Sequoia backs blockchain scaling startup StarkWare at $2 billion valuation

As the crypto world continues to heat up, developers are clinging to the Ethereum network despite its general struggle to meet the stresses of a global network’s transaction load. To speed and cheapen transactions on Ethereum, developers are looking toward so-called Layer-2 (L2) blockchains, which build on the Ethereum network, offloading the computational stresses while […]

Racket launches an app for 99-second micro podcasts

If it seems like everyone is listening to the same podcasts, that’s probably not a coincidence. Audio-based entertainment and social media is more popular than ever right now, but the medium is still plagued by discovery issues. While hit podcasts soar in popularity, expand their media empires and secure major brand deals, it’s difficult for […]

H1 closes $100M Series C on the back of ‘incredible traction’ and a successful first use case

Fresh off of a $58 million Series B round, and just one year after graduating from Y combinator, H1, a “LinkedIn for the healthcare industry” has raised even more cash. On Tuesday, the company announced a $100 million Series C round. The concept behind H1 is simple: It’s an increasingly rich database of medical expertise. […]

Nirvana Health announces $7.5M seed extension to help therapists navigate a ‘new world’ of insurance

As funding pours into mental health tech, one thing remains relatively unchanged: complex insurance billing. Now, even that medieval process is starting to attract startup interest — from companies that scan claims for errors, to others looking to simplify filing itself.  Nirvana Health is one of the latter. It’s a software platform looking to smooth […]

Canoo is setting up headquarters in Walmart’s hometown, picks Panasonic as battery supplier

Canoo, the electric automaker that became a publicly traded company last year, is expanding its U.S. footprint with plans to establish its headquarters and an advanced manufacturing industrialized facility in Bentonville, Arkansas — a city most famously connected with Walmart. “This is an advanced manufacturing facility that will allow us to produce vehicles for unique […]

Crypto VC firm Paradigm debuts monster $2.5 billion fund

As the crypto market continues to push toward new heights, investors are finding heightened LP appetite for exposure to the space, leading to new venture funds that are huge — even by 2021 standards. Paradigm, a crypto VC firm founded in 2018 by Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam and former Sequoia Capital partner Matt Huang, has […]