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Jorge Martin: “I’ve never been the favourite” in MotoGP title fight

Jorge Martin insists he has never been the favourite for the 2026 MotoGP title despite leading the championship for more than two months. The Aprilia rider moved to the top of the standings after June’s Dutch Grand Prix, taking advantage of a run of difficult results for team-mate Marco Bezzecchi, who had won four of the opening seven races. Martin has managed to maintain the lead in the ... Keep reading

Motorsport.comMotorsport.com11 Sept

Crypto companies raised $600m in April despite despite market downturn, VCs say

Crypto companies raised just over $600 million from venture investors in April, DefiLlama data shows . That’s despite the epidemic of “disingenuous innovation” that is plaguing the digital assets industry, Diego Martin, CEO of Yellow Capital, told DL News , referring to grand promises widely made by crypto startup teams that are rarely fulfilled. “Institutional investors typically wait for retail demand before taking a punt on innovation,” Martin said. To be sure, fundraising in April fell some 75% from March, which was a blockbuster month that saw massive raises in the prediction market sector amid a shifting focus in the crypto industry. “Trust is the primary barrier — and opportunity — to tap into, due to the nature of the technology we work with,” Martin said. Still, marquee investors including German banking giant Deutsche Börse Group, Andreessen Horowitz, Paradigm and Coinbase, all piled on capital into crypto companies including Kraken, OpenGradient , and Pixie Chess . These are the top three raises in April. Kraken, $200 million Payward, the parent company of crypto exchange Kraken, raised $200 million through a secondary share sale to Deutsche Börse. The deal gives the German banking group a minority stake as it moves deeper into digital assets. The move values Kraken at about $13.3 billion, down from $20 billion in late 2025. The company made five acquisition deals in 2025. Kraken’s co-CEO Arjun Sethi told DL News in September that the firm had more transactions lined up. Slash, $100 million Neobanking platform Slash raised $100 million in a Series C round led by Ribbit Capital. Khosla Ventures and Goodwater Capital also backed the raise. Slash provides banking tools for online businesses, including those using crypto. The latest round pushes Slash into unicorn territory, valuing the company at over $1 billion and bringing total funding past $160 million. New Enterprise Associates and Y Combinator also joined the round, marking their fourth investment in the company. Pharos, $44 million Pharos raised $44 million in a Series A round backed by SNZ Holding, Chainlink, and Flow Traders, Coindesk reported . The company is building a Layer 1 blockchain focused on handling large-scale financial activity. Pharos supports Ethereum-compatible applications, making it easier for crypto-native developers to use. You’re reading the latest instalment of The Weekly Raise, our column covering fundraising deals across the crypto and DeFi spaces, powered by DefiLlama. Lance Datskoluo is DL News’ Europe-based markets correspondent. Got a tip? Email him at lance@dlnews.com .

DLNewsDLNews•Lance Datskoluo2 May

Ireland and WHO work together to improve access to assistive technology globally

Ireland is becoming a global leader in the field of innovation in harnessing digital technologies as a tool to address various barriers for access to care. In alignment with WHO, Ireland recognizes the importance of mobilizing assistive technology to help the 2.5 billion people in need globally, including older persons, people with disabilities, and those living with health conditions. This includes ensuring equitable access to assistive products such as glasses, hearing aids, walking aids, wheelchairs, prosthetics, and communication and memory devices. In March 2024, Anne Rabbitte, T.D., Ireland’s Minister of State with special responsibility for disabilities at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, agreed to a €12.5 million donor agreement between the Government of Ireland and WHO, aimed at accelerating affordability and availability of assistive technology for those in need. The cooperation has been building throughout the years. Back in 2022, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD, launched the Global report on assistive technology , along with the Director-General of WHO and the Executive Director of UNICEF. The Taoiseach highlighted the importance of international cooperation to ensure more equitable access to assistive technology, in order to achieve a society where everyone is included and enabled to live their best life. Minister Rabbitte stated that: “Ireland has identified the serious need to invest in public health systems alongside the WHO. The present risk of rising health needs coupled with a decreasing pool of health and social care professionals globally reveals an urgent need for all of us to act now. Ireland’s contribution aligns with the recommendations of the Global Report on Assistive Technology and supports a five-year initiative towards achieving national health system models that include assistive technology. The programme will explore and demonstrate how digital technology can facilitate people-centred services, assistive technology policy, improve the affordability and appropriateness of assistive products, enable effective provision systems, and boost the capacity of health personnel to identify, screen, refer and provide assistive technology for all those in need.” Health personnel in Tanzania participating in on-line training on assistive products , as part of an overall program aimed at provision of simple assistive products through community and primary health care facilities - making products such as walking aids and reading glasses more readily available for people within their local area. Digital technology was instrumental in facilitating efficient learning through the platform, and enabling support for health workers from their mentors through communication apps after the training. Credit: WHO/Kylie Shae With an ageing global population and a rise in noncommunicable diseases, an estimated 3.5 billion people will need assistive technology by 2050. Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General, Access to Medicines and Health Products, welcomes this important contribution from Ireland and their leadership in the digital initiative. She said: “The 2018 World Health Assembly resolution on assistive technology calls upon WHO to take the necessary steps to promote equitable access to assistive technology in our endeavour to build a more inclusive world. Our partnership with the Government of Ireland will support WHO in achieving our mission to ensure health for all, everywhere, with assistive technologies as an important enabler of well-being, inclusion, and participation.” Through Ireland’s contribution, and in collaboration with its broad network of partners, WHO will develop evidence-based guidance for Member States on strengthening access to assistive technology through understanding, prioritising and stimulating increased innovation and use of digital solutions. The work will also involve national, regional, and global projects that test digital solutions designed to address persistent access barriers such as: digital platforms that empower users with information about assistive technology and how to access it; digital tracking of products to manage supply; and online training and support for health workers. The results and lessons learned will help countries expand their knowledge, skills, and capacities in the provision of assistive technology as an integral component of Universal Health Care. ‘Leaving no one behind’ means ensuring that people with disabilities, the older population, those affected by chronic diseases and everyone who needs assistive technology are included in society and able to live healthy and dignified lives. * * * * Click below to find out what is assistive technology, who needs it, and how it improves lives Assistive technology is an umbrella term for external products used by individuals to help maintain or improve their bodily functions. Common examples are wheelchairs, glasses, prosthetic limbs, white canes, and hearing aids as well as digital solutions such as speech recognition or time management software. Assistive technology helps people in all aspects of their lives, including in education, employment, fitness, leisure and other everyday activities such as self-care, cooking and reading. Most people will need assistive technology at some point in their lives, especially as they age. While some may require assistive technology temporarily, such as after an accident or illness, others may require it for a longer period or throughout their lifespan. It is commonly needed by older people, children and adults with disabilities, people who have been injured or who have a health condition such as diabetes, stroke and dementia. Equitable access is key Improving access to assistive technology enables the inclusion and participation of users in their family, community and all areas of society, including the political, economic and social spheres. Assistive technology positively impacts a person, their family and friends, and has broader socioeconomic benefits. For example: early provision of hearing aids for young children supports their development of language and communication skills, limiting negative impacts on their education, future employment and community participation; provision of appropriate wheelchairs facilitates mobility, improving individuals’ access to education and employment while reducing healthcare costs due to a reduction in secondary complications such as pressure sores and contractures; therapeutic footwear for diabetes reduces the incidence of foot ulcers, preventing amputations and the associated impact on individuals and burden on health-care systems; and timely provision of assistive technology for older people can improve their independence and safety as well as enable them to live at home for as long as possible. Show less Show more

World Health OrganizationWorld Health Organization17 May 2024