Matt Burns
TechCrunch
Flint, MI, United States
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Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
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Recent articles by Matt:
Cannabis investment jumps 82% the second half of 2021, 165% over 2020 levels –
Cannabis equity fundraising is quickly hitting new highs. An analysis of Crunchbase data reveals cannabis companies are seeing larger checks from equity financing, and the number of rounds is seemingly shifting from seed to later-stage rounds. News broke today that cannabis tech leader Dutchie raised another massive financing round. This $350 million Series D values […] → Read More
Vlad Novakovski and Nicole Quinn to elucidate Series A fundraising –
Vlad Novakovski co-founded Lunchclub in 2017 as a way to improve professional networking. In 2020, the company made a large push toward videos (thanks, COVID) and eventually saw enough traction to raise a $24.2 million Series A at a valuation above $100 million. Nicole Quinn from Lightspeed Ventures lead the raise. We’re thrilled to have […] → Read More
Vlad Novakovski and Nicole Quinn to elucidate Series A fundraising –
Vlad Novakovski co-founded Lunchclub in 2017 as a way to improve professional networking. In 2020, the company made a large push toward videos (thanks, COVID) and eventually saw enough traction to raise a $24.2 million Series A at a valuation above $100 million. Nicole Quinn from Lightspeed Ventures lead the raise. We’re thrilled to have […] → Read More
Review: The Surface Pro 8 with Windows 11 is fast and fresh –
The latest Surface Pro is packed with new goodness. The screen is new and the chassis is new. It runs the latest Intel chipset and finally supports Thunderbolt 4. The Surface Pro 8 even packs Windows 11, which brings a host of new features. The signature kickstand works better, and the optional keyboard is improved. […] → Read More
First drive: The Electrifying GMC Hummer EV –
The $110,000 GMC Hummer EV is a wild mashup that can keep up with the best off-roader, has the comfort of a luxury sedan and the speed of a sports car. And it has a truck bed. GM calls it a super truck, and I cannot disagree. After driving the Hummer EV at General Motor’s […] → Read More
Vlad Novakovski and Nicole Quinn to elucidate Series A fundraising –
Vlad Novakovski co-founded Lunchclub in 2017 as a way to improve professional networking. In 2020, the company made a large push toward videos (thanks, COVID) and eventually saw enough traction to raise a $24.2 million Series A at a valuation above $100 million. Nicole Quinn from Lightspeed Ventures lead the raise. We’re thrilled to have […] → Read More
Here are the 5 Startup Battlefield finalists at Disrupt 2021 –
Over the last two days, 20 companies took the stage in TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield in a bid to win $100,000 and the Startup Battlefield cup. They had six minutes to present their pitch decks and answered six minutes of questions from noted investors and executives. The judges and TechCrunch editors evaluated the companies and selected […] → Read More
Seth Rogen explains how Houseplant promotes cannabis without breaking the rules –
I was annoying Seth Rogen. We had just started the interview, and while he politely answered my questions, he was growing tired of talking about his celebrity status. He was more interested in discussing how the company he co-founded is succeeding by overcoming countless regulatory hurdles. To him, that success has little to do with […] → Read More
Storz & Bickle new Mighty+ vape features faster heating, USB-C and UL certification –
Storz & Bickle finally updated the Mighty vaporizer. The original hit the market in October 2014 and quickly became a fan favorite despite its unwieldy form factor and market-topping price. Users point to the quality of the vapor, airflow, and its certification as a medical device as primary reasons for buying the vape. The new […] → Read More
Curio Wellness rebrands retail biz, expands its cannabis retail franchises to new states –
Curio Wellness announced its innovative franchise program in 2020, and today it’s bringing the program across the United States. The company is now accepting franchise applications in ten states, including MD, VA, PA, OH, MO, NJ, FL, MA, MI, and IL. The program is designed to lower barriers to opening a dispensary. Anyone can apply […] → Read More
Cannabis e-commerce startup Jane Technologies raises $100m after stellar growth –
Don’t call Jane Technologies the Amazon of weed. Instead, think of Jane Technologies as the Shopify of weed, and it’s an important distinction. While other startups attempt to build a destination marketplace like Amazon, Jane Technologies is trying something more powerful. The company is building the backends for dispensaries that are quickly taking their cannabis […] → Read More
Trym adds crop steering to its cannabis seed-to-sale platform –
Crop steering turns growing carrots or cannabis from an art into a science. Indoor growers have long turned to this practice to improve yields, which involves precisely controlling and manipulating three variables: light, climate, and irrigation. If tweaked properly, growers can force taller plants, larger flowers, and quicker grow times. Today Trym is announcing its […] → Read More
Eaze to become America’s largest cannabis delivery service after buying Green Dragon –
Eaze this week announced significant plans to expand into one the U.S.’s largest cannabis delivery services. One of the original on-demand cannabis delivery services, the Bay Area-based company is set to acquire cannabis retailer and cultivator Green Dragon, which operates in the hot markets of Colorado and Florida. Combined with existing operations in California and […] → Read More
Blumira raises $10.3M Series A to bring cloud-based SIEM to mid-market companies –
Blumira today announced it raised a $10.3 million Series A financing round. The Ann Arbor-based cybersecurity company says the capital will be used to expand its product offering, double its headcount to 80 employees, and grow its partnership program with managed service providers. The company, founded in 2018, seeks to provide enterprise-level security to medium-sized […] → Read More
Seth Rogen is coming to TechCrunch Disrupt to talk about the weed business –
TechCrunch is thrilled to announce Seth Rogen is coming to TechCrunch Disrupt this September. The movie-star-turned-pot-businessman is speaking on his latest venture: Houseplant, his privately funded entrée into the cannabis business. Houseplant made a big splash when it launched in 2021, and it continues to get a lot of attention in the noisy world of […] → Read More
Weedmaps adds in-app cannabis purchasing for iPhone users –
Thanks to Apple loosening App Store restrictions, Weedmaps users can now purchase cannabis within the popular app. This means Weedmaps users can browse, select, and purchase cannabis and have it set for pick-up or delivery — all within the app. Previously, users could only locate and browse menus of local retailers thanks in part to […] → Read More
ScottsMiracle-Gro announces cannabis investment entity, and a $150m investment in RIV Capital –
Scotts Miracle-Gro knows how to make plants grow, and now the company is looking to cannabis companies to grow its balance sheet. The company today announced an investment entity specifically for cannabis. Called The Hawthorne Collective, the entity is said to be pursuing minority investments in companies not currently being pursued by ScottsMiracle-Gro’s cannabis subsidiary, […] → Read More
Cannabis giant Leafly is going public through a SPAC merger –
Leafly is turning to a SPAC with Merdia Merger Corp. I to go public. The deal, valued at about $532 million and expected to generate proceeds of up to $161.5 million, includes Leafly’s recent capital raise of $31.5 million from investors, including Merida Capital Holdings.te The company is expected to list on Nasdaq under the […] → Read More
SOSV partners explain how deep tech startups can fundraise successfully –
'In deep tech, it's essential to think about founder-investor fit. And what we mean by this is understanding why an investor is even in VC in the first place.' → Read More
Silicon Valley comms expert Caryn Marooney shares how to nail the narrative –
"You may think that the message is boring because you've said it once. But repetition never spoils the prayer." → Read More