Yard Ventures (an Alumni Ventures Fund)

As the world shifts and industries transform, the World’s Most Innovative Companies aren't just keeping up—they're setting the pace. Waymo, this year’s No. 1 company, has taken robotaxis from science fiction to reality. Athletic Brewing Co. is popularizing NA beer, while Nuuly is turning a profit on clothing rentals. DeepSeek AI is engineering new ways to build state-of-the-art AI models—and sharing its approach with others. And even in an era defined by automation, some of the smartest companies are turning unpredictability into an asset, from Duolingo and its chaotic owl mascot to Kendrick Lamar’s creative agency pgLang, and heavy-metal water brand Liquid Death. Other companies have met the moment and redefined it. Watch Duty helped Angelenos navigate their city’s devastating fires. Chainalysis brought needed transparency to the crypto industry. And Bluesky Social freed social media, at last, from corporate control. With the pace of change accelerating, businesses have to prepare for both the challenges of today and ones they’ve yet to identify. It’s a daunting task. But the process of selecting all 609 Most Innovative Companies across 58 categories gave us a glimpse into the future. Read the full list of Fast Company's 2025 Most Innovative Companies: https://bit.ly/3ZsF9HI #FCMostInnovative

They say, "Hardware's hard. It's impossible. You'll never get there." I say, "That's exactly why I'm here." We did it. Today, the first-ever Kabata AI Dumbbells officially shipped to customers. What started as an idea—a belief that strength training could be reimagined, more personalized, and more effective—has finally become reality. This journey has been filled with late nights, early mornings, setbacks, breakthroughs, and relentless perseverance from our small but mighty team. For decades, strength training has been stuck in the past—disconnected, difficult, intimidating, and analog. Kabata changes that. With adaptive weight, real-time coaching, and data-driven progress, this is a true first-of-its-kind product. Not only did we build something that has never existed before, we did it with world-class craftsmanship, pouring our hearts and souls into every detail - and all with only 7 people full-time and <$10M in funding. Industry leaders consistently affirm that Kabata is the most accurate and engaging product they've ever tested. Once you try it, it’s clear - this is how people will forever work out. Today, the Kabata app features close to 50 movements and over 75 workouts (and counting!) with perfect rep counting, range of motion (ROM) detection, symmetry analysis, velocity-based training, and form correction—all with no camera needed. With our sensors, algorithms, and proprietary AI/ML technology, Kabata will power the next generation of products, studios, and modalities, embedding intelligence at their core as we revolutionize the industry. Thank you to our early adopters & investors for believing in us before the world caught up. And thank you to my world-class team for working hard to change the world and improve people's health. I couldn’t be more grateful to work alongside such a talented group of individuals. You guys deserve all the credit and more. Working out is hard. But it doesn’t have to be. The Kabata revolution is here. Welcome to the future of fitness. ?? #fitness #strengthtraining #kabata #futureoffitness #ai

We’re excited to share that we’ve raised $170M in Series C funding as our customer base now exceeds 50% of companies developing quantum computers. The round was led by PSG, with participation from Intel Capital, Red Dot Capital Partners, and existing investors. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to our customer-first approach, empowering researchers and builders to tackle the most demanding computational challenges, enhance quantum system performance, and scale across all types of quantum computers. Our hybrid control technology is powering many of the world’s leading quantum efforts, helping teams push the boundaries of what’s possible. A huge thank you to our customers, team, investors, and partners for trusting us and making this possible. Exciting times ahead! Read the full announcement here: https://hubs.la/Q0389Xw90 #QuantumComputing #HybridControl #TheNewPossible

What do Defense Tech and Gov Tech have in common? How do you build a remote company in 2025? What does patriotic capital look for in an investment opportunity? Check out Episode 5 featuring Garrett Smith and Courtney Donowho of Reveal Technology. ?? https://lnkd.in/e-H7fNTd

All year long, TechCrunch covers startups, everything from unicorns to tiny seed-stage launches. We are, in many ways, the startup experts. To create this list, we looked back through our year’s worth of coverage for startups that stood out to us. They have fascinating new technologies, business models, or founder stories, or are pushing an industry forward in exciting ways. Read about TechCrunch's most disruptive startups here: https://tcrn.ch/3ZBR3Rb #TechCrunch #technews #startups #founders #tech

InchFab won Semiconductor Review's Top Semiconductor Solution Provider for 2024! InchFab provides scalable, low-cost foundry solutions for startups and established firms wanting to grow. #semiconductors #foundry #semiconductorreview #foundries #MEMS #silicon Mitchell Hsing Paul Pickering Matthias Imboden Parker Gould Marcelo Zuffo Qing David He Ramesh Yadav Toor Khan https://lnkd.in/g-NfsQeP

A Quantum Machines and Rigetti Computing joint challenge oversaw the use of AI for automating the calibration of a 9-qubit Rigetti Novera? QPU, reducing the manual effort required for this process. ?? Quantum Elements and Qruise, participants in the AI for Quantum Calibration Challenge, achieved exceptional results, including 99.9% single-qubit gate fidelity and streamlined multi-qubit calibration, using AI-driven solutions integrated with advanced control and quantum-classical systems. This collaboration exemplifies the potential role of AI in scaling quantum systems, addressing the bottlenecks of manual calibration, and meeting the growing demands of larger, more complex quantum processors. https://lnkd.in/eafcPSBw #ai #collaboration #qubit #quantum

Excited to share that Neo Financial has raised $360M to fund our next wave of growth. ?? This milestone isn’t just about the money—it’s a testament to the dedication and hard work of our team, the trust our investors have in our vision, and the belief that we're truly making a difference in people's lives. To have Canadian visionaries like Shopify’s Tobi Lütke, Slack’s Stewart Butterfield, and Roblox's David Baszucki back us is humbling. It’s a reminder that even in times of uncertainty, with the right people, perseverance, and commitment to your customers, the impossible becomes possible. ???? This funding will allow us to accelerate our mission: expanding our innovative financial products, from Canada’s best cashback credit cards, to high-interest savings accounts, AI-enhanced budgeting tools, and competitive mortgage rates. We’re here to build solutions that don’t just meet the needs of today, but redefine what’s possible for the future of finance. And we’re just getting started. The future of finance is here, and it's built by Canadians, for Canadians. ?? https://lnkd.in/gU_xnyBU