Aerospike raises $100M for its real-time database platform to capitalize on the AI boom

NoSQL database Aerospike today announced that it has raised a $100 million Series E round led by Sumeru Equity Partners. Existing investor Alsop Louie Partners also participated in this round. In 2009, the company started as a key-value store with a focus on the adtech industry; Aerospike has since diversified its offerings quite a bit. … Read more

X rolls out support for posting Community Notes in India ahead of elections

Weeks before the national elections in India, Elon Musk-owned X said it is rolling out support for posting Community Notes — the company’s crowd-sourced fact-checking program. The company posted that the first set of contributors from India will start posting notes today and more will be accepted over time. Contributors typically post more context to … Read more

The startup fundraising squeeze could persist as VCs struggle to refill their own coffers

Many startups are hoping that the gradual opening of an IPO window and the prospect of interest rate cuts later this year will finally encourage VCs to be less stingy with their capital. But it’s unlikely that startups’ fundraising slog will become much easier soon, mostly because of venture capitalists’ own capital-gathering challenges. In Q1, … Read more

Brave is launching its AI assistant on iPhone and iPad

Brave announced on Wednesday that it’s bringing its AI assistant, called Leo, to iPhone and iPad users. The AI assistant allows people to ask questions, summarize pages, create content and more. The iOS rollout follows the launch of the AI assistant on Android and desktop. The iOS launch of Leo brings voice-to-text capability, which isn’t … Read more

HAX at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024: Empowering hard tech founders

Discover the forefront of hard tech innovation in an exclusive session sponsored by HAX at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024. Led by SOSV general partner Duncan Turner and HAX chief science officer Dr. Susan Schofer, and moderated by SOSV’s Sabriya Stukes, this session offers a deep dive into the world of hard tech entrepreneurship. With a … Read more