Technology

The Download: Tencent’s palm payments, and AI’s carbon footprint

November 15, 2022
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Tencent wants you to pay with your palm. What could go wrong? Would you want a bottle of soda for just one cent? Before you say yes, there’s a catch: You have to…

Why we need to do a better job of measuring AI’s carbon footprint

November 15, 2022
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. Lately I’ve lost a lot of sleep over climate change. It’s just over five weeks until Christmas, and last weekend in London, it was warm enough to have a pint outside without…

Weka announces $135M investment on $750M valuation to change how companies move data

November 15, 2022

If there’s one thing that gets the attention of investors, even in uncertain times like these, it’s data efficiency. Data is the fuel for machine learning models and getting it from point A to point B can be expensive and time consuming. That’s why a startup that can help make that process move faster with […]

Weka announces $135M investment on $750M valuation to change how companies move data by Ron Miller originally published on TechCrunch

Tencent wants you to pay with your palm. What could go wrong?

November 15, 2022
Would you want a bottle of soda for just one cent?  Before you say yes, there’s a catch: You have to pay by scanning your palm and sharing your information with a Chinese tech giant.  This was the proposition Tencent made to a handful of Chinese consumers recently, as seen in a video posted on…

After mothballing Amazon Care, Amazon reenters tele-health with Amazon Clinic, a marketplace for third-party virtual consultants

November 15, 2022

The ink is not yet dry on Amazon’s $4 billion acquisition of OneMedical, but in the meantime, the online services giant is making one more move into telehealth, and into medical services overall, on its own steam. The company today is taking the wraps off of Amazon Clinic, which Amazon describes as a virtual health […]

After mothballing Amazon Care, Amazon reenters tele-health with Amazon Clinic, a marketplace for third-party virtual consultants by Ingrid Lunden originally published on TechCrunch

IFC launches $225M platform to back early-stage startups in Africa, Asia, Middle East

November 15, 2022

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has today launched a $225 million platform to back early-stage startups in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, and Pakistan. The IFC, a member of the World Bank, will through the platform make equity and “equity-like” investments in tech startups to “grow them into scalable ventures that can attract mainstream equity […]

IFC launches $225M platform to back early-stage startups in Africa, Asia, Middle East by Annie Njanja originally published on TechCrunch

Modus expands to sub-Saharan Africa with the launch of its AI and blockchain-focused $75M fund

November 15, 2022

New York-based venture platform Modus has launched Modus Africa, a venture capital fund for AI and blockchain startups across sub-Saharan Africa, TechCrunch has learned. The fund is expected to reach a final close in the first quarter of next year. The spinoff continues Modus’s string of moves over the past 18 months, which has seen […]

Modus expands to sub-Saharan Africa with the launch of its AI and blockchain-focused $75M fund by Tage Kene-Okafor originally published on TechCrunch

From the founders of Acast, Sesamy is setting out to ‘de-wall’ digital content

November 15, 2022

A new startup from the founders of Acast today announced a $3.4 million seed round of funding to “de-wall” digital content including ebooks, audiobooks, and news articles. After recently severing ties with Acast, a popular podcasting platform they founded some eight years ago, Karl Rosander, Måns Ulvestam, and Markus Ahlstrand have turned their attentions to Sesamy, […]

From the founders of Acast, Sesamy is setting out to ‘de-wall’ digital content by Paul Sawers originally published on TechCrunch

Alibaba eyes logistics growth in LatAm as China commerce slows

November 15, 2022

Cainiao, the logistics arm of Alibaba, is traveling far from home to seek expansion for its business. The company recently launched its first parcel distribution center in Brazil, adding to its regional network of sorting centers in Mexico and Chile, it said Monday. Alibaba’s e-commerce business in China has been hurt by a combination of […]

Alibaba eyes logistics growth in LatAm as China commerce slows by Rita Liao originally published on TechCrunch

Silkhaus gets $7.75M to digitize short-term rentals across emerging markets

November 15, 2022

Silkhaus, a Dubai-based platform for short-term rentals coming out of stealth, has raised $7.75 million in seed funding, money it plans to use for expansion across South Asia, Southeast Asia and the MENA region.  Venture capital firms that participated in the round include Nuwa Capital, Nordstar, Global Founders Capital, Yuj Ventures, Whiteboard Capital and VentureSouq. […]

Silkhaus gets $7.75M to digitize short-term rentals across emerging markets by Tage Kene-Okafor originally published on TechCrunch