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Last Notes

2024-05-24 02:26:27

Using memes, social media users have become red teams for half-baked AI features
“Running with scissors is a cardio exercise that can increase your heart rate and require concentration and focus,” says Google’s new AI search feature. “Some say it can also improve your pores and gi...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/using-memes-social-media-users-have-become-red-teams-for-half-baked-ai-features/

2024-05-24 00:25:08

ESA prepares for the post-ISS era, selects The Exploration Company, Thales Alenia to develop cargo spacecraft
The European Space Agency selected two companies on Wednesday to advance designs of a cargo spacecraft that could establish the continent’s first sovereign access to space. The two awardees, major ae...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/esa-prepares-for-the-post-iss-era-selects-the-exploration-company-thales-alenia-to-develop-cargo-spacecraft/

2024-05-24 00:00:07

Expressable brings speech therapy into the home
Expressable is a platform that offers one-on-one virtual sessions with speech language pathologists.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/expressable-brings-speech-therapy-into-the-home/

2024-05-23 21:54:25

Spotify to shut off Car Thing for good, leading users to demand refunds
Spotify is notifying customers who purchased its Car Thing product that the devices will stop working after December 9, 2024. The company discontinued the device back in July 2022, but had said at the...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/spotify-to-shut-off-car-thing-for-good-leading-users-to-demand-refunds/

2024-05-23 21:54:16

The biggest French startups in 2024 according to the French government
The French Secretary of State for the Digital Economy as of this year, Marina Ferrari, revealed this year’s laureates during VivaTech week in Paris. According to its promoters, this fifth class was th...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/the-biggest-french-startups-in-2024-according-to-the-french-government/

2024-05-23 20:50:08

X should bring back stars, not hide ‘Likes’
Elon Musk’s X is preparing to make “Likes” private on the social network, in a change that could potentially confuse users over the difference between something they’ve favorited and something they’ve...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/x-should-bring-back-stars-not-hide-likes/

2024-05-23 20:25:07

$6M fine for robocaller who used AI to clone Biden’s voice
The FCC has proposed a $6 million fine for the scammer who used voice-cloning tech to impersonate President Biden in a series of illegal robocalls during a New Hampshire primary election. It’s more ab...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/6m-fine-for-robocaller-who-used-ai-to-clone-bidens-voice/

2024-05-23 19:25:09

Tesla lobbies for Elon and Kia taps into the GenAI hype
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Is it me, or is the Tesla board be...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/tesla-lobbies-for-elon-and-kia-taps-into-the-genai-hype/

2024-05-23 18:50:19

Canva launches a proper enterprise product — and they mean it this time
Back in 2019, Canva, the wildly successful design tool, introduced what the company was calling an enterprise product, but in reality it was more geared towards teams than fulfilling true enterprise r...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/canva-launches-a-proper-enterprise-product-and-they-mean-it-this-time/

2024-05-23 18:50:09

App developer Crowdaa raises €1.2 million and plans a U.S. expansion
Crowdaa is an app that allows non-developers to easily create and release apps on the mobile store.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/app-developer-crowdaa-raises-e1-2-million-and-plans-a-u-s-expansion/

2024-05-23 18:25:27

2 days left to vote for Disrupt Audience Choice
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 isn’t just an event for innovation; it’s a platform where your voice matters. With the Disrupt 2024 Audience Choice Program, you have the power to shape the future of tech by v...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/2-days-left-to-vote-for-disrupt-audience-choice/

2024-05-23 18:00:09

The U.S. government sues to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster
The United States Department of Justice and 30 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit against Live Nation Entertainment, the parent company of Ticketmaster, for alleged monopolistic practices. Live N...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/the-u-s-government-sues-to-break-up-live-nation-ticketmaster/

2024-05-23 17:50:09

‘Pro-competition’ rules for Big Tech make it through UK’s pre-election wash-up
The UK will shortly get its own rulebook for Big Tech, after peers in the House of Lords agreed Thursday afternoon to pass the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer bill (DMCC) — removing the last...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/pro-competition-rules-for-big-tech-make-it-through-uks-pre-election-wash-up/

2024-05-23 17:25:10

Spotify experiments with an AI DJ that speaks Spanish
Spotify’s addition of its AI DJ feature, which introduces personalized song selections to users, was the company’s first step into an AI future. Now, Spotify is developing an alternative version of th...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/spotify-experiments-with-an-ai-dj-that-speaks-spanish/

2024-05-23 16:01:16

Paris transit passes now available in iPhone’s Wallet app
After multiple delays, Apple and the Paris area transportation authority rolled out support for Paris transit passes in Apple Wallet. It means that people can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch as a ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/paris-transit-passes-now-available-in-iphones-wallet-app/

2024-05-23 16:01:06

Arc Search’s new Call Arc feature lets you ask questions by ‘making a phone call’
Call Arc can help answer immediate and small questions, according to the company.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/arc-searchs-new-call-arc-feature-lets-you-ask-questions-by-making-a-phone-call/

2024-05-23 15:25:41

Redwood Materials is partnering with Ultium Cells to recycle GM’s EV battery scrap
Redwood Materials, the battery recycling startup founded by former Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, will be recycling production scrap for batteries going into General Motors electric vehicles. The comp...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/redwood-materials-gm-ultium-battery-scrap/

2024-05-23 15:00:45

Lumos helps companies manage their employees’ identities — and access
Andrej Safundzic, Alan Flores Lopez and Leo Mehr met in a class at Stanford focusing on ethics, public policy and technological change. Safundzic — speaking to TechCrunch — says that the class drove h...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/lumos-helps-companies-manage-their-employees-identities-and-access/

2024-05-23 15:00:36

Auggie’s new app helps parents find community and shop
A new startup called Auggie is aiming to give parents a single platform where they can shop for products and connect with each other. The company’s new app, which launched this week, offers parents a ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/auggies-new-app-helps-parents-find-community-and-shop/

2024-05-23 14:50:39

Remark puts thousands of human product experts into AI form
Remark trains AI models on human product experts to create personas that can answer questions with the same style of their human counterparts.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/remark-ecommerce-shopping-decision/

2024-05-23 14:26:33

Finout lands cash to grow its cloud spend management platform
In 2021, Roi Ravhon, Asaf Liveanu and Yizhar Gilboa came together to found Finout, an enterprise-focused toolset to help manage and optimize cloud costs. (We covered the company’s launch out of stealt...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/finout-lands-cash-to-grow-its-cloud-spend-management-platform/

2024-05-23 14:26:23

ZeroPoint’s nanosecond-scale memory compression could tame power-hungry AI infrastructure
ZeroPoint claims to have solved compression problems with hyper-fast, low-level memory compression that requires no real changes to the rest of the computing system.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights res...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/zeropoints-nanosecond-scale-memory-compression-could-tame-power-hungry-ai-infrastructure/

2024-05-23 13:51:08

Bugcrowd, the crowdsourced white-hat hacker platform, acquires Informer to ramp up its security chops
On the heels of raising $102 million earlier this year, Bugcrowd is making good on its promise to use some of that funding to make acquisitions to strengthen its security chops. The company — which cr...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/bugcrowd-the-crowdsourced-white-hat-hacker-platform-acquires-informer-to-ramp-up-its-security-chops/

2024-05-23 13:25:26

Google to build first subsea fibre optic cable connecting Africa with Australia
Google is preparing to build what will be the first subsea fibre optic cable connecting the continents of Africa and Australia. The news comes as the major cloud hyperscalers battle it out for busines...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/google-to-build-first-subsea-fibre-optic-cable-connecting-africa-with-australia/

2024-05-23 12:00:17

The new Kia EV3 will have an AI assistant with ChatGPT DNA
The Kia EV3 — the new all-electric compact SUV revealed Thursday — illustrates a growing appetite among global automakers to bring generative AI into their vehicles. The automaker said the Kia EV3 wi...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/the-new-kia-ev3-will-have-an-ai-assistant-with-chatgpt-dna/

2024-05-23 11:26:29

Bing’s API is down, taking Microsoft Copilot, DuckDuckGo and ChatGPT’s web search feature down too
Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, isn’t working properly right now. At first, we noticed it wasn’t possible to perform a web search at all. Now it seems search results are loading properly. But this ou...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/bing-is-down-bringing-duckduckgo-and-ecosia-down-too/

2024-05-23 11:01:47

Autonomous shipping startup Orca AI tops up with $23M led by OCV Partners and MizMaa Ventures
If you thought autonomous driving was just for cars, think again. The so-called ‘autonomous navigation’ market — where ships steer themselves guided by AI, resulting in fuel and time savings — is proj...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/23/autonomous-shipping-startup-orca-ai-tops-up-with-23m-led-by-ocv-partners-and-mizmaa-ventures/

2024-05-23 07:51:24

Meet the Finnish biotech startup bringing a long lost mycoprotein to your plate
The best known mycoprotein is probably Quorn, a meat substitute that’s fast approaching its 40th birthday. But Finnish biotech startup Enifer is cooking up something even older: Its proprietary single...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/meet-the-finnish-biotech-startup-bringing-a-long-lost-mycoprotein-to-your-plate/

2024-05-23 01:27:14

Food supply chain software maker Silo lays off ~30% of staff amid M&A discussions
Silo, a Bay Area food supply chain startup, has hit a rough patch. TechCrunch has learned that the company on Tuesday laid off roughly 30% of its staff, or north of two dozen employees. Silo has confi...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/food-supply-chain-software-maker-silo-lays-off-30-of-staff-amid-ma-discussions/

2024-05-23 00:50:09

The Biden campaign is looking to hire a seasoned meme lord
President Joe Biden needs a meme manager.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/the-biden-campaign-is-looking-to-hire-a-seasoned-meme-lord/

2024-05-22 23:50:08

Meta’s new AI council is comprised entirely of white men
Meanwhile, women and people of color are disproportionately impacted by irresponsible AI.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/metas-new-ai-council-is-comprised-entirely-of-white-men/

2024-05-22 23:00:08

Garry Tan has revealed his ‘secret sauce’ for getting into Y Combinator
If you’ve ever wanted to apply to Y Combinator, here’s some inside scoop on how the iconic accelerator goes about choosing companies.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/garry-tan-y-combinator-accelerator-insights/

2024-05-22 22:25:16

FCC proposes all AI-generated content in political ads must be disclosed
Under the envisioned framework, both candidate and issue ads would be required to include an on-air and filed disclosure that AI-generated content was used.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. Fo...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/fcc-proposes-all-ai-generated-content-in-political-ads-must-be-disclosed/

2024-05-22 22:00:09

Refer a founder to Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2024
Want to make a founder’s day, week, month, and possibly career? Refer them to Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2024! Applications close June 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT. TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/refer-a-founder-to-startup-battlefield-200-at-disrupt-2024/

2024-05-22 21:50:17

Peter Thiel-founded Valar Ventures raised a $300 million fund, half the size of its last one
The perception in Silicon Valley is that every investor would love to be in business with Peter Thiel. But the venture capital fundraising environment has become so difficult, that even Valar Ventures...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/peter-thiel-valar-ventures-new-fund-size-performance/

2024-05-22 21:50:09

Bluesky now has DMs
Social networking startup and X competitor Bluesky is officially launching DMs (direct messages), the company announced on Wednesday. Later, Bluesky plans to “fully support end-to-end encrypted messag...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/bluesky-now-has-dms/

2024-05-22 19:50:08

Techstars CEO Mäelle Gavet is out
Gavet has had a rocky tenure at Techstars and her leadership was the subject of much controversy.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/techstars-ceo-maelle-gavet-is-out/

2024-05-22 19:00:09

Connected fitness is adrift post-pandemic
The struggle isn’t universal, however.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/connected-fitness-is-adrift-post-pandemic/

2024-05-22 18:50:07

A comprehensive list of 2024 tech layoffs
The tech layoff wave is still going strong in 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023, this year has already seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies, according to independe...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/tech-layoffs-2023-list/

2024-05-22 18:25:11

HoundDog.ai helps developers prevent personal information from leaking
HoundDog actually looks at the code a developer is writing, using both traditional pattern matching and large language models to find potential issues.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For per...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/hounddog-ai-helps-developers-prevent-personal-information-from-leaking/

2024-05-22 17:50:18

Vinod Khosla is coming to Disrupt to discuss how AI might change the future
Few figures in the tech industry have earned the storied reputation of Vinod Khosla, founder and partner at Khosla Ventures. For over 40 years, he has been at the center of Silicon Valley, building or...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/vinod-khosla-will-discuss-how-ai-will-change-the-future-at-disrupt-2024/

2024-05-22 17:50:08

Google Pay will now display card perks, BNPL options and more
The changes are designed to enhance the consumer experience of using Google Pay and make it a more competitive option against other payment methods.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For person...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/google-pay-will-now-display-card-perks-bnpl-options-and-more/

2024-05-22 17:27:26

Why Spotify is launching its own font, Spotify Mix
Spotify launched its own font, the company announced on Wednesday. The music streaming service hopes that its new typeface, “Spotify Mix,” will help Spotify distinguish its own unique visual identity....
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/spotify-launches-own-font-typeface-spotify-mix/

2024-05-22 17:27:10

Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses now let you share images directly to your Instagram Story
Meta is updating its Ray-Ban smart glasses with new hands-free functionality, the company announced on Wednesday. Most notably, users can now share an image from their smart glasses directly to their ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/metas-ray-ban-smart-glasses-now-let-you-share-images-directly-to-your-instagram-story/

2024-05-22 17:00:35

Boeing, NASA indefinitely delay crewed Starliner launch
If you’ve been looking forward to seeing Boeing’s Starliner capsule carry two astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time, you’ll have to wait a bit longer. The mission, which has...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/boeing-nasa-indefinitely-delay-crewed-starliner-launch/

2024-05-22 17:00:26

Bolster, creator of the CheckPhish phishing tracker, raises $14M led by Microsoft’s M12
A dodgy email containing a link that looks “legit” but is actually malicious remains one of the most dangerous, yet successful, tricks in a cyber criminal’s handbook. Now, an AI startup called Bolster...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/bolster-creator-of-the-checkphish-phishing-tracker-raises-14m-led-by-microsofts-m12/

2024-05-22 17:00:18

Hydrolix seeks to make storing log data faster and cheaper
In 2008, Marty Kagan, who’d previously worked at Cisco and Akamai, co-founded Cedexis, a (now-Cisco-owned) firm developing observability tech for content delivery networks. Fellow Cisco veteran Hasan ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/hydrolix-seeks-to-make-storing-log-data-faster-and-cheaper/

2024-05-22 16:00:22

Space VC closes $20M Fund II to back frontier tech founders from day zero
Gone are the days when space and defense were considered fundamentally antithetical to venture investment. Now, the country’s largest venture capital firms are throwing larger portions of their money ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/space-vc-closes-20m-fund-ii-to-back-frontier-tech-founders-from-day-zero/

2024-05-22 16:00:11

TikTok turns to generative AI to boost its ads business
TikTok is the latest tech company to incorporate generative AI into its ads business, as the company announced on Tuesday that it’s launching a new “TikTok Symphony” AI suite for brands. The tools wil...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/tiktok-turns-to-generative-ai-to-boost-its-ads-business/

2024-05-22 15:50:08

Patronus AI is off to a magical start as LLM governance tool gains traction
These days every company is trying to figure out if their large language models are compliant with whatever rules they deem important, and with legal or regulatory requirements. If you’re in a regulat...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/patronus-ai-is-off-to-a-magical-start-as-llm-governance-tool-gains-traction/

2024-05-22 15:25:25

Immigrant banking platform Majority secures $20M following 3x revenue growth
For a $5.99 per month, immigrants have a bank account and debit card with fee-free international money transfers and discounted international calling.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For pers...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/majority-immigrant-banking-20m/

2024-05-22 15:25:16

Linktree surpasses 50M users, rolls out its social commerce program to more creators
Link-in-bio startup Linktree has crossed 50 million users and is rolling out the beta of its social commerce program.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/linktree-surpasses-50m-users-rolls-out-beta-social-commerce-program/

2024-05-22 15:01:58

DeepL, the AI language translation startup, nabs $300M on a $2B valuation to focus on B2B growth
Yet more major funding is being poured into a startup focused on AI. Today, DeepL – the company that builds automated text translation and writing tools that compete against the likes of Google Transl...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/deepl-the-ai-language-translation-startup-nabs-300m-on-a-2b-valuation-to-focus-on-b2b-growth/

2024-05-22 15:01:48

Granola debuts an AI notepad for meetings
Granola takes a more collaborative approach to working with AI.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/granola-debuts-an-ai-notepad-for-meetings/

2024-05-22 15:01:40

Aerodome is sending drones to the scene of the crime
Response time is Aerodome’s immediate value prop for potential clients.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/aerodome-is-sending-drones-to-the-scene-of-the-crime/

2024-05-22 15:01:30

Unify helps developers find the best LLM for the job
When developers have a particular job that AI can solve, it’s not typically as simple as just pointing an LLM at the data. There are other considerations such as cost, speed and accuracy and finding w...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/unify-helps-developers-find-the-best-llm-for-the-job/

2024-05-22 14:26:03

Humane, the creator of the $700 Ai Pin, is reportedly seeking a buyer
Humane, the company behind the hyped Ai Pin that launched to less-than-glowing reviews last month, is reportedly on the hunt for a buyer.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/humane-the-creator-of-the-700-ai-pin-is-reportedly-seeking-a-buyer/

2024-05-22 14:25:54

Praktika raises $35.5M to use AI avatars to make learning languages feel more natural
Praktika has secured a $35.5M Series A round to apply AI-powered avatars to language-learning apps.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/praktika-raises-35-5m-to-use-ai-avatars-to-make-learning-languages-feel-more-natural/

2024-05-22 11:26:11

Oyo, once valued at $10 billion, shelves IPO plans for second time
India's Oyo, once valued at $10 billion, has withdrawn its IPO application from the market regulator for the second time.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/oyo-once-valued-at-10-billion-shelves-ipo-plans-for-second-time/

2024-05-22 10:00:34

Ore Energy emerges from stealth to build utility-scale batteries that last days, not hours
Where Aytac Yilmaz lives in the Netherlands, the sun might not appear for days on end, which can really crimp the output of the country’s solar panels. Wind turbines might make up some of the shortfal...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/ore-energy-emerges-from-stealth-to-build-utility-scale-batteries-that-last-days-not-hours/

2024-05-22 06:25:52

Paytm counts costs of regulatory clampdown as losses swell
One 97 Communications, the parent company of India’s leading digital payments platform Paytm, reported a widening of its consolidated net loss to $66.1 million in the quarter ending March, compared to...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/paytm-counts-costs-of-regulatory-clampdown-as-losses-swell/

2024-05-22 01:29:27

In Seoul summit, heads of states and companies commit to AI safety
Government officials and AI industry executives agreed on Tuesday to apply elementary safety measures in the fast-moving field, and establish an international safety research network. Nearly six month...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/in-seoul-summit-heads-of-states-and-companies-commit-to-ai-safety/

2024-05-21 23:25:17

Uber and Lyft’s ride-hailing deal with Minnesota comes with a cost
Uber and Lyft drivers in Minnesota will see higher pay thanks to a deal between the state and the country’s two largest ride-hailing companies. The upshot: a new law that gives some protections to dri...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/uber-and-lyfts-ride-hailing-deal-with-minnesota-comes-with-a-cost/

2024-05-21 23:25:08

VCs wanted FarmboxRx to become a meal kit, the company bootstrapped instead
Some startups choose to bootstrap from the beginning while others find themselves forced into self funding by a lack of investor interest or a business model that doesn’t fit traditional VC. FarmboxRx...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/vcs-wanted-farmboxrx-to-become-a-meal-kit-the-company-bootstrapped-instead/

2024-05-21 22:25:08

Autodesk acquires AI-powered VFX startup Wonder Dynamics
3D tools behemoth Autodesk has acquired Wonder Dynamics, a startup that let creators quickly and easily make complex characters and visual effects using AI-powered image analysis. The two companies ha...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/autodesk-acquires-ai-powered-vfx-startup-wonder-dynamics/

2024-05-21 22:00:17

Farcaster, a crypto-based social network, raised $150M with just 80K daily users
Farcaster, a blockchain-based social protocol founded by two Coinbase alumni, announced on Tuesday that it closed a $150 million fundraise. Led by Paradigm, the platform also raised money from a16z cr...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/farcaster-a-crypto-based-social-network-raised-150m-with-just-80k-daily-users/

2024-05-21 22:00:07

Teen fintech Copper had to emergency discontinue its banking, debit products
Another fintech startup, and its customers, has been gravely impacted by the implosion of banking-as-a-service startup Synapse. Copper Banking, a digital banking service aimed at teens, notified its c...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/teen-fintech-copper-had-to-emergency-discontinue-its-banking-debit-products/

2024-05-21 21:25:07

Microsoft’s new ‘Volumetric Apps’ for Quest headsets extend Windows apps into the 3D space
Microsoft announced on Tuesday during its annual Build conference that it’s bringing “Windows Volumetric Apps” to Meta Quest headsets. The partnership will allow Microsoft to bring Windows 365 and loc...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/microsofts-new-volumetric-apps-for-quest-headsets-extend-windows-apps-into-the-3d-space/

2024-05-21 19:50:08

The ‘vote Trump’ spam that hit Bluesky in May came from decentralized rival Nostr
The spam reached Bluesky by first crossing over two other decentralized networks: Mastodon and Nostr.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/the-vote-trump-spam-that-hit-bluesky-in-may-came-from-decentralized-rival-nostr/

2024-05-21 19:25:07

There’s a real appetite for a fintech alternative to QuickBooks
Welcome to TechCrunch Fintech! This week, we’re looking at the continued fallout from Synapse’s bankruptcy, how Layer wants to disrupt SMB accounting, and much more! To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s b...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/theres-a-real-appetite-for-a-fintech-alternative-to-quickbooks/

2024-05-21 18:50:07

Bill Gates-backed wind startup AirLoom is raising $12M, filings reveal
The company is hoping to produce electricity at $13 per megawatt hour, which would be more than 50% cheaper than traditional onshore wind.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use onl...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/bill-gates-backed-wind-startup-airloom-is-raising-12m-filings-reveal/

2024-05-21 18:25:27

Boost your startup’s growth with a ScaleUp package at TC Disrupt 2024
Hey there, Series A to B startups with $35 million or less in funding — we’ve got an exciting opportunity that’s tailor-made for your growth journey! If you’re looking to elevate your presence at Tech...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/boost-your-startups-growth-with-a-scaleup-package-at-tc-disrupt-2024/

2024-05-21 18:25:18

French AI startup H raises $220 million seed round
It’s not often that you hear about a seed round above $10 million. H, a startup based in Paris and previously known as Holistic AI, has announced a $220 million seed round just a few months after the ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/french-ai-startup-h-raises-220-million-seed-round/

2024-05-21 18:25:09

WitnessAI is building guardrails for generative AI models
Generative AI makes stuff up. It can be biased. Sometimes, it spits out toxic text. So can it be “safe”? Rick Caccia, the CEO of WitnessAI, believes it can. “Securing AI models is a real problem, and ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/witnessai-is-building-guardrails-for-generative-ai-models/

2024-05-21 17:50:56

UK data protection watchdog ends privacy probe of Snap’s GenAI chatbot, but warns industry
The UK’s data protection watchdog has closed an almost year-long investigation of Snap’s AI chatbot, My AI — saying it’s satisfied the social media firm has addressed concerns about risks to children’...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/uk-data-protection-watchdog-ends-privacy-probe-of-snaps-genai-chatbot-but-warns-industry/

2024-05-21 17:50:46

Microsoft upgrades its AI app-building platforms
Microsoft’s big focus at this year’s Build conference is generative AI. And to that end, the tech giant announced a series of updates to its platforms for building generative AI-powered apps and exper...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/microsoft-upgrades-its-ai-app-building-platforms/

2024-05-21 17:50:37

Microsoft intros a Copilot for teams
Microsoft wants to make its brand of generative AI more useful for teams — specifically teams across corporations and large enterprise organizations. This morning at its annual Build dev conference, M...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/microsoft-intros-a-copilot-for-teams/

2024-05-21 17:50:27

GitHub Copilot gets extensions
Build is Microsoft’s largest developer conference and of course, it’s all about AI this year. So it’s no surprise that GitHub’s Copilot, GitHub’s “AI pair programming tool,” is taking center stage for...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/github-copilot-gets-extensions/

2024-05-21 17:50:17

Microsoft’s Power Automate no-code platform adds AI flows
Microsoft wants to put its Copilot everywhere. It’s only a matter of time before Microsoft renames its annual Build developer conference to Microsoft Copilot. Hopefully, some of those upcoming events ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/microsofts-power-automate-no-code-platform-adds-ai-flows/

2024-05-21 17:50:08

As a U.S. ban looms, TikTok announces a $1M program for socially driven creators
TikTok is pulling out all the stops to prevent its impending ban in the United States. Aside from initiating legal challenges against the government, that means shaping up its public image. On Tuesday...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/as-a-u-s-ban-looms-tiktok-announces-a-1m-program-for-socially-driven-creators/

2024-05-21 17:25:29

Spotify’s ‘Listening Party’ feature falls short of expectations
It’s been three years since Spotify acquired live audio startup Betty Labs, and yet the music streaming service isn’t leveraging the technology to its fullest potential—at least not in our opinion. B...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/spotify-listening-party-billie-eilish/

2024-05-21 17:25:19

Conservative cell carrier Patriot Mobile hit by data breach
U.S. cell carrier Patriot Mobile experienced a data breach that included subscribers’ personal information, including full names, email addresses, home zip codes, and account PINs, TechCrunch has lear...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/conservative-cell-carrier-patriot-mobile-hit-by-data-breach/

2024-05-21 17:01:37

Kickstarter now lets you pledge after a campaign closes
“Late Pledge” allows campaign creators to continue collecting money even after the campaign has closed.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/kickstarter-now-lets-you-pledge-after-a-campaign-closes/

2024-05-21 17:01:27

Alchemist’s latest batch puts AI to work as accelerator expands to Tokyo, Doha
Alchemist Accelerator has a new pile of AI-forward companies demoing their wares today, if you care to watch, and the program itself is making some international moves into Tokyo and Doha. Read on for...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/alchemists-latest-batch-puts-ai-to-work-as-accelerator-expands-to-tokyo-doha/

2024-05-21 16:00:16

Stack AI wants to make it easier to build AI-fueled workflows
Stack AI’s co-founders, Antoni Rosinol and Bernardo Aceituno, were PhD students at MIT wrapping up their degrees in 2022 just as large language models were becoming more mainstream. ChatGPT would be r...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/stack-ai-wants-to-make-it-easier-to-build-ai-fueled-workflows/

2024-05-21 15:01:20

Adobe brings Firefly AI-powered Generative Remove to Lightroom
Adobe says the feature is up to the task, regardless of how complex of a background the object is set against.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/adobe-brings-firefly-ai-powered-generative-remove-to-lightroom/

2024-05-21 15:01:10

Sonos finally made some headphones
The market play is clear from the outset: The $449 headphones are firmly targeted at an audience that would otherwise be purchasing the Bose QC Ultra or Apple AirPods Max.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All righ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/sonos-finally-made-some-headphones/

2024-05-21 15:00:59

Special mud helps XGS Energy get more power out of geothermal wells
Young geothermal energy wells can be like budding prodigies, each brimming with potential to outshine their peers. But like people, most decline with age. In California, for example, the amount of ele...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/special-mud-helps-xgs-energy-get-more-power-out-of-geothermal-wells/

2024-05-21 15:00:50

Pinecone launches its serverless vector database out of preview
Pinecone, the vector database startup founded by Edo Liberty, the former head of Amazon’s AI Labs, has long been at the forefront of helping businesses augment large language models (LLMs) with their ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/pinecone-launches-its-serverless-vector-database-out-of-preview/

2024-05-21 14:00:44

Porsche invests in battery startup South 8 to boost cold-weather EV performance
All cars suffer when the mercury drops, but electric vehicles suffer more than most as heaters draw more power and batteries charge more slowly as the liquid electrolyte inside thickens. Drivers in Ch...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/porsche-invests-in-battery-startup-south-8-to-boost-cold-weather-ev-performance/

2024-05-21 13:25:44

Data-labeling startup Scale AI raises $1B as valuation doubles to $13.8B
Scale AI, a company that provides data-labeling services for training machine learning models, has raised a $1 billion Series F round from a slew of big-name institutional and corporate investors incl...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/data-labeling-startup-scale-ai-raises-1b-as-valuation-doubles-to-13-8b/

2024-05-21 13:00:23

Meta, Match, Coinbase and others team up to fight online fraud and crypto scams
The new coalition, Tech Against Scams, will work together to find ways to fight back against the tools used by scammers and to better educate the public against financial scams.
© 2024 TechCrunch. Al...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/meta-match-coinbase-and-others-team-up-to-fight-online-fraud-and-crypto-scams/

2024-05-21 12:51:10

EU Council gives final nod to set up risk-based regulations for AI
It's a wrap: European Union lawmakers have given the final approval to set up the bloc's flagship, risk-based regulations for artificial intelligence.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For pers...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/eu-council-gives-final-nod-to-set-up-risk-based-regulations-for-ai/

2024-05-21 11:01:24

Vitesse, a payments and treasury management platform for insurers, raises $93M to fuel US expansion
London-based fintech Vitesse has closed a $93 million Series C round of funding led by investment giant KKR.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/vitesse-a-payments-and-treasury-management-platform-for-insurers-raises-93m-to-fuel-us-expansion/

2024-05-21 06:00:26

Zen Educate raises $37M and acquires Aquinas Education as it tries to address the teacher shortage
Zen Educate, an online marketplace that connects schools with teachers, has raised $37 million in a Series B round of funding. The raise comes amid a growing teacher shortage crisis both sides of the ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/20/zen-educate-raises-37m-for-marketplace-that-matches-schools-with-teachers/

2024-05-21 04:01:09

Aurora and Volvo unveil self-driving truck designed for a driverless future
A new self-driving truck — manufactured by Volvo and loaded with autonomous vehicle tech developed by Aurora Innovation — could be on public highways as early as this summer. The Volvo VNL Autonomous...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/20/aurora-volvo-unveil-self-driving-truck-driverless-future/

2024-05-21 03:51:49

Aurora unveils self-driving truck with Volvo
A new self-driving truck — manufactured by Volvo and loaded with autonomous vehicle tech developed by Aurora Innovation — could be on public highways as early as this summer. The Volvo VNL Autonomous...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/20/aurora-unveils-self-driving-truck-with-volvo/

2024-05-21 02:27:46

ETF Partners raises €284M for climate startups that will be effective quickly — not 20 years down the road
The European venture capital firm raised its fourth fund as fund as climate tech "comes of age."
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/20/etf-partners-raises-e284m-for-climate-startups-that-will-be-effective-quickly-not-20-years-down-the-road/

2024-05-21 02:00:42

Scarlett Johansson says that OpenAI approached her to use her voice
"When I heard the released demo, I was shocked, angered and in disbelief that Mr. Altman would pursue a voice that sounded so eerily similar to mine."
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For pers...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/20/scarlett-johansson-says-that-openai-approached-her-to-use-her-voice/

2024-05-21 02:00:33

Microsoft wants to make Windows an AI operating system, launches Copilot+ PCs
Copilot, Microsoft's brand of generative AI, will soon be far more deeply integrated into the Windows 11 experience.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/20/microsoft-build-2024-windows-ai-operating-system-copilot-plus-pcs/