Did Bolt Mobility bolt? The startup left tools and confused prospects in its wake – TechCrunch

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Monday is right here, and we’re excited to throw ourselves into one other week of summertime tech information. Apropos summer time — because the VCs cease answering their telephones in favor of consuming elderflower lime martinis, taking part in pickleball, spelunking within the Bitcoin mines, and kite browsing (I can solely assume that’s what VCs do for his or her summer time break), it provides us tech reporters a bit extra time to go deeper on a few of the tales and corporations which have been itching our curiosity nerve.

In my distant previous as a startup founder, lengthy earlier than I turned a author at TechCrunch, exhibiting at TechCrunch Disrupt turned out to be a huge moment for my first startup. As an early-stage startup founder, that the hustle is a part of the sport; if your organization doesn’t have the funds to attend, you can apply to be a volunteer and attend that approach. Don’t miss the volunteer FAQ to see if this can be a good possibility for you!  — Haje

The TechCrunch Prime 3

Startups and VC

The regulatory setting surrounding crypto is shifting within the US because the SEC takes goal at main gamers within the web3 world, promising to shake up enterprise as typical with aggressive motion. David Nage discusses how regulatory scrutiny is impacting venture investment in web3. It’s an incredible dialog with Lucas and Anita on this week’s episode of Chain Response, for you podcast followers!

Oui Capital, an Africa-focused VC agency based mostly in Lagos and Massachusetts, announced today that it has completed the first closing of its $30 million second fund, Tage stories. The agency seeks to strengthen its presence on the continent.

Extra extra extra:

• Headline of the week: Ugh, why is Natasha M so good! Don’t miss her Startups Weekly, the succinct recap of what’s what within the land of startups this previous week. Additionally, “The bootstrapped are coming, the bootstrapped are coming” is simply straight-up :chefs-kiss:.
• Like video games, however chainier: The runaway success of Axie Infinity and StepN has satisfied a flurry of entrepreneurs that web3 gaming is the long run. In Rita’s piece, gaming vets promise to make blockchain games fun and sustainable.
• Nonetheless equal, simply with fatter coffers: Equal Ventures has a new pair of funds. The New York Metropolis–based mostly agency has closed a $95 million second fund and its first alternative fund, price $75 million, Natasha M sleuthed out from the agency’s SEC filings.
• Discuss to the machine: UiPath has acquired Reinfer, a London-based startup that’s growing pure language processing (NLP) instruments for enterprises, Paul stories.
• Ixnay on the Chipper Money: Kenya has directed all banks to stop dealing with Chipper Cash and Flutterwave, claiming that the businesses are unlicensed, Annie stories.
• Extra Buoyant local weather market: The climate-focused VC Buoyant Ventures targets $100 million fund because the local weather market continues to evolve, Harri stories.

Construct a stable deck in your quarterly board conferences

Picture Credit: Hiroshi Watanabe (opens in a new window) / Getty Photos

Board conferences are nice for getting suggestions in your progress and your plans for the long run, however what’s one of the best ways to inform them what’s occurring?

In keeping with Ridge Ventures associate Yousuf Khan, usually the most effective and easiest technique to “make sure you’re offering board members with the data they need to see is to simply ask them.”

“Reaching out to your board not solely helps present a way of course, it additionally provides you the chance to construct your relationship. Folks respect the chance to weigh in,” he says.

Khan additionally lays out seven suggestions for constructing a presentation to provide your board updates in your progress, plans, the product and financials.

(TechCrunch+ is our membership program, which helps founders and startup groups get forward. You can sign up here.)

Large Tech Inc.

Hyundai is considering acquiring the South Korea–based lidar-free autonomous mobility platform 42dot. A spokesperson of 42dot advised Kate that the startup is in talks, however cautioned that phrases, together with stake dimension and deal valuation, haven’t materialized but.

In one of many head-scratchiest strikes shortly, Spotify introduced it’s going to introduce a Play button and a Shuffle button on the prime of albums’ playlists to make it simpler to play the music the way in which you want, Sarah stories. Plot twist: the separate buttons are only available to paid subscribers. As Sarah concludes, “Streamers could also be disillusioned to search out out that what ought to be an app replace in favor of higher usability is oddly being bought to them as a cause to improve.”

Just a few extra:

• You by no means know once you want denims in 25 minutes: E-commerce big Amazon launches same-day delivery from select retail stores, together with PacSun and Diesel, Aisha stories.
• Accountless Twitter in testing: Ivan stories on a brand new check from Twitter, the place now you can use Twitter’s iOS app without signing up for an account.
• Pinterest Shuffles into your temper boards: Social media firm Pinterest debuts a new app, Shuffles, for collage-making and moodboards, Sarah stories.
• Uh-oh: Issues are getting (much more) fascinating in hacker land, as hackers steal passwords for accessing 140,000 payment terminals, stories Zack.
• AI is likely to be going too far: There’s a cause over 450,000 folks learn Rising Tech Brew — the three-times-a-week electronic mail delivering the newest expertise information impacting you and your world. Better part? It’s free and solely takes 5 minutes to learn, so there’s actually no cause to not strive it. To remain up-to-date on the newest tech and AI advances, sign up for the Emerging Tech Brew newsletter without spending a dime.