Sonair built its 3D ultrasonic sensor with robotic safety in mind
The company’s sensor uses sonar and echos to give robots more information about their surrounding environment.
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Google Ventures doubles down on dev tool startup Blacksmith just 4 months after its seed round
Blacksmith, a Y Combinator alum, raised $10M Series A led by Google Ventures to cut costs and speed up software builds.
Fourth Power’s sci-fi thermal batteries could be cheaper than pricey natural gas power plants
Fourth Power has raised $20 million to build a demonstration version of its thermal batteries, which ultimately could store electricity at $25 per kWh.
How an over-the-air update made Quilt’s heat pumps more powerful
Quilt’s software update unlocked an additional 20% heating and cooling capacity for all of its heat pumps, including those installed in customers’ homes.
How Bill Gates’s fellowship program is adapting to global uncertainty
As Breakthrough Energy Fellows welcomes a new cohort of 22 startups, it is also diversifying its portfolio to include more global founders.
AI gaming startup Born raises $15M to build ‘social’ AI companions that combat loneliness
Born, maker of cute virtual pet Pengu, believes the current chatbot landscape isn’t the final form factor for AI friends. The Berlin-based startup raised $15M on the idea that AI companions should have a social component.
Ex-Google X trio wants their AI to be your second brain — and they just raised $6M to make it happen
TwinMind, available on Android and iOS, passively captures background audio to gain context and deliver on-the-go summaries.
Geothermal is too expensive, but Dig Energy’s impossibly small drill rig might fix that
Dig Energy’s water-jet drilling right promises to cut drilling costs by up to 80%, helping geothermal heating hit price parity with fossil fuel furnaces.
Nuclearn gets $10.5M to help the nuclear industry embrace AI
Nuclearn has developed AI tools to help reactor operators automate routine paperwork. “Think of it as the junior employee,” the company tells customers.
OpenAI reorganizes research team behind ChatGPT’s personality
OpenAI is shuffling the team that shapes its AI models’ behavior, and its leader is moving on to another project within the company.