Lora Kolodny
Emerging Tech Editor, Video Host
The Latest from Lora Kolodny
Cover raises $1.6 million to make in-law units easy to add to any backyard
Whether you call them granny units, in-laws or backyard studios, accessory dwelling units are rising in popularity in the U.S., in part due to new regulations that make it easier to obtain permits to
Fortem raises $5.5 million to hunt and take down unwanted drones
As drones became available to private citizens around the world, bad actors found ways to use them for nefarious purposes, like spying, carrying contraband across borders and turning the aerial robots
Made In Space reveals the Archinaut, a robot-operated factory in the sky
Made In Space is known as the company behind the 3D printers on board the International Space Station. Astronauts have used the startup’s Additive Manufacturing Facility to churn out everything from
Rethink Robotics and iRobot founder Rod Brooks is coming to Disrupt NY
In 1997, robotic scientist Rodney Brooks predicted a future where sensors and robots would be pervasive, and people could simply tell a door to open. His prognostication has come to pass. Brooks will
YL Ventures closes $75 million fund to bring Israeli startups to the US
Early-stage investors YL Ventures have raised a $75 million fund, their third, to back Israeli software startups seeking to enter the U.S. market. The firm maintains offices in Tel Aviv and Mill Valle
Apple started a $1 billion fund to create advanced manufacturing jobs in the US
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed today that the hardware titans have formed a new, $1 billion fund to promote advanced manufacturing jobs in the U.S. Cook said Apple will reveal its first investments from
Abundant Robotics rakes in $10 million for apple harvesting robots
GV (formerly Google Ventures) is leading a $10 million investment in Abundant Robotics, a company building apple-picking robots that could eventually be adapted to harvest other fruits. Joining GV in
Mayo maker Hampton Creek is shedding execs
Food and beverage startups backed by tech investors are having a rough go of it this season, with Juicero all but melting down and companies like Beyond Meat, Urban Remedy and Soylent recalling produ
Yik Yak shuts down after Square paid $1 million for its engineers
Yik Yak co-founders Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington published a farewell note to users on Friday, announcing they would shut down their once-popular anonymous social network this week. The app allow
Investors are betting 3DR can find life after Solo as a drone data platform
An early player in drone-tech, 3D Robotics Inc. on Thursday announced that it has raised $53 million in a Series D round of funding, including new equity funding and conversion of debt equity. Atlanti
Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man Ozobots are on the way
Ozobot, a golf ball-sized toy robot that helps kids learn to code, will be available in the form of Guardians of the Galaxy and Spider-Man characters as of this summer. Evollve Inc., which makes the O
Everfi raises $190 million to teach life skills and touchy subjects online
EVERFI Inc. has raised $190 million in Series D funding to teach students online the life skills and touchy subject matter that they never learned in school. A sampling of courses offered by Everfi ra
Taylor Farms wants to make food without fossil fuels
As industries go, agriculture represents one of the worst environmental offenders. Besides all the fertilizers, pesticides and water they use, farms also burn a lot of fossil fuels and money to keep t
Desktop Metal reveals how its 3D printers rapidly churn out metal objects
Desktop Metal revealed pricing and other details for its 3D printers today which can make objects out of hundreds of different alloys including steel, aluminum, titanium and copper. In terms of qualit
Flush with funding, Instacart accelerates US expansion
Grocery delivery startup Instacart recently closed a $400 million Series D round of funding at a valuation of $3.4 billion. Now, the company is putting that capital to work by accelerating its expansi
Why tech workers showed up to March for Science
Demonstrators turned out in an estimated 600 cities around the world to rally for science and its role in policy-making. The march was organized after the Trump administration proposed and began to im
PowerRay is an underwater drone for filmmakers or fishermen
The creator of the PowerEgg, an ovoid flying robot, has begun accepting orders for its newest creation, a submersible camera drone for home use. Dubbed the PowerRay, the waterproof device can find, at
Figure 1, a knowledge-sharing app for doctors, launches sponsored content
Since its launch in 2013, Figure 1, a photo- and knowledge-sharing app for medical professionals, has focused on "traction" that is winning over new users and keeping them around. The app now boasts r
With DroneDeploy’s Fieldscanner, pilots can create maps as they fly
Flying drones to inspect a farm, construction site, or any other venue from overhead can generate a huge amount of data. It takes time, though, for drone users to upload and turn this high-resolution
The winner of the meal kit market won’t be a meal kit company at all
Now, meal kit companies are facing an onslaught of competition from newcomers and big food brands alike. Turning a profit has proven elusive. And somewhat embarrassingly, it looks like meal kit comp