• In a groundbreaking twist that only the universe of DIY enthusiasts could conjure, skateboard wheels are now boosting the capabilities of plasma cutters. Yes, you heard that right—who needs engineering when you can just slap some wheels on it? Forget about precision and efficiency; it’s all about that slick ride while cutting metal.

    Imagine the board at the next skate park: "Dude, check out my plasma cutter! It not only slices through steel but also doubles as my new favorite skateboard!" Truly, this is the pinnacle of human ingenuity—combining extreme sports with industrial tools. What's next? A blender that can shred the half-pipe?

    #SkateboardWheels #PlasmaCutter #DIYInnovation #Metalworking #ExtremeSports
    In a groundbreaking twist that only the universe of DIY enthusiasts could conjure, skateboard wheels are now boosting the capabilities of plasma cutters. Yes, you heard that right—who needs engineering when you can just slap some wheels on it? Forget about precision and efficiency; it’s all about that slick ride while cutting metal. Imagine the board at the next skate park: "Dude, check out my plasma cutter! It not only slices through steel but also doubles as my new favorite skateboard!" Truly, this is the pinnacle of human ingenuity—combining extreme sports with industrial tools. What's next? A blender that can shred the half-pipe? #SkateboardWheels #PlasmaCutter #DIYInnovation #Metalworking #ExtremeSports
    HACKADAY.COM
    Skateboard Wheels Add Capabilities to Plasma Cutter
    Although firmly entrenched in the cultural zeitgeist now, the skateboard wasn’t always a staple of popular culture. It had a pretty rocky start as surfers jankily attached roller skating hardware …read more
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  • Salut tout le monde ! Aujourd'hui, je veux vous parler d'une innovation incroyable : comment entraîner une nouvelle voix pour Piper avec seulement une phrase ! Cal Bryant a créé un système d'automatisation à domicile qui utilise les voix TTS de Piper pour des usages vraiment fascinants. Mais ce qui est encore plus excitant, c'est qu'il n'était pas satisfait des voix robotiques standard. Cela nous rappelle que nous avons le pouvoir de personnaliser et d'améliorer nos expériences, même dans la technologie ! Alors, n'hésitez pas à explorer, à innover et à donner vie à vos idées ! Le monde vous attend avec impatience !

    #InnovationTechnologique
    #
    🌟✨ Salut tout le monde ! Aujourd'hui, je veux vous parler d'une innovation incroyable : comment entraîner une nouvelle voix pour Piper avec seulement une phrase ! 🎤💡 Cal Bryant a créé un système d'automatisation à domicile qui utilise les voix TTS de Piper pour des usages vraiment fascinants. Mais ce qui est encore plus excitant, c'est qu'il n'était pas satisfait des voix robotiques standard. Cela nous rappelle que nous avons le pouvoir de personnaliser et d'améliorer nos expériences, même dans la technologie ! 🚀💖 Alors, n'hésitez pas à explorer, à innover et à donner vie à vos idées ! Le monde vous attend avec impatience ! 🌍✨ #InnovationTechnologique #
    How To Train A New Voice For Piper With Only A Single Phrase
    [Cal Bryant] hacked together a home automation system years ago, which more recently utilizes Piper TTS (text-to-speech) voices for various undisclosed purposes. Not satisfied with the robotic-sounding standard voices available, …read more
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  • How ridiculous is it that one of the rarest Mario Kart tracks, Piranha Plant Pipeline, is locked away in Nintendo’s mobile game, Mario Kart Tour, and only available for a limited time? This is beyond frustrating! Why are we being deprived of such a fun experience? Instead of making it accessible for all players, Nintendo chooses to dangle this track like a carrot! It's infuriating to think that players have to jump through hoops just to enjoy what should be a staple in the Mario Kart franchise. This is a blatant cash grab that disregards the loyalty of fans!

    #MarioKart #GamingFrustration #Nintendo #PiranhaPlantPipeline #MobileGaming
    How ridiculous is it that one of the rarest Mario Kart tracks, Piranha Plant Pipeline, is locked away in Nintendo’s mobile game, Mario Kart Tour, and only available for a limited time? This is beyond frustrating! Why are we being deprived of such a fun experience? Instead of making it accessible for all players, Nintendo chooses to dangle this track like a carrot! It's infuriating to think that players have to jump through hoops just to enjoy what should be a staple in the Mario Kart franchise. This is a blatant cash grab that disregards the loyalty of fans! #MarioKart #GamingFrustration #Nintendo #PiranhaPlantPipeline #MobileGaming
    KOTAKU.COM
    The Rarest Mario Kart Track Is Playable Once More
    There are many Mario Kart tracks. But one of them, Piranha Plant Pipeline, is only available in Nintendo’s mobile phone game Mario Kart Tour. However, it’s only ever made playable for a limited time. This makes it arguably the rarest and hardest-to-p
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  • ## Introduction

    Cet été, une opportunité se présente pour ceux qui souhaitent se spécialiser dans la **3D temps réel**. Le studio **MIAM! Animation** s'associe au département **Arts et Technologies de l’Image (ATI)** de l’**Université Paris 8** pour offrir une formation certifiante. Ce programme vise à initier les participants à la transition d’un pipeline précalculé vers un environnement de création en temps réel.

    ## Une formation professionnelle

    La formation proposée par MIAM! et ATI est ...
    ## Introduction Cet été, une opportunité se présente pour ceux qui souhaitent se spécialiser dans la **3D temps réel**. Le studio **MIAM! Animation** s'associe au département **Arts et Technologies de l’Image (ATI)** de l’**Université Paris 8** pour offrir une formation certifiante. Ce programme vise à initier les participants à la transition d’un pipeline précalculé vers un environnement de création en temps réel. ## Une formation professionnelle La formation proposée par MIAM! et ATI est ...
    TDs, formez-vous à la 3D temps réel avec Miam! et ATI
    ## Introduction Cet été, une opportunité se présente pour ceux qui souhaitent se spécialiser dans la **3D temps réel**. Le studio **MIAM! Animation** s'associe au département **Arts et Technologies de l’Image (ATI)** de l’**Université Paris 8** pour offrir une formation certifiante. Ce programme vise à initier les participants à la transition d’un pipeline précalculé vers un environnement de...
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  • En un mundo donde la bioimpresión 3D parece ser la solución a todos nuestros problemas de salud, Systemic Bio se presenta como el héroe inesperado, armado con hidrogeles y células humanas. ¿Quién necesita la investigación farmacéutica tradicional cuando puedes simplemente imprimir tus medicamentos? ¡Es como tener una impresora de papel, pero con un poco más de ciencia y un toque de magia!

    Imagínate, en lugar de pasarte horas estudiando los efectos secundarios de un fármaco, solo necesitas pulsar un botón y ¡zas! Tu medicina personal sale impresa en 3D, lista para ser consumida. Desarrollar fármacos nunca ha sido tan fácil, ¿verdad? Olvídate de los laboratorios y las pruebas en animales. Ahora, gracias a la bioimpresión, podemos jugar a ser dioses con células humanas. ¿Qué podría salir mal?

    Y mientras tanto, en la otra cara de la moneda, los laboratorios tradicionales están probablemente llorando en sus pipetas. “¡Pero nosotros hemos pasado años en investigaciones y ensayos clínicos!”, gritan, mientras un grupo de científicos se sienta frente a una impresora 3D, pensando en cómo hacer que la medicina sea tan accesible como un café en una máquina expendedora.

    Pero, ¡espera! Antes de que te emociones demasiado con la idea de tener tu propio botiquín impreso, recordemos que la ciencia siempre tiene su lado oscuro. Te imaginas tomando una pastilla que no solo es una pastilla, sino que también podría ser un minúsculo artefacto en 3D con la forma de tu personaje favorito de videojuegos. “¡Mamá, me siento como Mario después de comer esta píldora!”

    Los avances en bioimpresión 3D prometen revolucionar no solo la medicina regenerativa, sino también el desarrollo de fármacos. Pero, ¿realmente estamos listos para confiar en que una impresora entienda las complejidades del cuerpo humano? Tal vez deberíamos mantener un pie en el mundo real, solo en caso de que nuestros nuevos "fármacos" terminen siendo más arte que medicina.

    En fin, mientras Systemic Bio continúa acelerando el desarrollo de fármacos de una manera que solo podría ser descrita como "futurista" (también conocido como "¿qué demonios están haciendo?"), nosotros simplemente observaremos con una mezcla de asombro y un toque de escepticismo. Después de todo, si la bioimpresión 3D se convierte en el nuevo estándar de oro, quizás deberíamos empezar a pensar en invertir en impresoras 3D y olvidarnos de las farmacias.

    #Bioimpresión3D #DesarrolloDeFármacos #CienciaDivertida #SystemicBio #SaludDelFuturo
    En un mundo donde la bioimpresión 3D parece ser la solución a todos nuestros problemas de salud, Systemic Bio se presenta como el héroe inesperado, armado con hidrogeles y células humanas. ¿Quién necesita la investigación farmacéutica tradicional cuando puedes simplemente imprimir tus medicamentos? ¡Es como tener una impresora de papel, pero con un poco más de ciencia y un toque de magia! Imagínate, en lugar de pasarte horas estudiando los efectos secundarios de un fármaco, solo necesitas pulsar un botón y ¡zas! Tu medicina personal sale impresa en 3D, lista para ser consumida. Desarrollar fármacos nunca ha sido tan fácil, ¿verdad? Olvídate de los laboratorios y las pruebas en animales. Ahora, gracias a la bioimpresión, podemos jugar a ser dioses con células humanas. ¿Qué podría salir mal? Y mientras tanto, en la otra cara de la moneda, los laboratorios tradicionales están probablemente llorando en sus pipetas. “¡Pero nosotros hemos pasado años en investigaciones y ensayos clínicos!”, gritan, mientras un grupo de científicos se sienta frente a una impresora 3D, pensando en cómo hacer que la medicina sea tan accesible como un café en una máquina expendedora. Pero, ¡espera! Antes de que te emociones demasiado con la idea de tener tu propio botiquín impreso, recordemos que la ciencia siempre tiene su lado oscuro. Te imaginas tomando una pastilla que no solo es una pastilla, sino que también podría ser un minúsculo artefacto en 3D con la forma de tu personaje favorito de videojuegos. “¡Mamá, me siento como Mario después de comer esta píldora!” Los avances en bioimpresión 3D prometen revolucionar no solo la medicina regenerativa, sino también el desarrollo de fármacos. Pero, ¿realmente estamos listos para confiar en que una impresora entienda las complejidades del cuerpo humano? Tal vez deberíamos mantener un pie en el mundo real, solo en caso de que nuestros nuevos "fármacos" terminen siendo más arte que medicina. En fin, mientras Systemic Bio continúa acelerando el desarrollo de fármacos de una manera que solo podría ser descrita como "futurista" (también conocido como "¿qué demonios están haciendo?"), nosotros simplemente observaremos con una mezcla de asombro y un toque de escepticismo. Después de todo, si la bioimpresión 3D se convierte en el nuevo estándar de oro, quizás deberíamos empezar a pensar en invertir en impresoras 3D y olvidarnos de las farmacias. #Bioimpresión3D #DesarrolloDeFármacos #CienciaDivertida #SystemicBio #SaludDelFuturo
    Systemic Bio acelera el desarrollo de fármacos 3D a partir de hidrogeles y células humanas
    El desarrollo de la bioimpresión 3D está abriendo nuevas fronteras en el ámbito médico, no solo en medicina regenerativa, sino también en el descubrimiento y desarrollo de fármacos. En este contexto, la empresa Systemic Bio, filial de 3D Systems, ha&
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  • Blender, developers meeting notes, 4.5 LTS Beta, 5.0 Alpha, project updates, user interface, core module, pipeline and I/O module, new features

    ---

    ## Introduction

    Ah, the Blender developers, those wizards of 3D magic. If you’re wondering what they’ve been up to recently, you’re in for a treat! The latest meeting notes from June 9, 2025, are here, showcasing everything from announcements to project updates, all dressed up with a sprinkle of sarcasm. So, buckle up as we dive into this whimsica...
    Blender, developers meeting notes, 4.5 LTS Beta, 5.0 Alpha, project updates, user interface, core module, pipeline and I/O module, new features --- ## Introduction Ah, the Blender developers, those wizards of 3D magic. If you’re wondering what they’ve been up to recently, you’re in for a treat! The latest meeting notes from June 9, 2025, are here, showcasing everything from announcements to project updates, all dressed up with a sprinkle of sarcasm. So, buckle up as we dive into this whimsica...
    Blender Developers Meeting Notes: What’s Cooking for 2025?
    Blender, developers meeting notes, 4.5 LTS Beta, 5.0 Alpha, project updates, user interface, core module, pipeline and I/O module, new features --- ## Introduction Ah, the Blender developers, those wizards of 3D magic. If you’re wondering what they’ve been up to recently, you’re in for a treat! The latest meeting notes from June 9, 2025, are here, showcasing everything from announcements to...
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  • déploiement continu, intégration continue, automatisation, pipelines, développement logiciel, méthodologies agiles, DevOps

    ## Introduction

    La mise en place d'un mécanisme de déploiement continu est devenue une nécessité pour de nombreuses équipes de développement logiciel. Dans un environnement technologique en constante évolution, les organisations cherchent à améliorer leur efficacité et leur rapidité de livraison. Cet article explore les concepts fondamentaux du déploiement continu, en mett...
    déploiement continu, intégration continue, automatisation, pipelines, développement logiciel, méthodologies agiles, DevOps ## Introduction La mise en place d'un mécanisme de déploiement continu est devenue une nécessité pour de nombreuses équipes de développement logiciel. Dans un environnement technologique en constante évolution, les organisations cherchent à améliorer leur efficacité et leur rapidité de livraison. Cet article explore les concepts fondamentaux du déploiement continu, en mett...
    Mise en place d'un mécanisme de déploiement continu
    déploiement continu, intégration continue, automatisation, pipelines, développement logiciel, méthodologies agiles, DevOps ## Introduction La mise en place d'un mécanisme de déploiement continu est devenue une nécessité pour de nombreuses équipes de développement logiciel. Dans un environnement technologique en constante évolution, les organisations cherchent à améliorer leur efficacité et...
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  • fxpodcast: the making of the immersive Apple Vision Pro film Bono: Stories of Surrender

    In this episode of the fxpodcast, we go behind the scenes with The-Artery, the New York-based creative studio that brought this ambitious vision to life. We speak with Founder and CCO Vico Sharabani, along with Elad Offer, the project’s Creative Director, about what it took to craft this unprecedented experience. From conceptual direction to VFX and design, The-Artery was responsible for the full production pipeline of the AVP edition.
    Bono’s memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story has taken on new life—this time as a groundbreaking immersive cinematic experience tailored specifically for the Apple Vision Pro. Titled Bono: Stories of Surrender, the project transforms his personal journey of love, loss, and legacy into a first-of-its-kind Apple Immersive Video.

    The-Artery,Founder Vico Sharabani during post-production.
    This is far more than a stereo conversion of a traditional film. Designed natively for the Apple Vision Pro, Bono: Stories of Surrenderplaces viewers directly on stage with Bono, surrounding them in a deeply intimate audiovisual journey. Shot and mastered at a staggering 14K by 7K resolution, in 180-degree stereoscopic video at 90 frames per second, the format pushes the limits of current storytelling, running at data rates nearly 50 times higher than conventional content. The immersive trailer itself diverges significantly from its traditional counterpart, using novel cinematic language, spatial cues, and temporal transitions unique to Apple’s new medium.

    This marks the first feature-length film available in Apple Immersive Video, and a powerful statement on Bono’s and U2’s continued embrace of innovation. Watch the video or listen to the audio podcast as we unpack the creative and technical challenges of building a film for a platform that didn’t exist just a year ago, and what it means for the future of immersive storytelling.
    #fxpodcast #making #immersive #apple #vision
    fxpodcast: the making of the immersive Apple Vision Pro film Bono: Stories of Surrender
    In this episode of the fxpodcast, we go behind the scenes with The-Artery, the New York-based creative studio that brought this ambitious vision to life. We speak with Founder and CCO Vico Sharabani, along with Elad Offer, the project’s Creative Director, about what it took to craft this unprecedented experience. From conceptual direction to VFX and design, The-Artery was responsible for the full production pipeline of the AVP edition. Bono’s memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story has taken on new life—this time as a groundbreaking immersive cinematic experience tailored specifically for the Apple Vision Pro. Titled Bono: Stories of Surrender, the project transforms his personal journey of love, loss, and legacy into a first-of-its-kind Apple Immersive Video. The-Artery,Founder Vico Sharabani during post-production. This is far more than a stereo conversion of a traditional film. Designed natively for the Apple Vision Pro, Bono: Stories of Surrenderplaces viewers directly on stage with Bono, surrounding them in a deeply intimate audiovisual journey. Shot and mastered at a staggering 14K by 7K resolution, in 180-degree stereoscopic video at 90 frames per second, the format pushes the limits of current storytelling, running at data rates nearly 50 times higher than conventional content. The immersive trailer itself diverges significantly from its traditional counterpart, using novel cinematic language, spatial cues, and temporal transitions unique to Apple’s new medium. This marks the first feature-length film available in Apple Immersive Video, and a powerful statement on Bono’s and U2’s continued embrace of innovation. Watch the video or listen to the audio podcast as we unpack the creative and technical challenges of building a film for a platform that didn’t exist just a year ago, and what it means for the future of immersive storytelling. #fxpodcast #making #immersive #apple #vision
    WWW.FXGUIDE.COM
    fxpodcast: the making of the immersive Apple Vision Pro film Bono: Stories of Surrender
    In this episode of the fxpodcast, we go behind the scenes with The-Artery, the New York-based creative studio that brought this ambitious vision to life. We speak with Founder and CCO Vico Sharabani, along with Elad Offer, the project’s Creative Director, about what it took to craft this unprecedented experience. From conceptual direction to VFX and design, The-Artery was responsible for the full production pipeline of the AVP edition. Bono’s memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story has taken on new life—this time as a groundbreaking immersive cinematic experience tailored specifically for the Apple Vision Pro. Titled Bono: Stories of Surrender (Immersive), the project transforms his personal journey of love, loss, and legacy into a first-of-its-kind Apple Immersive Video. The-Artery, (R) Founder Vico Sharabani during post-production. This is far more than a stereo conversion of a traditional film. Designed natively for the Apple Vision Pro, Bono: Stories of Surrender (Immersive) places viewers directly on stage with Bono, surrounding them in a deeply intimate audiovisual journey. Shot and mastered at a staggering 14K by 7K resolution, in 180-degree stereoscopic video at 90 frames per second, the format pushes the limits of current storytelling, running at data rates nearly 50 times higher than conventional content. The immersive trailer itself diverges significantly from its traditional counterpart, using novel cinematic language, spatial cues, and temporal transitions unique to Apple’s new medium. This marks the first feature-length film available in Apple Immersive Video, and a powerful statement on Bono’s and U2’s continued embrace of innovation. Watch the video or listen to the audio podcast as we unpack the creative and technical challenges of building a film for a platform that didn’t exist just a year ago, and what it means for the future of immersive storytelling.
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  • Aspora gets $50M from Sequioa to build remittance and banking solutions for Indian diaspora

    India has been one of the top recipients of remittances in the world for more than a decade. Inward remittances jumped from billion in 2010-11 to billion in 2023-24, according to data from the country’s central bank. The bank projects that figure will reach billion in 2029.
    This means there is an increasing market for digitalized banking experiences for non-resident Indians, ranging from remittances to investing in different assets back home.
    Asporais trying to build a verticalized financial experience for the Indian diaspora by keeping convenience at the center. While a lot of financial products are in its future roadmap, the company currently focuses largely on remittances.
    “While multiple financial products for non-resident Indians exist, they don’t know about them because there is no digital journey for them. They possibly use the same banking app as residents, which makes it harder for them to discover products catered towards them,” Garg said.
    In the last year, the company has grown the volume of remittances by 6x — from million to billion in yearly volume processed.
    With this growth, the company has attracted a lot of investor interest. It raised million in Series A funding last December — which was previously unreported — led by Sequoia with participation from Greylock, Y Combinator, Hummingbird Ventures, and Global Founders Capital. The round pegged the company’s valuation at million. In the four months following, the company tripled its transaction volume, prompting investors to put in more money.
    The company announced today it has raised million in Series B funding, co-led by Sequoia and Greylock, with Hummingbird, Quantum Light Ventures, and Y Combinator also contributing to the round. The startup said this round values the company at million. The startup has raised over million in funding to date.

    Techcrunch event

    + on your TechCrunch All Stage pass
    Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections.

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    Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections.

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    After pivoting from being Pipe.com for India, the company started by offering remittance for NRIs in the U.K. in 2023 and has expanded its presence in other markets, including Europe and the United Arab Emirates. It charges a flat fee for money transfer and offers a competitive rate. Now it also allows customers to invest in mutual funds in India. The startup markets its exchange rates as “Google rate” as customers often search for currency conversion rates, even though they may not reflect live rates.
    The startup is also set to launch in the U.S., one of the biggest remittance corridors to India, next month. Plus, it plans to open up shop in Canada, Singapore, and Australia by the fourth quarter of this year.
    Garg, who grew up in the UAE, said that remittances are just the start, and the company wants to build out more financial tools for NRIs.
    “We want to use remittances as a wedge and build all the financial solutions that the diaspora needs, including banking, investing, insurance, lending in the home country, and products that help them take care of their parents,” he told TechCrunch.
    He added that a large chunk of money that NRIs send home is for wealth creation rather than family sustenance. The startup said that 80% of its users are sending money to their own accounts back home.
    In the next few months, the company is launching a few products to offer more services. This month, it plans to launch a bill payment platform to let users pay for services like rent and utilities. Next month, it plans to launch fixed deposit accounts for non-resident Indians that allow them to park money in foreign currency. By the end of the year, it plans to launch a full-stack banking account for NRIs that typically takes days for users to open. While these accounts can help the diaspora maintain their tax status in India, a lot of people use a family member’s account because of the cumbersome process, and Aspora wants to simplify this.
    Apart from banking, the company also plans to launch a product that would help NRIs take care of their parents back home by offering regular medical checkups, emergency care coverage, and concierge services for other assistance.
    Besides global competitors like Remittly and Wise, the company also has India-based rivals like Abound, which was spun off from Times Internet.
    Sequoia’s Luciana Lixandru is confident that Aspora’s execution speed and verticalized solution will give it an edge.
    “Speed of execution, for me, is one of the main indicators in the early days of the future success of a company,” she told TechCrunch over a call. “Aspora moves fast, but it is also very deliberate in building corridor by corridor, which is very important in financial services.”
    #aspora #gets #50m #sequioa #build
    Aspora gets $50M from Sequioa to build remittance and banking solutions for Indian diaspora
    India has been one of the top recipients of remittances in the world for more than a decade. Inward remittances jumped from billion in 2010-11 to billion in 2023-24, according to data from the country’s central bank. The bank projects that figure will reach billion in 2029. This means there is an increasing market for digitalized banking experiences for non-resident Indians, ranging from remittances to investing in different assets back home. Asporais trying to build a verticalized financial experience for the Indian diaspora by keeping convenience at the center. While a lot of financial products are in its future roadmap, the company currently focuses largely on remittances. “While multiple financial products for non-resident Indians exist, they don’t know about them because there is no digital journey for them. They possibly use the same banking app as residents, which makes it harder for them to discover products catered towards them,” Garg said. In the last year, the company has grown the volume of remittances by 6x — from million to billion in yearly volume processed. With this growth, the company has attracted a lot of investor interest. It raised million in Series A funding last December — which was previously unreported — led by Sequoia with participation from Greylock, Y Combinator, Hummingbird Ventures, and Global Founders Capital. The round pegged the company’s valuation at million. In the four months following, the company tripled its transaction volume, prompting investors to put in more money. The company announced today it has raised million in Series B funding, co-led by Sequoia and Greylock, with Hummingbird, Quantum Light Ventures, and Y Combinator also contributing to the round. The startup said this round values the company at million. The startup has raised over million in funding to date. Techcrunch event + on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. + on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | July 15 REGISTER NOW After pivoting from being Pipe.com for India, the company started by offering remittance for NRIs in the U.K. in 2023 and has expanded its presence in other markets, including Europe and the United Arab Emirates. It charges a flat fee for money transfer and offers a competitive rate. Now it also allows customers to invest in mutual funds in India. The startup markets its exchange rates as “Google rate” as customers often search for currency conversion rates, even though they may not reflect live rates. The startup is also set to launch in the U.S., one of the biggest remittance corridors to India, next month. Plus, it plans to open up shop in Canada, Singapore, and Australia by the fourth quarter of this year. Garg, who grew up in the UAE, said that remittances are just the start, and the company wants to build out more financial tools for NRIs. “We want to use remittances as a wedge and build all the financial solutions that the diaspora needs, including banking, investing, insurance, lending in the home country, and products that help them take care of their parents,” he told TechCrunch. He added that a large chunk of money that NRIs send home is for wealth creation rather than family sustenance. The startup said that 80% of its users are sending money to their own accounts back home. In the next few months, the company is launching a few products to offer more services. This month, it plans to launch a bill payment platform to let users pay for services like rent and utilities. Next month, it plans to launch fixed deposit accounts for non-resident Indians that allow them to park money in foreign currency. By the end of the year, it plans to launch a full-stack banking account for NRIs that typically takes days for users to open. While these accounts can help the diaspora maintain their tax status in India, a lot of people use a family member’s account because of the cumbersome process, and Aspora wants to simplify this. Apart from banking, the company also plans to launch a product that would help NRIs take care of their parents back home by offering regular medical checkups, emergency care coverage, and concierge services for other assistance. Besides global competitors like Remittly and Wise, the company also has India-based rivals like Abound, which was spun off from Times Internet. Sequoia’s Luciana Lixandru is confident that Aspora’s execution speed and verticalized solution will give it an edge. “Speed of execution, for me, is one of the main indicators in the early days of the future success of a company,” she told TechCrunch over a call. “Aspora moves fast, but it is also very deliberate in building corridor by corridor, which is very important in financial services.” #aspora #gets #50m #sequioa #build
    TECHCRUNCH.COM
    Aspora gets $50M from Sequioa to build remittance and banking solutions for Indian diaspora
    India has been one of the top recipients of remittances in the world for more than a decade. Inward remittances jumped from $55.6 billion in 2010-11 to $118.7 billion in 2023-24, according to data from the country’s central bank. The bank projects that figure will reach $160 billion in 2029. This means there is an increasing market for digitalized banking experiences for non-resident Indians(NRIs), ranging from remittances to investing in different assets back home. Aspora (formerly Vance) is trying to build a verticalized financial experience for the Indian diaspora by keeping convenience at the center. While a lot of financial products are in its future roadmap, the company currently focuses largely on remittances. “While multiple financial products for non-resident Indians exist, they don’t know about them because there is no digital journey for them. They possibly use the same banking app as residents, which makes it harder for them to discover products catered towards them,” Garg said. In the last year, the company has grown the volume of remittances by 6x — from $400 million to $2 billion in yearly volume processed. With this growth, the company has attracted a lot of investor interest. It raised $35 million in Series A funding last December — which was previously unreported — led by Sequoia with participation from Greylock, Y Combinator, Hummingbird Ventures, and Global Founders Capital. The round pegged the company’s valuation at $150 million. In the four months following, the company tripled its transaction volume, prompting investors to put in more money. The company announced today it has raised $50 million in Series B funding, co-led by Sequoia and Greylock, with Hummingbird, Quantum Light Ventures, and Y Combinator also contributing to the round. The startup said this round values the company at $500 million. The startup has raised over $99 million in funding to date. Techcrunch event Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $200+ on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | July 15 REGISTER NOW After pivoting from being Pipe.com for India, the company started by offering remittance for NRIs in the U.K. in 2023 and has expanded its presence in other markets, including Europe and the United Arab Emirates. It charges a flat fee for money transfer and offers a competitive rate. Now it also allows customers to invest in mutual funds in India. The startup markets its exchange rates as “Google rate” as customers often search for currency conversion rates, even though they may not reflect live rates. The startup is also set to launch in the U.S., one of the biggest remittance corridors to India, next month. Plus, it plans to open up shop in Canada, Singapore, and Australia by the fourth quarter of this year. Garg, who grew up in the UAE, said that remittances are just the start, and the company wants to build out more financial tools for NRIs. “We want to use remittances as a wedge and build all the financial solutions that the diaspora needs, including banking, investing, insurance, lending in the home country, and products that help them take care of their parents,” he told TechCrunch. He added that a large chunk of money that NRIs send home is for wealth creation rather than family sustenance. The startup said that 80% of its users are sending money to their own accounts back home. In the next few months, the company is launching a few products to offer more services. This month, it plans to launch a bill payment platform to let users pay for services like rent and utilities. Next month, it plans to launch fixed deposit accounts for non-resident Indians that allow them to park money in foreign currency. By the end of the year, it plans to launch a full-stack banking account for NRIs that typically takes days for users to open. While these accounts can help the diaspora maintain their tax status in India, a lot of people use a family member’s account because of the cumbersome process, and Aspora wants to simplify this. Apart from banking, the company also plans to launch a product that would help NRIs take care of their parents back home by offering regular medical checkups, emergency care coverage, and concierge services for other assistance. Besides global competitors like Remittly and Wise, the company also has India-based rivals like Abound, which was spun off from Times Internet. Sequoia’s Luciana Lixandru is confident that Aspora’s execution speed and verticalized solution will give it an edge. “Speed of execution, for me, is one of the main indicators in the early days of the future success of a company,” she told TechCrunch over a call. “Aspora moves fast, but it is also very deliberate in building corridor by corridor, which is very important in financial services.”
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