Welcome to Startups Weekly
Haje’s Weekly Recap of the World of Startups
This Week’s Stories
Norwegian Startup Oda Confirms Layoffs
As the end of 0% interest rates continues to take its toll, Oda, a SoftBank-backed online supermarket delivery startup based in Norway, has confirmed the layoffs of 150 employees. The company is now refocusing on Norway and Sweden, with hopes of reaching profitability next year.
Co-founder Jon Kåre Stene, now a partner at VC firm Skyfall Ventures, sees this as a potential catalyst for new startups to emerge in the Norwegian tech scene. Similar to Europe’s startup factories, like Skype, this could be Norway’s turn to shine.
Hardware Hurdles for Humane’s Ai Pin Launch
Humane, a startup that has already faced numerous challenges with its Ai Pin launch, is now urging customers to stop using its charging case due to battery fire concerns. Despite this, Humane states that this precautionary measure is based on a single complaint and is only out of an abundance of caution. However, it is unlikely to help the company’s case.
French Startup takes the App Market by Storm
The co-founders of French startup ten ten are currently running on minimal sleep as their social app goes viral, with 1 million downloads in their home country and 6 million worldwide.
Troubles for AI Mortgage Startup LoanSnap
With high-profile backers like Reid Hoffman, Richard Branson, and the Chainsmokers, AI mortgage startup LoanSnap is struggling. Employees are increasingly worried about the company’s future as concerns continue to mount.
Inside the Rise and Fall of Fisker
A fascinating story of hubris, power struggles, and failure to set up basic processes that are crucial for any automaker, Sean O’Kane from TechCrunch unravels the inside story of Fisker’s collapse.
Firefly forges on after Loss of Co-founder
Despite the heartbreaking loss of co-founder and CTO Joseph “Sefi” Genis, who was among the hundreds murdered by Hamas on October 7, Israeli startup Firefly is continuing its mission.
Top Fundraises of the Week
- Solutions by Text (SBT) raises $110 million
- Sword Health raises $30 million primary funding and $130 million secondary funding
- Neural Concept secures $27 million for electric vehicle design
- GetWhy receives $34.5 million for AI-driven consumer research
- Storyblok raises $80 million for AI-powered “headless” content management system
Ticketmaster’s Woes Could Signal Hope for Ticketing Startups
A Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit has the potential to bring in newcomers to the ticketing industry. And with recent news of a Ticketmaster data breach, there may be a silver lining for alternative ticketing platforms.
Other Top TechCrunch Stories
- Live Nation confirms Ticketmaster hack
- Hearing of the Ticketmaster antitrust lawsuit
- Getting Technical: Storyblok’s AI-driven CMS
- Further developments for Sword Health
- Swiss startup Neural Concept revolutionizes electric vehicle design
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