Author: TechBrunch
Ilara Health, a Kenya-based medical technology company that helps private clinics access diagnostic equipment and medicines, has secured $4.2 million in debt capital in a pre-Series A round. The funding will help scale operations in the East African country and develop B2B medical and vocational services that enable uninsured workers to receive treatment at a network of partner clinics for a fixed monthly fee. will be used to deepen healthcare access to the masses. commission. The $2.5 million equity round was led by DOB Equity, with participation from the Phillips Foundation and existing investors including AAIC Investment, Angaza Capital, Black…
Peak XV, the venture capital firm that spun off from Sequoia Capital last year, will take its portfolio companies from India, Southeast Asia and Australia on an “intensive” trip to Silicon Valley this week to meet with some of the industry's biggest names. Expanded coverage and networking flexibility. Approximately 60 founders, many of whom are backed by Peak They plan to meet with him and visit the AI Research Center. The week included strategy sessions with executives from OpenAI and Nvidia, as well as Sequoia partner Doug Leone, Uniphore chief Umesh Sachdev and DoorDash advisors, according to an email the…
If you needed further proof that GenAI is prone to hoaxes, Google's Gemini chatbot (formerly Bard) thinks the 2024 Super Bowl has already happened. There are also (fictional) statistics to back it up. According to a thread on Reddit, Gemini, powered by Google's GenAI model of the same name, is answering questions about Super Bowl LVIII as if the game ended yesterday, or even weeks ago. Like many bookmakers, it appears to be favoring the Chiefs over the 49ers (sorry, San Francisco fans). The Gemini have decorated quite creatively, and in at least one case, Kansas Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes…
If you are looking for If you think the current seed funding environment is tough, you're not alone. The past few years have been a roller coaster for startups. First there was uncertainty in the early days of the pandemic, then there was a frenzy in the mid-to-late stages of the pandemic that saw money flow freely to startups in almost every sector. The size of seed funding has increased and so have the valuations. Currently, the situation is not so calm. Financing becomes tighter and the hurdles to starting a business become higher. But for entrepreneurs early in their…
WWelcome to TechCrunch Exchange, a weekly newsletter about startups and markets. Inspired by his daily TechCrunch+ column from which it takes its name. Want it delivered to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here. Ability to reinvent technology Wheels have their drawbacks. It can mean ignoring obvious truths that others already know. But the good news is that a new founder may figure it out on his own faster than his predecessor. — anna AI, trust and safety This year is an Olympic year and a leap year. . .and again of election year. But before you criticize me for…
Notion announced a new calendar based on Cron last month, but more privacy-focused products may soon be added to its productivity suit. The company announced today that it has acquired Skiff, a platform that provides end-to-end encrypted file storage, documents, calendar events, and email. Skiff was founded in 2020 by Andrew Milich and Jason Pinsberg. The company raised $14.2 million in two rounds from investors including Sequoia Capital, along with Alphabet Chairman John Hennessy, former Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, and Eventbrite co-founders Julia Hartz and Kevin Hartz. raised funds. Balaji Srinivasan and re–Inc founder Jenny Wang. Image credits: skiff In…
All companies and organizations that publish AI models must decide whether to set boundaries on what they will and will not discuss. Goody-2 takes this exploration of ethics to its extreme by refusing to talk about anything. The chatbot is clearly a satire of what some perceive to be coddling by AI service providers, and is a no-brainer when the topic of conversation could put the model in a dangerous state. Department providers (but not all) can and do (but not always) err on the safe side. For example, asking about the history of napalm is very safe, but asking…
The startup that develops the phone app for casino resort giant WinStar has secured a public database that was leaking customers' personal information onto the open web. Oklahoma-based WinStar bills itself as “the world's largest casino” by square foot. The casino and hotel resort also offers an app called My WinStar. The app allows guests to access self-service options, reward points and loyalty benefits, and casino winnings during their hotel stay. The app was developed by a Nevada software startup called Dexiga. The startup left one of its log databases on the internet without a password, so anyone with the…
Oregon is coming soon Becomes the newest state to pass a Right to Repair law. Last month, Google announced its support in an open letter, calling Senate Bill 1596 “a compelling model for other states to follow.” The bill, sponsored by a group of six state senators and representatives, is inspired in part by California's SB 244, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in October. Apple publicly supported the bill. This is rare support from the tech giants, who love to push through this bill at the last minute. However, Cupertino is less than enthusiastic about Oregon's law including…
Twitter/X alternative Bluesky is gearing up for one of social media's biggest weekends with the launch of a custom feed tailored for Super Bowl fans. One feed will focus on conversations about the big game itself, and the other will feature her expected to be in attendance to cheer on her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Also includes news about Taylor Swift. Swift's high-profile attendance at Kelce's games throughout the season has divided opinion among sports fans, especially after Kelce's comments that the NFL is “going too far,” and the NFL's coverage of the pop star. decided…