Decart adds $32M at a $500M+ valuation to build AI tech and 'open world' apps

A young startup that emerged from stealth less than two months ago with big-name backers and bigger ambitions to make a splash in the world of AI is returning to the spotlight. Decart is building what its CEO and co-founder Dean Leitersdorf describes as “a fully vertically integrated AI research …...Read More

Oura closes $200M round, bringing its valuation to $5.2B

Smart ring maker Oura announced on Thursday that it has closed a $200 million Series D funding round, bringing the company’s valuation to $5.2 billion. The round included participation from Fidelity Management and glucose device maker Dexcom. Oura says the new capital will allow it to expand its product offerings …...Read More

With Neverless, former Revolut execs want to make meme coins easy to buy

There’s an ocean of meme coins beyond Dogecoin, and a new startup called Neverless wants to make it easier to get started with trading crypto, with a particular focus on providing access to small-cap tokens. This is an interesting new crypto startup, founded by three former executives at Revolut, the …...Read More

North Korea-linked hackers accounted for 61% of all crypto stolen in 2024

With the rising adoption and value of crypto assets, the potential for theft is also on the rise. This year, the total value of cryptocurrency stolen surged 21%, reaching a substantial $2.2 billion. And according to a Chainalysis report released on Thursday, more than half of this amount was stolen …...Read More

The promise and warning of Truth Terminal, the AI bot that secured $50,000 in Bitcoin from Marc Andreessen

“I think the most ironic way the world could end would be if someone makes a memecoin about a man’s stretched anus and it brings about the singularity.” That’s Andy Ayrey, the founder of decentralized AI alignment research lab Upward Spiral, who is also behind the viral AI bot Truth …...Read More

EU asks for views on plan to force Apple to open up iOS

The European Commission has published draft proposals for how Apple must meet interoperability requirements flowing from the bloc’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) — inviting feedback on proposed measures targeted at areas like iOS notifications, data transfer, and device set-up by January 9, 2025. European Union regulators then have until around …...Read More

Bugs in a major McDonald's India delivery system exposed sensitive customer data

A major McDonald’s delivery system in India exposed the personal information of its customers and drivers due to several simple security flaws, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. The flaws, discovered by security researcher Eaton Zveare, were found in the APIs of the delivery system associated with McDonald’s India (West & South), …...Read More

After raising $26M, Hyme Energy signs global deal to scale thermal storage

With lithium battery storage too weak for many industries, companies are desperately looking elsewhere for energy storage. Molten-salt batteries offer high energy and power density, and can work for long periods. Now, Denmark’s Hyme Energy — which has raised $26 million to date — has signed a deal which could …...Read More

BlueQubit raises $10M to take Quantum software into real-world applications

Integrating quantum computing into real-world computer applications is an ongoing problem, as the platforms are architected fundamentally differently. BlueQubit, a San Francisco-based quantum software startup founded by Stanford alumni, thinks it might have the answer. Its Quantum Software as a Service (QSaaS) platform attempts to tackle the above problem by …...Read More

Indian startups raised 32% fewer rounds in 2024 as VCs got selective

Indian startups raised 32% fewer funding rounds in 2024 compared to last year, per new numbers from data intelligence platform Tracxn, signaling that investors are being more selective when striking deals. The number of startup funding rounds fell to 1,448 compared to 2,114 last year, but overall funding rose 6% …...Read More