Still hot: VCs keep betting big on thermal tech

+ more in this week's tech news   [view entire message](   www.wellfound.com ICYMI: AngelList Talent is now Wellfound We recently [announced]( that AngelList Talent is officially spinning out from the AngelList brand and renaming to Wellfound. Our sister company AngelList Venture - the platform for investors - will continue on as now, simply, AngelList. It’s a change that enables both businesses to take the world’s startup community to new heights. In the coming days, weeks, and months you’ll see a new look and feel, find us at a new domain, and discover new additions to what we do, starting with a revamped weekly newsletter. [Learn more →]( From the Founders: Mark Wong, Kopperfield "It became really clear to me that we needed to do something now. That it’s fundamentally going to impact the quality of the life that I’m going to have when I’m older, but also that of my kids. It’s the thing that drives us as a company." In this From the Founders interview, we hear from Mark Wong (right) of Kopperfield. Hear about Mark's journey from growing up with two parents as entrepreneurs, to one particular day in California that motivated him to start Kopperfield with his co-founder, Jesse Vaughan (right). [Read more →]( ☆ Headlines Tech companies are finding all sorts of (life-saving) uses for thermal sensors _thermal-tech Low-cost thermal sensors are making the world safer, and not just for military applications. Everywhere you turn, thermal tech is creeping in. In the world of medicine alone, thermography is helping to detect [skin cancers]( screen for [neurological conditions]( evaluate [eye functionality]( and more. Los Angeles-based [Kernel]( is putting $100M in VC money to work scanning brains outside of clinical settings with an infrared sci-fi helmet. The company hopes to make brain scans as common as heart rate monitors. Other companies are applying thermal to improve autonomous driving, giving cars a way to [see pedestrians]( better at night. Thermal imaging is tackling public health and safety issues with contactless temperature screening and concealed weapons detection. While you might think that we’d have solved the problem of collision avoidance on the seas, the maritime market is set to invest heavily in object detection and collision avoidance over the [next six years](. And, sure enough: thermal has a major role to play. Thermal imaging is even helping firefighters tackle emergencies by [pinpointing]( the epicenter of a blaze. Low-cost thermal sensors may also be a game changer across the manufacturing sector. While humans can’t work in the dark, robots piloted by AI with thermal sensors can. More broadly, thermal imaging can ensure that equipment is operating, workers are in a safe environment, and that product is consistent. Infrared detection can help manufacturers catch energy waste and detect gas leaks or electrical problems before they become a danger. Thermal for the planet _thermal-tech The global energy crisis is hitting homes and businesses hard across Europe. Residents, homeowners, and businesses need to improve their energy efficiency to keep energy costs as low as possible. But most sources of heat and energy leaks are invisible to the naked eye. Thermal imaging cameras could prove crucial in revealing hidden sources of energy loss and empowering homeowners to become proactive about lowering bills and living more green. Placing a thermal eye in the sky might be the best way to monitor greenhouse gases. Currently, methane emissions are detected and tracked by space agencies and companies using [satellites]( and aircraft with thermal imaging equipment. With aftermarket options already available to enable thermal imaging for your [smartphone]( it’s projected that thermal optics will soon become another built-in smartphone feature. Due to this and the growing need for security applications across public and private sectors, the thermal imaging market is expected to reach a market size of [$7.5B]( by 2030. [5 Top Thermal Imaging Companies Hiring Today →]( ⌃ Trending Communication in everything, everywhere, all at once _IoT Thermal devices are just the tip of the iceberg for the IoT. The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a system made up of sensors, software, and a wide variety of devices that collect and communicate data to and from the Internet. Smart home tech like Google Home, smartwatches, connected cars, and more comprise more than 14.4B devices active on the IoT. With an expectation that approximately 27B IoT devices will be online by 2025, the IoT market is projected to grow substantially over the next decade to $2.5T, along with the spread of 5G connectivity. [5 IoT Companies Hiring Now →]( Attainable Retirement _401k There’s good news if you’re looking to power-charge your retirement savings. The IRS recently announced a record increase in contribution limits to 401(k) and other tax-deferred retirement plans for 2023. Now imagine that for every dollar you contribute to your 401(k), your employer contributes some of its own money to your account. This practice, known as 401(k) matching, is a highly desirable benefit that results in the money you put into your 401(k) plan being partially or in some case totally matched from an employer. With most Americans looking to retire by the age of 67, around 62% of workers see 401(k) matching as critical to reaching retirement. [5 Companies Offering 401(k) Match →]( Transforming Transport: Startups Aim to Fix Commutes _transportation According to Oxford professors, if the world wants to meet the decarbonization goals of the Paris Agreement by 2050, we will need to focus on the movement of people and goods–and look at introducing traffic reduction targets. Tech companies are working to fix one of the biggest contributors to an unhealthy planet and populations: commutes. From the rising rates of traffic in cities causing increased commute times to studies showing correlations between commuting and adverse effects on your health and the planet, it’s clear that we need some new approaches to getting around. While some attempted solutions have proven to be flawed, startups are rethinking how we get around. Here is our list of innovative tech companies tackling transportation. [5 Companies Moving Towards the Future of Transportation →]( $ In the news London, UK-based [Atoa Payments]( a provider of payments solutions, raised a $2.2M pre-seed round led by Leo Capital and Passion Capital. The company’s software enables merchants to accept payments via SMS, Pay-by Link, or by displaying a QR code. Montreal, Canada-based [Vezgo]( a Crypto Data API platform, raised a $750K pre-seed round from backers including Bitnomic Capital, Flinks Technologies, M2S Capital, and more. With the app, developers can integrate data from every part of the crypto ecosystem: Centralized Exchanges, Wallets, NFTs, and Blockchains. Pune, India-based [RedBrickAI]( a health-tech AI platform, raised a $4.6M seed round led by Surge, Sequoia Capital India, and Southeast Asia’s rapid scale-up program, with participation from Y Combinator. The company offers web annotation tools for 2D and 3D data and semi-automated tools to annotate 3D medical images. New York City, NY-based [Pinata]( a workforce optimization platform, raised a $10M Series A led by M13 and Bullpen Capital. The platform offers collaborative tools for goal setting, event planning, staffing, reporting, financial tracking, and data analysis. Berlin, Germany-based [Taktile]( a SaaS startup focused on automating decision flows in the financial industry, raised a $20M Series A co-led by Index Ventures and Tiger Global. The company’s platform is used by insurance companies and lenders to launch new products fast. ✓ Startups hiring now Included Health Our mission is to raise the standard of healthcare for everyone [Apply now →]( Veho Next Generation Shipping for Customer-Centric Brands [Apply now →]( Unit21 The no-code toolset for suspicious activity [Apply now →](   Follow along on our new [Discover](angel.co/discover) page Your one-stop place to discover all things startup related. angel.co/discover Want more startup content throughout the week? 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