🎨 Stealth mode: TC got the scoop that Recraft, the startup behind a mysterious image model that crushed OpenAI’s DALL-E and Midjourney last year, has raised $30 million in a Series B round led by Accel. Recraft says it builds its own models from scratch, and it excels at generating images for brands. Read More
💥 Built for shocks: Anduril’s acquiring one of its vendors, Dublin-based Klas, which makes ruggedized edge computing equipment for military and first responders. Klas’s tech will go hand-in-fist with Anduril’s latest product, Menace-T, a compact, portable command system for off-grid computing and communications. Read More
🤝 Deals all around: Employer.com has acquired MainStreet.com, making it the latest fintech to be purchased by a workforce management company. Employer.com says the merger would help “simplify business back office solutions” into a single platform. Read More
🚕 More robotaxis! Waymo is ramping up production at a new facility in Arizona as part of a multi-million-dollar investment with Magna to build over 2,000 autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles. The factory’s location is strategic – the Phoenix suburb of Mesa is close to Waymo’s core market, making it easier to go from factory floor to picking up passengers. Read More
😞 Womp: General Fusion has laid off 25% of its staff just days after hitting a key milestone for its latest fusion demo device. The company has raised $440 million, but that hasn’t been enough to attract more capital for this expensive, experimental technology. Read More
🩺 PSA: Here’s your regular reminder that AI chatbots are flawed. A recent Oxford-led study found that people who use chatbots for health advice don’t make better decisions than participants who rely on traditional search or their own judgement. Read More
