Brain Corp – Self-driving robot AI company raises $114M

A San Diego based company that believes “tomorrow’s robots will be intelligent autonomous machines that can take care of us,” which will be “as commonplace as computers and mobile phones are today” has raised $114 million in Series C funding led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund, and with participation from Qualcomm Ventures. Brain Corp‘s primary product… Continue reading Brain Corp – Self-driving robot AI company raises $114M

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Regulation could stifle growing China-US venture activity

Reuters reported that the U.S. government is considering placing new restrictions on Chinese investment into American companies developing artificial intelligence, machine learning and other technologies with strategic importance to the United States. The report, based off of documents that haven’t been released publicly, suggests that, in the view of Reuters, the “U.S. government is now looking to strengthen… Continue reading Regulation could stifle growing China-US venture activity

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Mobike will launch dockless bike-sharing in the U.K., its first market outside of Asia

Mobike, one of China’s largest bike-sharing companies, will launch in Manchester and Salford, its first cities outside of Asia. The service is slated to arrive on June 29, the Beijing-headquartered company said, and will start with 1,000 bikes. Mobike’s launch outside of Asia (it expanded into Singapore in March) heightens is competition with Ofo, another… Continue reading Mobike will launch dockless bike-sharing in the U.K., its first market outside of Asia

Blispay raises $12 million to help retail customers avoid payments for 6 months

If you’re looking to buy something, but don’t want to pay for it yet, Blispay thinks it has the solution for you. The startup works with small and mid-sized businesses to help retail customers defer payments for six months. Baltimore-based Blispay has been gaining traction and raised an additional $12 million in funding after raising… Continue reading Blispay raises $12 million to help retail customers avoid payments for 6 months

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Instagram on copying Snapchat: “This is the way the tech industry works”

That’s Instagram’s VP of Product Kevin Weil’s perspective about cloning Snapchat. He’s the man in charge of bringing Snap CEO Evan Spiegel’s vision to a much larger audience, reforging his features for the mainstream, and then taking Instagram a step further. But rather than showing guilt, remorse, or reluctance about copying what’s worked for Snap,… Continue reading Instagram on copying Snapchat: “This is the way the tech industry works”

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Inside Andy Rubin’s futuristic Playground hardware incubator

With titanium 3D printers, electrostatic charge tables, and a giant slide, Playground Global lives up to it’s a name. Here we take you on a tour of Android operating system inventor Andy Rubin’s hardware startup incubator that’s backed by a $300 million fund. Check out how the whimsical space lets scrappy hackers compete with Facebook… Continue reading Inside Andy Rubin’s futuristic Playground hardware incubator

Indonesia’s Uber rival Go-Jek raises $1.2 billion led by Tencent at a $3 billion valuation

Go-Jek Indonesia Pt. motorcycle taxi riders drive along a street in Jakarta, Indonesia on Monday, March 21, 2016. The Jakarta-based startup has already become a household name in its home country. The startup's app has been downloaded more than 11 million times and it has more than 200,000 motorbikes. Its name is a play on ojek, the Indonesian word for the motorcycle taxis that crisscross Southeast Asia's most populous nation. Photographer: Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Go-Jek, the motorbike on-demand startup that is battling Uber and Grab in Indonesia, has closed a new round of $1.2 billion led by Chinese internet giant Tencent, two sources close the company told TechCrunch. The deal, which we understand was signed last week, values the company at $3 billion post money. It is expected to be officially… Continue reading Indonesia’s Uber rival Go-Jek raises $1.2 billion led by Tencent at a $3 billion valuation