Allbirds CEO Launches Solo AI Startup with Large Seed Round but No Employees
TechCrunch AI39 days agoBusinessThe chief executive of sustainable footwear brand Allbirds has pivoted to AI, launching a new solo-founder startup backed by a reportedly large seed round. Despite the significant early funding, the venture currently has no employees and its product vision remains undefined. The story highlights investor appetite for AI bets on brand-name founders, even before a concrete plan exists.
Datadog veterans launch AI coding startup Niteshift on a bet against Big AI lock-in
TechCrunch AI47 days agoBusinessNiteshift, an AI coding agent startup founded by Datadog veterans, has closed a $7 million seed round backed by a notable angel investor group. The company's core thesis is that enterprises will increasingly resist being locked into a single AI model provider as coding tools mature. Positioned as a model-agnostic alternative, Niteshift aims to give companies more control over their AI development infrastructure.