![](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/GettyImages-1127591772.jpg?w=533\")
\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWelcome to Startups Weekly<\/i> \u2014 your weekly recap of everything you can\u2019t miss from the world of startups. <\/i>Sign up <\/i>here<\/i><\/a> to get it in your inbox every Friday.<\/i><\/p>\n There\u2019s not that much news from me this week, but I\u2019ve been doing a ton of prep for TechCrunch Early Stage taking place in Boston on April 25. It\u2019s going to be a fantastic show, and you still have time to grab tickets at early-bird prices<\/a>, if you\u2019re quick.<\/p>\n Stability AI bids adieu to its founder and chief executive, Emad Mostaque, who\u2019s decided to chase the decentralized AI dream, leaving the unicorn startup without a permanent CEO. The company, known for burning through cash faster than a teenager with their first debit card, is now in the hands of interim co-CEOs Shan Shan Wong and Christian Laforte. Mostaque, in a dramatic exit, took to X to proclaim his departure was all about fighting the \u201ccentralized AI\u201d bogeyman<\/a> because, apparently, the real problem in AI isn\u2019t rogue robots but who gets to control them.<\/p>\n Microsoft has orchestrated a heist worthy of a Hollywood plot, snagging the co-founders and much of the staff of Inflection AI, along with the rights to use their tech<\/a>, for a cool $650 million. The deal, which to me seems more like a ransom payment than an M&A push, includes $620 million for the privilege of using Inflection\u2019s tech and an extra $30 million to ensure Inflection doesn\u2019t sue for Microsoft\u2019s bold talent grab. Reid Hoffman, Microsoft board member and Inflection co-founder, took to LinkedIn to assure everyone that Inflection\u2019s investors would sleep well tonight, with early backers getting a 1.5x return and later ones a modest 1.1x, despite the math not quite adding up. It\u2019s pretty bold to describe a 1.5x return as a \u201cgood upside,\u201d by the way \u2014 most early-stage funds would be pretty displeased<\/a>.<\/p>\n Stability AI CEO quits because you\u2019re \u201cnot going to beat centralized AI with more centralized AI.\u201d Image Credits<\/strong>: David Paul Morris \/ Bloomberg<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The New York Stock Exchange has given EV startup Fisker the boot<\/a>, citing its \u201cabnormally low\u201d stock prices. It seems Fisker\u2019s financial runway is more of a tightrope, with shares plummeting over 28% in a single day, a botched deal with Nissan<\/a> (or so the rumor mill suggests), and a triggered repayment clause in their loans that they can\u2019t afford \u2014 painting a picture of a company teetering on the brink of a cliff. It won\u2019t have helped, of course, that the EV manufacturer lost track of millions of dollars\u2019 worth of customer payments<\/a>.<\/p>\n Canoo delivers a Light Tactical Vehicle back in 2022. Image Credits<\/strong>: Canoo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Super{set} is doubling down on its bet on boring but bountiful data and AI-driven enterprise startups, having just added a cool $90 million to its war chest<\/a>. This move comes hot on the heels of its $200 million exit from the marketing company Habu to LiveRamp. The company is not your average venture studio. With a lean portfolio of 16 companies and a penchant for turning venture capital investment memos from art into science, super{set} is on a mission to engineer practical applications. With their new digs on an entire floor of San Francisco\u2019s 140 New Montgomery building, they\u2019re not just investing in startups; they\u2019re buying into the future of the city itself.<\/p>\n Tired of cramped hotel rooms and landlords with an aversion to IKEA, Alex Chatzieleftheriou decided to fill the gap himself. Fast-forward through a pandemic-induced boom in nomadic working, and Blueground is now gobbling up the competition faster than a tourist at a free breakfast buffet. With the acquisition of companies like Tabas and Travelers Haven, Blueground has expanded its empire to include over 15,000 apartments across 17 countries, proving there\u2019s no place like a home you can book for a month. Despite the proptech sector feeling the squeeze from rising interest rates, Blueground\u2019s recent $45 million Series D funding round<\/a> and a hefty debt facility suggest that investors are still willing to bet big on Chatzieleftheriou\u2019s vision of a world where everyone can live in a fully furnished apartment, at least temporarily.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Lyudinka\/Getty Images (modified by TechCrunch)<\/p>\n<\/div>\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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![\"Stability](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/GettyImages-1258944889.jpg\")
<\/p>\nTrend of the week: Transportation trouble<\/h2>\n
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![\"Canoo](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/20221130Press.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMost interesting fundraises this week<\/h2>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ev-software-loading.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOther unmissable TechCrunch stories \u2026<\/h2>\n
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