All posts tagged: Raise

The pet I’ll never forget: Tilly, the rabbit who taught us how to raise a family

The pet I’ll never forget: Tilly, the rabbit who taught us how to raise a family

Published by Sam Flores

Tilly wasn’t our first choice: my wife and I had fallen for a grey lop-eared charmer in a local shop who was unexpectedly pulled from sale. But we were now determined to acquire a rabbit, so we traipsed from store to store around south-west London, until we saw this tiny ball of brown and white fluff. Suddenly we could imagine no other bunny. Tilly was many things. When our landlord was around, she was at a friend’s. To the kale producers of Britain, she was a lifeline. To us, she was affectionate, but with a strong sense of personal space – you could tell when she wanted to be touched and when she did not. She was also a menace, gnawing on everything from books to cables and sofa legs. To my family, she was “Bad Tilly” after a weekend stay that left my father’s sofa, skirting board and, somehow, floorboards chewed up. But for eight years – through a pandemic and other personal losses – she was always there, scooting about and poking her …

Sources: Anthropic could raise a new B round at a valuation of 0B

Sources: Anthropic could raise a new $50B round at a valuation of $900B

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Investor interest in Anthropic has reached a feverish pitch. The maker of the Claude AI assistant has received multiple preemptive offers to raise fresh capital of around $50 billion at a valuation in the $850 billion to $900 billion range, according to half a dozen sources familiar with the matter. Bloomberg and Business Insider reported earlier this month that Anthropic received multiple preemptive bids at an $800 billion valuation, but at that time, the company had not yet committed to a fundraise. Sources say, however, that Anthropic is finding it difficult to resist the pressure to secure more funding in what could be its final round of private fundraising before a potential IPO. The company is expected to make a definitive decision on the round and its valuation at a board meeting in May, one person told TechCrunch. The round is expected to total $40 billion to $50 billion, according to people familiar with the company. But investor demand appears to be much higher given the company’s rapid growth, which shows no sign of slowing. …

Upscale AI in talks to raise at B valuation, says report

Upscale AI in talks to raise at $2B valuation, says report

Published by Miika Tikkanen

AI infrastructure company Upscale AI is reportedly in talks to nab its third funding round since launching just seven months ago, according to Bloomberg. This latest round — which aims to raise around $180 million to $200 million — would value the company at about $2 billion. The company announced a $200 million Series A in January and a $100 million seed round in September, when it first launched. Investors in the company include Tiger Global Management, Xora Innovation, and Premji Invest. Notably, Upscale AI has yet to release a product. However, it’s said to focus on building custom chips and on the infrastructure to enable them to communicate effectively. The company is betting on a full-stack solution and open standards as being the future of scalable AI infrastructure. The rumored valuation and raise are part of the startup playbook in this age of AI, where companies grow fast and valuations grow faster, but the hope for the next big thing outpaces it all. Source link

Nellie’s at Simpsons-in-the-Strand: Raise a toast to this boozy opera

Nellie’s at Simpsons-in-the-Strand: Raise a toast to this boozy opera

Published by Sam Flores

Nellie’s is the only room in which designer Shayne Brady was given carte blanche by King. And so comes a brooding world of deep reds, ornate drapery, safari patternage and rich textures of velvet. If it sounds like I’m describing a yoghurt from Marks & Spencer, I can only apologise. It suits the short drinks and cocktails. Most are £16. The signature peach melba sling blends Peruvian pisco with peach schnaps, raspberry and lime juice and is topped with cream soda. It’s a devotional nod to Escoffier’s vintage dessert, built of Nellie’s toast. Otherwise, the classics, from martini to Manhattan, are expert. Source link

Shedd Aquarium raise a warty frogfish in captivity

Shedd Aquarium raise a warty frogfish in captivity

Published by Sam Flores

This juvenile warty frogfish was raised in captivity at the Shedd Aquarium. Brenna Hernandez/Shedd Aquarium hide caption toggle caption Brenna Hernandez/Shedd Aquarium Inside the colorful Wild Reef exhibit on the lower level of Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium sits a small tank containing two warty frogfish, a species found in the waters of the Indo-Pacific region. Each one is about the size of a tennis ball, yellow in color with splashes of red, and covered in wart-like bumps, thus the name. Jenny Richards, a senior aquarist who cares for a variety of fish at Shedd, calls them “comically round.” “I definitely think they look cute,” she says. Cute — but also cutthroat. This fish is an ambush predator. Part of its dorsal fin operates as a lure that looks like a little shrimp, which it uses to attract its prey. Last year, the female in the tank began to look a little bloated. And then, in September, she released a spooled-up raft of tens of thousands of translucent eggs, which the male then fertilized. “Our wild reef …

Star-studded Comic Relief live show helps to raise more than £30m on Red Nose Day

Star-studded Comic Relief live show helps to raise more than £30m on Red Nose Day

Published by Daniella Wilson

Davina McCall has revealed that Comic Relief’s annual Red Nose Day appeal has successfully raised more than £30 million. The star-studded charity fundraiser, broadcast live from Salford’s MediaCity, featured a host of comedic talent. Catherine Tate reprised her beloved character Nan, while sketches drew inspiration from popular BBC programmes such as The Traitors and Amandaland. McCall fronted the event alongside fellow comedians Tate, Joel Dommett, Katherine Ryan and Nick Mohammed. Revealing the Red Nose Day total at the end of the show on BBC One, McCall said: “The total raised tonight is a whopping £30,004,040. Thank you so, so much and thank you for your incredible generosity.” The first total of the night was revealed to be £11,520,926. Celebrity Traitors stars Nick Mohammed and Joe Marler on stage with Davina McCall (BBC/Comic Relief/James Stack/PA Wire) A pre-recorded video of Comic Relief co-founder Sir Lenny Henry played at the start of the show thanking the public for their fundraising over the past 41 years, hailing their dedication as the “definition of a truly United Kingdom”. Elsewhere …

Michigan Governor drives gambling taxation that could raise 0M for Medicaid

Michigan Governor drives gambling taxation that could raise $800M for Medicaid

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has outlined proposals to adjust taxation on gambling, nicotine products, and advertising, arguing the measures could raise nearly $800 million to stabilize the state’s Medicaid system. Whitmer proposes state budget outline The budget publication was presented on behalf of Governor Whitmer by State Budget Director Jen Flood. The key points outlined the services the Great Lakes State needs, and the Governor’s ideas to facilitate them were accompanied by commentary from several individuals involved in state infrastructure. They included comments from Whitmer and Flood covering the Senior Property Tax Credit, literacy programmes, free school meals, higher education, roads, and Medicaid. Today I released my balanced budget recommendation. It’s got: Tax cuts for seniors, families, and workers Investments to help all students read, eat, and succeed Protections for health care And a lot more. Here’s what my budget means for you & your family: — Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) February 11, 2026 “My balanced budget proposal will build on our strong record of bipartisan success. It doubles down on shared, long-term priorities to …

Stripe alumni raise €30M Series A for Duna, backed by Stripe and Adyen execs

Stripe alumni raise €30M Series A for Duna, backed by Stripe and Adyen execs

Published by Miika Tikkanen

Anthropic and OpenAI may be rivals, but their presidents Daniela Amodei and Gregory Brockman have one thing in common: they are both Stripe alumni. With former employees who went on to create dozens of startups, the fintech company has become one of the most prolific “founder factories” — and the money is following. The latest example: business identity verification startup Duna, which just raised a €30 million Series A to become the best-funded European member of the so-called “Stripe mafia.” The funding round was led by Alphabet’s growth fund CapitalG, which has also backed Stripe since co-leading its Series D in 2016. Based in Germany and the Netherlands, Duna was co-founded by Stripe alumni Duco van Lanschot and David Schreiber. With customers including Plaid, the startup helps fintech companies onboard business customers more efficiently, reducing the typical churn associated with corporate ID checks and other fraud prevention measures. Stripe is not a customer of Duna, van Lanschot said, but its executives were well placed to understand the opportunity that the startup is seizing, which is …

10 dance parties that raise funds for L.A. wildfire victims

10 dance parties that raise funds for L.A. wildfire victims

Published by Sam Flores

For 16 years, A Club Called Rhonda has been one of L.A.’s most vibrant and inclusive disco and house events, a pansexual celebration of joy, liberation and community. When the fires ravaged parts of the region, however, questions arose about whether hosting events so close to such devastation was a good idea. Several members of the Rhonda team, as well as staff from such venues as Los Globos in Silver Lake and Catch One in West Adams, had been directly affected by the fires. Amid the heartbreak, the Rhonda team recognized the importance of providing work for the community and creating a space for those seeking a brief escape from their troubles. “We had people reaching out who had lost homes, saying, ‘I know this is weird, but I hope you don’t cancel. I appreciate everyone’s support, but what I really need right now is a place where I can go out and smile,’” Rhonda co-founder Loren Granich, who goes by DJ Goddollars, shares. It was in those words that the true purpose of Rhonda …