Apple has simply purchased up the expertise it must make speaking toys part of Siri, HomePod, and its voice technique. Apple has acquired PullString, also called ToyTalk, in response to Axios’ Dan Primack and Ina Fried. TechCrunch has acquired affirmation of the acquistion from sources with data of the deal. The startup makes voice experience design tools, synthetic intelligence to energy these experiences, and toys like talking Barbie and Thomas The…

Joanna Glasner Contributor Extra posts by this contributor Where seed and early-stage funding is growing, contracting or holding steady Hire faster, work happier: Startups target employment with AI and engagement tools For years, many years even, startup names have been getting weirder. This isn’t a scientific verdict, however it’s how issues have appeared to somebody who spends a whole lot of hours perusing these things. Startups have had a future…

The expertise sector awards ladies and same-sex {couples} essentially the most complete fertility profit packages, in response to a survey by FertilityIQ, a web-based platform for fertility sufferers to evaluate docs and analysis remedies. The corporate requested 30,000 in vitro fertilisation (IVF) sufferers throughout industries about their employers’ — or their partner’s employer’s’ — 2019 fertility therapy coverage, and allotted factors primarily based on their help for IVF procedures and egg freezing,…

Hims, identified by many for its phallic New York subway advertisements, has raised a further $100 million in enterprise capital funding on a pre-money valuation of $1 billion. The spherical was first reported by Recode and confirmed to TechCrunch by sources with data of the deal. A growth-stage investor has led the spherical, which is ongoing, with participation from present traders. Our supply declined to call the lead investor however did…

Alchemist, which started as an experiment to higher promote enterprise entrepreneurs, has morphed right into a well-established Silicon Valley accelerator. To show it, San Francisco-based Alchemist is saying a recent $2.5 million funding forward of its 20th demo day on Wednesday. Juniper Networks, a networking and cybersecurity options enterprise, has led the spherical, with participation from Siemens’ enterprise capital unit Subsequent47. Launched in 2012 by former Draper Fisher Jurvetson investor Ravi…

Persevering with a pattern that VCs right here in London inform me is seeing an growing quantity of deal-flow in Europe appeal to the curiosity of top-tier Silicon Valley enterprise capital companies, TechCrunch has discovered that e-mail safety supplier Tessian is the most recent to lift from throughout the pond. In keeping with a number of sources, the London-based firm has closed a Collection B spherical led by Sequoia Capital….

Postmates, one of many earlier entrants to the billion-dollar food delivery wars, has raised an extra $100 million in fairness funding at a $1.85 billion valuation, as first reported by Recode and confirmed to TechCrunch by Postmates. The spherical comes 4 months after the eight-year-old startup drove residence a $300 million investment that lastly knocked it into “unicorn” territory. New investor BlackRock has joined the funding spherical alongside Tiger World,…