Asian indie film platform Viddsee signs content deal with Discovery

 Viddsee, a streaming platform for independent short films in Asia, and Discovery Networks announced a content partnership today. The agreement is noteworthy because this is not only the biggest deal of its kind that Singapore-based Viddsee has inked so far, but also marks the first time Discovery’s content, including documentaries, will be available online in Asia. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

This Facebook bot will pick your next movie for you

 As we’ve discussed, Facebook’s bot platform is still in its early stages, and most apps aren’t ready yet to become part of your everyday life. This is mainly due to shortfalls in natural language processing and the trial-and-error process of developers actually figuring out how users are going to use bots. But one company, the slightly inappropriately named And Chill, has… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Not all startups need the bright lights of the big city

 In an office park overlooking a lake in Southern New Hampshire, Rajesh Mishra is working to change how cell networks are created. Rajesh and his company, Parallel Wireless, along with a dozen or so other nearby startups in Southern New Hampshire, are taking on a variety of challenges that face tech infrastructure that most people are not aware of, but impact our daily lives. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Where are they now? Startup Battlefield participant Wellth raises $2M

 In the world of healthcare, physicians and insurers are struggling to meet seemingly conflicting goals: improving patient quality outcomes while reducing the total costs of care. Disrupt NY 2015 Startup Battlefield participant Wellth thinks it has found a solution to this problem, a mobile-first platform that actually pays people to embrace healthier habits. Wellth focuses on the costly… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Whill raises $17.5M Series B for its high-tech motorized wheelchairs

 Whill, a startup dedicated to building better wheelchairs and mobility devices, plans to enter the European market after raising a $17.5 million Series B. The round was led by Eight Road Ventures with participation from other investors including Mirai Creation Investment Limited Partnership and Golden Asia Fund II. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Robin makes the office smarter with $7 million in new funding

 One of the first-world problems most plaguing the new corporate world is the time wasted trying to find and secure a meeting room. At least, that’s the premise Robin is based on. Robin is a company that helps offices organize, track, and monitor their spaces. The company just raised $7 million in Series A led by FirstMark capital, with participation from existing investors such as… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

E-commerce search developer Twiggle adds Alibaba as an investor

 Twiggle, a Tel Aviv-based startup that is developing a new e-commerce search engine, announced today that it has added Alibaba Group as a new investor. Alibaba’s funding counts as the second tranche of Twiggle’s Series A round. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

How I moved my startup from San Francisco to San Diego

 Companies have long come to the Bay Area to plant their seeds, and for good reason. The stretch of land from San Jose to San Francisco encompasses some of the most revolutionary technology in the world, and the best of the best call it home. But that’s beginning to change. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

VetTechTrek is creating an e-learning platform to help veterans build careers in the tech industry

 VetTechTrek is a nonprofit founded last year with the goal of helping military veterans network with the technology industry. Over the last 12 months they have worked toward this goal by hosting multiple “treks” that brought more than 180 veterans and spouses to meet with veterans who work at more than 60 technology startups in New York, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC.… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

International startups: Sign up for a country pavilion at Disrupt SF

 We’re just a few short months away from Disrupt SF 2016. Soon thousands of entrepreneurs, innovators and investors will flock to the beautiful Pier 48 for the best startup show in the Bay Area. Will you and your budding international startup be joining them? Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Buy tickets to the Austin and Seattle pitch-offs now

 It’s time for a little friendly competition among startups. TechCrunch is coming to Austin and Seattle in two weeks, and we’re bringing the TC pitch-off with us. Ten companies will have exactly 60 seconds each to pitch their wares to a panel of expert judges, including TC editors and local VCs. After all the presentations, the judges will determine our winners. First place will… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Nestor focuses on delivering lunch for office workers in Paris

 French startup Nestor just raised $1 million (€900,000) from business angels through Anaxago, and TheFamily. The startup competes in the incredibly fierce market of food delivery startups in Paris. Compared to its competitors, Nestor has a full stack approach and focuses on weekday lunches for office workers. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Apartments are the hot new tech sector

 Welcome to the land technology forgot. High-end leases negotiated and signed via fax. Millions of dollars in apartment inventory tracked on whiteboards with dry-erase markers. Client histories recorded in longhand in legal notebooks and stashed in manila folders. Multi-family real estate (i.e. apartment buildings) is one the fastest-growing sectors in the country right now. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Unicorns along the Wasatch: Utah’s flourishing startup and enterprise scene

 Silicon Valley has traditionally been the startup Garden of Eden, but it’s no longer the only game in town. Utah — specifically Salt Lake City and its ecosystem — has become a formidable breeding ground for startups, even developing its own unicorn herd. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Maison de Mode takes its online ethical luxury fashion brand to an offline pop-up in San Francisco

 San Francisco’s fashion staple seems to be ripped jeans and a hoodie. But just between the edgy All Saints and Paris designer St. Laurent on San Francisco’s Maiden Lane is a rare, high-end fashion pop-up called Maison de Mode. The shop boasts ethical fashion for the luxury buyer with hard to find artisanal items from globally sourced brands you’d normally only find at… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Amazon puts Alexa in the browser with Echoism.io

 Amazon has put Alexa, the voice-powered AI software found in the Echo, Dot, and Tap, right inside the browser with the launch of Echoism.io. After logging in with an Amazon account, anyone can start asking Alexa questions by clicking and holding on the mic button. Amazon’s Alexa is able to answer basic questions around information, weather, news, music, and control other gadgets in the home. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Applications are open for Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF 2016!

 Applications for the Startup Battlefield at Disrupt SF are now open. We’re looking for new, yet-to-launch startups to debut on the Disrupt Stage. For those of you who don’t yet know, the Startup Battlefield is a world-renowned startup competition. It’s like the gymnastics portion of the Summer Olympics. It’s like March Madness for tech geeks. It’s quite literally… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Skillz snags Chief Product Officer Bill Mooney from EA Mobile

 A San Francisco startup whose technology can turn any video game into a tournament played for cash prizes, Skillz, has a new Chief Product Officer, ex-Electronic Arts’ mobile vice president Bill Mooney. Skillz quietly brought Mooney on in February this year. Earlier, at EA Mobile, he managed teams that were responsible for games in the Simpsons and Star Wars franchise. And before that,… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Fovo wants to help women shop by shape, not size

 One of the challenges with clothes shopping online is that it doesn’t mirror the real-world experience where you can try on items for fit. And even though a number of today’s retailers offer free returns, there’s nothing quite as disheartening as ordering a piece online, only to find it won’t work for your body type, size or shape after it arrives. A new startup… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Want to display in Startup and Hardware Alley at Disrupt SF? Get your tickets now

 While we put the figurative closed sign on Disrupt NY just a few weeks ago, it’s never too early to start thinking about what’s next. Disrupt SF is still a few months away, but today we’re excited to announce that tickets to display in Startup and Hardware Alley at Disrupt are now available to purchase. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Photomyne grabs $2.6 million to bring your old photos online

 If you have albums and shoeboxes stuffed with old photos, a startup called Photomyne wants to help you scan those photos, in order to bring them online where they can be saved and shared. Now the Tel Aviv-based company has raised $2.6 million in seed funding to continue to grow its business, which today is closing in on its first million users, over half of whom are paying customers.… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Japanese handmade marketplace Creema raises $10M

 Creema is latest handmade marketplace in Asia to raise new funding. The Japanese startup announced this week (link via Google Translate) that it has received 1.1 billion yen (about $10 million) from Globis Capital Partners and returning investor KDDI Open Innovation Fund (the venture fund run by Japanese telecom KDDI). Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Intel buys computer vision startup Itseez to improve navigation in self-driving cars

 Intel has acquired computer vision and machine learning startup Itseez to develop better navigation for self-driving cars. The value of the deal was undisclosed. Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

Quora loses its public face, Marc Bodnick

 Quora’s been at the Q&A game for 7 years now but still is only starting to monetize. It’s growing, but momentum could take a hit tonight as long-time head of business and community Marc Bodnick is leaving to return to the investing world or found his own startup. Bodnick tells me “I’m ready to be part of something that I start, or that I start with others.”… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com

KitSplit brings its peer-to-peer, creative equipment rentals to Washington, D.C.

 KitSplit aims to help creative professionals rent the equipment they need, whether it’s basic video gear or something a little more high-tech, say a 360-degree camera or an Oculus Rift. The service launched last year in New York, and now it’s ready to expand, starting with its launch in Washington, D.C., followed by Philadelphia and Boston. Co-founder Kristina Budelis said KitSplit… Read More Post by startupsnows.blogspot.com