Top Stories

Toyota's AI-powered mobility division, Woven Planet Holdings, acquires Renovo Motors, which develops software for self-driving vehicles; terms undisclosed; Renovo provides a data platform for autonomous vehicle fleets, software for analyzing driver attentiveness and passenger sentiment, more - Link

‍

GM-owned electric delivery van company BrightDrop has built the first production versions of its debut vehicle: the full-size EV600 van; the company expects units to hit roads this year; BrightDrop also announced the smaller EV410 van, slated for production in 2023, and said Verizon would use it for field maintenance and service - Link

‍

Microsoft announces third-party app stores will integrate with the Windows Store, making their apps discoverable; Amazon and Epic will be the first to integrate in the coming months; users can discover third-party apps by browsing or searching and will see full app listings - Link

‍

Recruiting platform Gem raises $100M Series C at a $1.2B valuation led by ICONIQ; the platform integrates with third-party apps and services including LinkedIn and Gmail; the company focuses on proactive hiring and supports branded email marketing, event hosting, more - Link

‍

The Startup Report

‍

Gatheround offers a platform for virtual gatherings focused on users getting to know one another through structured video chats. An event organizer can create digital prompt cards to inspire conversation or to keep a conversation on track. The event interface includes a video feed "Stage" supporting multiple users, a text chat, more. The company offers a free personal plan and a Pro tier with custom branding and an increased participant maximum priced at $95 per group per month. The 100-percent remote startup has raised $4M from Bloomberg Beta, Designer Fund, Homebrew, and others. Co-Founder and CEO Perry Rosenstein previously co-founded texting platform Hustle, which sold to Social Capital - LinkedIn

‍

Repeat helps consumer packaged goods businesses inspire and retain repeat business by analyzing customer behavior and automatically prompting them to purchase at the right time via email or SMS. The system sends a link to a personalized cart filled with items due for reorder. The Los Angeles-based startup closed a $6M Series A led by Battery Ventures in July, bringing its total raised to $9M. Other investors include Act One Ventures, Mucker Capital, and Techstars. Co-Founder and CEO Kim Stiefel and Co-Founder and Head of Product Sarah Wissel previously co-founded undergarment firm UNDR - LinkedIn

‍

Bedrock Ocean Exploration offers ocean floor survey services and a cloud-based data platform. The firm targets exploratory and mapping missions for conservatory efforts, the development and maintenance of ocean infrastructure, and more. The Brooklyn-based company has raised $8M from Eniac Ventures, Primary Venture Partners, Quiet Capital, and others. Co-Founder Anthony DiMare previously co-founded and led Nautilus Labs, which developed AI to optimize maritime commerce - Twitter

‍

Dorian (iOS, Android) is a code-free platform enabling writers to create interactive visual stories. The software provides backgrounds, characters, and other assets, and creators can upload their own. Writers plan their stories with a flow chart interface, determining how players' choices influence story outcomes. The platform supports collaboration. Dorian also provides analytics for story optimization, and writers can earn revenue from their submissions. The San Francisco-based startup has raised $5.3M from March Capital, Konvoy Ventures, Night Media, and others - LinkedIn

‍

Sanity offers a platform for creating data-driven structured content. The company's collaborative Sanity Studio provides a toolkit for creating apps. Sanity also hosts content via its API-accessible Content Lake. Customers include Condé Nast, National Geographic, and Nike. The San Francisco-based business closed a $39M Series B led by ICONIQ Growth in June, bringing its total raised to $55.3M. Other investors include Alliance Venture and Lead Edge Capital - Twitter

‍

Credit Key offers a payment financing solution for B2B e-commerce. The platform is rated 4.8 on Trustpilot, with 131 reviews. The Los Angles-based startup was founded in 2015. Founder and CEO John Tomich previously founded Onestop Internet, which offered marketing automation for e-commerce brands. Credit Key raised $33.85M in November 2020, and has raised a total of $36.4M. Investors include Greycroft, Bonfire Ventures and Loeb.nyc - Twitter

‍

Qcode is a podcast production studio focused on fiction and storytelling. The Los Angles-based startup was founded in 2019 by Rob Herting, who previously worked as an agent with Creative Artists Agency. The company has released 17 shows in partnership with celebrities like Rami Malek and Demi Moore. It has raised $9.4M in total funding, and last raised $6.4M in October 2020, in a round led by Sonos, with participation from C Ventures - Twitter

‍

‍

MediaLab, the holding company that owns Genius, Kik, and Whisper, acquires image/GIF hosting and social site Imgur; terms undisclosed; Imgur began in 2009 specifically to host images for Reddit users; Reddit launched on-site image hosting in 2016, and Imgur expanded into a standalone community - Link

‍

Nasdaq sets Amplitude's reference price at $35 per share for its Tuesday direct listing; that price would value the CA-based product intelligence platform at $3.6B; private investors valued the firm at $4B for a $150M Series F in June, up from a $1B valuation for a $50M round in May of last year - Link

‍

Senior executives from some of China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Ant Group, and Tencent, express support for President Xi Jinping’s “common prosperity” initiative and the government's regulatory crackdown on internet businesses; speaking at the World Internet Conference, other leaders like Xiaomi Co-Founder Lei Jun advocated the empowerment of SMBs and closing the digital divide - Link

‍

Roblox settles a $200M suit from the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) after allowing users to broadcast protected music on stream; the agreement allows NMPA members to negotiate licensing deals directly with Roblox - Link

Twitch, which reached an agreement with the NMPA last week, has signed a deal with Warner Music to host original programming by the label; the deal does not allow users to stream Warner songs - Link

‍

Cybersecurity insurance firm Coalition raises $205M Series E at a $3.5B valuation led by Durable Capital, T Rowe Price, and Whale Rock Capital; the CA company provides cybersecurity tools and insurance for cyber events, serving ~50k customers; Coalition plans to expand into new insurance products - Link

‍

Optimove, which provides AI-powered CRM and marketing software, raises $75M led by Summit Partners; the company will use the funding for M&A, R&D, and to double its headcount from 180 to 360 over two years; the NY company claims 500-plus brands as clients, including IDT, Papa John's, and Staples - Link

‍

Syndio, which helps companies identify and address pay inequities, raises $50M Series C led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Emerson Collective; The Seattle-based startup serves 200 customers, including General Mills, Nordstrom, and Salesforce - Link

‍

Semiconductor firm Astera Labs raises $50M Series C for a $950M post-money valuation led by Fidelity; the fabless manufacture currently claims several million dollars in monthly revenue and plans to use the funding to scale operations and develop products addressing data center challenges - Link

‍

Cultured meats startup New Age Meats raises $25M Series A led by Hanwha Solutions; the funding will facilitate a new 20k-square-foot pilot manufacturing facility; the Berkeley-based firm plans to begin production next year, initially focusing on a variety of sausages - Link

‍

LinkedIn is testing paid ticketed events for the LinkedIn Events platform, which saw 21M attend an event last year; TechCrunch viewed some code that indicated a dashboard for tracking sales, tools for running events, and more; TechCrunch reports LinkedIn is overhauling its audio and video services and will roll out changes in the coming months - Link

‍

Facebook announces the $50M XR Programs and Research Fund, which the company will use to finance internal programs and external research to further the metaverse; Facebook defines the metaverse as consisting of virtual spaces where remote people can meet to create and explore; the company said it would collaborate with Women in Immersive Tech, Africa No Filter, and other organizations on the initiative - Link

‍

Ford and battery maker SK Innovation commit $11.4B to build two new campuses; a $5.6B facility in Stanton, TN will feature a battery production plant, an electric truck assembly plant, more; a $5.8B facility in Glendale, KY will house twin battery plants; Ford will contribute $7B, and SK Innovation will provide $4.4B; the companies said the initiative would create 11k jobs - Link

‍

Satellite manufacturer Terran Orbital is building a $300M, 660k-square-foot facility in FL and expects to complete construction in 2025; the CA-based firm said it would be the world's largest facility for manufacturing space vehicles, capable of producing 1k satellites and 1M-plus satellite components per year; Terran Orbital expects the project to create 2.1k jobs - Link

‍

The US Space Force issues a total of $87.5M in awards for projects related to upper-stage development and next-generation rocket tests; launch providers Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance will use the funding for testing and developing their systems, some or all of which could serve the Space Force’s National Security Space Launch program - Link

‍