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Hello crunchers! Christine is off for a few days, which means you’re stuck with just me. Prepare for awful puns and worse jokes. Oh yes.
But before we start the pun-ishment, let’s start with some good news: Devin reports that machine learning may be helping us create a COVID-19 vaccine that could help fight all current and future strains of the pandemic.
— Haje
The TechCrunch Top 3
- Expanding into a new aria: Back in 2021, Apple acquired streaming company Primephonic. Today, the company is launching a new Apple Music Classical app that will offer Apple Music subscribers access to more than 5 million classical music tracks, Sarah reports.
- Little Brother is watching: Zack argues that, in a world where information is power, the current generation of startups should terrify you – they know everything about you, and there’s very little stopping them from using that data for good or for evil.
- Discord dives into AI: Discord updates its Clyde chatbot with ChatGPT-like features, including AI-generated conversation summaries. The company says AI will be a fundamental part of its platform, Aisha reports.
Startups and VC
QuantWare, the Dutch startup that builds quantum processors for research and commercial usage, today announced that it has raised a €6 million seed round (~$6.33 million), Frederic reports. The company says it will use this new funding to support development of its 64-qubit Tenor processor.
And we have five more for you:
- Like a mythical phoenix from the ashes: AI chip startup Mythic rises from the ashes armed with $13 million and a new CEO, Kyle reports.
- Throwing a classic rager: Bach raises $9 million for its app that is designed for planning bachelorette trips and group travel experiences, Aisha reports.
- I see what you did there: MentorcliQ raises over $80 million to grow its employee mentoring software and services, Kyle reports.
- It’s all going uphill fast: E-bike maker Cowboy raises new, $16 million funding round and launches AdaptivePower, Romain reports.
- Bringing data science back to data science: Kyle reports that Y Combinator-backed Patterns is building a platform to abstract away data science busywork.
Building a lean B2B startup growth stack
Selecting the right tool for the job is easy when you already know exactly how to proceed.
Most B2B growth marketers don’t have a blueprint to work from, however, which is why Primer CEO Keith Putnam-Delaney shared a guest post with TC+ that identifies which tools are most appropriate for early-stage, midstage and late-stage startups.
“The current budget-constrained environment should be seen as a net positive by marketers,” he writes. “It will force teams to think deeply about what’s absolutely necessary, which tools will add efficiency (or subtract from it).”
Three more from the TC+ team:
- Raisin’ hell: In this week’s Pitch Deck Teardown, Haje puts MiO Marketplace’s $550,000 angel deck under the microscope.
- We need a crash cart in here: Better.com’s SPAC gets a lifeline but remains on life support, Mary Ann reports.
- Operator, what’s the number for 9-1-1?: It turns out burn reduction at startups is more aspiration than reality, Alex argues
TechCrunch+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams get ahead of the pack. You can sign up here. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription!
Big Tech Inc.
India is proposing to replace its over two-decades-old IT law, as the world’s second-largest internet market pushes for new guidelines to seek broader accountability from tech firms, revaluate who all gets protection from safe harbor and better oversee new technologies and serve “every” connected user in the South Asian market, Jagmeet and Manish report.
From the people who brought you credit monitoring services now comes Credit Karma Net Worth, a new product to help people know, grow and protect their wealth, Christine reports. The new feature brings the 16-year-old company closer to becoming an end-to-end personal finance management platform, also offering debt, credit building and checking and savings products, Credit Karma founder and CEO Kenneth Lin said in an interview.
And we have five more for you:
- Gone off the rails(r): UK embedded fintech Railsr was once valued at nearly $1 billion. It is currently on its way into bankruptcy protection under a new consortium owner, Ingrid reports.
- Running out of runway: Kirsten reports that commercial EV maker Arrival is running out of cash — and fast, while Faraday Future finds itself on track to start production of its FF 91 this month – if funds come through in time, that is.
- Closing the silver gates: Rita reports that crypto-friendly bank Silvergate will wind down after the FTX blow-up.
- Rocket? I barely know’it: Aria is reporting that Relativity is taking a rain check on its first Terran 1 launch attempt.
- Casting pods and taking names: Sarah reports that Spotify is revamping its podcasting tools, including Anchor, and is partnering with Patreon.
