The Latest from Brian Heater
Toro acquires robotic tractor/snow blower maker, Left Hand Robotics
Toro this week announced its intentions to acquire Left Hand Robotics. The Colorado-based startup (not to be confused with Righthand Robotics) is a natural fit for the lawn mowing giant, as the produc
Cables could help soft robots transform into harder structures
The sub-category of soft robotics has transformed the way many think about the field. Oft-influenced by natural phenomenon, the technology offers a dramatically different approach than the sort of rig
Following unionization, Glitch signs collective bargaining agreement
In another key moment for the growing tech labor movement, Glitch employees today announced that they have signed a collective bargaining agreement with the company. The move comes a year after the si
Epic is buying ‘Fall Guys’ developer, Mediatonic
Fortnite maker Epic today announced plans to acquire Tonic Games Group, most notably the publisher behind the fellow massive battle royale hit title, Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout. Tonic Games Group is
SoundCloud adjusts revenue model for indie artists
We’ve known for a long time that music streaming royalties are fundamentally broken. As revenue has shifted away from sales of physical music, it’s become increasingly difficult for many independe
Apple releases results from hearing health study
Way back in 2019, Apple launched Research. The app was the latest effort by a company looking to take a more serious approach to user health, built (naturally) around data collected from the iPhone an
MIT’s insect-sized drones are built to survive collisions
Insects are a lot of things — but fragile they’re not. Sure, most can’t withstand the full force of a human foot, but for their size, they’ve evolved to be extremely rugged and resilie
DJI launches an all-in-one FPV drone system
DJI has flirted with FPV goggles before, of course. The company got on the burgeoning FPV movement with the launch of its DJI Goggles back in 2016. It was a logical extension for the company that cont
Robotics roundup
Robotics took a small step into the wild world of SPACs this week, as Berkshire Grey announced its plan to go public by Q2. Setting aside some of the bigger issues with using the reverse merger route
Connected pet collar company Fi raises a $30M Series B
Pet tech company Fi today announced that it has raised a $30 million Series B. The round, led by Chuck Murphy of Longview Asset Management, follows a $7 million Series A raised back in 2019. The round
Metal 3D printing company Markforged announces plans to go public via SPAC
Big morning for Massachusetts tech companies planning to go public via SPAC. Shortly after Berkshire Grey unveiled its intentions, Watertown-based Markforged has announced its own plans. The metal 3D
Metal 3D printing startup Mantle launches out of stealth with $13M in funding
Additive manufacturing has been a popular buzz phrase for decades now. With a smattering of notable exceptions, however, 3D printing has largely been focused on rapid prototyping and limited-run, pers
Robotics company Berkshire Grey to go public via SPAC
As far as fundraising goes, Berkshire Grey is in pretty good shape. When I visited its Massachusetts headquarters last year, following a massive $263 million Series B, the company discussed some prett
Amazon Echo Show 10 review: Unmoved
Every new smart home device invites new questions. Questions of privacy, security and what we’re willing to give up for the sake of convenience. It’s not an anti-technology stance to welcome these
Symbio is working with Toyota and Nissan to increase robotic assembly efficiency
Bay Area-based AI startup Symbio today announced its “official launch.” Backed by a total of $30 million in funding, the company has struck deals with both Nissan and Toyota to implement its softw
Future Acres launches with the arrival of crop-transporting robot, Carry
When people ask me which robotics categories are poised for the biggest growth, I often point to agriculture. The technology already has a strong foothold in places like warehouse and logistics, but i
Huawei launches its next foldable in China
Huawei’s first foldable feels like a distant memory. Announced in 2019, the company went back to the drawing board prior to release, as Samsung ran into its own much publicized issues with the innov
MSCHF mounted a remote-control paintball gun to Spot
I’ve piloted Spot a number of ways in a number of different settings. I had the chance to control the robot for the first time at one of our Robotics events a number of years back, and drove one aro
Marlon Nichols will discuss how to secure seed funding at TechCrunch Early Stage 2021
We’re excited to announce another terrific panel for our stacked TechCrunch Early Stage event on April 1 & 2. Marlon Nichols will be joining us to discuss securing seed funding. Nichols is intim
Chorus brings a social layer to meditation
Chorus launched its online experience on March 16 of last year. It was fairly auspicious timing, as those things go, falling the same day seven public health departments launched a joint shelter-in-pl