Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers ??, Tesla Crashes Below $1 Trillion ??, AI Agents Take Control of the Buying Process ??

Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers ??, Tesla Crashes Below $1 Trillion ??, AI Agents Take Control of the Buying Process ??


Tip of the Day??

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In-Depth Insights ??

Optifye.ai's pitch includes a video where a "boss" yells at a "worker" by calling him a number, and sarcastically saying he's having a bad month.

Source: 404 media

Even diehard bulls have been warning in recent days that deliveries could fall well short of current consensus when Tesla reports vehicle sales in early April—and potentially below last year’s 386,000 vehicles as well.

Source: Fortune

OpenAI ignited the generative AI craze with its large language models, and anticipation for its next big launch can rival the buzz around a new sneaker drop or a pop star’s latest single.?But the GPT-5 rollout has not gone according to script. Two years after the launch of GPT-4, the world is still waiting for its successor – and wondering what’s been holding it up.

Source: Fortune

The difference between AI-native products that explode in growth and those that fade away often comes down to one thing: user experience.

Source: Growth Unhinged

Industries are transforming faster than ever, and companies that don’t evolve risk being left behind. That’s why nearly 60% of corporations are working directly with startups to stay competitive. Startups bring exactly what corporates need: agility, fresh ideas and cutting-edge tech.

Source: Crunchbase

JPMorgan Chase (...) alleges that Javice helped “fake millions of customers in order to induce the bank to buy her company,” student financial planning aid startup Frank, for $175 million.

Source: Techcrunch

Getting press coverage for your startup can be a game-changer. It can lead to customers, job applicants, business partners, and investors. But the path to media attention can seem daunting.

Source: Unsplash

The venture capital industry is consolidating rapidly, with the number of active VC firms in the U.S. dropping from 8,315 in 2021 to 6,175 in 2024. As capital becomes concentrated among fewer players, underrepresented founders — particularly women-led startups — are facing even greater challenges when it comes to securing funding.

Source: Crunchbase

Owned by their journalists, these outlets from Argentina, France, Scotland, Spain and Uruguay see their model as key to their independence

Source: Reuters

Backed by a consortium of 14 banks under the European Payments Initiative (EPI), France and Belgium, Wero is a digital wallet enabling consumer peer-to-peer transfers in under ten seconds

Source: Sifted

Interesting Research & Reports ??

AI agents will impact each stage of the customer journey, streamlining the path to purchase and fundamentally transforming how businesses build relationships with consumers and drive loyalty.

Source: CB Insights

The Trump Administration continues to remake the federal government. This week was less about policy and more about function, as President Trump issued two executive orders that would consolidate and expand the regulatory power of his office.?

Source: Carta

Healthcare’s exposure to costly cyberattacks is on the rise. This is being fueled by the use of legacy systems and the widespread adoption of new technologies like connected devices, which create potential access points to critical systems.

Source: Unsplash

Chegg filed suit against Google for changes in their algorithm forcing the company to consider a sale. They allege the Google AI Overviews feature displays Chegg’s AI-enabled Q&A homework helper. This suit stands as the first of its kind challenging Google for changing search patterns, but it won’t be the last.

Source: Venture Capitalist at Theory

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Recently Launched Funds and Accelerators ??

  • YCombinator to host its first-ever AI Startup School in San Francisco on June 16 and 17th
  • Perplexity AI, a San Francisco-based developer of a popular AI search engine, launches a $50 million venture fund to back early-stage startups
  • Thoma Bravo, a Chicago-based software investor, raises €1.8 billion for their debut European fund, the Thoma Bravo Europe Fund
  • Footwork, a San Francisco-based early-stage venture firm focused on consumer tech, raises $225 million for its second fund
  • Afore Capital, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm supporting software companies at the pre-seed stage, closes Fund IV at $185 million
  • Cambridge Innovation Capital, a Cambridge-based venture capital firm embedded in the Cambridge ecosystem, launches a new £100 million Opportunity Fund
  • One Mind, a Napa Valley-based mental health non-profit, announces the 2025 cohort of its flagship?One Mind Accelerator?program
  • CrowdStrike, an Austin-based cybersecurity leader, announces the 36 startups selected for the second annual AWS and CrowdStrike Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator


Hottest Deals ??

  • Magdrive, an Oxfordshire-based spacetech startup developing space propulsion systems, raises $10.5 million in seed funding round
  • NinjaOne, an Austin-based company providing endpoint management, security and monitoring, raises $500 million in Series C extensions at a $5 billion valuation
  • VetVerifi, a Nashville-based provider of a platform for streamlining compliance across the pet care economy, raises $2.8 million in seed funding
  • Adaptive Insurance, an Austin-based climate resiliency company, raises $5 million in funding
  • Toonsutra, a Mumbai-based youth market based on a mobile fandom platform, raises $3.2 million in seed funding
  • Lizzy Care, a NYC-based health tech company offering a platform for at-home dementia and memory care, raises $2.6 million in seed funding
  • Verretex, a St-Sulpice-based cleantech startup developing tech that turns damaged glass fibres into high-performance textiles, raises? €159,000 (CHF 150,000)
  • Mitico, a Pasadena-based carbon capture technology company, raises $4.3 million in seed funding


Jobs in startups ??

  • Cohere - Country Manager France - Paris
  • Predium - Associate to VP Growth - Munich
  • SLAY - Chief of Staff - Berlin
  • OpenAI - Lead Product Manager, Core Product - San Francisco
  • Robyn AI - Chief of Staff -San Francisco
  • Lean Technologies - Head of FI & Regulatory Partnerships - Dubai


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