The Latest

Pelago, the virtual addiction clinic backed by Y Combinator, secures $58 million in Series C funding

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Most recently, the company expanded its offer its virtual therapy sessions to services for adolescents across its footprint. The virtual clinic’s medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders is available across 50 states for adults and teens. Since its Series B, Pelago has experienced an impressive 11x revenue surge and claims to have 100% client retention. Pelago members have regular sessions with virtual care teams in the app, consisting of health coaches or licensed drug and alcohol counselors. In addition to its virtual therapy interface, the company is investing in bringing more tech to bear on its business.
Read MorePelago, the virtual addiction clinic backed by Y Combinator, secures $58 million in Series C funding

Hurry! Limited Time Offer: Claim Your Early Bird Ticket within 48 Hours

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Don’t miss out on savings! Only 48 hours left to claim your early bird ticketThe clock has almost run out! With just 48 hours left, this is your final opportunity to secure early-bird savings for TechCrunch Early Stage 2024. Join us on April 25 in Boston for TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 and take your startup to new heights. Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024?
Read MoreHurry! Limited Time Offer: Claim Your Early Bird Ticket within 48 Hours

ChowNow Acquires Y Combinator-Backed Cuboh POS, Implements Staff Reduction

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ChowNow snaps up YC-backed POS platform Cuboh and is laying off staffChowNow, the online ordering platform and marketing service for local restaurants, acquired Cuboh, a Y Combinator-backed point-of-sale (POS) platform that consolidates all orders from delivery apps into one place. This marks ChowNow’s first acquisition, which will help strengthen its POS integration solution and help restaurants tackle orders across multiple services. Meanwhile, Cuboh’s entire 30-person team — including marketing, sales, product and engineering — is transitioning to ChowNow. Starting next week, restaurant owners can access a newly launched bundle, “ChowNow + Cuboh,” for $275 per month. “It’s getting back to the longer-term product vision of what we’re building, of being the only platform restaurants need for their entire takeout business,” Webb said.
Read MoreChowNow Acquires Y Combinator-Backed Cuboh POS, Implements Staff Reduction

“Co-Founding Data and AI Companies: Super{set} Boutique Startup Studio Secures $90 Million Boost”

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Startup studio super{set} has a fresh exit under its belt with the sale of marketing company Habu to LiveRamp for $200 million in January. Now, super{set} is adding another $90 million to its coffers as it doubles down on its strategy of building enterprise startups. We remain a venture studio focused on building companies rooted in data and AI. We found, fund and build new technology startups, mostly in the enterprise space,” founding managing partner Tom Chavez told TechCrunch. That’s one aspect in which super{set} has changed compared to 2019, Chavez said, as its method went from art to science.
Read More“Co-Founding Data and AI Companies: Super{set} Boutique Startup Studio Secures $90 Million Boost”

Effortless Interview Note-Taking with Metaview’s Tool for Hiring Managers

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So they launched Metaview, an AI-powered note-taking app for recruiters and hiring managers that records, analyzes and summarizes job interviews. “Metaview is an AI note-taker built specifically for the hiring process,” Magos said. “It helps recruiters and hiring managers focus more on getting to know candidates and less on extracting data from the conversations. “Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet all have transcription built in, which is a possible alternative to Metaview,” Magos said. I’m skeptical and a bit wary, too, of Metaview’s approach to how it handles speech data.
Read MoreEffortless Interview Note-Taking with Metaview’s Tool for Hiring Managers

“Diamfab: Pioneering the Use of Diamond Semiconductors for Sustainable Progress in French Deep Tech”

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French spinout Diamfab, founded in 2019, is one example. They also raised an €8.7 million round of funding from Asterion Ventures, Bpifrance’s French Tech Seed fund, Kreaxi, Better Angle, Hello Tomorrow and Grenoble Alpes Métropole. But diamond wafers could also be leveraged for nuclear batteries, space tech and quantum computing, too. While there’s warranted hype around AI in Paris, Grenoble may be the closest to a French Silicon Valley. Now Diamfab hopes it can play a part, too, and unleash the full potential of diamond in semiconductors.
Read More“Diamfab: Pioneering the Use of Diamond Semiconductors for Sustainable Progress in French Deep Tech”

“SMBs Secure $100M Investment in Coro’s Cybersecurity Solution, Valued at $750M”

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Now, Coro — one of the startups building tools specifically for smaller businesses — is announcing a big round of funding after seeing its recurring revenues shoot up 300% in the last year. Sources close to the deal tell TechCrunch that its valuation is over $750 million post-money. And among SMBs responding to a survey from Digital Ocean, 74% named data privacy a top concern. The opportunity in the security market for SMBs that Coro has identified is that these businesses typically lack the teams and internal IT budgets to dedicate to building and managing their defenses. Its round last year, in April 2023, was $75 million at a $575 million valuation (also post-money).
Read More“SMBs Secure $100M Investment in Coro’s Cybersecurity Solution, Valued at $750M”

Blueground’s Successful Business Model: Generating $560M in Revenue with $45M Boost in Latest Funding Round

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Alex Chatzieleftheriou founded Blueground in 2013 after being frustrated with the dearth of short-term furnished apartments in Europe. In 2022, the company gained a strong foothold in Latin America by buying Tabas, an operator of over 9,0000 furnished apartments in Brazil. Blueground leases apartments in popular neighborhoods and then equips and furnishes them for renters. The company didn’t reveal its new valuation, but Chatzieleftheriou said that the company’s value has increased since its previous round. Sales jumped by 70% to $560 million in 2023 over 2022’s $300 million in gross revenue, Chatzieleftheriou said.
Read MoreBlueground’s Successful Business Model: Generating $560M in Revenue with $45M Boost in Latest Funding Round

“Transform Your Business: The Key to Successful Mobile Apps Lies in Emulating Consumer Favorites”

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And they’re calling their company… The Mobile-First Company. Too many companies that offer B2B tools treat mobile apps as companion apps and second-class citizens. Small companies don’t need a complicated enterprise software solution. While Siel Brunet is more experienced with the needs of large companies, he has also seen how B2B apps don’t work well with small businesses. Many small companies simply rely on consumer apps to fill their needs.
Read More“Transform Your Business: The Key to Successful Mobile Apps Lies in Emulating Consumer Favorites”

Satgana’s Inaugural Fund: Advancing Startups in Africa and Europe with Climate Technology

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Climate-tech VC Satgana has reached a final close of its first fund, which targets to back up to 30 early-stage startups in Africa and Europe. “I ran it for like five years, and about six years ago I started to really have the awakening to the extent of climate change. “We are entering the continent to pursue green growth objectives; so deploying renewable energy, low carbon buildings, mobility solutions and so on. Satgana is among the new funds that are dedicated to the African climate tech sector. These funds include Africa People + Planet Fund by Novastar Ventures, Equator’s fund and the Catalyst Fund.
Read MoreSatgana’s Inaugural Fund: Advancing Startups in Africa and Europe with Climate Technology