India’s Ringg gets backing from Peak XV as it pushes voice AI past the phone call
Ringg has raised $10 million from Peak XV as a part of its Series A extension.
Meta’s $18B child-safety deal hinges on age verification tech that doesn’t work well
The historic settlement reignites ongoing concern around how age-verification technology puts privacy at risk.
Robotics startup Generalist reaches $3B valuation, sources say
The $200 million extension comes just months after the physical AI startup reached a $2 billion valuation.
OpenAI loses a top data center exec, as stream of high-profile departures continues
Before Malone left, OpenAI had already reshuffled its infrastructure org, shifting his reporting line away from President Greg Brockman and putting Vice President Sachin Katti in charge of the group.
Women’s Equality Day Is More Than a Celebration — It’s a Reminder of the Cost It Took to Get Here
Women’s Equality Day should celebrate how far we’ve come, but it should also be an honest conversation about what getting here cost us.
5 Hidden Speed Bumps That Keep Good Companies From Becoming Great
Most companies mistake industry sameness for safety — here’s how to break out of the pack and play for the podium.
Addressing a sticking point in sustainable adhesives
Petroleum-based adhesives are everywhere: bonding the wood and drywall in a construction project, holding together the joints of furniture, and even sticking labels to otherwise recyclable containers. “The labels on a container are held up with petroleum-based glue. And because of that, even though you’re putting the container in the recycle bin, it will not…
YouTuber finds niche as college admissions mentor
As a first-generation student from a small town, Gohar Khan ’21 had to navigate the college admissions process largely on his own. He founded his YouTube channel, Gohar’s Guide, to make things easier for other young people. Today, more than 10 million people follow Khan on social media for college application advice, study tips, and…
Launching youth entrepreneurship
Even as a teenager, Laurie Stach ’06 says, she had a “crazy ambition to take on the world and solve problems.” At MIT, she realized she wasn’t the only one. “Adults always see these youth who are good at math and science and say, ‘You’re going to do great things—someday,’” says Stach. “Meanwhile, traditional education…
A new stamp on cyberfraud prevention
For Rupert Young ’95, SM ’95, his career in data science and cybersecurity began when his grandfather gifted him thousands of stamps: He built intricate databases to catalogue them, displaying the “precise eye” for detail and nuance that his MIT application essay said would make him a good engineer. Young is now chief product officer…
Amping up T cells to target cancer
Vaccines that turn the body’s immune system against tumors have shown promise in clinical trials, and a handful have been FDA approved for certain cancers. In many patients, however, these vaccines don’t stimulate enough of a response, and the approach some researchers have taken to strengthening it—delivering the vaccine along with immune-stimulating molecules called cytokines—can…