A foldable iPhone, another robotaxi accident (this time it's Waymo), and what American CEOs can't escape in China

According to The Information, Apple is considering rolling out a foldable clamshell phone. TechCrunch looks at what that could mean for the competition.

Disney is backing Epic Games to the tune of $1.5 billion in order to build a "persistent universe" for its characters in Fortnite. 

Nvidia's market cap may soon eclipse Amazon's.

Cruise may be gone, but San Francisco is still feeling uneasy about robotaxis, especially after yet another accident, this time involving Waymo. 

X is now the most popular app in Apple's App Store, thanks apparently to Tucker Carlson's interview of Vladimir Putin, which could air on the social network, possibly on Thursday. TechCrunch has more here. 

It’s not just us—people are feeling optimistic about investing for the first time in a while. Read Affinity's 2024 Private capital investment predictions report and find out why 700+ investment professionals anticipate higher deal volume and better networking in 2024. Get the report to find out what’s possible for the coming year.

Adroit Trading Technologies, a 10-year-old company based in Stamford, Ct., whose platform optimizes trading workflows and integrates trading tools for investment banks, hedge funds, and asset managers, raised a $15 million Series A round. Centana Growth Partners was the lead investor. More here.

Avnos, a three-year-old Los Angeles startup that is developing a technology to remove carbon dioxide from the air and simultaneously produce water, raised a $36 million Series A round led by NextEra Energy, with additional participation from Safran Corporate Ventures, Shell Ventures, Envisioning Partners, and Rusheen Capital Management. ESG Today has more here.

Elemind, a five-year-old startup based in Cambridge, MA, that is developing wearable neurotechnology aimed at improving sleep and attention, raised a $12 million seed round. Investors included Village Global, LDV Partners, MIT Investment Fund, and the founders of Skype and Nest. VentureBeat has more here.

Kin, an eight-year-old Chicago startup that provides affordable home, condo, and flood insurance, raised a $15 million round at a $1+ billion valuation. Activate Capital was the deal lead. Fintech Finance has more here.

Mechanical Orchard, a two-year-old San Francisco startup that updates old software systems for businesses using an AI-enhanced process, raised a $24 million round from Emergence Capital at a $95 million valuation. Forbes has more here. 

Overflow, a four-year-old startup based in San Jose, CA, that offers a platform for nonprofits, churches, and corporations to accept donations in various forms, including stocks, cryptocurrencies, and cash, raised a $20 million Series B round led by Wesleyan Investment Foundation led, with previous investors Uncork, R7, and TheGP also taking part. Finextra Research has more here.

Sensos, a startup that provides real-time tracking and monitoring of shipments via a globally connected label that is about the size of a credit card, raised a $20 million round co-led by Magenta Venture Partners and JAL Ventures, with Israel Cargo Logistics and Sumitomo Corp. also contributing. SiliconANGLE has more here.

Shepherd, a three-year-old San Francisco startup that uses technology to speed up the underwriting process and provides tools to help construction businesses manage risks and potentially lower their insurance costs, raised a $13.5 million Series A round led by Costanoa Ventures, with Intact Financial, Era Ventures, Greenlight Capital Re, and Spark Capital Partners also pitching in. SiliconANGLE has more here.

Tuum, a five-year-old startup based in Tallinn, Estonia that provides a platform for banks to manage various financial services such as accounts, payments, lending, and cards, raised a $26.9 million Series B round led by CommerzVentures, with Speedinvest also participating. PYMNTS has more here.

222, a three-year-old Los Angeles startup that helps users discover their city and meet new people through unique social experiences, raised a $2.5 million seed round. Investors included 1517 Fund, General Catalyst, Best Nights VC, Scrum Ventures, and Upfront Ventures. Business Insider has more here.

AI.fashion, a one-year-old Los Angeles startup whose mission is to help retailers enhance the online shopping experience by providing consumers with virtual try-ons and personalized fashion recommendations, raised a $3.6 million seed round. Neo was the deal lead. More here.

Camb.ai, a two-year-old Dubai startup that aims to simplify the localization process for films and TV shows via a dubbing platform that uses AI to create voiceovers and dubbing for videos, raised a $4 million seed round led by Courtside Ventures and including TRTL Ventures, Blue Star Innovation Partners, Ikemori Ventures, and Eisaburo Maeda. Deadline has more here.

Code, a two-year-old Canadian startup founded by the former founder and CEO of chat app Kik that enables users to make and receive micropayments instantly in over 100 currencies, raised a $6.5 million seed round. M13 and Union Square Ventures co-led the deal. More here.

dataroomHQ, a three-year-old New York startup that provides a secure space for companies to store, share, and collaborate on sensitive documents, raised a $3.5 million round co-led by Oceans and Bling Capital, with Garuda Ventures and Cortical Ventures also chipping in. More here.

Dexa, a one-year-old New York startup that is building software to enhance podcast discovery and engagement through AI-powered search capabilities, raised a $6 million seed round co-led by Abstract Ventures and The General Partnership, with Maple VC also stepping up. TechCrunch has more here.

Finally, a six-year-old Miami startup that is focused on automating financial tasks for small businesses, raised a $10 million round led by PeakSpan Capital and including Active Capital. PYMNTS has more here.

Goodshuffle, a nine-year-old startup based in Washington, DC, that provides tools for event rental companies that helps them manage online bookings, inventory management, and customer communication, raised a $5 million round. Fintop Capital was the deal lead. TechCrunch has more here.

Stellar Sleep, a three-year-old San Francisco startup whose app is designed to help users deal with insomnia via personalized programs that incorporate methods like sleep restriction and cognitive restructuring, raised a $6 million seed round led by Initialized Capital, with Y Combinator, Lombardstreet Ventures, Switch Ventures, Moonfire Ventures, Scrum Ventures, 8vdx, and Goodwater also anteing up. TechCrunch has more here.

SUMA Wealth, a four-year-old Los Angeles startup that aims to demystify financial topics and provide culturally relevant content, virtual experiences, and resources to help Latino users navigate financial challenges and opportunities, raised a $2.2 million seed round led by Radicle Impact, with Vamos Ventures, OVO fund, and the American Heart Association Impact Fund also investing. The company has raised a total of $5.5 million. TechCrunch has more here.

Truflation, a three-year-old San Francisco startup whose platform offers real-time economic and financial data through blockchain technology, aiming to provide accurate inflation data and other financial metrics, raised a $6 million round. Investors included Laser Digital, Red Beard Ventures, Modular Capital, Abra, G20, and Four Seasons Ventures as well as previous backers Chainlink, Fundamental Labs, C2squared, Cogitent Ventures, and the Israeli Blockchain Association. More here.

Chain Reaction is your weekly connection to the world of web3. Each week, TechCrunch+ reporter Jacquelyn Melinek interviews a leader in crypto to break down the latest web3 news block-by-block for the crypto-curious. Jacquelyn recently interviewed Chris Dixon of Andreessen Horowitz, who remains unwavering in his focus on blockchain technology and startups building in the industry. Find out what he still sees that others have stopped paying attention to; listen here.

Brassica, a four-year-old Houston startup that offers an API infrastructure designed for managing investments in alternative assets, has been acquired by BitGo, a Palo Alto unicorn that provides regulated custody and insurance for clients who are using cryptocurrencies and digital tokens. Terms were not disclosed, although it is believed to be an all-stock deal. Brassica has raised a total of $12 million from investors such as Mercury Fund, Valor Equity Partners, Long Journey Ventures, NGC, Draft VC, and Broadhaven Ventures. More here. 

Elon Musk's rivalry with Disney's Bob Iger takes a new twist.

According to Chainalysis, ransomware payments in 2023 surpassed the $1 billion mark, the "highest number ever observed."

Social media's biggest threat isn't Congress; it's the states.

How X's decline is "paving the way for a new web."

A hacker group believed to be backed by the Chinese government may have been lurking within U.S. critical infrastructure for "at least five years."

American CEOs visiting China can't escape it: they have to dance on stage.

NASA may has found a "super-Earth" that is 30%-70% bigger than our planet and possibly habitable.

How to send a Slurpee into space.

Chocolate Lego.

For $295 million, you can buy the most expensive home in America.

The perfect watch for the Year of the Dragon.