, and accurate inspections are no longer a luxury — they’re a necessity.
💰Where they’re expanding:
With €1.6M in fresh funding from ACF Investors and angels like GeoSLAM’s founder and former Atkins execs, Hammer Missions is:
• Accelerating product development
• Growing its presence in the US — where it already works with Thornton Tomasetti and SGH
• Scaling its AI to support 3D data capture across 20K+ drone flights
💡 Why it stands out:
Hammer’s core strength is in combining hardware-agnostic flight control with AI-powered reporting — helping clients cut inspection time and cost while improving precision.
Instead of sifting through raw drone data, engineers get decision-ready insights — a game-changer for safety and compliance workflows.
Hammer Missions is not just flying drones — it’s rebuilding how the built world is monitored.
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🍴 Uber eyes Trendyol Go to relaunch in Turkey via food delivery
Uber is reportedly in talks to acquire Trendyol Go, Turkey’s fast-growing food and grocery delivery service — a bold move that would mark its return to the Turkish market after a 5-year exit.
🛒 What Trendyol Go brings:
• The delivery arm of Turkey’s largest e-commerce platform, Trendyol
• Backed by Alibaba (70% stake) with deep market penetration
• Offers Uber a turnkey delivery network with national brand reach
🌎 Why this market matters:
• Turkey’s food delivery scene is heating up with players like Getir and Yemeksepeti
• Uber Eats generated $13.7B revenue last year and is scaling globally
• A foothold in Turkey could unlock broader e-commerce logistics potential
⚠️ What could block the deal:
• Uber’s rocky regulatory history in Turkey (ride-hailing banned in 2019)
• Ongoing political volatility and economic pressure
• Alibaba’s future intentions with Trendyol remain unclear
This would be Uber’s second shot at Turkey—this time through food, not rides. If successful, it’s a comeback with serious market potential.
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🤖 Robots Run a Half-Marathon — But It's Not Exactly Fast
Beijing’s E-Town just hosted the world’s first humanoid half-marathon, pitting 21 bipedal robots against human runners. The outcome? Progress in robotics — and a reminder that we’re still a long way from robot athletes.
❓ What actually happened:
• Only 4 robots finished under the 4-hour cutoff.
• The winner, Tiangong Ultra (by X-Humanoid), clocked 2h40m — thanks to a human guide with a signal device strapped on.
• Other robots tripped, overheated, or crashed — including Little Giant, which started smoking mid-run.
• Swaps and battery changes were allowed — Tiangong needed three.
⭕️ Why it matters:
• All bots had to be humanoid and run on two legs — a big leap from quadrupeds like Boston Dynamics' Spot.
• Most robots were remote-controlled or semi-autonomous — real-world testing like this exposes weak points in balance, coordination, and energy efficiency.
🚀 What's next for the space:
• China’s robotics race is heating up, with startups and research labs pushing the limits on mobility, autonomy, and humanoid form factors.
• X-Humanoid claims its performance “surpasses Western rivals” — bold words that hint at growing ambition in humanoid R&D.
While no one's giving robots a medal yet, this public test signals a shift: humanoid robotics are moving from lab demos to real-world stress tests — even if it’s just one slow step at a time.
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🤖 Hugging Face bets on open robotics with acquisition of Pollen — and doubles down on France
From chatbots to cutting-edge humanoids, Hugging Face just made a symbolic return to its roots by acquiring Bordeaux-based robotics startup Pollen Robotics. The move strengthens France’s position as a rising force in open AI and hardware innovation.
🔍 What they’ve acquired:
• Pollen Robotics, founded in 2016, is the maker of Reachy, a $70K open-source humanoid robot used by top universities.
• The platform features VR teleoperation, stereo vision, and customizable modules, aimed at education and R&D.
• The two teams had already collaborated on Le Robot, a joint open-source project for household automation.
🌎 Why it matters now:
• Hugging Face, now headquartered in NYC, was born in Paris — and France remains its largest talent hub.
• This deal reinforces Hugging Face’s open-source-first approach, combining LLMs with physical robotics.
• The French tech scene is booming with state support, AI unicorns, and growing interest in hardware+AI convergence.
🇫🇷What it means for French tech:
• Hugging Face is becoming more than a global dev platform — it’s now a role model and consolidator in Europe.
• The acquisition spotlights France’s rise as a robotics and AI innovation hub, with deep talent pools and lower costs than the US.
• It also signals growing confidence in open AI ecosystems beyond Silicon Valley — with Paris leading the charge.
By turning Reachy into an open-source hardware platform powered by Hugging Face AI, this deal brings accessible robotics a step closer — and puts France at the heart of the movement.
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🧠 QuantWare wants to power the world’s first million-qubit quantum computers
Dutch quantum startup QuantWare is scaling superconducting quantum processors with a new 3D chip architecture — unlocking error correction and practical compute at a fraction of the cost.
⚙️ What they’ve built:
A next-gen QPU platform based on proprietary VIO (Vertical I/O) tech, enabling:
• 1M+ qubit scalability
• 176 signal lines per chip
• Modular error correction via new “Contralto-A” processor
• Foundry and packaging services for third-party customers
📈 Where they’re headed:
Backed by €20M Series A funding, QuantWare is:
• Expanding fabrication capacity
• Meeting surging demand from 20+ countries
• Positioning VIO as the industry standard for hyperscale quantum systems
🚀 Why it matters:
Today’s quantum processors max out around 1,000 qubits. QuantWare’s architecture removes that ceiling — offering a roadmap to real-world quantum utility and drastically lowering costs for builders.
With growing interest from hyperscalers and the first pre-orders of its scalable, error-correcting chips, QuantWare is emerging as one of Europe’s most important quantum enablers.
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🏃♂️ Strava acquires Runna to level up personalized training
Strava is finally filling a long-standing gap in its platform by acquiring UK-based Runna — a fast-growing running coaching app with dynamic training plans and deep device integration.
🔧 What they’ve built:
• Runna offers AI-personalized race training plans
• Syncs with Garmin, Apple Watch, Fitbit, COROS, Suunto
• Gained 90K members and Apple “App of the Year” nod in under 3 years
📈 Where they’re headed:
Strava will:
• Keep Runna as a standalone app “for now”
• Invest in team and product expansion
• Explore subscription bundling as user demand grows
📣 Why it matters:
Strava has 150M users but lacked true coaching tools. Runna fills that gap — and fast. As more users chase race goals and demand structured guidance, this move puts Strava in direct competition with Nike Run Club, Fitbit, and MyFitnessPal.
With coaching + tracking now under one roof, Strava is quietly becoming the full-stack runner’s platform.
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