Startups

The Information team’s approach to covering up-and-coming companies focuses on previously unreported news of funding, plus the impact on the surrounding tech and finance ecosystems. Our newsroom produces The Information 50, an annual list of promising startups.

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Recent Articles about Startups
Art by Clark Miller.
The Briefing

Sell SpaceX, Buy Tesla?

By Theo Wayt · Jun 22, 2026 5:05pm PDT
Here’s a question: If you’re an investor who wants exposure to Elon Musk, is SpaceX or Tesla a better bet? Today, the answer seemed to be Tesla, with shares in the electric automaker climbing 1% to $405.05 as SpaceX shares tumbled 16% to $154.60. SpaceX shares are still above their IPO price of $135 per share, but today was their third... Here’s a question: If you’re an investor who wants exposure to Elon Musk, is SpaceX or Tesla a...
Art by Mike Sullivan
Exclusive

Ex-DOGE Employees Raise $225 million for Venture Fund Banner VC

By Leo Schwartz · Jun 22, 2026 10:50am PDT
Two former members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have raised $225 million for their debut venture fund, Banner VC, according to a person close to the fund and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Banner separately raised nearly $75 million to co-lead a recent round in the orbital infrastructure startup... Two former members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have raised $225 million...
Lithium refining equipment at Lithium Americas' Thacker Pass mine. Photo: Courtesy Lithium Americas.
The Electric

A Coming Lithium Mine Breaks the Logjam in U.S. Metals Production

By Steve LeVine · Jun 22, 2026 9:01am PDT
As the U.S. seeks to reverse the country’s long aversion to mining and reduce its reliance on Chinese materials, Jon Evans is in the rare position of sitting on a large deposit of metals used in high tech, defense and industrial products. As the U.S. seeks to reverse the country’s long aversion to mining and reduce its reliance on...
Wayve, May Mobility, Einride and Nuro self-driving vehicles. Photos: Wayve, May Mobility, Nuro, Einride, Getty. Art: Shane Burke
Startups to Watch

Nine Self-Driving Startups Chasing Waymo’s Lead

By Alex Perry · May 8, 2025 10:30am PDT · 5 comments
For years, self-driving cars were a feature of the sci-fi future. But Waymo’s leap from testing to ferrying paying customers in four cities has made robotaxis a reality. That’s set off a race among newcomers and industry stalwarts to expand new businesses that support autonomous vehicles. Below we provide exclusive details on nine startups worth... For years, self-driving cars were a feature of the sci-fi future. But Waymo’s leap from testing...
Skild AI robots. Photo by Skild AI
Startups to Watch

9 Robotics Startups to Watch

By Rocket Drew · Dec 27, 2024 6:00am PST · 4 comments
To train artificial intelligence–powered robots to pick a book off a shelf a decade ago, researchers had to direct the robots to perform the task roughly 500 times before the robots learned to imitate the motion, recalls Brad Porter, founder and CEO of Collaborative Robotics, which is developing robots to work in hospitals and warehouses.... To train artificial intelligence–powered robots to pick a book off a shelf a decade ago,...
Image by Clark Miller and Midjourney.
Startups to Watch

Eight Startups Challenging Nvidia in AI Chips

By Kevin McLaughlin, Anissa Gardizy, Jon Victor and Aaron Holmes · Aug 24, 2023 6:00am PDT · 1 comment
Nvidia dominates the market for graphics processing units used to train artificial intelligence models, although rivals like AMD and Intel are trying to catch up. Now some scrappy startups are entering the fray with alternative designs for AI chips they claim work better and more efficiently than Nvidia’s GPUs. Other startups are targeting... Nvidia dominates the market for graphics processing units used to train artificial intelligence...