How Nuro plans to spend Softbank’s $940 million

Autonomous delivery startup Nuro is bursting with ideas since SoftBank invested nearly $1 billion in February, new filings reveal. A recent patent application details how its R1 self-driving vehicle could carry smaller robots to cross lawns or climb stairs to drop off packages. The company has even taken the step of trademarking the name “Fido” […]

View More How Nuro plans to spend Softbank’s $940 million

The shift to collaborative robots means the rise of robotics as a service

The 2018 Holiday shopping season was the biggest on record for e-commerce, with nearly $126 billion in online sales. But as e-commerce continues to expand, the demand for warehouse workers is growing faster than the labor supply and creating an increased need for automation. Given its dominance in e-commerce and the massive scale of its business, there’s no surprise […]

View More The shift to collaborative robots means the rise of robotics as a service

It’s a new era for fertility tech

We explored venture capitalists’ latest bets on fertility and contraception tech, including Modern Fertility, Extend Fertility, Natural Cycles, Nurx, Clue and more.

View More It’s a new era for fertility tech

With $90 million in funding, the Ginkgo spinoff Motif joins the fight for the future of food

Continuing its quest to become the Amazon Web Services for biomanufacturing, Ginkgo Bioworks has launched a new spinoff called Motif Ingredients with $90 million in funding to develop proteins that can serve as meat and dairy replacements. It’s the second spinout for Ginkgo since late 2017 when the company partnered with Bayer to launch Joyn […]

View More With $90 million in funding, the Ginkgo spinoff Motif joins the fight for the future of food

How students are founding, funding and joining startups

Shawn Xu Contributor Share on Twitter Shawn Xu is a managing partner at The Dorm Room Fund. There has never been a better time to start, join, or fund a startup as a student.  Young founders who want to start companies while still in school have an increasing number of resources to tap into that […]

View More How students are founding, funding and joining startups

BMW, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover invest in roadside assistance startup Urgently

Urgently, the roadside assistance startup that connects car owners who need help with tow truck and other services, has raised $21 million in a Series B round that includes the venture arms of BMW, Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover. BMW has also signed Urgently as a vendor partner for its own roadside assistance platform (known […]

View More BMW, Porsche, Jaguar Land Rover invest in roadside assistance startup Urgently

Electronics giant Philips invests in monitoring and information platform for expecting mothers

The international electronics and medical device giant Philips is pushing further into pregnancy and childcare services by leading a $6 million early stage investment in the pregnancy-focused app-developer and device manufacturer, Babyscripts.  The Washington, DC-based company works with hospitals and healthcare providers to distribute a medical device and mobile app for monitoring blood pressure and providing […]

View More Electronics giant Philips invests in monitoring and information platform for expecting mothers

Lightspeed announces new $560 million fund for China

Global investor Lightspeed is starting 2019 with its largest-ever fund for China, where it has backed a number of new internet challengers. The firm announced this week that its fourth China fund has closed with a total capital commitment of $560 million. The firm had a massive 2018, with no fewer than five of its portfolio holding IPOs […]

View More Lightspeed announces new $560 million fund for China

New e-commerce restrictions in India just ruined Christmas for Amazon and Walmart

The Indian government is playing the role of festive party pooper for Walmart and Amazon after it announced new regulations that look set to impede the U.S. duo’s efforts to grow their businesses in India. Online commerce in the country is tipped to surpass $100 billion per year by 2022 up from $35 billion today […]

View More New e-commerce restrictions in India just ruined Christmas for Amazon and Walmart

Struggling e-commerce firm LightInTheBox completes $85M deal for Singapore’s Ezbuy

Southeast Asia is a growing digital marketplace and increasingly a focus for startups across the world but there haven’t been many exits. So it’s notable, then, that struggling Chinese discount e-commerce service LightInTheBox has closed its acquisition of Singapore-based Ezbuy, which operates a cross-border selling service in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Pakistan. The all-stock deal was […]

View More Struggling e-commerce firm LightInTheBox completes $85M deal for Singapore’s Ezbuy

Grab invests $100M into India’s OYO to expand its budget hotel service in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asian ride-hailing firm Grab has made its most ambitious investment to date after it backed India-headquartered budget hotel network OYO to the tune of $100 million. The investment was part of a $1 billion Series E round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund that closed back in September. The deal was first made public via a […]

View More Grab invests $100M into India’s OYO to expand its budget hotel service in Southeast Asia