OpenAI may have billions of dollars in the bank. But itβs gearing up to raise billions more, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Per The WSJ, OpenAI is in talks to secure up to $40 billion in a funding round that would value the startup at $340 billion. SoftBank would lead the [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
The company, founded by 25-year-old Kian Sadeghi, announced a $14 million Series A, bringing its total funding to about $32 million.
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Cushion, a fintech startup that described itself as the βPlaid for buy now, pay later (BNPL),β has shut down. On Thursday, founder and CEO Paul Kesserwani posted on LinkedIn about the decision to wind down the company at the end of 2024. In the post, Kesserwani said that βdespite bringing multiple new fintech products to [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Serial entrepreneur and recording artist Victor D. Lombard, also known as DIVINE, announced this week the launch of a new company, in partnership with RAKIM, one of hip-hopβs most influential emcees.Β The company is called Notes, a fintech specifically for independent urban musicians and creators. It provides the knowledge and tools to help artists manage [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
The exposed database was connected to the internet without a password, exposing GPS coordinates, names, phone numbers, and postal addresses.
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Google is testing a new βAsk for Meβ feature that uses AI to call local businesses on your behalf, for information about availability and pricing. The feature is available on desktop and mobile for users who have opted into the companyβs Search Labs experiments. The idea is to help users access information without having to [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Despite news that Andreessen Horowitz closed its London crypto-focused office, the VC reportedly still has dozens of scouts in Europe looking for startups.
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Google SVP Rick Osterloh issued an internal memo to the Pixel/Android/Chrome team Thursday, announcing a βvoluntary exit program.β TechCrunch has confirmed the letterβs existence with the company, after it was first reported by 9 to 5 Google. In a statement to TechCrunch, a spokesperson notes: The Platforms & Devices team is offering a voluntary exit [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility β your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free β just click TechCrunch Mobility! In case you missed it, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company would launch a paid ride-hailing service with a fleet of driverless vehicles in Austin in [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Amazon is eliminating roles in its Communications and Sustainability departments, per an internal memo seen by TechCrunch.
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
U.S. prosecutors accused an Argentinian national living in Spain of being an βactive administratorβ of Nulled, one of the two hacking forums seized and shut down by authorities.
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
The 25-year deal would enable Chestnut Carbon to reforest 60,000 acres of land across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Waymo said it is launching fully driverless robotaxi rides for employees in Atlanta, an important step before the company opens the service up to members of the public later in 2025. This is the latest signal of Waymoβs push into new markets, and it comes two months after the company closed a $5.6 billion Series [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
To make smart bets on the current wave of startups, Matt Hartman thinks venture capitalists will need a deeper understanding of the tech those startups are building. Hartman (pictured above) spent nine years as a partner at Betaworks before starting a new firm, Factorial Capital, where heβs developed a different approach to identifying the startups [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
U.S. prosecutors are seeking to block the deal citing antitrust concerns.
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Chinese AI lab DeepSeek provoked the first Silicon Valley freak-out of 2025 after releasing open versions of AI models that compete with the best technology OpenAI, Meta, and Google have to offer. DeepSeek claims to have built its models highly efficiently and quickly (though some are skeptical of these claims), and is providing these models [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
ElevenLabs, one of the more popular startups working in the field of AI audio, said Thursday that it has raised a Series C round of $180 million, valuing the company at $3.3 billion post-money. a16z and ICONIQ Growth are co-leading the investment. Rumors of the fundraise were first reported by TechCrunch. The final numbers confirm [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Metaβs newer social network Threads announced on Thursday that itβs introducing a dedicated βmediaβ tab for both photos and videos, only days after its rivals, including X and the startup Bluesky, did the same for videos. In addition, Meta will also now allow users to tag people in the photos they share. Instagram head Adam [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg teased a βreturn to OG Facebookβ as part of his key goals for 2025 in Wednesdayβs Q4 earnings call with investors. While the company was short on details as to what specific changes lay in store, itβs clear that Meta is in desperate need of younger Facebook users to sustain itself [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
The data center market is booming, driven by AI demand. Just last week, OpenAI said that it plans to team up with backers including SoftBank to spend at least $100 billion on data center infrastructure in the U.S. Microsoft aims to put around $80 billion toward AI infrastructure this year, and rival tech giants have [β¦]
Β© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
