Mike Butcher
Editor At Large
The Latest from Mike Butcher
Now with VC backing, Ride1Up is producing affordable mid-drive e-bikes, like the Prodigy
Since e-bike manufacturer Ride1Up closed a $6.5 million Series A led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund, the 2018-founded San Diego-based company has seen steady sales growth, especially as consumers switche
Why build a fintech any more when you can just raise €20M and white-label it to banks?
Financial institutions have struggled to develop their own technologies, hence the rise of neo-banks which used Open Banking regulations to build their own fintech stacks. That has led to a wave of in
Can companies issue stakes in their success without using shares or options? This startup thinks so
So-called “stakeholder capitalism” has not had the most illustrious of histories. Yes, there have been “Walmart Associates” who were able to own stock in the company, or “
‘Insane’ — UK tech reacts to government moves that might hand UK startups contract to Barclays Bank
Tech Nation is trailing in second place in the race to remain the U.K.’s government-backed “startup champion” after the latter put the £12 million contract out to tender, according to T
Web3 bug-bounty platform Immunefi raises $24M for its Series A funding round
It was around this time last year that we reported that Immunefi — one of the emerging bug bounty and security services platforms for DeFi — had raised $5.5 million in funding. Given that
Berlin’s Visionaries Club VC boosts its funds with €400M worth of fresh capital for B2B investments
It was back in 2019 that we reported on Visionaries Club, a new, Berlin-based, European VC focusing on B2B, founded by Sebastian Pollok and Robert Lacher. At the time, Visionaries Club had launched tw
Sources say Web Summit Ventures will be a new $40M follow-on fund
Web Summit, one of the world’s largest events centered around technology startups, is to launch a brand-new venture capital vehicle consisting of two new funds, TechCrunch understands. The move
Could the forests and land of Europe offset most of its CO2? This startup hopes to prove it
The voluntary carbon market remains a Wild West. There are few standards, a myriad of approaches, while buyers and sellers are crying out for clarity. And there are lots of different approaches. In to
The VC ‘Scramble for Europe’ breaks out in the East as a €70M fund breaks cover
There is a fight emerging in Central and Eastern Europe, and all the way down into the South Eastern regions. Investors such as Inovo, Credo, LauncHub, Vitosha, VentureFriends, and Marathon VC are all
Can this startup solve the HR headache that is digital nomads? It just raised $12M to try
In the new era of remote and hybrid working, companies need to manage people who either relocate or work remotely. For obvious reasons, that has created a huge headache for HR directors. Back in 2014,
Runa Capital kicks off new fund as it joins the VC ‘Scramble for Europe’ by moving to Luxembourg
TechCrunch understands Runa Capital, which launched in 2010, has raised $55 million toward its fourth fund, aiming for a target of $250 million. The company is declinging to comment. However, after 12
Jobbatical raises €11.6M as worker migration goes paperless
Jobbatical — which specializes in relocating workers and whose business has seen an uplift in the post-pandemic work environments as so many workers become “digital nomads” — h
Just outside of Munich, a startup plans a new process to recycle Lithium-ion batteries
Companies like Redwood Materials (raised $792 million), Li-Cycle (Canada, raised $667.7 million) and Green Li-ion (Singapore, raised $15 million) have made a name for themselves in recycling batteries
One startup’s solution to the carbon-offsetting mess: Downgrade the ‘middle-men’ resellers
As well as the traditional carbon offset resellers and exchanges such as Climate Partner or Climate Impact X, the tech space has also produced a few, including Patch (U.S.-based, raised $26.5 million)
With schools increasingly focused on mental health, PsycApps raises seed round for US expansion
I’ve been tracking PsycApps, a startup that came up with a gamified mental health game called eQuoo, since 2016, and this company — and its founder — is nothing if not persistent in R
As our populations age, this startup is turning live-in care into a gig-economy platform
As developed-world populations increasingly get older, healthcare is being rapidly digitized and “platformized” in order to meet the huge scale of change heading our way. I recently covere
This new $100M fund plans to focus on startups accelerating the science around longevity
Longevity-focused startups have been proliferating in recent years as we become more focused on our health. However, it’s not just about apps to get you in the gym. Longevity startups can range from
Revolut to allow users to donate to the homeless via the Beam crowdfunding platform
The world is entering a huge cost of living crisis, which will inevitably result in a rise in homelessness. But donating to homeless people has yet to go fully digital. Challenger bank Monzo allowed t
Veterinary telehealth service Vetster launches in the UK post expansion in the US
Vetster, a veterinary telehealth service which has raised $40 million, is launching in the U.K. following expansion in the U.S. Vetster connects licensed veterinarians with pet owners via video, voice
Web3 giant Parity Technologies teams up with Watr over platform to track ethical commodities
As the U.S. and Europe bake in abnormal summer heat, the climate continues to climb up the world’s agenda. With everyone now talking about energy, how commodities are traded is also becoming a talki