X changes its public interest policy to redefine ‘newsworthiness’ of posts

October 10, 2023
X, formerly Twitter, has changed its “Public interest expectations” policy to redefine what posts are newsworthy and could be kept up despite the posts defying the platform’s rules. The company has removed the requirement of having at least 100,000 followers for posts to be newsworthy. The earlier policy said only verified accounts would be considered […]

Google makes passkeys the default sign-in method for all users

October 10, 2023
Google has announced that passkeys, touted by the tech giant as the “beginning of the end” for passwords, are becoming the default sign-in method for all users. Passkeys are a phishing-resistant alternative to passwords that allow users to sign into accounts using the same biometrics or PINs they use to unlock their devices, or with […]

Thread, which develops a platform to autonomously inspect utility assets, raises $15M

October 10, 2023
Thread (not to be confused with Threads), a startup developing a robotics platform to collect inspection data for utilities, today announced that it raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Badlands Capital with participation from Minnkota Power Cooperative, Generational Partners, Rosecliff Ventures, Excell Partners, Homegrown Capital and Kevin O’Leary’s Wonder Fund […]

Modal Labs lands $16M to abstract away big data workload infrastructure

October 10, 2023
Modal Labs, a platform that provides cloud-based infrastructure to data teams and app developers, particularly those creating generative AI applications, has raised $16 million in a Series A funding round led by Redpoint Ventures with participation from Amplify Partners Lux Capital and Definition Capital. The cash infusion, which brings Modal’s total raised to $23 million, […]

SuperOps.ai streamlines the work of managed service providers

October 10, 2023
To ease the burden of maintaining their IT infrastructure, many companies, especially SMBs, turn to third-party IT providers. Called managed service providers (MSPs), they make life easier for their clients, but deal with many problems of their own, including fragmented tech tools that result in complicated workflows, cut into time spent serving customers and even […]

Are we ready to trust AI with our bodies?

October 10, 2023
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. I hate going to the gym. Last year I hired a personal trainer for six months in the hope she would brainwash me into adopting healthy exercise habits longer-term. It was…

ScyllaDB raises $43M to scale its NoSQL database platform

October 10, 2023
Investors have an appetite for databases, it seems. Today, ScyllaDB, a startup developing database tech for high-throughput, low-latency workloads, announced that it raised $43 million in a funding round led by Eight Roads Ventures with participation from AB Private Credit Investors, AllianceBernstein, TLV partners, Magma Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures. The new cash will be put […]

Heura adds ‘York ham style slices’ to its 100%-plant-based vegan mix

October 10, 2023
Barcelona-based Heura, a disrupter in the plant-based protein space since 2017, has a product hitting shelves shortly in Spain and France that it reckons will have the most committed meat eaters sitting up in disbelief. These new 100% plant-based “Jamón York style” slices are not actual ham. They just look (and we’re told taste) an […]

Orus offers business insurance products to restaurant owners and other small companies

October 10, 2023
French startup Orus has raised an $11.6 million Series A funding round (€11 million). The startup offers insurance products specifically designed for small and medium companies. Interestingly, today’s news comes just a few months after Amsterdam-based insurtech startup Insify completed its Series A funding round with another €10 million. Orus originally started with an insurance […]