The global shipping and freight industry has never been more in the spotlight, as the pandemic and other disruptions have led to enormous supply chain bottlenecks.

TechCrunch Startups – Spoken Edition

SoftBank-backed Flock Freight is the freight industry’s newest unicorn

There are many in the world of AI who worry about its implications.

Credo AI launches out of stealth with $5.5 million to help companies with “ethical AI”

John Diener, the CEO of an aquaculture nutrition and genetics company, would visit hundreds of shrimp farms as part of his job. But gradually he became frustrated by some of the environmentally unsustainable practices used in many locations.

Vertical Oceans aims to grow sustainable shrimp in huge ‘aqua towers’ inside cities

Gloucester, Massachusetts-based Cometeer has been around for nine years. In that time, the company has built up a mad scientist’s lair worth of coffee scientists, equipment and processes to jolt some fresh life into the industry.

Frozen coffee startup Cometeer raises $35M Series B and launches its product in earnest

Our DJ, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy dancefloor come, thy steps be done, on earth, as it is at Dance Church.

Dance Church raises $4.7M to get your bootie back on the (virtual) dance floor

There may be plenty of funding for some startups these days. But plenty of companies will tell you otherwise. VC Lab, an accelerator for venture capital firms, wants to create investors who will back the rest of the world.

VC Lab introduces free fund formation documents to make startup investing cheaper and easier

Pagos, a payment intelligence infrastructure startup founded by former Braintree and PayPal execs, has raised $10 million in seed funding. Started earlier this year, the remote-first Pagos is building a data “platform” and API-driven micro-services that it says can integrate with any payment stack.

Founded by ex-Braintree and PayPal execs, Pagos raises $10M to offer API-driven payment intelligence

The successful commercial launches of Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic have officially ushered in a new era of space tourism.

Space Perspective raises $40M Series A for stratospheric balloon rides

When flying cargo from one part of the world to another, you typically need a pilot for two parts: The take-off and the landing.

Reliable Robotics lifts $100M to take autonomous cargo planes where none have gone before

The industry will continue to see adoption across all areas, especially as more people are educated on finding the right product and modality and more states legalize cannabis.

Cannabis commerce company Dutchie doubles valuation following new funding round

Years before he co-launched a stealthy business to fix the messy world of health data, Gaurav Kaushik was slowly connecting the dots on how better visualization could impact health outcomes.

ScienceIO leaves stealth with millions to structure health data

French startup Jow has raised a $20 million funding round led by Eurazeo. Jow wants to make it easier to cook at home by taking care of menu ideas and helping you manage your online orders of groceries.

Jow raises $20 million for its meal and grocery planning service

E-bike manufacturer VanMoof recently raised a $128 million funding round. And the company is already using some of that cash to develop a brand new product — the VanMoof V. This is a new product in the VanMoof lineup, a high-speed bike.

VanMoof teases new high-speed electric bike

Depression and anxiety were taking a serious toll on peoples’ well-being even before COVID-19, and the pandemic prompted more interest (and venture capital) in mental health startups.

ThoughtFull gets $1.1M seed to make mental health support more accessible in Southeast Asia

Varda Space Industries, a startup that wants to build in-space manufacturing facilities, will be sending its first spacecraft to orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in 2023. The actual spacecraft — the startup’s first to go to orbit.

Varda Space Industries will send its first space factory to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

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TechCrunch Startups – Spoken Edition

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