Luminar Technologies is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and selling its chip subsidiary, Luminar Semiconductor, to Quantum Computing Inc. for $110 million. This comes after the loss of its largest client, Volvo, and a quarterly net loss exceeding $189 million.
Ubisoft is diving into the competitive MOBA market by acquiring Amazon Games Montreal and its in-development game, March of Giants. This follows Amazon’s decision to “gut” its game division in October, halting work on major titles like its Lord of the Rings MMO.
Monzo CEO TS Anil was forced out by the board after disagreements over the timing of an IPO and the pace of international growth. The fintech, which just turned its first profit, is now bringing in a former Google exec to lead its next chapter.
A Stanford spinoff called EraDrive just raised $5.3 million to develop hardware-software kits that make satellites autonomous. They’re pitching it as the key to managing thousands of satellites in orbit. It’s a bold vision with some serious hurdles.
Beats is betting big on influencer marketing with a new campaign starring controversial streamer IShowSpeed. The nearly five-minute film aims to position the Powerbeats Pro 2 as “the most stable earbuds on earth” through a martial arts narrative.
A new report from StepUp Startups details Europe’s push for open-source AI to boost competitiveness. With only 14% of EU firms using AI in 2024, the bloc is betting on transparency and public compute to carve a niche.
GeekWire’s latest “Uncommon Thinkers” list highlights six innovators from the Seattle area. They’re working on drug discovery, AI automation, spacecraft propulsion, and more. It’s a refreshing look at mission-driven tech.
Canadian telecom Rogers has officially launched its satellite-to-mobile service nationwide. The service, starting at CA$15 per month, supports text messaging on apps like WhatsApp and X, with plans to add data and voice. It follows a beta trial where over one million satellite texts were sent.
LI.FI, a startup comparing prices and pathways for moving crypto across blockchains, just raised $29 million. The company says it’s profitable and handles $8 billion in monthly transaction volume. But the underlying tech it relies on—bridges—has a notoriously risky history.
In one of Europe’s biggest fintech deals, Mollie is buying GoCardless. The €1.1 billion acquisition will combine their payment services for 350,000 business customers. The deal is expected to close by mid-2026.
