Mike Butcher
Editor At Large
The Latest from Mike Butcher
‘Smart bus’ startup Zeelo, aimed at employers and schools, secures $14M to scale in the US
Zeelo — a ‘smart buses’ platform providing bus operators, employers and schools with private bus and shuttle transport programs — has secured $14 million in a fresh Series A ‘extension’ ro
VLGE opens SDK for its no-code virtual world builder aimed at fashion, beauty and art industries
We’ve seen the rise of no-code and low-code platforms being applied to any number of applications and use cases. What would happen if this thinking were applied to metaverse-style virtual worlds? Wh
Messina joins Ride Home Fund’s new $15M AI vehicle, backed by Andreessen, Dixon, Crowley
Tech veteran Chris Messina and writer/podcaster Brian McCullough are launching a new $15 million fund aimed at AI startups. The backers include tech luminary investors and founders such as Marc Andree
Pretiosum Ventures hits first close on its second fund to back infrastructure startups
London-based Pretiosum Ventures has reached the first close of what TechCrunch understands could eventually be a $20 million second fund. Founded in London in 2019 by Yana Abramova, the solo GP fund i
EdgeIn hopes to be a faster, community-driven, ‘CrunchBase for web3’
As we saw with the collapse of FTX, the web3 space leaves a lot to be desired in terms of transparent information about companies, fundings, management and a slew of other data that really is commonpl
GoStudent adds another $95M to its war chest to go after VR and AI-enhanced tutoring
GoStudent — the late-stage tutor marketplace that has raised $686.3 million so far — has now raised another $95 million in what it calls a strategic fundraise from Deutsche Bank and other inve
Dial up a therapist like an Uber? Wangie aims at Gen Zers and the time-poor
It would be fair to say there’s no global solution for instant 24/7 access to mental health support. Yes, there are a few “marketplaces” where you can schedule a call with a therapist in
Akhetonics raises capital for its all-optical processor prototype
Traditional processors from the likes of Intel, AMD, or Nvidia have well-known limitations around speed, energy efficiency, and electromagnetic interference. For instance, foundational chip makers lik
Whither Israel? Israeli tech players comment on the impact of the country’s convulsions
As we covered in April, Israel has become convulsed by “reforms” to the judiciary, proposed by the Benjamin Netanyahu-led government, which passed yesterday. There is now deep concern that the jud
What happened when Nous.co hooked up generative AI to its users’ household bills
With the cost of living ever more painful, and generative AI supposedly gunning for your job, at least — for the moment — it might be here to save you some money on your household bills. U.K.-base
Can dltHub solve the Python library problem for AI? Dig Ventures thinks so
Python is the preferred programming language in AI. However, most organizations can’t incorporate their Python developers into legacy data infrastructure. That means they miss out on pulling the ben
Sources: Lensa AI backer exits Servers.com for $200M
A backer of the Lensa AI app, which sent AI-generated images from Stable Diffusion rocketing into mainstream social media, has just exited a company for a substantial amount of money, say well-placed
From VanMoof to VanPoof! How did the e-bike pioneer go bankrupt, even as the market boomed?
Troubled e-bike maker VanMoof — which had raised a total of $189.1 million from the likes of Balderton Capital and Felix Capital, among other investors — has now officially gone bankrupt in the Ne
Cowboy rides to the rescue of VanMoof owners with app to unlock threatened bikes
Since struggling e-bike startup VanMoof confirmed it had gone into the Dutch version of administration, there has been a question hanging over the VanMoof bikes out there in the wild. These bikes reli
Van-oof! E-bike startup VanMoof, unable to pay bills, files for payment deferment in Holland
UPDATE: VanMoof has confirmed its application for a suspension of payment and the temporary shutdown of its physical stores. The startup said it would provide more updates shortly. E-bike startup Va
Instant bank payments startup Ivy secured $7.7M in seed round led by Creandum
Ivy, an API for instant bank payments, has secured €7 million ($7.7 million) in a seed investment round led by European VC Creandum. Payment and transaction fees can accrue because of card networks,
Raft, which services freight forwarders, closes $30M Series B led by Eight Roads VC
During the pandemic, the digitization of the freight industry took off like a rocket, and stayed that way. To date, Forto has raised almost $600 million, Nuvocargo $75 million, Zencargo $66 million an
VanMoof, the e-bike darling, skids off track: Sales paused, execs depart
Dutch e-bike startup VanMoof sped into the mobility world with more than $200 million from a list of big-name investors and an ambitious, trendy spin on two-wheeled electric travel: sleek e-bikes desi
Notion hits €300M for its fifth fund but is unimpressed by big rounds into generative AI startups
When it first appeared on the scene around 10 years ago, Notion Capital was poised to take advantage of the oft-repeated phrase, “Software is eating the world.” In particular, it was aiming at wha
Lina Zakarauskaite is elevated from principal to partner at London’s Stride VC
London-based VC Stride has appointed Lina Zakarauskaite, formerly a principal at the firm, as its newest partner. The move follows the departure of partner Cleo Sham a month ago to pursue new ventures