June 20, 2025

Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab closes on $2B at $10B valuation

Thinking Machines Lab, the secretive AI startup founded by OpenAI’s former chief technology officer Mira Murati, has closed a $2 billion seed round at a $10 billion valuation.

Tiger Global’s India returns ‘way below average’ but firm remains bullish, says Scott Shleifer

February 1, 2023

Tiger Global believes India is likely to produce the highest equity returns globally, its partner Scott Shleifer said on an investor call Tuesday, even as he admitted the investor giant has made way more money in China and the U.S. “We think it will be the best place to invest,” said Shleifer of India. “We […]

Tiger Global’s India returns ‘way below average’ but firm remains bullish, says Scott Shleifer by Manish Singh originally published on TechCrunch

ValueBase, backed by Sam Altman’s Hydrazine, raises $1.6 million seed round

February 1, 2023

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believes AI can help usher in “unbelievable abundance,” but he says he wants to ensure that such abundance is shared. Toward that end, Altman has embraced a theory of 19th century political economist Henry George, who in his own lifetime worried about wealth amassing in the hands of the few following […]

ValueBase, backed by Sam Altman’s Hydrazine, raises $1.6 million seed round by Connie Loizos originally published on TechCrunch

MUFG, Japan’s largest bank, launches $100M fund for Indonesian startups

February 1, 2023

MUFG, Japan’s largest bank by market cap, announced today the launch of a $100 million fund focused on Indonesian startups. The fund, a collaboration between MUFG subsidiaries MUFG Innovation Partners, MUFG Bank and Indonesian commercial bank Danamon, is called MUFG Innovation Partners Garuda No. 1 Limited Investment Partnership. The fund, which is the third one […]

MUFG, Japan’s largest bank, launches $100M fund for Indonesian startups by Catherine Shu originally published on TechCrunch

Snapchat now has more than 2 million paid subscribers

February 1, 2023

Snapchat has more than 2 million paid subscribers on its Snapchat+ program, the company said during its latest earnings report. Snap noted that the paid plan, which costs $3.99 a month, is a part of “diversifying” its revenue pipelines. The social network first launched Snapchat+ in June 2022 in countries like the US, Canada, the […]

Snapchat now has more than 2 million paid subscribers by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch

Egyptian financial services provider MNT-Halan valued at $1B in $400M funding

February 1, 2023

Egyptian fintech and e-commerce ecosystem MNT-Halan has raised up to $400 million in equity and debt financing from local and global investors as it continues to serve underbanked and unbanked customers in the North African country. The round includes $260 million in equity financing and $140 million through two securitized bond issuances secured within the […]

Egyptian financial services provider MNT-Halan valued at $1B in $400M funding by Tage Kene-Okafor originally published on TechCrunch

Superstrata e-bike review: Rebel without a cause

February 1, 2023

Superstrata’s e-bike is a strange specimen — there’s no two ways about it. In some ways that makes sense; the bike’s concept, borne out in seamless 3D-printed carbon fiber, springs from an equally strange premise. We’ll get into that. Talking to Sonny Vu, founder of Superstrata’s parent company Arevo, the bikes were crafted not out […]

Superstrata e-bike review: Rebel without a cause by Taylor Hatmaker originally published on TechCrunch

Energy X secures $20M at $120M valuation to slash building sector emissions

February 1, 2023

Countries worldwide have pledged to reduce their energy usage and reach net-zero energy targets by 2050. To get there, they will need to find clever ways to decarbonize especially dirty businesses, including the buildings sector. The push to clean up the built environment has spawned a lot policy, as well as overlapping acronyms, including net-zero […]

Energy X secures $20M at $120M valuation to slash building sector emissions by Kate Park originally published on TechCrunch