TechCrunch Startup News

There are many in the world of AI who worry about its implications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Diener, the CEO of an aquaculture nutrition and genetics company, would visit hundreds of shrimp farms as part of his job. But gradually he became frustrated by some of the environmentally unsustainable practices used in many locations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gloucester, Massachusetts-based Cometeer has been around for nine years. In that time, the company has built up a mad scientist’s lair worth of coffee scientists, equipment and processes to jolt some fresh life into the industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our DJ, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy dancefloor come, thy steps be done, on earth, as it is at Dance Church. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There may be plenty of funding for some startups these days. But plenty of companies will tell you otherwise. VC Lab, an accelerator for venture capital firms, wants to create investors who will back the rest of the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pagos, a payment intelligence infrastructure startup founded by former Braintree and PayPal execs, has raised $10 million in seed funding. Started earlier this year, the remote-first Pagos is building a data “platform” and API-driven micro-services that it says can integrate with any payment stack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The successful commercial launches of Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic have officially ushered in a new era of space tourism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When flying cargo from one part of the world to another, you typically need a pilot for two parts: The take-off and the landing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The industry will continue to see adoption across all areas, especially as more people are educated on finding the right product and modality and more states legalize cannabis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Years before he co-launched a stealthy business to fix the messy world of health data, Gaurav Kaushik was slowly connecting the dots on how better visualization could impact health outcomes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

French startup Jow has raised a $20 million funding round led by Eurazeo. Jow wants to make it easier to cook at home by taking care of menu ideas and helping you manage your online orders of groceries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

E-bike manufacturer VanMoof recently raised a $128 million funding round. And the company is already using some of that cash to develop a brand new product — the VanMoof V. This is a new product in the VanMoof lineup, a high-speed bike. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Depression and anxiety were taking a serious toll on peoples’ well-being even before COVID-19, and the pandemic prompted more interest (and venture capital) in mental health startups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Varda Space Industries, a startup that wants to build in-space manufacturing facilities, will be sending its first spacecraft to orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2023. The actual spacecraft — the startup’s first to go to orbit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just days after Voodoo acquired Beach Bum, another French mobile gaming company has news to share. Homa Games is raising a $50 million Series A round led by Northzone. The company partners with indie game studios and acts as a publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alpha Paw offers pet products for dogs and cats like food and supplements that are customized with pet breed in mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A number of high-profile investors are chasing to invest in Slice, a fintech startup that is attempting to expand the market for credit cards in India. Tiger Global is in advanced stages of talks to lead a round of over $100 million in the Bangalore-based startup, sources familiar with the matter told me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Microsoft announced today that it has acquired Ally.io, a software service that helps companies measure their progress against OKRs or objectives and key results, a common way the management measures both individual and company progress. The two firms did not share the purchase price. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Making sure mental wellness is part of your routine can be difficult, especially if you are already busy and stressed. MindLabs wants to make it easier with a combination of on-demand or live video classes and community features. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Move over, precision agriculture — precision apiculture is what’s on the minds of all future-focused farmers. BeeHero has been growing fast since its debut and seed round last year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mauritius and U.K.-based investment company Juven went live today with plans to fund growth-stage technology and consumer companies in Africa. The one-year-old firm is looking to invest large checks in companies “that have proven business models, strong revenue traction and large addressable markets,” it said in a statement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Both Anchor and Descript have made their names as being among the most significant Podcast creation platforms of recent times, but hoving into the rear-view mirror recently has been Podcastle, an all-in-one platform that can cover off recording, production and publishing, all on the one platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It seems that a lot of startups are trying to help developers reduce the complexity involved in coding an app. Last week we covered the seed round for RunX, a company that helps developers code back-end cloud resources more quickly. Today, Y Combinator Winter 2021 graduate Wasp announced a $1.5 million seed round to help […] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Life insurance has had a new lease on life in the era of insuretech, and today one of the companies building a business out of rethinking everything. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with geography that makes it vulnerable to typhoons, floods, volcanos, earthquakes and droughts. While working in IT, Felix Ayque began compiling cyclone reports and sending them as email alerts to communities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices