Yann LeCun and Arthur Mensch back Zurich robotics startup in $30m pre-seed

Xona raises $250M at a $2.45B valuation to build a rival to GPS

Xona, a California startup building a satellite navigation network in low Earth orbit, has raised $250 million at a $2.45 billion valuation. Steve Jurvetson’s Future Ventures led the Series D, Xona said on Thursday.

Nirva raises $33M for a pendant that only listens to you

Nirva will ship its $249 ambient AI pendant by the end of the year.

DeepSeek reportedly raises $15B days after US restrictions

DeepSeek has reportedly raised $15 billion in one of China’s largest funding rounds, just days after the US ordered federal agencies to remove its technology over national security concerns.

Exclusive: Slingshot Raises $27M In Seed Funding To Build An Insurer For Those Small Policies Sold At Checkout

Slingshot Insurance, a Minneapolis-based AI-native embedded insurance startup, is emerging from stealth with $27 million in a seed funding round co-led by Rally Ventures and Skyward Group, it tells Crunchbase News exclusively.

Spotify hits 306 million subscribers and expects 316 million by year end

Spotify ended the third quarter with 306 million paying subscribers, up 9% from a year earlier, according to its third-quarter update, published on Thursday. Monthly active users rose 11% to 788 million. Revenue grew 16% to €4.97 billion, or 14% at constant exchange rates.

NordVPN’s Black Friday deal gives business travelers 3 bonus months

NordVPN’s running its Black Friday sale, and its Prime / Ultimate Max plan with Cyber Insurance it’s a must for business travelers working on the move.

Italian startups are growing up: bigger early-stage rounds and more late-stage money, data shows

More startup ‘mafias’ are coming in Norway, predicts VC

Sifted’s first Onstage Demo Day

Ireland’s AI scene has buzz. Now it needs breakouts