Welcome to Startups Weekly<\/span><\/i> \u2014 your weekly recap of everything you can\u2019t miss from the world of startups. Sign up\u00a0here<\/a> to receive the Startups Weekly newsletter in your inboxes.<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n It\u2019s the most wonderful tiiiiiiime of the yeaaaaaaar \u2026 That\u2019s right, we\u2019re back with all the you-can\u2019t-miss companies from the current batch of Y Combinator startups. AI was, not shockingly, the biggest theme, with 86 out of 247 companies calling themselves an AI startup, but we\u2019re reaching bubble territory given that 187 mention AI in their pitches. We have a couple of roundups for you, including the 18 most interesting<\/a>, and the TechCrunch staff favorites<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, I wrote up an in-depth interview with the founder of Ember, the hot-mug company, about (among other things) how he split his company in half<\/a> to be able to woo MedTech and life sciences investors.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> PM Images (opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a> \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Startups losing money is nothing new, but this week, Devin summarizes why Trump\u2019s Truth Social<\/a> is different in a few key ways. In a nutshell, the whole thing is\u00a0playing out like a bad reality TV show, where the plot revolves around hemorrhaging money and the suspense is whether it\u2019ll run out of cash before viewers change the channel. With a debut on Nasdaq as $DJT, thanks to a merger with the desperation darling of the finance world, a SPAC, Trump Media & Technology Group\u2019s (TMTG) financial lifting of the veil reveals a $58 million loss on a meager $4 million in revenue. This isn\u2019t your typical Silicon Valley \u201cburn cash now, profit later\u201d saga; it\u2019s more of a \u201cburn cash now, and that\u2019s it\u201d kind of story. Unlike startups that thrive on VC life support while disrupting industries, TMTG\u2019s lifelines are fraying, with no explosive user growth, no VC sugar daddies, and the unenviable position of being publicly accountable while trying to juggle a business model that seems to repel advertisers like it\u2019s made of antimatter. As the stock flops<\/a> around lacklusterly, the reality sets in that TMTG\u2019s story might be less about pioneering digital media and more about how to lose friends and alienate advertisers, all while the credits roll on what could be the most expensive episode of \u201cThe Apprentice\u201d ever produced.<\/p>\n Tesla\u2019s cybertruck exists now. That\u2019s about the best thing your friendly correspondent can say about this design monstrosity. Image Credits:<\/strong> Darrell Etherington \/ Getty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Stormy weather continues to be the theme for the movers and shakers of the startup world: Transportation.<\/p>\n Canoo\u2019s 2023 earnings report reads like a tragicomedy. The star of the show? CEO Tony Aquila\u2019s private jet, which cost the company double its entire revenue for the year. In a year where Canoo managed to rake in a meager $890,000 by delivering just 22 vehicles, it simultaneously shelled out $1.7 million<\/a> to ensure Aquila could jet-set in style. I guess in the fast-paced world of electric vehicles, nothing says \u201cfiscal responsibility\u201d quite like a private jet tab that overshadows your sales, even as the company picks clean the bones of its failed competitors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, in the land of Fisker, the company momentarily misplaced millions<\/a> in customer payments amid a frantic scramble to restructure its business model. This financial game of hide-and-seek, which diverted crucial resources from sales to sleuthing, highlights the company\u2019s rather casual approach to tracking transactions, including, in some instances, handing over vehicles on the honor system. Fisker\u2019s attempt to play catch-up with paperwork not only strained its relationship with PwC during annual report preparations but also left the company clueless about its actual revenue, all while teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. So, if you\u2019ve ever felt bad about losing your car keys, at least take solace knowing you didn\u2019t misplace the equivalent of a whole SUV stuffed full of dollar bills, or get yourself into an investigation about why the doors on the cars you manufacture won\u2019t open<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kidsy\u2019s catalog drew investor interest. Image Credits:<\/strong> Kidsy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kidsy is the latest brainchild to emerge from the startup nursery. The company is essentially the T.J. Maxx of baby gear, swooping in to save parents from the financial black hole that is raising children by offering discounted, overstocked, and gently used items that were once destined for the landfill. Founded by a former business journalist and a software engineer, Kidsy has quickly become the superhero of the circular economy for baby products<\/a>, managing to charm investors into an \u201coversubscribed\u201d pre-seed funding round faster than a toddler can throw a tantrum.<\/p>\n Every week, there\u2019s always a few stories I want to share with you that somehow don\u2019t fit into the categories above. It\u2019d be a shame if you missed \u2019em, so here\u2019s a random grab bag of goodies for ya:<\/p>\nMost interesting startup stories from the week<\/h2>\n
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Chaos in automotive startup land<\/h2>\n
![\"Tesla](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/cybertruck.jpg\")
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Most interesting fundraises this week<\/h2>\n
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Other unmissable TechCrunch stories \u2026<\/h2>\n
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