Unity has just announced its intent to acquire Weta Digital, the legendary visual effects company co-founded by Peter Jackson, for a massive $1.625 billion. Whether or not you recognize the name, you’ve seen Weta Digital’s work. From Lord of the Rings to Avatar to Shang-Chi, if its the kind of movie where people say “you…
On Tuesday, Flagship Pioneering, the major investor behind Moderna, announced yet another addition to their portfolio of RNA-curious companies. Following a year of hype around mRNA, a new company, called Alltrna, will now focus on developing medicines based on Transfer RNA or tRNA. At this point, you’re likely familiar with the idea that messenger RNA…
Cryptocurrency exchange Bitmart is in talks to raise about $20 million at a pre-money valuation of $300 million, two sources familiar with the matter told me. Alexander Capital Ventures, known for backing Airbnb and Spotify, is engaging with Bitmart to lead its Series B round, the sources said. Bitmart has raised about $10 million in…
In her latest turn in front of a phalanx of lawmakers, Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen gave a polished testimony to the European Parliament on Monday — following similar sessions in front of UK and US legislators in recent weeks. Her core message was the same dire warning she’s sounded on both sides of the Atlantic:…
Clubhouse hosts and moderators will have a fresh tool in their kit today. The company is pushing a new feature live on both its iOS and Android apps that will let creators record an audio room so that anyone who misses the action live can check it out later. The company first announced that the…
Every development team needs documentation to help onboard new developers and track the details behind the project. If you’re producing an external API, it’s even more critical to have good instructions on how to implement it, but it’s traditionally an area that most programmers don’t love keeping up with. That’s where Swimm, an Israeli startup,…
JUMO, a South Africa- and London-based company that offers financial services to entrepreneurs and businesses in emerging markets, has raised $120 million in a new round of funding led by Fidelity Management & Research Company. The round, which marks Fidelity’s first investment in an African company, also saw the participation of fintech giant Visa and…
BrightChamps, an Indian edtech startup that is attempting to bridge the learning gap left by K12 schools, said on Monday it has raised $51 million in a new financing round and $63 million since launching a year ago as the Goa-headquartered firm looks to expand its footprints in over 10 nations. The startup, which is…
Jacob Mullins Contributor Jacob Mullins is a managing director at Shasta Ventures, where he has invested in VR/AR since 2016. More posts by this contributor The top 10 best of VR in 2016 Facebook is in the fight for its life, but it won’t be the regulatory pressure that will kill it. Zuckerberg is leaning…
H2O.ai — a startup that has developed an open-source framework as well as proprietary apps that make it easier for any kind of enterprise to build and operate artificial intelligence-based services — has seen a surge of interest as AI applications have become more ubiquitous, and enterprises beyond tech companies want to get in on…
