TechCrunch Startup News

Tesla famously struggled to scale up production of the Model 3 sedan in 2018 — so much so that CEO Elon Musk said his company was weeks away from collapsing. That near-death experience helped spawn a whole new company called Atomic that’s built around using AI to streamline supply chains. Co-founded by former Tesla employees Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an update to its Preparedness Framework, the internal framework OpenAI uses to decide whether AI models are safe and what safeguards, if any, are needed during development and release, OpenAI said that it may “adjust” its requirements if a rival AI lab releases a “high-risk” system without comparable safeguards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.K. startup Marshmallow has blown up over the years by using innovations in data science to build car insurance policies for immigrants and other consumers who have been overlooked or priced out of traditional insurance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hexium has emerged from stealth with $8 million in seed funding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thirteen years ago, Forerunner Ventures began helping to usher in a new era of consumer startups, including Warby Parker, Bonobos, and Glossier. None has gone through a traditional IPO process. Warby Parker was taken public through a special purpose acquisition vehicle. Bonobos was acquired by Walmart. Glossier is still privately held. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A handful of engineers who worked at Lucid Motors and on Apple’s electric car project have launched a new startup that puts a fresh spin on electric hub motors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matt Rogers says Quilt is picking up where his old startup, Nest, left off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The business of moving goods in the United States is dominated by trucks, which handles about two-thirds of the 20.2 billion tons of freight that’s transported annually. Parallel Systems founder and CEO Matt Soule wants to change that by putting a modern autonomous and electric twist on the centuries-old railroad system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the job market continues to get more competitive, it’s taking months for new grads to land employment, with many settling for roles that don’t align with their goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After months of hearty marketing efforts and large-scale technology demos across the U.S., Nuro has secured $106 million in fresh funding to help scale its autonomous driving technology and advance commercial partnerships. The Series E round brings Nuro’s total funding raised to $2.2 billion and its valuation to $6 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tessell, a startup developing a multi-cloud database-as-a-service, has raised $60 million in a new funding round led by WestBridge Capital ahead of its plans to expand its market presence and launch an AI-powered conversational database management service. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Legal tech has come a long way, but the bulk of an intellectual property or patent lawyer’s work today is still done with spreadsheets, word processors and PDFs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dark kitchens– also referred to as ghost kitchens, cloud kitchens, or virtual kitchens– often receive criticism for their food quality. Sizl, a cook-to-order delivery service based in Chicago, seeks to change this perception by delivering meals made with fresh ingredients in around 30 minutes flat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The startup has commissioned a demonstration unit of its organic flow battery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie wants to bring his city back to its glory days. And he’s convinced tech leaders — who often pitch utopian ideals of their own — can help him deliver. “I’m a mayor that is picking up the phone and calling CEOs,” said Lurie during TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC event on Thursday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thirteen years ago, when Chris Farmer founded early-stage venture firm SignalFire with data analysis at the core of its investment strategy, many were skeptical about the approach — conventional wisdom dictated that nascent companies didn’t have enough data to make investment algorithms effective. “This was a very radical idea, and everyone thought I was crazy.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

OpenAI just co-led a $43 million Series A into deepfake defense startup Adaptive Security. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thatch, a startup that aims to transform the health insurance experience for employers and employees alike, has raised $40 million in a Series B round of funding, it tells TechCrunch exclusively. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aetherflux, the space solar startup founded by billionaire co-founder of Robinhood Baiju Bhatt, has raised a $50 million in a Series A round as it works to launch its first low Earth orbit demonstration in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cloud infrastructure is dominated by several large industry players: AWS, Microsoft’s Azure, and Google Cloud. While to some it may look like AI is headed in a similar direction, the founders of Parasail think AI infrastructure will look very different — and are betting their company’s fate on it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices