UpStart Weekly Rundown - October 3, 2024

Series' GenAI Game-Changer Scores $28M From Netflix, Dell, a16z

The game dev industry just got a serious upgrade! Series, a GenAI platform, is revolutionizing how games are built by raising $28 million in stealth mode, with backing from Netflix, Dell, and a16z. With this hefty investment, Series is poised to become a major player, leveraging AI to speed up and enhance game development. The future of gaming just went GenAI—and the competition better be ready to play catch-up

Lucky Energy Powers Up with $11.75M to Fuel the 'Better-for-You' Energy Craze!

Lucky Energy, the scrappy startup redefining energy drinks, just pulled in $11.75M in a Series A round led by Brand Foundry Ventures. With flavors fueled by supercharged ingredients like ginseng and maca, Lucky is on a mission to make the energy drink market healthier—and tastier. With plans to hit over 8,000 stores and some serious industry muscle behind their leadership (think Liquid Death and C4 Energy alums), this Texas-based brand is gearing up to disrupt the $100B energy drink space, one clean kick of caffeine at a time

Sort A Brick Stacks €1.15M to Tidy Up Your LEGO Chaos with AI

Vilnius-based Sort A Brick has secured €1.15 million to scale its AI-powered LEGO brick sorting service, helping families give their beloved bricks a second life. The startup, backed by Firstpick and angel investors, uses AI to analyze, clean, and repackage old LEGO bricks into new sets. With plans to expand into Germany and beyond, this circular economy gem is tackling plastic waste, saving parents the headache of sorting through endless bricks while letting the kiddos enjoy guilt-free playtime. It's LEGO recycling, made fun and easy

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