Nuclear startup Last Energy raises $100M for its steel-encased micro reactor
Last Energy will use the funds to build its 5 megawatt pilot reactor in Texas, which it hopes to turn on next year.
Roundtables: The Deadly Failures of The Virtual Border Wall
The US has spent billions building a “virtual wall” of surveillance towers along its southern border over the past 25 years, promising they will help detect and apprehend border crossers and save lives. But a groundbreaking investigation by MIT Technology Review has documented hundreds of people who moved through areas watched by these towers without…
Everbloom built an AI to turn chicken feathers into cashmere
Everbloom has also developed a chemical process to transform waste fibers and feathers into upcycled materials that resemble everything from polyester to cashmere.
Solo VC and Lovable investor Neil Murray raises third Nordic-focused fund
The Nordic Web closes $6M Fund III.
Quantum navigation could solve the military’s GPS jamming problem
In late September, a Spanish military plane carrying the country’s defense minister to a base in Lithuania was reportedly the subject of a kind of attack—not by a rocket or anti-aircraft rounds, but by radio transmissions that jammed its GPS system. The flight landed safely, but it was one of thousands that have been affected…
VCs discuss why most consumer AI startups still lack staying power
The next consumer tech revolution may require an introduction of a new personal device.
OpenAI-backed biotech firm Chai Discovery raises $130M Series B at $1.3B valuation
Chai is building foundation models for drug discovery, specifically to predict interactions between molecules so they could be reprogramed for cures.
I hate that I love Riverside’s AI-driven “Rewind” for podcasters
Riverside’s year-end review is amusing, but it represents a creative culture that’s increasingly entwined with AI.
Disney’s OpenAI deal is exclusive for just one year — then it’s open season
After the one year is up, Disney is free to sign similar deals with other AI companies.
Nvidia bulks up open source offerings with an acquisition and new open AI models
Nvidia acquired SchedMD, the lead developer of Slurm, and launched the Nemotron 3 family of open source AI models.
Ford is starting a battery storage business to power data centers and the grid
Amid Ford’s shift away from making large electric vehicles, the automaker is adding a new product line to find a home for its batteries. Ford said Monday that instead of scuttling plans to build the batteries for those vehicles, it will pivot that capacity into a new battery storage business. Those storage systems, which will use cheaper LFP batteries, will be […]