The website for Artie is pretty colorful but it won't tell you much right now. But we can report to you that the L.A.-based startup is backed by, among some famous investors, NBA star Kevin Durant and Taylor Swift nemesis Scooter Braun, and this month it raised nearly $36 million to deliver "mobile games that hit different." It's posting updates on its Discord server. Read more...
Here's what else we're reading in the news:
- McDonald's will begin selling Beyond Meat burgers in some locations, including El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, next month.
- Triller, the L.A.-based social media and music discovery platform, will launch a virtual event series called Assembly for Black Creators.
- DigitalUndivided is seeking Black and Latinx women entrepreneurs in Los Angeles to apply for its $5,000 Breakthrough funding program by October 25.
- Netflix has fired a trans employee on suspicion that they leaked to the press internal data about the Dave Chappelle special, "The Closer."
- BioTools Innovator has named Claremont-based Machine Bio as the winner of its inaugural competition for technology that can produce pure protein in hours.
- Steam is banning the exchange of NFTs or cryptocurrencies on its platform.
What Exactly Is the 'Artieverse'?
Eight months ago, Artie revealed it was building three cross-platform titles and a software development kit (SDK) to help developers create mobile games that play automatically — without requiring a download through Apple or Google's app stores.
The three-year-old company's psychedelic website remains sparse on details to this day, teasing "the greatest party on your phone" and "rare digital collectibles (NFTs)." But a peek at Artie's Discord server offers a vivid look at its plans for the "Artieverse" — a name for a series of products that unmistakably taps into the hype of the metaverse (a.k.a. a giant digital or 3D space).
Grounded Foods Makes a Play with Vegan Cheese
Grounded Foods, an L.A.-based food startup, is aiming for the larger vegan market with the launch of its variety cheese that doesn't come from cows. The startup said Wednesday they raised $2.5 million in funding from investors.
Like Etsy but for Latinas. Shop Latinx Makes a Debut
A new Etsy-like online store for Latinas has made its debut this month. Shop Latinx targets the millennial and Gen Z Latina in the U.S. And during the pandemic it saw a spike in sales.