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Ollie, a subscription-based AI assistant that helped families manage email, calendars, appointments and meal planning, will cease operations on November 6. CEO Bill Lennon announced the closure on X, citing increased competition from rivals like Muse and Instinct that made it difficult to raise further funding. Customers will be given instructions for data export and refunds in the coming days.
Tolan, which makes an AI companion app aimed at helping users manage tasks, relationships and emotions, has raised $30 million from investors including Union Square Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Homebrew. The round doubles Tolan's total funding and pushes its valuation above the previous $120 million mark, though the company has not disclosed the new figure. Tolan says it has over 250,000 active users who have logged more than 70 million conversations, with annual recurring revenue in the double-digit millions.
Billionaire investor Vinod Khosla is recruiting a new chief of staff, posting the opening on X to nearly two million views. The role requires in-person work in Menlo Park, California, availability from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. including nights and weekends, and a three-year commitment. Khosla's post did not list a salary, though Indeed data shows Bay Area chiefs of staff typically earn a median of $175,000.
Indian health startup Even Healthcare has closed a $50 million all-equity Series B round led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from Alpha Wave, valuing the company at $300 million—triple its valuation 18 months ago. The round brings Even's total funding to over $120 million, and the company has opened two hospitals in Bengaluru as it shifts from partnering with hospitals to operating its own.
Khosla Ventures has recruited Tal Broda, who spent two years at OpenAI, to work on infrastructure investing. Broda will provide technical expertise to companies in Khosla's early-stage startup portfolio.
AI coding startup Factory has raised $200 million in new funding, pushing its valuation past $5 billion—more than triple its previous mark. Investors in the round include Khosla Ventures, Blackstone and Marc Benioff.
Planted, a startup that uses digital-twin software and robots to redesign and build solar farms, has raised $31.8 million led by Piva Capital and RA Capital Management Planetary Health, with backing from Google, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Gigascale Capital, and Khosla Ventures. The company's technology helped one St. Louis-area project cut land use by 40% while producing the same power output, resolving a zoning dispute that had stalled the development.
Partner Keith Rabois revealed at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event that Khosla Ventures is setting up its first-ever satellite office, located on 14th Street in New York, with an expected fall opening. The firm currently has no presence even in San Francisco, making this a significant shift for the Menlo Park-based investor.
TechCrunch's evening event series StrictlyVC is holding its first New York gathering in two years, set for September 10 in the West Village. The lineup includes investor Keith Rabois discussing venture trends and his early OpenAI investment, plus a conversation between Collaborative Fund's Craig Shapiro and D.C. United CEO Jason Levien on sports as a business investment, with Tristan Walker also joining discussions on AI and community.
US-based Berry Street has combined with Khosla Ventures-backed Indian startup Healthify, forming a single company that will operate as Berry Street in the US and Healthify elsewhere, including India. Terms were not disclosed. Founders Noah Kotlove and Tushar Vashisht will serve as co-CEOs, uniting Berry Street's insurance-covered GLP-1 clinic network with Healthify's AI-driven coaching platform.