Six bullets of updates

1. 🤖 Y Combinator pulls Optifye’s AI demo after critics call it “sweatshops-as-a-service,” reflecting growing AI concerns.

2. 🚗 Jeep’s ad glitch highlights automakers' push into connected car upsells, eyeing $1.68B in revenue by 2032.

3. 🧠 Chinese AI startup DeepSeek reopens its API after a three-week pause, but daytime server strain persists.

4. 🏢 Dutch unicorn Bird exits the EU over AI regulations, shifting focus to U.S. and Asia after cutting 120 jobs.

5. 🍏 Apple shareholders reject an anti-DEI proposal amid the tech industry's broader DEI rollbacks; Tim Cook hints at compliance adjustments.

6. 🔍 Google enhances its “Results About You” tool, enabling users in 14 countries to remove personal info from Search more easily.

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Regulation or suffocation? Remote’s CEO tells startups to escape Europe

As global tech powerhouses like the U.S. and China race ahead, Europe’s startup scene is feeling the weight of excessive regulation. Job van der Voort, CEO of HR tech unicorn Remote, is urging founders to leave the EU if they want to scale, calling the region’s approach to tech laws “a massive risk for Europe.” He’s not alone—industry leaders like Mistral’s Arthur Mensch and DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis have echoed concerns, warning that rigid bureaucracy is stifling innovation. Some companies, like Dutch unicorn Bird, have already taken drastic steps, relocating their operations to escape the regulatory squeeze.

The trend is clear: scaling European startups aren’t making it big at home; they’re finding success by conquering the U.S. market. A study by Hoxton Ventures found that nearly all European startups hitting $500M+ in revenue—Spotify, Wise, Adyen—won by expanding overseas. Van der Voort, who founded Remote in 2019 but chose San Francisco as its base, believes Europe must rethink its approach before it loses more high-growth companies. “Regulation standing in the way of innovation,” he warns, “hurts the economy and startups alike.”

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NEVER outsource your Minimum Viable Product

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These companies just raised money

1. 💰 Perplexity debuts a $50M fund to back early-stage AI startups, targeting seed and pre-seed investments.

2. 🚗 Gozem secures $30M to grow its vehicle financing and digital banking services in Francophone Africa.

3. 🤖 Nomagic raises $44M to scale its AI-powered robotic arms, streamlining warehouse operations.

4. 🕵️‍♂️ Bridgetown Research lands $19M to accelerate AI-driven due diligence for investors and analysts.

5. 🦷 Capim, a Brazilian BNPL startup for dental care, locks in a $26.7M Series A to expand financing options.

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Oops, office surveillance is here

As companies push workers back to the office, a new reality awaits—one where surveillance tech tracks everything from desk occupancy to time spent in the breakroom. What started in warehouses and fast-food chains has now crept into corporate offices, with AI-powered monitoring, RFID tracking, and biometric scanners enforcing workplace policies. With major employers like Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, and even federal agencies doubling down on in-office mandates, monitoring tools once reserved for blue-collar workers are now becoming standard in white-collar environments.

This rise in digital surveillance has sparked concerns over privacy, trust, and productivity. Companies justify it as a way to boost efficiency, but critics argue it’s a recipe for anxiety and micromanagement. Some platforms, like Cisco Spaces and Juniper’s Mist, even offer real-time location tracking, while AI-powered tools analyze emails, chats, and time at desks. Despite growing backlash, the workplace surveillance industry is booming, projected to hit $4.5 billion by 2026. The question remains: Is this about improving productivity or just controlling employees?

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Startup Events and Deadlines

1. Alchemist Accelerator | Deadline: March 21 | USA

2. Techstars Columbus | Deadline: April 1 | USA

3. Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator | Deadline: April 28 | USA

4. Startup Battlefield 200 | Deadline: June 9 | Global

5. Entrepreneur First London - Summer | Deadline: July 1 | UK

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