The Information

Shukun employees examine a scan. Photo courtesy of Shukun Technology.

Startup of the Week

This Chinese Startup Is Bringing AI to Heart Disease Treatment

By Shai Oster · Aug 28, 2019 10:01am PDT · 7 comments

Shukun Technology, a startup founded two years ago in Beijing that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose heart disease, is developing a technology that could help tackle one of China’s most urgent medical problems: a shortage of doctors to treat a rapidly growing population of older, sicker people.Shukun uses software, a database of... Shukun Technology, a startup founded two years ago in Beijing that uses artificial intelligence...

Cobalt Robotics co-founders Travis Deyle and Erik Schluntz. Photo: Cobalt

Startup of the Week

Robot Security Guards Roll Into More Offices

By Cory Weinberg · Aug 21, 2019 10:32am PDT

Building robots has long been a romantic pursuit for Travis Deyle. As a kid in rural Nebraska, he assembled small robots from windshield wiper motors in a shop on his grandfather’s farm. As a postdoctoral student, he developed healthcare robots that would fetch medication for elderly people. Meanwhile, he published a popular blog on the... Building robots has long been a romantic pursuit for Travis Deyle. As a kid in rural Nebraska, he...

Illustration by Scotty Reifsnyder

Startup of the Week

A Wish Shopping Rival Emerges in Europe

By Yunan Zhang and Juro Osawa · Aug 12, 2019 10:56am PDT

A little-known Chinese discount shopping app is gaining ground in Europe and the Middle East, posing a potential challenge to U.S. e-commerce startup Wish’s efforts to expand globally.The app, called Vova, is going after the price-conscious consumers also being targeted by Wish. It is one of an emerging group of Chinese e-commerce... A little-known Chinese discount shopping app is gaining ground in Europe and the Middle East,...

Substack Co-Founders Hamish McKenzie, Chris Best and Jairaj Sethi. Photo courtesy of Substack.

A One-Stop Shop for Newsletter Publishing

By Beejoli Shah · Aug 1, 2019 10:01am PDT · 3 comments

Substack Co-Founders Hamish McKenzie, Chris Best and Jairaj Sethi. Photo courtesy of Substack.

Startup of the Week

A One-Stop Shop for Newsletter Publishing

By Beejoli Shah · Aug 1, 2019 10:01am PDT · 3 comments

Substack, a nearly 2-year-old San Francisco–based startup that builds tools to make it easier for writers to publish—and make money from—subscription newsletters, believes it can stand out in a crowded field by keeping it simple. Substack handles most of the production and business tasks small and solo publishers face such... Substack, a nearly 2-year-old San Francisco–based startup that builds tools to make it...

Marcos Leta. Photo courtesy of Fazenda Futuro.

Startup of the Week

This Startup Wants to be Beyond Meat of Brazil

By Juro Osawa · Jul 18, 2019 10:01am PDT · 1 comment

In the U.S., investors are salivating over plant-based burgers. Beyond Meat has seen its market capitalization more than double to $10 billion since it went public in May. Now, the meatless meat mania is starting to spread to other parts of the world. And that’s what Brazilian entrepreneur Marcos Leta is betting on.Mr. Leta’s... In the U.S., investors are salivating over plant-based burgers. Beyond Meat has seen its market...

Kaiyo founder Alpay Koralturk.

Startup of the Week

Kaiyo Seeks to Ease the Hassle of Buying Used Furniture

By Zoë Bernard · Jul 11, 2019 10:02am PDT · 1 comment

Kaiyo, a 5-year-old online furniture consignment shop formerly known as Furnishare, was founded to help urban dwellers moving from one set of tight quarters to another solve a common problem: where to buy or sell unwanted furniture easily and on short notice.Kaiyo does this by offering free pickup of used furniture, which it takes to a... Kaiyo, a 5-year-old online furniture consignment shop formerly known as Furnishare, was founded...

Photo courtesy of Magma.

Startup of the Week

Cool Melon, Mung Bean Flavors Power Vaping Startup’s China Push

By Shai Oster · Jun 27, 2019 10:01am PDT

Modern vaping was invented in China, and about 90% of the electronic cigarettes sold in the world are made there. But the country is currently home to only about two million e-cigarette users. That’s a situation former cigarette accessory industry executive Michael Gao wants to turn to his advantage with his vaping startup, Moti... Modern vaping was invented in China, and about 90% of the electronic cigarettes sold in the world...

Jyve co-founders James Kairos, Sam Purtill, Cammy Bergren and Brad Oberwager. Photo: Jyve

Jyve Enlists Gig Workers to Restock Grocery Shelves

By Priya Anand · Jun 20, 2019 10:02am PDT · 1 comment

Jyve co-founders James Kairos, Sam Purtill, Cammy Bergren and Brad Oberwager. Photo: Jyve

Startup of the Week

Jyve Enlists Gig Workers to Restock Grocery Shelves

By Priya Anand · Jun 20, 2019 10:02am PDT · 1 comment

Startups looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of gig work are gaining increasing attention from investors. Among them is Jyve, which is focused on the retail sector where it connects workers to stores and brands needing people for tasks such as restocking shelves and setting up displays inside grocery stores. What sets Jyve apart from... Startups looking to capitalize on the growing popularity of gig work are gaining increasing...

Candid founders Lilla Cosgrove, Bobby Ghoshal; Sam Levine, Nick Greenfield and Spencer Salovaara. Photo: Candid

Startup of the Week

Candid Fixes Smiles by Mail

By Tom Dotan · Jun 13, 2019 10:06am PDT

Once a month, from second grade until I was in high school, one of my parents would pick me up from school and drive me to Dr. Wells’ office. He was my orthodontist. There I would sit in the waiting room, thumbing through reading material like the Complete Family Circus until the receptionist, Dr. Wells’ wife, told me the... Once a month, from second grade until I was in high school, one of my parents would pick me up...

SiFive CEO Naveed Sherwani. Photo courtesy of the company.

Startup of the Week

Qualcomm Backs Startup Taking On SoftBank-Owned Arm

By Aaron Tilley · Jun 6, 2019 10:11am PDT · 2 comments

An emerging open source chip design, called RISC-V, appears to be picking up steam in the tech industry, changing how companies make custom chips, and one of the technology’s leading startups is growing fast along with it.San Mateo, Calif.–based SiFive has just raised $65.4 million in a Series D round, the company said, bringing its... An emerging open source chip design, called RISC-V, appears to be picking up steam in the tech...

Foam co-founders Ryan John King, Katya Zavyalova and Kristoffer Josefsson. Photo: Foam

Startup of the Week

This Crypto Company Takes Aim at GPS

By Jon Victor · May 30, 2019 10:01am PDT · 1 comment

Last year, in response to a wave of gamers using software to fake their locations, the company behind the location-based game Pokémon GO decided to lay down the law. For the first time, Niantic published a list of actions that could result in a ban—including faking a GPS location, a tactic some players had been using to gain an... Last year, in response to a wave of gamers using software to fake their locations, the company...

Human Ventures CEO Heather Hartnett. Photo courtesy of Human Ventures.

Backed by Prominent New Yorkers, Human Ventures Tries Different VC Playbook

By Jessica E. Lessin · May 23, 2019 10:01am PDT

Human Ventures CEO Heather Hartnett. Photo courtesy of Human Ventures.

Startup of the Week

Backed by Prominent New Yorkers, Human Ventures Tries Different VC Playbook

By Jessica E. Lessin · May 23, 2019 10:01am PDT

Early-stage venture capital can be a bloodbath. New funds are created by the month, all fighting for deals. But in this crowded landscape, Human Ventures in New York is an investor to watch. The nearly 4-year-old fund and startup studio, founded by investor Heather Hartnett and entrepreneur and media executive Joe Marchese, has attracted a... Early-stage venture capital can be a bloodbath. New funds are created by the month, all fighting...

Zapier founders Mike Knopp, Bryan Helmig and Wade Foster. Photo: Zapier

Startup of the Week

Zapier’s Unusual Path to Profitability

By Kevin McLaughlin · May 16, 2019 7:01am PDT · 3 comments

Zapier, a 7-year-old startup whose software connects different types of applications to automate personal computing tasks, has taken a different path to profitability than most Silicon Valley companies. It doesn’t have a sales team or a main office, and its CEO, Wade Foster, made headlines two years ago by offering new hires $10,000 to... Zapier, a 7-year-old startup whose software connects different types of applications to automate...

Andela co-founders, l.-r., Brice Nkengsa, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Ian Carnevale, Christina Sass, Jeremy Johnson, Nadayar Enegesi. Photo: Andela

Startup of the Week

Andela Taps Africa’s Software Talent

By Jessica Toonkel · May 9, 2019 11:11am PDT · 2 comments

The shortage of engineering and software development talent in the U.S. has been a growing challenge for employers ranging from startups to multinational corporations. While there are a number of development shops throughout the world these employers can outsource to, finding full-time talent that is easy to manage remotely, particularly with... The shortage of engineering and software development talent in the U.S. has been a growing...

Scoop co-founders Robert (l.) and Jonathan Sadow

Startup of the Week

Scoop Wants to Change How People Commute

By Cory Weinberg · May 2, 2019 10:02am PDT · 5 comments

Investors have plowed tens of billions of dollars into ride-hailing and scooter services that mostly cater to people taking trips shorter than 10 miles. Yet the frenzy hasn’t changed the way most Americans get to work: driving in cars, alone, for longer stretches.Scoop, founded in San Francisco in 2015, hopes to change that, by growing its... Investors have plowed tens of billions of dollars into ride-hailing and scooter services that...