NASA and Boeing deny Starliner crew is 'stranded': "We're not in any rush to come home"

NASA and Boeing officials pushed back against recent reporting that the two astronauts brought to the ISS on Starliner are stranded on board. The companies said in a press conference Friday that they are using “the luxury of time” to learn as much about the capsule as possible before it …...Read More

Forget the debate, the Supreme Court just declared open season on regulators

As the country reels from a presidential debate that left no one looking good, the Supreme Court has swooped in with what could be one of the most consequential decisions it has ever made, in the context of the tech industry. By reversing a 40-year-old decision, the court has opened …...Read More

Android's upcoming 'Collections' feature will drive users back to their apps

Google’s plan to promote Android apps outside its Play Store is starting to shape up, as a new feature called “Collections” reveals a way that users will be able to keep up with their apps from their Android home screen. At this year’s Google I/O developer conference, the company presented …...Read More

Kleiner Perkins announces $2 billion in fresh capital, showing that established firms can still raise large sums

Many VC firms are struggling to attract new capital from their own backers amid a tepid IPO environment. But established, brand-name firms are still able to raise large funds. On Friday, Kleiner Perkins announced that it closed on more than $2 billion in fresh capital across two funds, a slight …...Read More

DEI? More like 'common decency' - and Silicon Valley is saying 'no thanks'

Welcome to Startups Weekly — Haje‘s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. I just came off recording an episode of Equity, where I learned about the newest wave of stupidity. The tech industry’s …...Read More

HubSpot says it's investigating customer account hacks

Marketing and sales software giant HubSpot said on Friday that it’s investigating a cybersecurity incident. On Friday, rumors of some kind of cyberattack against HubSpot began circulating on social media. When reached by TechCrunch on Friday, HubSpot’s chief information security officer Alyssa Robinson said in a statement that the company …...Read More

Volkswagen’s Silicon Valley software hub is already stacked with Rivian talent

The blockbuster $5 billion deal between Volkswagen Group and Rivian is just days old. But it turns out, VW Group was tapping into Rivian’s software expertise months before the partnership was announced. VW Group’s struggling software arm Cariad has hired at least 23 of the startup’s top employees over the …...Read More

All VCs say they are founder friendly; Detroit’s Ludlow Ventures takes that to another level

VCs Jonathon Triest and Brett deMarrais see their ability to read people and create longstanding relationships with founders as the primary reason their Detroit-based venture firm, Ludlow Ventures, is celebrating its 15th year in business. It sounds silly, attributing their longevity to what’s sometimes called “Midwestern nice.” But is it …...Read More

Pitch Deck Teardown: MegaMod's $1.9M seed deck

Welcome to our 100th pitch deck teardown! This week, I’m taking a look at MegaMod’s seed-stage pitch deck. MegaMod seems to be the latest darling of the gaming industry and just pocketed a cool $1.9 million, bumping its post-money valuation to $27 million. With a mission to revolutionize the game …...Read More

The White House will host a conference for social media creators

President Joe Biden’s administration is doubling down on its interest in the creator economy. In August, the White House will host the first-ever White House Creator Economy Conference, which will invite a group of influential social media personalities and industry professionals to discuss issues like data privacy, fair pay, AI …...Read More