Ordinary Chaos

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  • 49 US startups have become unicorns so far in 2024: Here’s the full list

    49 US startups have become unicorns so far in 2024: Here’s the full list

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    Despite the tight venture capital market, unicorns are still being created every month.

    Using data from Crunchbase, CB Insights, and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the newly minted unicorns so far this year. The list includes Elon Musk’s xAI, which is already valued at a staggering $24 billion, as well as a good number of other AI startups. But cybersecurity, health tech and fintech have also done well. This list will be updated throughout the year, so check back and see the powerhouses raising this year! 

    September 

    Rentberry — $1 billion: This real estate company that lists long-term rentals, founded in 2015, raised a $90 million Series A valuing the company at $1 billion. The company has raised more than $100 million to date from investors including 808 Ventures, Zing Capital, and 369 Growth Partners. 

    Safe Superintelligence — $1 billion: This AI research company founded in 2024 by Open AI co-founder Ilya Sutskever raised $1 billion, giving it a valuation of $5 billion. Investors include Nividia, Sequoia, and a16z, according to Pitchbook. 

    24M Technologies — $1.3 billion: Crunchbase reports that this company, founded in 2010 to make batteries, raised an $87 million Series H that valued the company at $1.3 billion. Other investors, according to Pitchbook, include Volkswagen Group and FujiFilm. 

    Twelve — $1 billion: Founded in 2015 to make clean jet fuel, this company raised a $200 million Series C, valuing it at $1 billion. Investors include TPG, Capricorn Investment Group, and Pulse Fund, according to Crunchbase. 

    August 

    Groq — $2.8 billion: This AI chip startup founded in 2016 raised a $640 million funding round led by Blackrock in August, valuing the company at $2.8 billion. The company overall has raised more than $1 billion, with other investors including Type One Ventures and Samsung Catalyst Fund.

    Altana Technologies — $1 billion: Founded in 2018, this global supply chain company raised a $221.4 million Series C, valuing the company at $1 billion, according to Pitchbook. The company has raised more than $340 million to date, from investors including Salesforce Ventures and GV. 

    Story Protocol — $2.45 billion: This blockchain company, founded in 2022, raised an $80 million Series B led by a16z, according to Crunchbase, valuing the company at $2.25 billion. Pitchbook says other investors include Foresight Ventures and Samsung NEXT Ventures. 

    EliseAI — $1 billion: This AI property management platform, founded in 2017, last raised a $75 million Series D, valuing the company at $1 billion, according to Pitchbook. The company has raised $171.9 million to date, from investors including Sapphire Ventures and Point72 Ventures. 

    Codeium — $1.3 billion: This AI code completion and chat tool, founded in 2021, raised a $150 million Series C that valued the company at $1.25 billion, according to Pitchbook. The company has raised more than $240 million to date, from investors including Founders Fund, and Base Case Capital. 

    HomeLight — $1.7 billion: Founded in 2012, this real estate marketplace raised a $235 million Series D that valued the company at $1.7 billion, according to Pitchbook. The company has raised $524 million to date from investors including GV, Menlo Ventures, and TriplePoint Capital.

    July

    Aven — $1 billion: Aven, founded in 2019, is a consumer credit card company. It reached a $1 billion valuation after closing a $142 million Series D led by Khosla Ventures and General Catalyst, according to CB Insights.

    Flo Health — $1 billion: This fertility-tracking app announced a $200 million Series C, valuing the company at more than $1 billion, TechCrunch reported. Founded in 2015, the company has raised more than $290 million in total funding from investors, including General Atlantic. 

    Altana Technologies — $1 billion: This global supply chain management company, founded in 2018, closed a $200 million Series C, valuing it at $1 billion. Investors included Salesforce Ventures and the US Innovative Technology Fund. PitchBook notes the company has raised around $322 million to date.

    Chainguard — $1.1 billion: This cybersecurity company announced a $140 million Series C, valuing the company at $1.12 billion. Founded in 2021, Chainguard has raised more than $256 million to date from investors, including Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Redpoint Ventures. 

    Harvey — $1.5 billion: Legal AI platform Harvey raised a $100 million round from investors, including Google Ventures, OpenAI, Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia Capital, that brought its valuation to $1.5 billion. It has now raised a total of $206 million.  

    Saronic Technologies — $1 billion: Saronic, a defense tech maker of autonomous surface vessels, raised a $175 million Series B at a $1 billion valuation, led by Andreessen Horowitz, with other backers including 8VC, Caffeinated Capital and Elad Gil. It has now raised $244.5 million to date, according to PitchBook.

    June

    Creatio — $1.2 billion: The workflow automation platform, founded in 2014, raised a $200 million funding round led by Sapphire Ventures, valuing the company at $1.2 billion, TechCrunch previously reported. Pitchbook says the company has raised more than $260 million to date.

    Huntress — $1.55 billion: The managed cybersecurity startup that offers extended detection and response (EDR) tech closed a $150 million Series D, valuing the company at $1.55 billion. The company has raised a little more than $300 million to date. Launched in 2015, it has top investors on its cap table, including Kleiner Perkins and Sapphire Ventures, according to PitchBook.  

    xAI — $24 billion: Founded only last year by Elon Musk, this AI startup is already valued at $24 billion after closing a $6 billion Series B backed by investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Craft Ventures, Fidelity Investments, and Sequoia. xAI offers the multimodal large language model known as Grok.

    BillionToOne — $1 billion: This disease-screening genetic testing company raised a $130 million Series D, according to Crunchbase, valuing the company at $1 billion. 

    May

    Altruist — $1.5 billion: This fintech startup, which offers investment management for independent registered investment advisers, was founded in 2018. It raised a $169 million Series E in May, led by ICONIQ Growth, valuing the company at $1.5 billion. The company has also received investments from Insight Partners and Endeavor Catalyst, according to PitchBook, and has raised more than $450 million to date in funding.

    Weka — $1.6 billion:  A SaaS data storage company that specializes in AI use cases, Weka closed a $140 million Series E, valuing the company at $1.6 billion, according to PitchBook. Launched in 2013, the company has raised around $375 million to date, with investors including Valor Equity Partners, Generation Investment Management, and Nvidia. 

    Farcaster — $1 billion: The open source, blockchain-based social media startup closed a $150 million Series A led by Paradigm, leading to a post-money valuation of $1 billion. Launched in 2021, it’s backed by a16z and Union Square Ventures and has raised more than $180 million in funding to date, according to PitchBook. 

    Sigma Computing — $1.5 billion: This AI-driven big data analytics startup raised a round in May that valued it at $1.5 billion. The company has raised almost $560 million to date, according to Crunchbase. 

    Humanity Protocol — $1 billion: This blockchain palm-scanning identity startup, founded in 2023, raised a $30 million seed round, giving it a post-money valuation of $1 billion. In total, the company has only raised $30 million from investors, including hedge fund Ash Park Capital and Aza Ventures, according to PitchBook. 

    April

    Cyera — $1.5 billion:  Data security provider Cyera raised a $300 million Series C in April, valuing the company at $1.5 billion, according to PitchBook. Founded in 2021, the company has raised $460 million in funding to date from investors, including Redpoint Ventures and Accel. 

    Monad Labs — $3 billion: Monad, which is working on a faster version of the Ethereum blockchain, raised a $225 million Series A in April, valuing the company at $3 billion. To date, the company has raised more than $244 million from investors, including Amber Group and Artichoke Capital. 

    Nexamp — $1.5 billion: This clean-energy company raised a $520 million round with a mixture of debt and venture financing that valued the company at $1.08 billion, according to PitchBook. The company, founded in 2007, has raised a little more than $1.31 billion in funding to date. 

    Grow Therapy — $1.4 billion: This therapist-finder health tech company launched in 2020 and raised an $88 million Series C round in April, according to PitchBook, valuing the company at $1.4 billion. To date, the company has raised almost $180 million in funding from investors, including Sequoia, Goldman Sachs, and actress Anna Kendrick. 

    Cognition AI — $2 billion: Cognition, which is working on an AI software engineer named Devin, reportedly raised a $175 million Series B in April, valuing the company at $2 billion. To date, the company, founded in 2023, has raised $196 million, according to PitchBook, from investors such as Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures and Pear. 

    Xaira Therapeutics — $2.7 billion: This AI drug discovery startup, founded in 2023, launched with a huge $1 billion Series A in April, giving it a valuation of $2.7 billion. The company has raised $1 billion in total funding from investors ARCH Venture Partners, Foresite Capital, Menlo Ventures, Lux Capital, and New Enterprise Associates. 

    Flip — $1.19 billion: This social commerce platform, founded in 2019, raised a $144 million Series C, valuing the company at $1.19 billion, according to PitchBook. To date, the company has raised a little more than $300 million in venture funding from investors, including ad tech giant AppLovin, Streamlined VC, Mubadala sovereign wealth fund. 

    March

    io.net — $1 billion: This cloud service, which puts GPUs from data centers and cryptocurrency miners into a decentralized network that can be used by AI models, was founded in 2019. (It used to be geared toward quant trading). It closed a $33 million Series A in March, according to PitchBook, valuing the company at $1 billion. The company has only raised $35 million to date, with investors including 6th Man Ventures, Foresight Ventures, and ArkStream Capital, according to PitchBook. 

    Perplexity — $1 billion: The famed AI search engine raised a $73.6 million Series B in January at a $520 million valuation, followed by an additional $62.7 million in April, doubling Perplexity‘s valuation to $1.04 billion. The company has raised $165 million to date. 

    Octane — $1.1 billion: A company that offers instant financing on mowers and recreational vehicles, Octane raised $50 million in April, giving in a post-money valuation of $1.11 billion. The company, launched in 2014, has raised around $250 million million in funding to date, from investors including Progressive and Gaingels, according to PitchBook. 

    Celestial AI — $1.2 billion: The AI company raised a $175 million Series C in March, valuing it at $1.2 billion, led by billionaire Thomas Tull’s USIT fund. The company has raised $339 million to date from investors, including Koch Disruptive Technologies, Temasek, AMD, Samsung Catalyst Fund and Porsche Automobil Holding.

    IntraBio — $1 billion: Intra bio, a neurodegenerative diseases drug discovery company, raised a $40 million round of funding in March that reportedly valued it at $1 billion, according to Crunchbase. To date, the company has raised more than $50 million in funding.

    Liquid Death — $1.4 billion:  TechCrunch reported that the beverage startup’s last round of $67 million valued the company at $1.4 billion. Liquid Death has raised more than $260 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. 

    February

    Blink Health — $1.3 billion: Founded in 2014, this online pharmacy took on $81 million in private equity funding, giving it a $1.28 billion post-money valuation. The company, which has now received a mixture of private equity and venture capital funding, has raised more than $250 million in funding to date, with investors including 8VC and BoxGroup, according to PitchBook. 

    NinjaOne — $1.9 billion: This mobile device management and security company raised a $231 million Series C in February, giving it a $1.9 billion post-money valuation, it said. The company has raised $282.7 million to date from investors, including ICONIQ Growth, according to PitchBook.  

    Ascend Elements — $1.6 billion:  This sustainable battery company raised a $162 million round in February, it said. This gives it a post-money valuation of $1.61 billion, according to PitchBook. To date, the company has raised more than $1 billion in funding from investors, including Just Climate, Clearvision Ventures, and Irongrey. 

    Lambda — $1.5 billion:  This GPU cloud computing platform for AI use raised a $320 million Series C in February at a post-money valuation of $1.52 billion. It then raised another $800 million round in July, according to PitchBook. In total, the company has raised almost $900 million, with investors including Garry Tan, Bloomberg Beta, and Alumni Ventures. 

    EigenLayer — $1.1 billion: EigenLayer is behind a new project for Ethereum called staking, which involves using Ether tokens as security. Launched in 2021, it picked up a $100 million Series B in February, led by a16z, giving it a $1 billion valuation, according to PitchBook. In total, the company has raised a little more than $160 million in venture funding, with other backers including Blockchain Capital and Apollo Crypto. 

    Figure — $2.6 billion: The humanoid robot company raised a $675 million Series B in February, giving it a valuation of $2.6 billion. In total, Figure has raised almost $850 million in venture funding, with investors including Bezos Expeditions, Calm Ventures, Intel, Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft, according to PitchBook. 

    Together AI — $1.25 billion: This cloud service for running open source AI models raised a $106 million round led by Salesforce Ventures, giving the company a post-money valuation of $1.25 billion. Together AI has raised a little more than $232 million in venture funding from investors, including Hugging Face, NEA Partners, and 137 Ventures, according to PitchBook.  

    Bugcrowd — $1 billion: This crowdsourced bug-fixing cybersecurity platform raised a $102 million Series E in February, led by General Catalyst, which valued the company at $1 billion, according to Crunchbase. The company has raised more than $180 million to date. 

    January

    ElevenLabs — $1 billion: The AI text-to-speech generator startup, specializing in language dubbing, picked up an $80 million Series B in January, giving it a post-money valuation of $1 billion. ElevenLabs has raised $101 million to date, with investors like a16z, Sequoia, and SV Angel, according to Crunchbase. 

    Quantinuum — $5.3 billion: Founded in 2021, the quantum computing cloud service raised a $300 million round in January led by Honeywell, valuing the company at $5.3 billion, according to Crunchbase. PitchBook shows that IMB Ventures and JPMorgan Chase are also backers of the company. 

    Zūm — $1.3 billion: This school transportation fleet management startup closed a $140 million Series E round in January led by Singapore firm GIC, valuing Zūm at $1.3 billion, the company said. It has raised $350 million in total, according to Crunchbase. 

    This piece was updated to correct the numbers about Huntress’ valuation, and Forsite and Lambda‘s name.

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  • Here’s the full list of 39 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2024

    Here’s the full list of 39 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2024

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    For some, AI fatigue is real — but clearly venture investors haven’t grown tired of the category.

    AI deals continued to dominate venture funding during the third quarter. AI companies raised $18.9 billion in Q3, according to Crunchbase data. That figure represents 28% of all venture funding.

    The third quarter also saw the close of the largest venture deal of all time: OpenAI raised a behemoth $6.6 billion round. OpenAI’s deal was one of six AI funding rounds over $1 billion in 2024.

    Here are the U.S.-based AI companies that raised $100 million or more so far in 2024:

    October

    • EvenUp, an AI-powered legaltech company, raised a $135 million Series D round led by Bain Capital Ventures with participation from SignalFire and Lightspeed, among others. The October 8 round valued the startup at $1 billion.
    • Berkeley-based KoBold Metals raised $491.5 million in a recent venture round. The investors aren’t disclosed, but in the past, the company raised from VCs including Bond and Andreessen Horowitz.
    • AI-powered software development platform Poolside closed a $500 million Series B round on October 2. The round was led by Bain Capital Ventures with participation from Redpoint, StepStone, and Nvidia, among others. The round values the company at $3 billion.
    • OpenAI announced its highly anticipated venture round on October 2. The $6.6 billion round was the largest venture round of all time and valued the company at $157 billion. Thrive Capital led the round and was joined by other investors, including Tiger Global and SoftBank.

    September

    • Enterprise search startup Glean announced its second funding round of 2024 on September 10. The company raised a $260 million Series E round that valued it at $4.5 billion, marking an 87.5% increase in valuation since its February round.
    • Safe Superintelligence, an AI research lab founded by former OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever and AI investor Daniel Gross. It announced a $1 billion raise at a $4 billion valuation on September 4. Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia and DST Global participated in the round, among others.

    August

    • AI coding startup Magic raised its second mega-round of the year on August 29. The San Francisco-based company raised $320 million in a Series C round. CapitalG, Sequoia and Jane Street Capital participated in the round, among others. The company last raised a $117 million Series B in February.
    • General Catalyst led the $150 million Series C round into Codeium, an AI-powered coding platform, that closed on August 29. The round also included Kleiner Perkins and Greenoaks and valued Codeium at $1.2 billion.
    • DevRev, which makes AI support agents, garnered a $1.1 billion valuation after its sizable early-stage raise. The Silicon Valley-based company raised a $100 million Series A round that included investors like Khosla Ventures, Mayfield and Param Hansa Values. The company was founded in 2020.
    • San Francisco-based Abnormal Security raised $250 million for its AI-driven email security company. This funding round was led by Wellington Management with participation from Menlo Ventures, Greylock and Insight Partners. The company is valued at more than $5 billion.
    • Groq — not to be confused with Grok — announced a $640 million Series D round on August 5 led by BlackRock. The AI chip startup also received investment from Type One Ventures, Verdure Capital Management and Neuberger Berman, among others. The company is valued at more than $3 billion.

    July

    • Renowned AI researcher Fei-Fei Li’s startup World Labs raised a $100 million round in July, sources told TechCrunch. The startup is already valued at more than $1 billion according to the Financial Times. World Labs is looking to build AI models that can accurately estimate the three-dimensional physicality of real-world objects.
    • Legal tech company Harvey announced a $100 million Series C round on July 23. The round was led by Google Ventures, with participation from OpenAI, Kleiner Perkins and Sequoia. This round values the San Francisco-based company at $1.5 billion.
    • Hebbia, $130 million: Andreessen Horowitz led the round for Hebbia that closed July 8. The startup, which uses generative AI to search large documents, also raised money from Peter Thiel, Index Ventures and Google Ventures and garnered a $700 million valuation.
    • Skild AI, $300 million: Pittsburgh-based Skild AI announced a $300 million Series A round on July 9 that valued the company at $1.5 billion. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue and Jeff Bezos’ Bezos Expeditions with participation from Sequoia, Menlo Ventures and General Catalyst, among others. Skild AI builds tech to power robots.

    June

    • Bright Machines, $106 million: BlackRock led a $106 million Series C round into Bright Machines that closed on June 25. Nvidia, Microsoft and Eclipse Ventures, among others, also participated. The startup makes both smart robotics and AI-driven software and has raised more than $437 million in total funding.
    • Etched.ai, $120 million: San Francisco-based Etched.ai raised a $120 million Series A round on June 25. The round was led by Primary Venture Partners and Positive Sum with participation from Two Sigma Ventures, Peter Thiel and Kyle Vogt, among others. Etched.ai is working to make chips that can run AI models faster and cheaper than GPUs.
    • EvolutionaryScale, $142 million: New York-based EvolutionaryScale is developing biological AI models for therapeutic design. It raised a $142 million seed round that closed on June 25. The round was led by Lux Capital, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross, an angel investor and former head of AI at Y Combinator. The company was founded in 2023.
    • AKASA, $120 million: Healthcare revenue cycle automation platform Akasa announced a $120 million round on June 18. The San Francisco-based startup has collected $205 million in total funding and has raised from investors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Costanoa Ventures and Bond in prior rounds.
    • AlphaSense, $650 million: New York-based AlphaSense raised a $650 million Series F round that was announced on June 11. The round was led by Viking Global Investors and BDT & MSD Partners with participation from CapitalG, SoftBank Vision Fund and Goldman Sachs, among others. AlphaSense is a market intelligence platform founded in 2008. The company has raised more than $1.4 billion in venture funding and was most recently valued at $4 billion.

    May

    • xAI, $6 billion: Elon Musk’s xAI raised a jaw-dropping $6 billion Series B round on May 31 from investors, including Sequoia, Valor Equity Partners and Fidelity, among others. The startup is building an AI platform that will “accelerate human scientific discovery” and is valued at an equally stunning $24 billion.
    • Scale AI, $1 billion: Scale AI, a startup that provides data-labeling services to companies for training AI models, raised $1 billion in May. The Series F round was led by Accel with participation from Tiger Global, Spark Capital and Amazon, among others. San Francisco-based Scale AI has raised more than $1.6 billion in total and is currently valued at nearly $14 billion.
    • Suno, $125 million: AI-music creation platform Suno raised $125 million in a Series B round that closed on May 21. The round values the Cambridge, Massachusetts, startup at $500 million. Founder Collective, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Matrix participated in the round in addition to former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and former head of AI at Y Combinator Daniel Gross.
    • Weka, $140 million: Silicon Valley-based Weka created an AI-native data platform and raised $140 million in a Series E round that closed on May 13. The funding was led by Valor Equity Partners with participation from Qualcomm Ventures, Nvidia and Hitachi Ventures, among others. The startup was valued at $1.6 billion.
    • CoreWeave, $1.1 billion: New Jersey-based GPU infrastructure provider CoreWeave raised $1.1 billion in a Series C round that closed on May 1. Coatue led the round with participation from Fidelity, Altimeter Capital and Magnetar Capital, among others. CoreWeave was launched in 2017 and is valued at $19 billion.

    April

    • Blaize, $106 million: AI computing platform company Blaize raised $106 million in a Series D round that was announced on April 29. The round had participation from investors, including Temasek, Franklin Templeton and Bess Ventures, among others. The company was founded in 2010 and has raised $242 million.
    • Augment, $227 million: Palo Alto-based Augment raised $227 million for its AI coding assistance startup. The startup’s Series B round was announced on April 24. Lightspeed Venture Partners, Index Ventures and Sutter Hill Ventures participated in the round, which valued the startup just shy of $1 billion.
    • Cognition, $175 million: Founders Fund led applied AI lab startup Cognition’s $175 million round that closed on April 24. This round came just about a month after the firm raised a $21 million Series A round in March from Founders Fund and numerous other investors, including Ramp co-founder Eric Glyman, Stripe co-founders Patrick and John Collison, and DoorDash co-founder Tony Xu. The company was founded in November 2023 and is already valued at nearly $2 billion.
    • Xaira Therapeutics, $1 billion: San Francisco-based AI drug discovery startup Xaira Therapeutics raised a $1 billion Series A round. Foresite Capital and ARCH Venture Partners led the round that was announced on April 23. Sequoia, NEA and Lux Capital participated in the round, among many others.
    • Cyera, $300 million: Coatue led the recent $300 million Series C round into AI-powered data security platform Cyera that closed on April 9. The round valued New York-based startup at $1.4 billion. Sequoia, Redpoint and Accel also participated in the round, among others.

    March

    • Celestial AI, $175 million: Celestial AI, founded in 2020, is building an optical interconnect technology platform for data centers and AI solutions and raised a $175 million Series C round on March 27, which brought its total funding amount to $338 million. The round was led by Thomas Tull’s US Innovative Technology Fund with participation from M Ventures, Temasek and Tyche Partners, among others.
    • FundGuard, $100 million: FundGuard is a New York-based startup offering an AI-powered investment accounting operating system that raised $100 million at a $400 million valuation. The Series C round closed on March 25 and was led by Key1 Capital with participation from Hamilton Lane, Blumberg Capital and Team8, among others.
    • Together AI, $106 million: Salesforce Ventures led Together AI’s $106 million Series A round that valued the company at $1.2 billion. Together AI is a platform designed to help create infrastructure and open source generative AI for developing AI models. NEA, Kleiner Perkins and Lux Capital also participated in the round, among others. The round was announced on March 13.
    • Zephyr AI, $111 million: Fairfax Station, Virginia-based Zephyr AI raised a $111 million Series A round that closed on March 13. Revolution Growth, Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, EPIQ Capital Group and investor Jeff Skoll all participated in the round. The startup, founded in 2020, uses AI to enhance drug discovery and precision medicine. It has raised $129.5 million total so far.

    February

    • Glean, $203 million: AI-driven enterprise search startup Glean raised $203 million in a February 27 round that valued the startup at $2.2 billion. The Series D round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Kleiner Perkins with participation from Sequoia and Databricks Ventures, among others. The Silicon Valley-based startup has raised more than $350 million in venture funding and its founder, Arvind Jain, was recently interviewed on TechCrunch’s Found podcast.
    • Figure, $675 million: Silicon Valley-based AI robotics startup Figure raised a $675 million Series B round that closed on February 24. The round valued the startup at nearly $2.7 billion. Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft participated in the round, among others. The startup was founded in 2022 and has raised more than $850 million.
    • Abridge, $150 million: Pittsburgh-based Abridge, which uses AI to transcribe medical conversations, raised a $150 million Series C round that closed on February 23. The round was led by Redpoint and Lightspeed Venture Partners with participation from USV, IVP and Spark Capital, among others. This round brings the six-year-old company’s valuation to $850 million.
    • Recogni, $102 million: The company designs high-output but low-power AI interface solutions, and it raised a $102 million Series C round on February 20. The round was led by GreatPoint Ventures and Celesta Capital. Pledge Ventures, Mayfield and DNS Capital also contributed to the round.
    • Lambda, $320 million: San Francisco-based deep learning infrastructure company Lambda raised $320 million in a Series C round that was announced on February 15. The round was led by Thomas Tull’s US Innovative Technology Fund with participation from Gradient Ventures, Mercato Partners and T. Rowe Price, among others. Lambda has raised more than $900 million in venture capital and was most recently valued at $1.5 billion.
    • Magic, $117 million: AI coding startup Magic raised a $117 million Series B round that closed on February 12. The round was led by NFDG Ventures with participation from CapitalG and angel investor Elad Gil. The San Francisco-based company has raised more than $145 million in total capital.

    January

    • Kore.ai, $150 million: A startup building conversational AI for enterprises, Kore.ai raised a $150 million Series D round that was announced on January 30. FTV Capital led the round into the Orlando, Florida-based company. Nvidia, Vistara Growth, and NextEquity Partners participated as well, among others. Kore.ai was founded in 2013 and has raised more than $223 million in funding.

    This piece was originally published on July 13, 2024, and was updated on September 9, 2024 and October 11, 2024, to include more deals.

    This piece has been updated to correct Glean’s current valuation.

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  • The Black List Upended the Film Industry. The Book World Is Next

    The Black List Upended the Film Industry. The Book World Is Next

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    Fifty-four Academy Awards and 267 nominations. That’s the sort of canonical foresight the Black List has had since first launching in 2005 as Hollywood insiders’ go-to index of screenwriters. The Social Network, Edge of Tomorrow, Selma, Don’t Worry Darling—each one was selected for the annual Black List survey before going on to critical and commercial acclaim.

    “I knew there were great writers and great scripts that existed outside of the Hollywood ecosystem,” its founder Franklin Leonard says. “I wanted to find a way for that to benefit everybody.”

    With success came growth, and growth brought opportunity. Fully established as a website and brand in 2012, the Black List has since proved itself a fundamental resource for agents, producers, and studios in search of their next hit. Across its nearly 20 years, it has platformed thousands of screenplays and television pilots. Today it boasts some 7,000 entertainment professionals.

    In September, Leonard took another leap—expanding into the world of books. The Black List now hosts fiction manuscripts, and to help navigate the unfamiliar meadows of publishing, he brought on board Randy Winston, the former director of writing programs at New York’s Center for Fiction and a kingmaker in his own right.

    As for how it works: Interested writers create a profile (free), upload their novel-length manuscripts of any genre ($30 a month), and, if they so choose, can pay for expert feedback from literary professionals via the site ($150). Like the annual Black List, the best manuscripts are featured in Leonard’s subscriber newsletter and guaranteed to land in the inbox of publishing industry power players.

    Curious about the expansion, I phoned Franklin to hear how he again plans to capture lightning in a bottle.

    JASON PARHAM: There’s no nice way to ask this, so I’ll just ask it. What makes you think you can pull this off again?

    FRANKLIN LEONARD: It’s a fair question [laughs]. And I’ll be honest, I was loath to jump into it. It’s not a great look to be like, “I’m from Hollywood and I’m here to save you.”

    Yes, I know the Hollywood savior complex well.

    And that was the last thing I wanted to do. I built this thing specifically to solve the problem and a system that I saw in Hollywood. I didn’t work in books, so I didn’t want to be presumptuous and assume that you just take that and apply it. So last year, Howie Sanders, a book agent at Anonymous Content, set up a series of meetings for me. She said, “You tell people how you plan to do this, and ask them to tell you where you are wrong.” I was very happy to discover that people were like, there’s a need for this. The question became, how does this model need to be shifted so that it can be successful?

    There’s an obvious need for it, as you said, but only because of very obvious problems endemic to institutions like Hollywood and publishing. Why are they so reluctant to change?

    There’s a lot of reasons. The most material one is actually just a practical one: There is a superabundance of material. There are more screenplays written every year than any one person could read, or any small group of people could read. There are more novels written every year than any editorial staff of a publishing house could read.

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  • These 7 Beautiful Museums Should Be on Your Must-Visit List

    These 7 Beautiful Museums Should Be on Your Must-Visit List

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    Announced annually at UNESCO in Paris, the Prix Versailles honors architectural excellence in a variety of cultural venues. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the prize includes a World’s Most Beautiful Museums—and its recently unveiled list includes seven new, or newly reopened, institutions around the world. All are visually outstanding, and reflect their local heritage in unique, innovative ways. They are competing for three prizes, with the winners to be revealed this November: the Prix Versailles itself, and awards for the best interior and exterior. Here’s a rundown of the contenders–which ones get your vote?

    1. A4 Art Museum, Chengdu, China

    Image may contain City Architecture Building Condo Housing Urban House Villa High Rise and Apartment Building

    This Chengdu suburb created a “Florentine-style piazza,” where A4 Art Museum is located.

    Photo: © Tektonn Architects

    Image may contain Outdoors Architecture Building Housing Aerial View House and Driveway

    An aerial view of Luxetown.

    Photo: © Tektonn Architects

    You might do a double-take when you first see the A4 Art Museum. Chengdu is one of China’s most populated cities, but the museum’s location—the suburban district of Luxetown—was modeled upon a hillside commune in Tuscany, complete with a church and country club. The museum building, which sits on one side of a Florentine-style piazza, has been remodeled by Tektonn Architects (founded in Paris, but now based in Chengdu) in ingenious fashion: from the outside, it maintains its quasi-medieval proportions, but is subtly updated with a geometric corner facade and tall, thin windows. Inside, it’s even more surprising. Three floors above ground are open, welcoming spaces in keeping with the adjacent piazza, while two below house beautifully minimalist exhibition galleries. The perfect fusion of old and new, easily making it onto the list of the world’s most beautiful museums.

    Image may contain Lighting Person Floor Indoors Flooring Walking Architecture Building Corridor and Interior Design

    The museum’s interior retains a more contemporary appearance.

    Photo: © Tektonn Architects

    Image may contain Cafeteria Indoors Restaurant Desk Furniture Table Chair Cafe Architecture Building and Outdoors

    Tektonn Architects did a masterful job of seamlessly blending a new edition into Luxetown’s peculiar aesthetic.

    Photo: © Tektonn Architects

    2. Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza, Egypt

    Image may contain Landmark

    Heneghan Peng’s design is a riff on what the contemporary pyramids of Egypt could be.

    Photo: © Grand Egyptian Museum

    Image may contain Floor Flooring Person Indoors Interior Design and Triangle

    The atrium entrance brings the pyramids inside.

    Photo: © Grand Egyptian Museum

    Having the three Great Pyramids of Giza next door to your museum must be intimidating for any architect. Accordingly, it’s no surprise that it took Dublin studio Heneghan Peng Architects 20 years to complete the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is scheduled to open later this year and will house over 100,000 pharaonic artifacts from Ancient Egypt. The architects’ design riffs on the austere geometry of the pyramids, with its sharply intersecting limestone planes and triangular gardens. Inside, the colossal entrance atrium wows visitors—plus, perforations in its walls and ceiling allowing sunlight to illuminate a huge statue of Ramses II (known himself to be one of Ancient Egypt’s most ambitious builders). Ascend the grand staircase and you’ll be treated to peerless views of the Giza Plateau and the pyramids beyond.

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  • National Academy of Design names architects to its 2024 list of Academicians

    National Academy of Design names architects to its 2024 list of Academicians

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    The National Academy of Design announced its 2024 Academicians, celebrating the works of 28 artists, among which, 10 architects were named. Among this year’s inductees are Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu founders of New–York–based architecture firm SO – IL; Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto principals at RUR architecture; and founding principal of NADAAA, Nader Tehrani.

    Since its founding in 1825 as the first artist- and architect-led organization, the National Academy of Design has created a community of around 450 artists and architects across the country that champions design-related endeavors. In an effort to enrich the dialogue surrounding the role of art and architecture within public life, the National Academy of Design has been dedicated to annually nominating artists and architects as National Academicians, showcasing their work through exhibitions, education and research.

    In addition to the established programming, the nominated Academicians are also encouraged to donate a representative work to the National Academy’s ongoing collection—the Diploma Work—one of the most significant collections of American art and architecture in the world.

    Executive director of the National Academy of Design Gregory Wessner commented, “We’re thrilled to welcome this exceptional class of newly elected Academicians. As the Academy embarks on an exciting new chapter, the induction of these twenty-eight artists and architects–whose diverse and ambitious work captivates across various mediums–powerfully reaffirms our commitment to celebrating bold and visionary contributions to contemporary art and architecture.”

    The full list of 28 recognized creative professionals can be found here. The 2024 architecture inductees are named in the list below:

    Architect Sara Caples, co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects
    Architect Sara Caples, cofounder of Caples Jefferson Architects (Courtesy Caples Jefferson Architecture)
    Architect Everardo Jefferson, co-founder of Caples Jefferson Architects
    Architect Everardo Jefferson, cofounder of Caples Jefferson Architects (Courtesy Caples Jefferson Architecture)

    Sara Caples and Everardo Jefferson, founders and principals of Caples Jefferson Architects, a New York City architecture firm that recently designed the Louis Armstrong Center.

    Architects Lisa Anne Couture and Hani Rashid
    Architects Lisa Anne Couture and Hani Rashid (Monty Shadow)

    Lise Anne Couture and Hani Rashid, founders of Asymptote Architecture, a visual architectural practice in New York City known for their key projects the Yas Marina Hotel in Abu Dhabi and Hermitage Contemporary Art Museum in Moscow.

    Architect Florian Idenburg, co-founder of SO – IL
    Architect Florian Idenburg, cofounder of SO – IL (Photo by Brad Ogbonna)
    Architect Jing Liu, co-founder of SO – IL
    Architect Jing Liu, cofounder of SO – IL (Brad Ogbonna)

    Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu, founders of SO – IL in New York, who have led projects such as 450 Warren, a condo project in Brooklyn, and Amant Arts Campus in Brooklyn.

    Architects Jesse Reiser & Nanako Umemoto, co-founders of RUR Architecture
    Architects Jesse Reiser & Nanako Umemoto, cofounders of RUR Architecture (Courtesy RUR)

    Jesse Reiser and Nanako Umemoto, principals of Reiser + Umemoto, RUR Architecture, and architecture professors who have taught at various schools in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

    portrait of architect Ken Smith
    Architect Ken Smith (Courtesy Ken Smith Landscape Workshop)

     

    Ken Smith, a widely published landscape architect exploring the relationship between art, contemporary culture, and the environment.

    Nader Tehrani, founding principal of NADAAA, an interdisciplinary practice with a body of work in infrastructure, urbanism, architecture and installations.

    The exhibition featuring the 2024 National Academicians is anticipated for May 2025, at the National Academy’s New York gallery at 519 West 26th Street, 2nd floor. Additional details can be found here.



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  • A comprehensive list of 2024 tech layoffs

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    The tech layoff wave is still going strong in 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023, this year has already seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. Companies like Tesla, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Snap and Microsoft have conducted sizable layoffs in the first months of 2024. Smaller-sized startups have also seen a fair amount of cuts, and in some cases, have shut down operations altogether.

    By tracking these layoffs, we’re able to understand the impact on innovation across companies large and small. We’re also able to see the potential impact of businesses embracing AI and automation for jobs that had previously been considered safe. It also serves as a reminder of the human impact of layoffs and what could be at stake in regards to increased innovation.

    Below you’ll find a comprehensive list of all the known layoffs in tech that have occurred in 2024, to be updated regularly. If you have a tip on a layoff, contact us here. If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact us here.

    August 2024

    Sonos

    CEO Patrick Spence confirmed with TechCrunch the company cut 100 employees in a new layoff round, impacting 6% of the company’s workforce. Sonos previously reduced its headcount by 7% in 2023.

    Cisco

    Will reportedly eliminate thousands of jobs in another round of layoffs this year. The company previously laid off more than 4,000 employees in February 2024.

    Tally

    Has shut down its operations “after exploring all options” before running out of cash. The fintech previously helped users manage and pay off their credit card debt; it had 183 employees and was last valued at $855 million. 

    Branch.io

    Has laid off more than 100 employees. Nova Launcher, which was acquired by Branch in 2022, said the cuts whittled down its team to one full-time developer.

    READY Robotics

    Has reportedly stopped its operations. The company is now auctioning off equipment through the Silicon Valley Disposition.

    Eventbrite

    Is cutting around 100 employees, accounting for 11% of its total workforce. The online ticketing company previously let go of 8% of its employees in February 2023.

    LegalZoom

    Announced it will reduce its global workforce by 15% and pause future hiring efforts in an effort to save $25 million.

    Techstars

    Is laying off 17% of its staff and ending its $80 million J.P. Morgan-backed programs at the end of this year following a rocky period for the company that has included financial losses and leadership shakeups.

    Mobius

    Will completely shut down operations after facing financial struggles. The Kenya-based SUV manufacturer reportedly cited tax hikes as a driving force of the decision.

    Infineon

    Will cut 1,400 jobs globally, including hundreds of roles at its German plant. The company said it will also relocate an additional 1,400 employees to countries with lower labor costs.

    Jam City

    Has eliminated around 85 employees, affecting 10% of the video game developer and publisher’s total workforce.

    Dell

    Will conduct layoffs as the company plans to get “leaner,” according to an internal memo, and create a new sales unit focused on AI products and services. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Intel

    Intel kicked off the month with substantial layoffs, with 15,000 employees accounting for 15% of its total staff affected by the company’s cutbacks. “Our revenues have not grown as expected — and we’ve yet to fully benefit from powerful trends, like AI,” CEO Pat Gelsinger said in a memo announcing the layoffs.

    July 2024

    Rad Power Bikes

    The e-bike startup that has raised more than $300 million from investors has also conducted five rounds of layoffs since April 2021, with TechCrunch exclusively learning that Red Power’s most recent layoffs were conducted in July with an unknown number of Rad Power’s roughly 394 employees impacted.

    Match Group

    Has discontinued livestreaming services across its dating apps, specifically Plenty of Fish and BLK, as it shifts its focus to generative AI. The move will result in a 6% reduction in its total workforce.

    Bungie

    Will cut 220 employees, representing around 17% of the game studio’s total workforce. CEO Pete Parsons said the changes impact all levels of the company, including senior and executive leadership.

    Pocket FM

    Has reportedly eliminated roles for nearly 200 U.S. writers a month after the company partnered with ElevenLabs to quickly convert scripts into audio content using AI.

    WayCool Foods

    Has reportedly laid off more than 200 employees across several departments. It would be the agritech company’s third substantial layoff round in the past year.

    Webflow

    Announced it will eliminate roughly 8% of its workforce as the company works toward its “next phase of growth.”

    Cohere

    Is reportedly laying off about 20 employees, accounting for nearly 5% of its total workforce. The cuts came the day after the company announced it raised $500 million at a $5 billion valuation.

    Magic Leap

    Reportedly eliminated around 75 of its workers. As part of the cuts, the augmented reality startup reportedly axed its sales and marketing departments entirely.

    Mercari

    Is reportedly laying off nearly half of its employees in the U.S. as the Japan-based company struggles to compete with other e-commerce rivals like Temu.

    Aqua

    Is eliminating 50 employees, accounting for 10% of its total workforce. Earlier this year, the cybersecurity company raised $60 million at a $1 billion valuation, making it a unicorn.

    EverC

    Is reportedly laying off 10% of its 165-person workforce. The company develops cyber intelligence software that helps prevent online fraud.

    Lex

    Has laid off the majority of its roughly eight-person staff as the LGBTQ+ social networking site struggles to monetize its product. Last year, the company’s third, Lex raised $5.6 million in seed funding and elevated co-founder Jennifer Lewis from COO to CEO.

    Monarch Tractor

    Cut “less than” 15% of its 250- to 300-person workforce as part of a necessary reshuffling following a $133 million Series C funding round, TechCrunch has learned.

    Kaspersky

    Will lay off dozens of employees and leave the U.S. market completely following a U.S. government order that banned the sale of the company’s software due to security risks.

    Salesforce

    Eliminated about 300 employees in its workforce as it rolls out a broader effort to cut costs and streamline its operations.

    Intuit

    Will cut 1,800 employees, impacting 10% of its workforce. The company says more than half were cut due to low performance and aims to hire approximately the same number of employees instead of cutting costs.

    UiPath

    Plans to cut 420 jobs, 10% of its total workforce, as the company undergoes a large restructuring effort.

    UKG

    Cut an estimated 2,200 employees, amounting to nearly 14% of its workforce, as the software company attempts to redirect its resources into “key areas of product innovation.”

    OpenText​​

    Plans to cut roughly 1,200 jobs, amounting to almost 2% of its total workforce, as the information management company plans to significantly reduce its expenses by 2025.

    Unacademy

    Is laying off about 250 employees in the latest in a series of job cuts after schools reopened across India following pandemic lockdowns.

    Koo

    Is ceasing its operations after its last-resort acquisition talks with Dailyhunt collapsed.

    Upside Foods

    Has cut its workforce by 26 people, CEO Uma Valeti wrote in an email to staff, as the lab-grown meat industry sees a decline in VC funding.

    Sightful

    Is eliminating 20 employees, amounting to a third of its total workforce, as the company shifts its focus to software development.

    June 2024

    RealPage

    Will cut approximately 4% of its workforce as part of a plan to boost growth, though the company is also one of many within its field facing a consolidated lawsuit alleging they engaged in price fixing.

    Planet

    Intends to lay off roughly 180 employees, amounting to 17% of its workforce, according to an SEC filing that amounts to its second recent round of layoffs.

    Moxion Power

    Is laying off more than 100 employees, according to a WARN filing. The news of the cuts comes after the company launched a large office expansion in Richmond, California.

    eBay

    Is reportedly conducting layoffs in Israel as it goes through a global restructuring.

    BeReal

    Is reportedly cutting a large number of its staff after being acquired by French gaming company Voodoo.

    Flutterwave

    Has laid off about 30 people, accounting for 3% of its workforce, as it refocuses its business to enterprise.

    Ginkgo Bioworks

    Terminated 158 employees, with another batch of layoffs expected to come as the company aims to reduce its workforce by 25%.

    Moovit

    Is making cuts to 10% of its workforce, impacting around 20 to 25 employees.

    Wex

    Is laying off 375 employees, accounting for 5% of its total workforce.

    PayPal

    Will eliminate up to 85 employees based in Ireland, the company announced.

    Rapyd

    Is reportedly laying off around 30 employees in Israel and will move positions to other regions to cut costs.

    C2FO

    Cut 16 employees in its supplier resource management department as it focuses on automation.

    Chegg

    Is reducing its global headcount by 23% in a major restructuring effort as the online learning platform aims to become a “leaner” operation.

    StackPath

    Is closing up shop and liquidating its assets. The number of employees affected is currently unknown.

    Unit

    Is reducing its headcount by 15% as the company attempts to “think in longer time frames,” the company announced in a blog post.

    Loop

    Is making more cuts, co-CEO Carey Anne Nadeau announced on LinkedIn. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Care/of

    Will lay off its 143 employees by July 3 due to a “funding loss,” and will no longer be accepting new orders. The company has not shut down fully though, telling TechCrunch: “We are actively exploring options for the brand but do not have anything definitive to communicate at this time.”

    Running Tide

    Shut down its operations and laid off its remaining employees after raising more than $50 million since its 2017 start.

    Satellogic

    Is laying off 70 employees, about 30% of its workforce, three weeks after an earlier round of cuts impacted 34 employees.

    ByteDance

    Is slashing around 450 jobs at its Indonesian e-commerce division, accounting for 9% of the unit. 

    VRChat

    Has eliminated around 30% of its total workforce, CEO Graham Gaylor confirmed in a statement.

    Paytm

    Is reportedly conducting large cuts across the company. The total number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Kissflow

    Has cut around 45 jobs as part of a restructuring effort.

    Copia Global

    Has laid off at least 1,060 employees two weeks after the startup filed for administration.

    Revel

    Is laying off its 1,000+ staff drivers as it embraces a gig worker model similar to that of Lyft and Uber.

    Simpl

    Has cut 30 employees a month after the Bengaluru-based startup laid off 160 people.

    Oda

    Has confirmed layoffs of 150 jobs as it drastically scales back its expansion ambitions to focus on its markets in Norway and Sweden.

    Pagaya

    Is laying off 100 workers, or 20% of its staff, in another round of cuts.

    MoonPay

    Is reportedly laying off 10% of its workforce, amounting to around 30 people.

    Microsoft

    Is reportedly cutting hundreds of employees working in its Azure cloud business, though the exact number of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    OrCam

    Is laying off 100 employees months after reducing its headcount by 50 workers.

    Google

    Is reportedly making large cuts globally across several of its Cloud teams, including teams focused on sustainability, consulting and partner engineering.

    Tropic

    Is eliminating 40 employees as part of a restructuring effort, CEO David Campbell wrote in a post on LinkedIn. 

    May 2024

    Gro Intelligence

    Is shutting down its operations after laying off 60% of its staff in March in an attempt to stay afloat.

    Jasper Health

    Has laid off a substantial part of its workforce, TechCrunch learned. Engineering and product design departments were most impacted by the cuts at the cancer care platform startup.

    Cirium

    Is laying off 37 tech workers at FlightStats, the flight tracking startup it acquired in 2016, as it plans to consolidate its operations in India and the U.K.

    Walnut

    Is cutting 15 employees in a round of layoffs, impacting 20% of the Israeli startup’s total workforce.

    Fisker

    Has laid off hundreds of employees in a bid to keep the EV startup alive. One current and one laid off employee told TechCrunch exclusively that an estimated 150 people remain at the company.

    Cue Health

    Is shutting down its operations and laying off the rest of its staff. The COVID-19 test company laid off half of its workforce earlier this month to cut costs.

    Foursquare

    Has let go of 105 employees as the company seeks to “streamline” its operations, according to an email to staffers from current CEO Gary Little.

    Lucid Motors

    Is laying off about 400 employees, roughly 6% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring ahead of the launch of its first electric SUV later this year.

    TikTok

    Will reportedly make large cuts to its global operations and marketing teams. The amount of employees impacted is currently unknown.

    Pixar

    Will reportedly cut 14% of its staff, impacting 175 employees, as the company shifts its focus from original Disney+ programming back to films.

    Replit

    Let go of 20% of its staff as the coding startup shifts its focus to enterprise sales.

    SeekOut

    Cut about 30% of its total workforce. The recruiting startup that uses AI to find candidates was last valued at over $1.2 billion in January 2022.

    Gopuff

    Eliminated 6% of its staff in another round of layoffs as the fast-delivery startup attempts to become cash-flow positive by the end of 2024.

    Atmosphere

    Plans to lay off 106 employees, according to a WARN notice filed in Texas. 

    Mainvest

    Has shut down its operations. The number of employees affected is currently unknown.

    Indeed

    Is cutting roughly 1,000 jobs, impacting 8% of the company’s headcount, CEO Chris Hyams wrote in a letter to staff.

    Motional

    Cut around 40% of its workforce, impacting about 550 employees, sources told TechCrunch. The company’s chief operating officer, Abe Ghabra, has also left the company.

    Google

    Will eliminate 57 positions in San Francisco, according to a WARN notice filed in California.

    Vacasa

    Is eliminating 800 employees, accounting for 13% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring effort.

    Brilliant

    Told The Verge it has laid off most of its staff and is no longer selling its smart home controllers and light switches as it looks for a buyer.

    Enovix

    Laid off roughly 170 workers, impacting a third of its total headcount, in an effort to cut back on annual operating costs. 

    Microsoft

    Closed Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and more game studios as part of cuts at Bethesda. It’s currently unclear how many employees will be impacted.

    Cue Health

    Is eliminating 230 employees, about 49% of its workforce, in a cost cutting measure laid out in documents filed with the U.S. SEC.

    Luminar

    Is slashing its workforce by 20%. The cuts will affect around 140 employees, and the company is also cutting ties with “the majority” of its contract workers.

    Sprinklr

    Has laid off about 3% of its workforce, impacting 116 people, the company confirmed to TechCrunch in a statement. The cuts come over a year after the company eliminated about 4% of its headcount.

    Peloton

    Is laying off 15% of its workforce, affecting about 400 people, as part of a cost-cutting effort. The company’s CEO Barry McCarthy is also stepping down.

    April 2024

    Tesla

    Has gutted its charging team in a new round of layoffs, CEO Elon Musk announced in an overnight email to executives.

    Google

    Has laid off staff across key teams like Flutter, Dart and Python. It is currently unclear how many employees were let go.

    Fisker

    Is laying off more employees to “preserve cash,” according to an internal email viewed by TechCrunch. The number of cuts is currently unknown.

    Getir

    Is shutting down operations in the U.S., the U.K. and Europe, impacting at least 6,000 jobs across the closing markets.

    Ola

    Is cutting about 180 jobs in a profitability push and has let go its chief executive Hemant Bakshi, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

    True Anomaly

    The space and defense startup laid off nearly 30 people, accounting for about 25% of its workforce, due to “duplication of roles and functions across the company,” TechCrunch exclusively reported.

    Expedia

    Is expected to cut employees in its Austin office for the second time this year.

    Nike

    Plans to eliminate 740 employees at its Oregon headquarters this summer, according to a WARN Act notice.

    Stability AI

    Is eliminating 10% of its workforce following the exit of former CEO Emad Mostaque.

    Google

    Is laying off workers as part of continued cost cutting measures. The number of employees affected was at the time unknown.

    Rivian

    Is reducing its total workforce by 1%. It’s the second round of layoffs for the EV maker this year.

    Take-Two

    Is laying off 5% of its workforce, affecting around 579 employees. The GTA 6 publisher also announced the elimination of “several projects” in development.

    Tome

    Is eliminating about 20% of its 59 employees in a restructuring effort.

    Tesla

    Is cutting “more than 10%” of its global workforce, per an internal email sent by CEO Elon Musk. That could impact more than 14,000 workers worldwide, as Tesla prepares itself “for our next phase of growth” amid a challenging EV market.

    Criteo

    Is reducing its global workforce by nearly 4%, impacting up to 140 employees.

    TikTok

    Is laying off 250 employees based in Ireland as it restructures its Training and Quality team.

    Hinge Health

    Cut approximately 10% of its workforce, TechCrunch exclusively learned, as the company prepares for an IPO and aims to reach profitability.

    Checkr

    Has laid off 382 employees, amounting to 32% of its total workforce, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The background-screening platform was last valued at $5 billion in April of 2022.

    Bolt.Earth

    Reportedly laid off a sizable part of its staff in a restructuring effort. The number of employees impacted is currently unknown, but sources told Inc42 that it could be “in the range of 70-100” workers.

    Apple

    Is laying off 614 employees in California after abandoning its electric car project, according to a WARN notice.

    Agility Robotics

    Has laid off a “small number” of employees as part of a company-wide focus on commercialization efforts.

    Ghost Autonomy

    Shut down operations. The company, which was backed by OpenAI, employed about 100 people.

    Whirlpool

    Is shutting down Yummly, the recipe and cooking app it acquired in 2017.

    AWS

    Will cut hundreds of jobs across Sales, Marketing, Global Services and its Physical Stores Technology team.

    Byju’s

    Is laying off about 500 employees, accounting for 3% of its total workforce, as part of a restructuring effort.

    March 2024

    Reliance

    Reliance, largest conglomerate in India, took its time in announcing it had laid off more than 42,000 people in its fiscal year, which ended in March. That significant number accounted for 11% of its workforce, and another 143,000 employees took “voluntary separations” in the same time.

    ChowNow

    Has laid off 20% of its staff after acquiring point-of-sale platform Cuboh. The company previously laid off 100 people in 2022.

    Nintendo of America

    Is restructuring its testing department, which is largely made up of contractors. A Nintendo spokesperson told Kotaku the changes will end some assignments but will lead to the creation of new full-time positions.

    Dell

    Cut its global workforce by about 6,000 jobs, according to a 10-K SEC filing. The filing reveals the company cut 13,000 jobs in the last year.

    Synctera

    Has made cuts to its staff, the company confirmed to TechCrunch. A report in Fintech Business Weekly estimates that 17 people, or about 15% of the company, were impacted. 

    ShopBack

    Is cutting 195 roles in an effort to become more sustainable, CEO Henry Chan wrote in a blog post. The layoffs impact nearly a quarter of its staff.

    Airmeet

    Reportedly eliminated 20% of its total workforce in its second restructuring effort in the past year.

    Chipper Cash

    Conducted another round of layoffs impacting 20 employees, CEO Ham Serunjogi announced in a blog post. 

    Textio

    Has reportedly cut 16% of its staff in a strategic move to support its Textio Lift product. 

    Stash

    Is reportedly laying off around 25% of its workforce. According to Axios, the cuts affect roughly 80 people.

    Phantom Auto

    Is shutting down after failing to secure new funding, TechCrunch has learned. The remote driving startup, which had cut staff last year, employed a little more than 100 people.

    IBM

    Is reportedly slashing its marketing and communications staff. The company previously announced a strategy to replace upwards of 8,000 jobs with AI.

    Inscribe.ai

    Cut just under 40% of its staff, equating to dozens of employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

    Turnitin

    Laid off around 15 people earlier this year, following comments from CEO Chris Caren that the company would be able to reduce 20% of its headcount thanks to AI.

    Sorare

    Laid off 13% of its staff based in its New York office as the web3 fantasy sports platform focuses on its Paris headquarters, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

    Melio

    Is eliminating roughly 7% of its workforce as part of organizational restructuring. The fintech unicorn last conducted layoffs in August 2022.

    ONE

    Is cutting about 13% of its workforce, affecting 40 employees. It’s the second round of layoffs for the battery startup in recent months.

    Project Ronin

    Is shutting down, resulting in a “permanent mass layoff” impacting around 150 employees.

    February 2024

    Fisker

    Plans to lay off 15% of its workforce and says it likely does not have enough cash on hand to survive the next 12 months.

    EA

    Cut 5% of its workforce, impacting 670 employees, as it moves away from the “development of future licensed IP.”

    Bumble

    Is letting go of about 350 employees, accounting for 30% of its workforce.

    Apple

    Is likely cutting hundreds of employees who worked on the company’s autonomous electric car project now that the effort has stopped, TechCrunch has learned.

    Sony

    Is laying off 900 employees from its PlayStation unit, affecting 8% of the division’s workforce. Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla and Firesprite studios will also be impacted.

    Expedia

    Will reportedly cut 1,500 roles in 2024, primarily in its Product & Technology division, accounting for more than 8% of the company’s workforce.

    Finder

    Eliminated roughly 60 employees, or 17% of its workforce. It’s the financial startup’s third major layoff round in the past 12 months.

    Rivian

    Is laying off 10% of its salaried workforce in a bid to cut costs in an increasingly tough market for EVs.

    Meati Foods

    Will lay off 13% of its workforce as it works to “build a financially sustainable business,” CEO Phil Graves told TechCrunch exclusively.

    Cisco

    Announced it will eliminate 5% of its employees, impacting more than 4,000 people.

    Toast

    Will lay off about 550 workers in a move designed to promote “operating expense efficiency.”

    Instacart

    Announced in an SEC filing that it will lay off roughly 250 employees as part of a restructuring effort.

    Mozilla

    Is scaling back its investment in a number of products, TechCrunch has learned, resulting in layoffs that will affect roughly 60 employees.

    Grammarly

    Is laying off 230 employees worldwide as part of the company’s efforts to advance its focus on “the AI-enabled workplace of the future.”

    Getaround

    Is cutting 30% of its North American workforce as part of a restructuring.

    Amazon

    Is reportedly cutting jobs in its healthcare businesses One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy. The number of impacted roles is currently unknown.

    DocuSign

    Announced plans to eliminate 6% of its workforce, largely impacting the company’s sales and marketing divisions.

    Snap

    Announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce, impacting roughly 500-plus employees, in an effort to “reduce hierarchy.”

    Polygon Labs

    Has laid off 60 employees, or about 19% of its staff, CEO Marc Boiron announced in a blog post.

    Okta

    Is laying off approximately 400 employees. The layoffs come almost exactly a year to the day after Okta announced plans to cut about 300 employees.

    January 2024

    Thinx

    Will lay off 95 workers in New York City, according to a filing with the New York Department of Labor.

    Proofpoint

    Is laying off about 6% of its global workforce, or 280 employees, the company confirmed to TechCrunch.

    Wattpad

    Conducted another round of layoffs earlier this month, amounting to roughly 15% of its workforce, a source familiar with the situation told TechCrunch. 

    Block

    Is reportedly laying off around 1,000 people in the Cash App, foundational and Square arms of Block.

    PayPal

    Has reportedly begun company-wide layoffs. While it is unclear how many people will be affected, one source told TechCrunch it was expected to be in the “thousands.”

    Aurora Solar

    Has laid off 20% of its staff of about 1,000 people, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The cuts to the software startup come despite record growth in the solar industry last year.

    iRobot

    Is laying off 350 people, or one-third of its headcount, after Amazon’s bid to acquire the Roomba-maker shuttered. Longtime CEO Colin Angle has also stepped down.

    Salesforce

    Is reportedly laying off 700 workers, or around 1% of its staff. This comes after the company had a significant reduction of 10% of its workforce in 2023.

    Flexport

    Is reportedly planning to cut around 20% of its staff in the next few weeks. The company announced similar cuts in October, when founder Ryan Petersen returned as CEO and slashed its workforce by 20%.

    Microsoft

    Is laying off 1,900 employees across its gaming divisions following its acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra announced he will also be stepping down.

    Swiggy

    Is cutting about 400 jobs, 7% of its workforce, as the food delivery startup seeks to bring further improvements to its finances ahead of a planned IPO later this year.

    Aurora

    Laid off dozens of workers, according to sources familiar with the decision. The autonomous vehicle technology company has since confirmed that about 3% of its workforce has been laid off.

    eBay

    Will lay off 9% of the company’s workforce, affecting about 1,000 full-time employees. In a blog post, the company also plans to cut contract roles in the coming months.

    SAP

    Announced it intends to offer voluntary buyouts or job changes to 8,000 employees amid restructuring.

    Brex

    Laid off 20% of its staff, affecting 282 workers. In a blog post, Co-CEO Pedro Franceschi said that the company is prioritizing “long-term thinking and ownership over short-term gains in our comp structure.”

    TikTok

    Eliminated around 60 jobs across the U.S. in Los Angeles, New York, and Austin in addition to layoffs in international markets. The affected roles, according to NPR’s initial reporting, are largely in sales and advertising.

    Vroom

    Is cutting 90% of its employees as it shuts down its online used car marketplace and shifts resources into two business units: one focused on auto financing and the other on AI-powered analytics.

    Riot Games

    Is laying off 11% of its workforce, affecting about 530 employees, as the company focuses on “fewer, high-impact projects.” The League of Legends maker is also sunsetting its five-year-old publishing group, Riot Forge.

    Wayfair

    Is eliminating 13% of its global workforce, affecting 1,650 employees, in a restructuring effort aimed at cutting layers of management.

    YouTube

    Will eliminate 100 employees, a spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch, as part of a restructuring effort in its creator management and operations teams.

    Google

    Is laying off “hundreds” of employees in its advertising sales team, according to a leaked memo. The cuts come a week after the company did sweeping layoffs across its hardware teams. And more layoffs will come throughout the year, as CEO Sundar Pichai told the company in a memo obtained by the Verge.

    Lost Boys Interactive

    Reportedly laid off a “sizable” number of employees January 12. The game developer studio was acquired by Borderlands maker Gearbox in 2022.

    Pixar

    Is going to lay off employees in 2024, TechCrunch exclusively learned, with the total impacted employees potentially reaching as high as 20% of the animation studio’s 1,300 person workforce. The cutbacks come as Disney looks to reduce the studio’s output as it struggles to achieve profitability in streaming.

    Audible

    Is laying off 5% of its workforce, citing an “increasingly challenging landscape,” according to a leaked memo obtained by Business Insider.

    Discord

    Is laying off 17% of its staff, impacting 170 people. In an internal memo obtained by the Verge, Discord CEO Jason Citron blamed the cuts on the company growing too quickly.

    Google

    Laid off hundreds of employees across its Google Assistant division and the team that manages Pixel, Nest and Fitbit hardware. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that Fitbit co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman are also exiting.

    Amazon

    Is laying off “several hundreds” of employees at Prime Video and MGM Studios, according to a memo obtained by TechCrunch. The cuts come days after the 500 layoffs at Amazon’s Twitch.

    Twitch

    Is reportedly laying off 500 employees, 35% of its current staff, amid a continued struggle to achieve profitability in the face of rising costs and community backlash. The pending layoffs come after hundreds more employees were laid off in 2023.

    Treasure Financial

    Confirmed to TechCunch that layoffs, conducted in December, had impacted 14 employees, accounting for 60% to 70% of the company, according to multiple sources.

    Duolingo

    Confirmed it cut 10% of its contractor workforce at the end of 2023 as it turns to AI to streamline content production and translations previously handled by humans.

    Rent the Runway

    Will cut about 10% of corporate roles as it goes through a restructuring plan following Anushka Salinas’ planned resignation as operating chief and president at the end of January.

    Unity

    Is reducing its workforce by about 25%, or 1,800 people. The video game engine maker went through three rounds of layoffs in 2023.

    Pitch

    Laid off two-thirds of its employees as the German startup, which built collaborative presentation software, looks to pursue a “completely different path.” CEO and co-founder Christian Reber also stepped down.

    BenchSci

    The AI and biomedical startup reportedly cut 17% of its workforce January 8, citing “shifts in the economic environment,” in a LinkedIn post announcing the layoffs. 

    Flexe

    Eliminated 38% of its staff January 8 as the online retail logistics company follows up after conducting layoffs in September 2023.

    NuScale

    Announced January 8 it is laying off 28% of its staff, or 154 workers, as the small modular nuclear reactor company shifts its focus to “key strategic areas.”

    Trigo

    Is reportedly laying off 15% of its workforce focused on computer vision for retailers.

    InVision

    Is shutting down at the end of 2024 after a 12 year run. The design collaboration startup was once valued at nearly $2B.

    VideoAmp

    Is laying off nearly 20% of its workforce as it tries to maintain its battle with Nielsen over media measurement. CEO Ross McCray stepped down from the company.

    Orca Security

    Is laying off roughly 15% of its staff, totaling 60 employees. The Israel-based unicorn reportedly plans to move some impacted employees into other positions at the company.

    Frontdesk

    Laid off its entire 200-person workforce January 2 after attempts to raise more capital failed, TechCrunch exclusively learned. The mass layoff comes just seven months after the startup acquired rival Zencity. 



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  • 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to Add to Your Architecture Bucket List

    25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites to Add to Your Architecture Bucket List

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    The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites has grown dramatically since it was first unveiled in 1978 with only a dozen entries (at the time it included places like Aachen Cathedral in Germany and Yellowstone National Park in the US). Today, the World Heritage list includes 1,199 places, from natural sites and protected areas showcasing ecosystems and biodiversity (like Yosemite National Park) to archaeological sites (like Peru’s Machu Picchu) and cultural sites and landmarks (that’s you, Statue of Liberty), all of outstanding universal value in nearly every corner of the earth.

    However, this also means the list is something of an architectural treasure map. So we’ve parsed the sites for a few of our most beloved landmarks to help you plan your next architectural pilgrimage (or two). Read on for our top World Heritage Site recommendations, as well as answers to frequently asked questions about the distinguished list.

    What is the meaning of UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

    Beginning in 1978, UNESCO (the universally accepted shorthand for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) published its first list of places with important “cultural and natural heritage considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.” These sites range from places of great biodiversity to historic sites or archaeological sites and important cultural sites.

    “The UNESCO World Heritage List’s main objective is to pass on cultural and natural heritage considered to be of outstanding value to humanity to future generations,” UNESCO tells AD in a statement.

    Each year (skipping 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), the organization adds about 20 to 40 new locales. The places it includes are those that it considers to be critical to its mission to “encourage the identification, protection, and preservation” of these important places. However, being on the list is not just about pedigree or honor, it also ensures that the conservation and protection of the sites is carried out to high standards.

    What qualifies as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

    So far, the UNESCO World Heritage Sites include a diverse group, from Stonehenge and the Galapagos Islands to the pyramids of Giza and the works of modernist Swiss-French architect and painter Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier. To make the World Heritage List, an entry doesn’t have to be in a single location, it can be an ode to cultural heritage across boundaries and countries—for example, Le Corbusier’s included works can be found in Europe, India, Japan and Argentina.

    “The uniqueness of UNESCO World Heritage sites is based on their outstanding universal value, meaning that their significance is so exceptional as to be of common importance for all humanity, for present and future generations.” UNESCO explains. “As such, the permanent protection of this heritage is of the highest importance to the international community.”

    How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites are there?

    The list has grown from its original 12 in 1978 to 1,199 in 168 countries as of mid-2024, though three have been removed from the list. Of those 1,199, 933 are cultural sites, 227 are natural sites, and 39 are a hybrid. Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritages Sites (59), China is second (57), and France and Germany are tied for third (52).

    Does the US have any UNESCO sites?

    The US has 25 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as of mid-2024. The first US sites on the list were Mesa Verde National Park and Yellowstone National Park, which were among the original group of 12 honored sites in 1978. The most recent, added in September 2023, was Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in Ohio. There are currently 18 US entrants on UNESCO’s Tentative List of potential World Heritage Sites.

    Does the UNESCO World Heritage List change?

    As noted, the list is always growing, but sometimes World Heritage Sites can also be delisted. One of the reasons for such a case is a poor state of conservation. UNESCO currently lists three places that have lost their designation, including the English city of Liverpool, which lost its place on the list because of the encroachment of waterfront development that didn’t preserve the city’s maritime heritage.

    Nonetheless, there are still plenty of places on the list worthy of a visit. “The World Heritage List is a gateway to new cultures, new landscapes, new people, and identities. Everyone is invited to discover these sites in a real or virtual way to better understand what constitutes our common humanity,” UNESCO adds. From neoclassical homes in America’s South to European modernist masterpieces and Moorish mosques, there’s something for every architecture buff on every continent on the planet (except Antarctica). Get your passport ready!

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  • Short List Revealed for World Architecture Festival Awards 2024

    Short List Revealed for World Architecture Festival Awards 2024

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