David Moeller wasn’t looking to start another company. He had already earned the serial entrepreneur badge with CodeGuard, a website backup startup, and his hardware company Claw Hanging Systems. But a series of car break-ins prompted Moeller to search for a product that would keep his vehicle safe. What he found was a gap in […]
Flite Material Sciences uses lasers, not chemical coatings, to keep ice and rust off surfaces
Dan Cohen was on the hunt for a coating that could keep ice, snow and frost off of solar panels when he discovered a technology that could cut costs and reduce the environmental footprint of a broad section of products from aircrafts and drones to medical devices, pipelines and even sailboats. And it would prompt […]
StethoMe’s smart stethoscope lets your kid’s doctor listen to their lungs from afar
When you or your kid have any sort of respiratory issue, figuring out what’s happening minute-by-minute — and how well treatment is working — is a stressful, frustrating, and anxiety-filled process. I imagine it’s all of the above and more in the middle of a friggin’ RESPIRATORY DISEASE pandemic. StethoMe, a team competing in this […]
Nymbull wants to guard your next Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace item for sale
Buying and selling on marketplace websites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace often lead to meeting a stranger somewhere to complete the purchase and pick up the item. With over 1 billion Facebook Marketplace users per month, Nymbull founder Jackson Wegelin doesn’t think that’s necessary for peer-to-peer transactions. And he estimates that between interacting with potential […]
What Canva CEO Melanie Perkins looks for in a potential acquisition
We sat down with Canva co-founder Melanie Perkins at Disrupt 2021 to talk about how she has approached fundraising, and how she’s managed to grow Canva’s free and paid user base at a rapid clip.
Microsoft now more focused on ‘killing Zoom’ than Slack, says Stewart Butterfield
“I do feel like that preoccupation has shifted. I think Microsoft believes that in order to kill Slack, they’re going to have to kill Zoom first.”
Cellino is using AI and machine learning to scale production of stem cell therapies
Cellino, a company developing a platform to automate stem cell production, presented today at TechCrunch Disrupt 2021 to detail how its system, which combines A.I. technology, machine learning, hardware, software — and yes, lasers! — could eventually democratize access to cell therapies. It aims to bring down costs associated with the manufacturing of human cells, […]
Koa is helping African consumers make better money moves
While Delila Kidanu grew up in Nairobi, Kenya, mobile money platform M-Pesa was the go-to fintech platform for her and most Kenyans. The Safaricom-owned product provides basic access to financial services like sending and receiving money and purchasing airtime. Yet, some Kenyans still lack other digital financial services from savings to investments. Last year, people […]
Straffr is a smart resistance band that helps you exercise on the go
Smart fitness gear is often limited by being static and non-portable. (And, well, eye-wateringly expensive.) Think Peloton‘s stationary bike for spin classes or wall-mounted strength training rig Tonal. Great if you’re at home and can afford to shell out thousands on a fancy home gym, but what if you want to take your workout with […]
Adventr uses patented voice-control tech to allow anyone to create interactive videos
We’ve all been there — you’re watching a horror movie, and you know that the main character definitely shouldn’t go into that creepy house, but no matter how much you yell at your TV, you can’t change his fate. But what if you told the guy on screen to steer clear of the house, and […]