Speaking of chips… Germany also wants a piece of the chip sovereignty that other countries are going on about, and has poured money into startup Black Semiconductor. The company raised €254.4 million to further develop its graphene-based chip-connecting technology in one of the largest rounds for a European semiconductor company so far. Read More
The apps Apple Sherlocked: Apple's known to "borrow" features from apps that people have been using for ages, and we've got a roundup of all the apps the company has now "Sherlocked," from its password manager, call recording and transcription, to window tiling, off-road maps and custom emojis. What was it I was saying before about antitrust law needing to shift to keep up with fast-moving tech? Read More
Why Apple's small-model approach works: Most generative AI is fueled by a "bigger is better" approach, but Apple is taking a smaller model strategy that puts a frictionless user experience at its core. And that makes a lot of sense for a smartphone. Read More
Biden administration might give $24M to Rocket Lab: The startup is poised to snap up the federal funding to boost production of its compound semiconductors, also known as solar cells, which provide power to satellites and spacecraft. Read More
DC knows nothin' about accelerators: Y Combinator is looking to raise its profile in D.C., where apparently the lawmakers who are meant to regulate tech big and small don't know much about Silicon Valley's most prominent accelerator program. Read More
Helping the energy sector crunch big data: Gorilla, a Belgian startup that works with energy providers to process and analyze energy data so they can use insights on consumption patterns and project energy requirements, has now raised about $25 million in a Series B. Read More
Hop aboard the Apex space bus: Los Angeles-based satellite manufacturer Apex closed a $95 million round to scale its Aries spacecraft and invest in a bigger and better model, Nova. The startup's goal is to productize satellite buses, which have historically been subject to bespoke engineering processes with long lead times. Read More
Fisker recalls Ocean SUV: As if it didn't have enough going wrong already, Fisker is now issuing its first recall for the Ocean SUV due to problems with the warning lights. The startup is near bankruptcy and has laid off almost all of its staff at this point. Read More
The solar panel industry needs consolidation: It's been 20 years and there's still too much fragmentation in the residential solar panel market. Most are installed by smaller companies, so customer experience can be a mixed bag. That's why Civic Renewables says it's buying smaller installers and rolling them up. Hopefully, such consolidation won't lead to worse outcomes for customers. Read More
We're all family here: Friends & Family Capital, a fund by ex-Palantir CFO and the son of IVP's founder, has unveiled its third fund, coming in at $118 million. The VC firm's pitch is that they are experts in helping build all things finance, a type of advice that appears to be in high demand. Read More
