India’s Unacademy sells to rival upGrad for $206M, about 94% less than its peak valuation
“We raised at a peak, but sold at a fraction of that,” Unacademy co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal wrote. “I’m not going to dress these facts up.”
The Download: AI “mind-reading” and creative uses for small batteries
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. An AI “mind-reading” tool can reconstruct what you’re looking at based on a brain scan A new AI tool can guess what you’re looking at just by analyzing your brain scans—and…
Hiring Managers Are Going to Extremes to Weed Out Fake AI Applicants: ‘Wave Your Hand in Front of Your Face’
From waving at your webcam to proving your IP address matches your resume, job interviewers are running a whole new kind of background check.
The One Mistake Almost Every Software Project Makes — and Why It Keeps Shaping Outcomes
The most effective software systems are built by aligning architecture with present realities and evolving it through validated growth.
The Download: engineered microbes for crops, and OpenAI’s culture problem
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. How engineered microbes could help feed the world’s crops Fertilizer is crucial for the global food supply, but making it uses a lot of energy and produces a lot of emissions.…
If space data centers feel far-fetched, why not interstellar travel?
The team behind Starcloud’s orbital data centers has a new high-risk space project: Sending a probe to Alpha Centauri.
How engineered microbes could help feed the world’s crops
Fertilizer is crucial for the global food supply, but making it uses a lot of energy and produces a lot of emissions. Some companies hope microbes can help. A growing body of research shows that seeding the soil around a crop’s roots with beneficial microbes can help feed the plant, providing crucial nitrogen to help…
Magna increases bet on battery swapping in India with $35M for Yuma
Magna’s investment in Yuma Energy has reached $87 million as the Canadian auto supplier increases its majority stake in the Indian battery-swapping firm.
Lachy Groom backs Indian startup aiming to keep aircraft aloft for a year
Founded by a 20-year-old, Alteon is developing autonomous aircraft that hopes to harvest wind energy to stay aloft for several months.
Apple shares ‘shocking evidence’ against former employee accused of stealing company data for OpenAI
Apple says it has evidence that a former employee destroyed evidence of data theft after learning he was under investigation.
I’ve Backed 20 Startups. Here’s What Actually Separates the Ones That Win From the Ones That Stall.
After investing in nearly 20 startups, I’ve learned the idea matters — but the founder decides how far it goes.