Andreessen Horowitz backs Synonym’s development of ‘fermentation farms’ • TechCrunch

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Scorching rattling, it’s occurring: A bunch of the TechCrunch staff are on airplanes, aeroplanes and different spellings of flying vessels to come back be part of us in San Francisco for Disrupt. To say that we’re excited can be utilizing altogether too few syllables. Lauren S made us a consumer’s information to TechCrunch Disrupt together with a information to all of the receptions, events and different cool extracurriculars. See you quickly! — Christine and Haje

The TechCrunch Prime 3

• What’s one other phrase for Synonym?: Ever heard of a “fermentation farm”? Properly you’ve got now. Christine lined Synonym Biotechnologies’ pre-seed spherical, with massive backer Andreessen Horowitz, through which the corporate plans to construct big fermentation farms so nonpharmaceutical firms can mass-produce bioproducts like dairy proteins.
• A rose by another title: “Advert,” “Sponsored,” no matter you wish to name it, Google is making it so if you carry out a cell search, you’ll undoubtedly know whether it is some sponsored content material or an natural search outcome. Ivan has extra.
• Legless for some time longer: We have been promised legs, however now Ivan writes that it might be one other yr for any Meta leg-equipped avatars to seem in Horizon Worlds.

Startups and VC

Even the most important landfills in Indonesia are at (or nearing) capability, and the federal government has set an bold goal of 30% waste discount by 2025, studies Catherine.  Waste4Change is among the firms that wishes to assist by growing charges of recycling and enabling higher waste administration. The startup, which at the moment manages greater than 8,000 tons of waste yearly, introduced immediately that it has raised $5 million in Sequence A funding, co-led by AC Ventures and PT Barito Mitra Investama.

And we have now 5 extra for you:

DIY: 5 methods disruptive part startups can win over OEMs

Ori Mor writes that {hardware} startup founders have a uniquely exhausting time. Solely a small fraction of tech buyers will even take conferences with them, and constructing product pipelines is commonly an irregular, even chaotic course of.

As a substitute of counting on gross sales and advertising groups to construct a buyer base for his {hardware} parts startup, Mor’s firm began constructing units that used his firm’s tech.

“There’s no level speeding when constructing a {hardware} startup,” says Mor. “As a substitute, begin by making only a single prototype that you should utilize to point out OEMs.”

Three extra from the TC+ staff:

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Massive Tech Inc.

Rebecca received the inside track on Sono Motors’ new Sion photo voltaic electrical car and a few face time with Whoopi Goldberg (photos to show it). Although the family-friendly car is available in at $25,000, Rebecca factors out that the inside is roomier than it seems to be from the skin, but additionally that no cup holders within the again won’t go over with some American households.

And we have now 5 extra for you:

• Extra layoffs: Jagmeet has extra on Momentive International’s layoff announcement of 11% of its workforce. In case you’re considering, “Who?” that will be SurveyMonkey’s mum or dad firm. Actual property valuation expertise firm Clear Capital can be lowering its employees by 27%, studies Andrew.
• Get the popcorn prepared: Peacock is making the “Actual Housewives” franchise its guinea pig because it exams out some new interactive options that can give viewers prolonged clips and interviews, Lauren studies.
• Don’t @me: In the meantime, over at Twitter, the corporate is growing a method for customers to manage who can point out them, writes Aisha.
• It places the lotion on its robotic pores and skin: Brian studies that Touchlab, which gained the TC Periods: Robotics pitch-off occasion a couple of months in the past, started piloting its robotic pores and skin sensors in a hospital setting.
• Time, time, time, see what’s grow to be of me: The proprietor of the Shein style e-commerce web site was fined $1.9 million for not correctly dealing with a 2018 information breach that compromised hundreds of thousands of customers’ info, Rita writes.