Grimes is stepping into the toy business with “Grok,” a character that she voiced for Curio’s new line of screen-free AI plushies. The toy is not affiliated with the AI chatbot backed by Grimes’ ex, Elon Musk, which is also named Grok. Musk described xAI’s Grok as having a “rebellious streak” and a willingness to answer…
It wants to attract the “entire spectrum” of digital asset investors Jacquelyn Melinek 8 hours Robinhood has been around for over a decade, and its foray into crypto isn’t necessarily new, but the company is still trying to expand its efforts there — even in groups that have typically strayed from the platform. “I think…
What do iconic Valley investors Zachary Bogue and Chris Sacca have in common? They are both trying to stop cows from burping methane. No, really. And a Sacca investment just raised $20 million to do just that. What gives? With the conclusion of COP28, the global talks on the climate crisis, Methane is going up…
A growing number of venture firms may be uncorking champagne ahead of the New Year. Today, a handful of investment firms announced new funds: Artis Ventures, BoxGroup, Playground Global and Singular all closed on funds, while Partech said it was launching a €360 million venture fund. Against a backdrop of layoffs and continuing economic uncertainty,…
A growing number of venture firms may be uncorking champagne ahead of the New Year. Today, a handful of investment firms announced new funds: Artis Ventures, BoxGroup, Playground Global and Singular all closed on funds, while Partech said it was launching a €360 million venture fund. Against a backdrop of layoffs and continuing economic uncertainty,…
I’ve spent much of the past year discussing generative AI and large language models with robotics experts. It’s become increasingly clear that these sorts of technologies are primed to revolutionize the way robots communicate, learn, look and are programmed. Accordingly, a number of top universities, research labs and companies are exploring the best methods for…
As the year comes to a close, early-stage venture capital investment continues its slowdown, according to data from Crunchbase. However, BoxGroup is one VC firm that is keeping the investment train rolling. TechCrunch learned exclusively that the firm, based in New York and San Francisco, quietly closed on $425 million in capital commitments across two…
Maka, an African fashion and beauty e-commerce platform, has raised a $2.65 million pre-seed round led by Pan-African venture capital firms 4DX Ventures and Janngo Capital. Other investors include Palm Drive Capital, angel investor Jonathan Shipman, founder of EVP and Twitch founding member, and executives from delivery platform Wolt. In 2021, co-founder and CEO Diana…
Twitch announced sweeping updates to its sexual content policy and content classification system, which now allows previously prohibited content like illustrated nipples and “erotic dances,” in addition to clarifying what nudity is and isn’t allowed on the platform. The update follows the widespread “topless meta” backlash, after streamer and OnlyFans model Morgpie went viral for…
Sophie Alcorn Contributor Sophie Alcorn is the founder of Alcorn Immigration Law in Silicon Valley and 2019 Global Law Experts Awards’ “Law Firm of the Year in California for Entrepreneur Immigration Services.” She connects people with the businesses and opportunities that expand their lives. More posts by this contributor Ask Sophie: Does the H-1B visa…
