Jul 18, 2019

Dust Identity raises $10 million in Series A funding

Dan Primack

Dust Identity, a Framingham, Mass-based supply chain security and tracking startup that utilizes diamond dust, raised $10 million in Series A funding.

Why it matters: Do you know any other company whose business model is based on diamond dust? Specifically, inexpensive industrial diamond waste that's used to lightly coat an object, thus creating unique tagging properties and an ability to ensure that the object hasn't been messed with.

  • Kleiner Perkins led, and was joined by Airbus, Lockheed Martin, New Science Ventures, Angular Ventures and Castle Island Ventures.

The bottom line: "Dust Identity’s tagging technology could eventually help secure the increasingly long and complex supply chains that global manufacturers rely on. Producers of complex products like airplanes or electronics would be among the biggest potential users of the company's technology, which emerged from research into the quantum properties of diamonds," writes Fortune's David Z. Morris.

Go deeper: The diamond market gets cloudy

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Dan Primack

Elon Musk's transportation tunneling startup raises $120 million

Photo: Robyn Beck / POOL / AFP/Getty Images.

The Boring Company, Elon Musk's transportation tunneling startup, raised $120 million toward a venture valued at $920 million.

Why it matters: This is Boring's first outside investment round, having previously raised $113 million from Musk and early employees (plus that $10 million from flamethrower sales).

Go deeperArrowJul 26, 2019
Dan Primack

Toy startup "Superplastic" raises $10 million in Series A funding

Source: Superplastic Instagram account

Superplastic, a Burlington, Vt.-based designer toy startup founded by Paul Budnitz (Ello, KidRobot), has raised $10 million in Series A funding led by Craft Ventures.

Why it matters: This coincides with Superplastic trying to turn two of its most popular characters into virtual Instagram stars, a burgeoning niche.

Go deeperArrowJul 31, 2019
Jessie Li

Deep Dive: The new art of dying

Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios

Modern burials and death practices are changing how we die and where our bodies go after we die.

Why it matters: Today, the funeral industry is worth $17 billion ($). Businesses are innovating on traditional practices, and more people are taking control of how they wish to die and be buried — in unconventional, surprising and even extraterrestrial ways.

Go deeperArrowAug 10, 2019 - Science