wework WeWork Board Pressures Neumann to Step Down as SoftBank Pushes for New Leadership WeWork board members, led by SoftBank, reportedly pressure CEO Adam Neumann to step down and become non-executive chairman to salvage the company's planned IPO.
landline Upfront Ventures Backs Landline in Bid to Revamp Regional Bus Travel Landline raises $3.85 million to connect rural Midwestern communities to airports through a partnership with Sun Country Airlines. The startup aims to make short-haul bus travel a seamless alternative to flying.
augmented reality Heavily Funded Enterprise AR Startup Daqri Shuts Down After Raising $275 Million Daqri, a nearly ten-year-old augmented reality headset startup, closes its headquarters and sells off its assets as the investment climate for enterprise AR cools. The company's collapse follows similar shutdowns for other well-funded AR hardware pioneers like Meta and ODG.
venture capital Venture Capital Firms Embrace Once-Fringe Frontier Technologies Venture capital firms are increasingly prioritizing investments in frontier technologies like quantum computing, genetic engineering, and brain-computer interfaces as limited partners seek higher returns outside of traditional enterprise and consumer tech.
porsche Porsche Backs TriEye's Low-Cost Sensors for Autonomous Driving in Bad Weather Porsche takes a minority stake in Israeli startup TriEye, which develops short-wave infrared sensors to help self-driving cars navigate safely through fog, rain, and dust.
y combinator 82 Startups Showcase Innovations on Day Two of YC Summer 2019 Y Combinator wraps up its Summer 2019 Demo Days with 82 additional startups presenting disruptive solutions across biotech, logistics, and SaaS. The two-day event features a total of 166 companies aiming to transform their respective industries.
y combinator Y Combinator S19 Demo Day 1 Showcases 84 Startups Seeking Funding Y Combinator kicks off its S19 Demo Day with 84 startups pitching to Silicon Valley investors. Notable companies include a cloud-based Chrome streaming service and a radar device that sees through walls.
vc 2019 VC Spending on Track to Surpass Last Year's Record High Venture capitalists invest $62 billion into U.S. startups in the first half of 2019, putting the market on pace to eclipse last year's record. Additionally, female-founded companies reach a new milestone by capturing three percent of total capital.
aegis ai Aegis AI Raises $2.2M to Transform Security Cameras Into Gun Detectors Aegis AI secures $2.2 million in funding to expand its computer vision software that identifies brandished weapons on existing security cameras. The startup charges $30 per camera monthly and delivers threat alerts to schools and businesses in under one second.
spacex SpaceX Secures Third Funding Round of 2019 to Reach $1.33 Billion SpaceX raises another $314 million in its third funding round of the year, bringing its 2019 total to $1.33 billion. The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan leads the investment to support the development of Starlink and Starship.
slack Workplace Chat Giant Slack Surges 48% in Historic Direct Listing Debut Slack bypasses traditional IPO methods to launch directly on the NYSE, seeing its stock jump nearly 50 percent and pushing its market cap past $20 billion.
softbank SoftBank Vision Fund Faces Investor Hesitation for Planned Sequel Key backers of SoftBank's massive $100 billion Vision Fund reportedly plan to skip or limit their contributions to a proposed second fund. These investors now prefer to make late-stage deals directly rather than paying management fees to SoftBank.
slack Slack Posts $134.8 Million in Q1 Revenue Ahead of Direct Listing Slack reveals a 67% revenue increase in its first quarter as it prepares for a June 20 direct listing on the NYSE. The workplace messaging giant reports growing sales alongside ongoing losses ahead of its public debut.
softbank SoftBank Breaks Industry Rules by Funding Multiple Rival Startups SoftBank's massive Vision Fund routinely ignores the traditional venture capital rule against backing direct competitors. This aggressive strategy distorts market dynamics and puts startup founders in difficult negotiating positions.
venture capital Venture Capitalists Pour Millions Into Disruptive Beverage Startups Venture capitalists are rapidly funding a new wave of beverage startups that aim to disrupt the traditional drink industry with wellness-focused and millennial-friendly alternatives.