Browsing Category: Startups

  • What happens to edtech when kids go back to school?

    In just a few weeks, homeschooling has gone from a rarity to a baseline in homes across the country. Jonah Liss, a 16-year-old student at International Academy of Bloomfield Hills in Michigan, was sent home out of precaution due to the coronavirus outbreak. While the transition has been okay for Liss, who has used some …

    April 1, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Hio wants to put networking events back on your remote-only calendars

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and the COVID-19 pandemic has surged event cancellations across the country. Tech workforces have found ways to stay productive: back-to-back Zoom calls, work-from-home happy hours and more Twitter threads than anyone asked for. But Jason Craparo, the founder of events platform Hio, wants to put organic, …

    April 1, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Addionics, a startup creating ‘next-gen’ batteries for electric cars and more, raises $6M

    Addionics, an Israeli/U.K. startup that is developed next-generation rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and other applications, has raised $6 million in funding. The round is led by Next Gear Ventures, and includes a $2.5 million grant as part of the European Union’s Horizon2020 innovation competition. Founded by former Imperial College London academics, Addionics has created …

    April 1, 2020 | by Raheel
  • Vericool raises $19.1 million for its plant-based packaging replacement for plastic coolers

    Vericool, a Livermore, Calif.-based startup that’s replacing plastic coolers and packaging with plant-based products, has raised $19.1 million in a new round of financing. The company’s stated goal is to replace traditional packaging materials like polystyrene with plant-based insulating packaging materials. Its technology uses 100% recycled paper fibers and other plant-based materials, according to the …

    March 31, 2020 | by Raheel
  • OrbitFab secures National Science Foundation funding to propel its satellite refueling tech to space

    On-orbit satellite refueling technology is closer than ever to a practical reality, which could help immensely with the cost and sustainability of orbital businesses. Startup OrbitFab, a 2019 TechCrunch Battlefield finalist, is one of the companies working to make orbital refueling a reality, and it just secured a new contract from the National Science Foundation’s …

    March 31, 2020 | by Raheel
  • On-demand shuttle startup Via hits $2.25 billion valuation on latest funding round led by Exor

    On-demand shuttle startup Via has hit a $2.25 billion valuation following a Series E funding round led by Exor, the Agnelli family holding company that owns stakes in PartnerRe, Ferrari and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The Series E funding round, which included other investors, totaled $400 million, according to a source familiar with the deal. Exor invested …

    March 31, 2020 | by Raheel
  • [Postponed] Join the FirstMark Capital squad for a live Q&A on Zoom tomorrow at 9am PDT

    Update: Unfortunately, we’re going to have to postpone this call. We’ll be in touch soon with the new dates. In the meantime, we have plenty of exciting calls slated and can’t wait to share them with you. Stay tuned! Stuck at home? JK! I know you are! You’re not alone. FirstMark Capital partners Rick Heitzmann, …

    March 31, 2020 | by Raheel
  • How to value a startup in a downturn

    The value of technology companies has fallen as the broader public markets have repriced themselves in light of COVID-19-related market and economic disruptions. And as the public markets sort out the new value of a huge piece of global business, private companies are being shaken as well. What happens in the public markets trickles into …

    March 31, 2020 | by Raheel
  • VR workplace training startup Strivr lands $30 million Series B

    Virtual reality has been two years away from mainstream adoption for the past six years. In that time, huge companies have made big VR bets only to walk away, countless VR startups have faded or flared out and investment has slowed significantly. Building an attractive VR product for large enterprises to train employees remotely has …

    March 31, 2020 | by Raheel