Instacart's ad business surges, Apple restricts ChatGPT, Paradromics raises $33M

The Information sources: Instacart's 2022 ad revenue was ~$740M (+30% y/y); after launching in 2019, the company's ad business now accounts for ~30% of total revenue as transaction revenue growth slows - Link

WSJ sources: Apple has restricted internal use of ChatGPT, GitHub's Copilot, and other AI products due to data privacy concerns; the company is also developing similar AI tools internally - Link

Paradromics, an ATX-based brain-computer interface startup, raised $33M led by Prime Movers Lab and received Breakthrough Device designation from the FDA for its Connexus Direct Data Interface - Link

FT sources: GroupM, a global media agency, downgraded Twitter from "high risk" days after Elon Musk hired ad veteran Linda Yaccarino as CEO - Link

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Rewind AI’s Dan Siroker joins Jason to break down his viral fundraising strategy before diving into a demo of Rewind's AI software (1:27). Then, Scott Bair of Lunour gives a talk on how to build a strong brand, where he dives into topics like branding, creating a logo and more! (34:49) - Link

Course5 Intelligence, an India-based data analytics startup, raised $28M at a valuation between $250-275M, with plans to raise an additional $27M and go public within the next 18 months - Link

Instawork, a platform that matches hourly workers with open shifts, raised a $60M Series D at a $760M valuation, with plans to expand its AI capabilities - Link

Twitter Blue's newest update enables subscribers to upload videos up to 2 hours in length or 8GB in size with a max resolution of 1080p - Link

TechCrunch sources: Sabi, a Lagos-based startup that provides e-commerce infrastructure to African SMBs, raised a $38M Series B at a $300M valuation; the company has 300K+ merchants and $1B+ in annualized GMV - Link

This Week in Startups

E1745: Viral fundraising tactics with Rewind AI’s Dan Siroker + How to build a strong brand

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E1742: Open-source vs. "ClosedAI," demoing new AI tools & more with Sunny Madra & Vinny Lingham

E1741: Using AI to revolutionize video game development with Scenario CEO Emmanuel de Maistre

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