TechCrunch Newsletter [TechCrunch AM logo]( By [Alex Wilhelm]( Wednesday, March 13, 2024 Welcome to TechCrunch AM! Today we have good news for fintech and enterprise software companies; notes on yet another French startup; and how some petite EV trucks have found a surprising niche in the market. Itâs all in here, so letâs dive in! â [Alex](twitter.com/alex) TechCrunch Top 3 - [Not everyoneâs hyped about AI](: While weâre somewhat happy about AI (mostly because of how much time we spend talking about AI projects), itâs useful to be reminded that not everyone shares that enthusiasm. At SXSW, for example, several speakers called for caution around AI and were met with sustained applause. There are a lot of perspectives out there, and itâs a good idea to inform yourself of those.
- [Indian fintech snags $1B valuation](: Perfios is now a unicorn thanks to Teachersâ Venture Growth, the late-stage investment arm of Ontario Teachersâ Pension Plan. The company reached revenue of $49.1 million in its last fiscal year, which is a tidy sum indeed. The round is also a reminder of how much power Canada has in startup investing circles thanks to its public pension plans that are very active around the world.
- [Bluesky launches DIY moderation tool](: Decentralized social network BlueSky is opening up the source code for Ozone, a tool that âlets individuals and teams collaboratively review and label content on the network.â This means individuals and teams can now choose their own moderation adventure. This sounds pretty neat, and moves some of the onus of responsibility for content choices away from the central powers that be towards users. Quite democratic. [TechCrunch Top 3 image] Image Credits: SXSW Don't miss these [Glimmers of light for enterprise SaaS investment](: Venture capital flows into business software startups has fallen dramatically in recent years, but new data from PitchBook indicates that VCs put more capital to work in enterprise SaaS startups in Q4 2023 than they did in Q3, reversing a long-running trend of declines. And when you consider that CRM-related startups gained investorsâ favor in the last quarter, you can see thereâs an interesting comeback story afoot. [Binance is in deep trouble in Nigeria](: Nigeria has taken two Binance execs into custody â Tigran Gambaryan, its head of investigations, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, its regional manager for Africa. The country is also demanding a bunch of data from the company, including who the top users in Nigeria are, and info about a half-yearâs worth of transactions. Nigeria is worried about potentially lost tax revenue and opaque transactions. Add this to the list of Binanceâs woes around the world. [Today in France](: It feels like weâve been reading some news about one French startup or another every day lately. Today, itâs Kolet, a startup that wants to make it easier for travelers to get an eSIM card. The eSIM market is too complex, so why not simplify it and staple mobile access to other travel services? Thatâs Koletâs model, and it has raised $5.5 million for its project. [Is video going to kill the music streaming star](? Spotify is rolling out music videos in select countries, and Iâm sorry to report that list doesnât yet include the United States. But if you are in Brazil, Colombia, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Poland, Philippines, Sweden or the UK, you should be able to see music videos in Spotifyâs desktop and mobile apps starting today. Spotify is hosting the videos itself, but didnât share notes about royalties when we asked, Perhaps the monetization method is similar to its music streaming model? [Captain Planet is now an AI bot](: TechCrunchâs Dominic-Madori Davis and Rebecca Szkutak recently interviewed Rebecca Hu, whose company Glacier wants to use AI-empowered cameras to simplify the sorting of recycling. The companyâs tech is neat, and the market it is working on could use the boost. This is one heck of a podcast so make sure to tune in! [Teloâs pint-sized EV trucks raise $5.4M](: I have a soft spot for small EVs. One look at my neighborâs giant new truck, and Iâm overcome with giggles at how poorly it fits into the North Eastâs narrow streets. Fortunately, Telos wants to build and sell small EV trucks that are very cute. The company is seeing demand from fleet companies, and just landed new capital to fuel its vision. Iâm tempted to snag one myself, but would rather not spend $50,000 on anything, let alone a vehicle. [Don't miss these image] Image Credits: Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket Before you go [Stashpad is taking on Google Docs](: If you are a developer, you might be familiar with Stashpad, which offers a simple app that lets users take notes. Now, Stashpad is expanding its product remit to include a Google Docs-style service that doesnât require a login. Frankly, Google could use the competition, so hereâs to Stashpad taking on a giant. [Before you go image] [Read more stories on TechCrunch.com]( Newest Jobs from Crunchboard - [Principal Software Engineer/Developer at Health Research, Inc. (Menands, NY, USA)](
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