Author: Nigeriabrief

The IPO window may be open, but some former startups don’t seem to have any intention of going public. In a way it makes sense. IPOs are a traditional way to raise money, and if you can raise an exorbitant amount of money for your company without exposing it to public scrutiny, why would you? Databricks proves that point. The data intelligence company has raised more than $4 billion in a Series L funding round at a $134 billion valuation. This is a 34% increase from the $100 billion valuation it achieved just three months ago. This is Databricks’ third…

After years in the wilderness, the time was right to become a nuclear startup. “For the first five years, I was telling people I was working on nuclear, and I had to convince them, ‘Hey, here’s why nuclear is important,'” Last Energy founder and CEO Bret Kugelmass told TechCrunch. “Now everyone just comes to us and says, ‘Oh, of course nuclear is an important part of the solution.'” I’m like, Okay, great, I’m glad everyone is catching up. ” Last Energy is building small modular reactors, compact nuclear power plants that can be produced in large quantities to cut costs.…

MoEngage, a customer engagement platform used by consumer brands in 75 countries, has raised $180 million in a follow-on Series F round, just over a month after securing $100 million, with the majority of the latest funding providing liquidity to investors and employees through secondary transactions. Approximately $123 million in collateral funding was raised in this round, including a $15 million employee bid providing liquidity for 259 current and former employees, with the remaining $57 million being raised as primary capital and invested in the business. The round was led by ChrysCapital and Dragon Funds, with participation from Schroders Capital…

Google is expanding its push into consumer finance in India, launching a UPI-linked credit card, betting on the country of more than 1.4 billion people, where fewer than 50 million people currently own a credit card. Google on Wednesday entered India’s growing co-branded credit card market with the launch of Flex by Google Pay, partnering with private lender Axis Bank to expand access to credit in India’s UPI-driven payments ecosystem. In India, the rapid adoption of digital payments through the government-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has changed the way consumers pay, but it has not led to widespread access to…

Nick Reiner has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of his parents, acclaimed actor and director Rob Reiner and photographer Michelle Singer Reiner, authorities announced Tuesday.The 32-year-old is being held without bail and has been in custody since Sunday evening, hours after his sister reportedly discovered the couple’s bodies in their Los Angeles home. Police said Sunday that a couple suffered fatal stab wounds.”Rob Reiner was one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation. His murder and that of his wife of more than 35 years, Michelle Singer Reiner, are shocking and tragic. We owe…

Underwater autonomous ships and robots could play an important role in defense operations, but submersibles have historically had difficulty communicating over long distances without surfacing. But if you try to send it, you obviously run the risk of exposure. Skana Robotics believes it has made a breakthrough in underwater communication using AI, but the same cannot be said for the large-scale language models that the industry is touting today. Tel Aviv-based Skana has developed new features for its fleet management software system SeaSphere. This allows groups of vessels to communicate with each other underwater over long distances using AI. The…

This article is a collaboration between The Guardian and independent bilingual publication Enlace Latino NC. On a cold December afternoon, about a dozen workers load the last Christmas trees of the season onto trucks at Wolf Creek Tree Farm and Nursery in Cullowee, North Carolina. Nearby, another group is taking a break to stay warm around a barrel fire. Many more workers are working in fields deep in the mountains, about 30 minutes away by car.It’s the last working day of the 2025 season, and the atmosphere is relaxed, even cheerful. The men came from Mexico as temporary agricultural workers…

The Home Secretary has announced Gaon Haat as the new Director-General of the Immigration Department following an unusual appointment process under the Governance Regulations for Public Appointments. Mr Hart took over the ISC role on December 12, replacing John Tackett, who was appointed as Border and Immigration’s independent chief inspector earlier this year. To ensure continuity among committee members, Mr. Tackett had been serving in the role on a part-time basis since October. Mr. Hart brings extensive experience in regulatory leadership, legal expertise, and public service to this role. He currently chairs the England and Wales Police Advisory Board, a…