Latest Tech News

Stay updated with the latest in technology, AI, cybersecurity, and more

Filtered by: venture Clear Filter

German data protection official wants Apple, Google to remove DeepSeek from the country’s app stores

In Brief A German data protection official has reported Chinese AI app DeepSeek to Apple and Google, saying the app transfers users’ information to China illegally. Meike Kamp, Berlin’s Commissioner for data protection and freedom of information, told the companies that DeepSeek did not provide “convincing evidence” that users’ data was protected as required by EU laws. “Chinese authorities have far-reaching access rights to personal data within the sphere of influence of Chinese companies,”

OpenAI hires team behind AI recommendation startup Crossing Minds

Crossing Minds, a startup that provides AI recommendation systems to e-commerce businesses, said on Thursday that its team is joining OpenAI. The startup was backed by Index Ventures, Shopify, Plug and Play, and Radical Ventures, and had raised more than $13.5 million across multiple rounds, according to Crunchbase. Crossing Minds largely worked with e-commerce companies to improve their personalization and recommendation systems. The company claims it studies customers’ on-site behavior data

At TechCrunch All Stage, Jahanvi Sardana shares how top startups reshape markets

TechCrunch All Stage — the ultimate founder summit — is shaping up to be a powerhouse event where 1,200 founders and VCs across all stages will come together to forge meaningful connections and gain practical insights they can immediately apply to scale their startups. Join us on July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston and be part of the conversation with scaling experts. And now is the best time to register to attend. For a limited time, we’re bringing Investor Passes to just $250 and Founder

TechCrunch All Stage: Learn how AI can supercharge your MVPs with Chris Gardner

TechCrunch All Stage, our big event for founders of startups at all stages of funding (see what we did there?), is coming up July 15 at Boston’s SoWa Power Station. And it’s our pleasure to announce that Underscore VC’s investing partner Chris Gardner will join a loaded lineup of speakers by leading a breakout session titled “MVP in the Age of AI: When to Bot and When to Not.” Spoiler: Expect to learn a lot about using AI for minimum viable products. And for for a very limited time, we’re launc

Windows killed the Blue Screen of Death

You’re laughing. Windows killed the Blue Screen of Death and you’re laughing. Yes, the iconic Windows error screen is getting a makeover nearly 40 years after its debut in the first version of Windows. Now, the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) will become the Black Screen of Death (BSOD). This change is related to other updates that Windows is making in the wake of the CrowdStrike outage last year, which affected 8.5 million Windows devices and took businesses, airports, TV stations, and government

Kalshi closes $185M round as rival Polymarket reportedly seeks $200M

Kalshi just raised a $185 million round, led by crypto-focused VC firm Paradigm, bringing the company’s valuation to $2 billion post-money, representatives from Paradigm and Kalshi confirmed to TechCrunch. “Prediction markets remind me of crypto 15 years ago: a new asset class on a path to trillions,” Matt Huang, co-founder and managing partner at Paradigm, told TechCrunch in an emailed statement. “There’s no better team than Kalshi to scale prediction markets and reshape how people think about

Air quality tests around xAI’s Memphis data center raise questions

Elon Musk’s xAI is the subject of scrutiny in Memphis, where natural gas turbines powering its Colossus data center have raised alarm among residents concerned about air pollution. On Tuesday, the City of Memphis released the results of initial air quality testing performed by a third party, saying that levels of the 10 pollutants tested were not dangerous. But the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), which is threatening to sue xAI on behalf of the NAACP, said that the tests omitted a key

Rubrik acquires Predibase to accelerate adoption of AI agents

Data cybersecurity company Rubrik announced Wednesday its intent to acquire Predibase. Predibase is a venture-backed startup that helps companies train and fine-tune open source AI models to customize them to their needs. Rubrik is the latest company to make an acquisition with the goal of boosting enterprise AI agent adoption. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though CNBC reported that the deal was between $100 million and $500 million, a sizable range. Rubrik declined to comment on the de

Bumble to lay off 30% of its workforce

Dating app Bumble announced on Wednesday that it’s laying off 30% of its workforce, impacting around 240 positions. The company said in a securities filing that the cuts are part of its plans to realign its “operating structure to optimize execution on its strategic priorities.” Bumble anticipates saving $40 million per year as a result of the workforce reduction and plans to reinvest most of this money into product and technology development. The company said it will incur approximately $13 m

Ring cameras and doorbells now use AI to provide specific descriptions of motion activity

Amazon-owned Ring announced on Wednesday that it’s introducing a new AI-powered feature to its doorbells and cameras, which offers users specific text descriptions of current motion activity. Now, when users receive real-time notifications about happenings at their property, the updates will be more descriptive. For instance, “A person is walking up the steps with a black dog,” or “Two individuals are looking into a white car parked in the driveway.” The feature aims to improve upon the vague

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Medha Agarwal, Jyoti Bansal, and Jennifer Neundorfer discuss what makes a pitch land

Perfect your pitch for maximum impact. Investors hear hundreds of pitches, but only a few stand out. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, hear directly from Medha Agarwal, general partner, defy.vc; Jyoti Bansal, CEO and co-founder, Harness; Jennifer Neundorfer, co-founder and managing partner, January Ventures as they share what grabs their attention, what turns them off, and the subtle signals founders often miss. This candid panel reveals the insider strategies to help you build trust, stand out, and w

Moratorium on state AI regulation clears Senate hurdle

A Republican effort to prevent states from enforcing their own AI regulations cleared a key procedural hurdle on Saturday. The rule, as reportedly rewritten by Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz in an attempt to comply with budgetary rules, would withhold federal broadband funding from states if they try to enforce AI regulations in the next 10 years. And the rewrite seems to have passed muster, with the Senate Parliamentarian now ruling that the provision is not subject to the so-called Byrd rule

2 days left to save up to $210 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass

Time is almost up! Regular bird pricing for TechCrunch All Stage ends this Sunday, June 22, at 11:59 p.m. PT. That means you have just 2 days left to lock in savings of up to $210 on your ticket to one of the ultimate founder events of the summer. TC All Stage lands in Boston at SoWa Power Station on July 15 for one action-packed day built for founders, investors, and startup operators who want more than surface-level inspiration. Expect tactical sessions, real conversations, and curated connec

The new math: Why seed investors are selling their winners earlier

Charles Hudson had just closed his fifth fund several months ago — $66 million for Precursor Ventures — when one of his limited partners asked him to run an exercise. What would have happened, the LP wondered, if Hudson had sold all his portfolio companies at Series A? What about Series B? Or Series C? The question wasn’t academic. After two decades in venture capital, Hudson has been watching the math of seed investing change, maybe permanently. LPs who’ve previously been patient with seven-to

Cluely, a startup that helps ‘cheat on everything,’ raises $15M from a16z

Cluely, a startup that claims to help users “cheat” on job interviews, exams, and sales calls, has raised a $15 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, the company announced on Friday with a video posted on X. Two investors who were not part of the deal tell TechCrunch they believe Cluely’s post-money valuation is around $120 million. Andreessen Horowitz declined to comment on that figure. Lee didn’t respond to a request for comment. Cluely’s new funding comes roughly two months after it

The new math: why seed investors are selling their winners earlier

Charles Hudson had just closed his fifth fund several months ago – $66 million for Precursor Ventures – when one of his limited partners asked him to run an exercise. What would have happened, the LP wondered, if Hudson had sold all his portfolio companies at Series A? What about Series B? Or Series C? The question wasn’t academic. After two decades in venture capital, Hudson has been watching the math of seed investing change, maybe permanently. LPs who’ve previously been patient with seven-to

Snap acquires Saturn, a social calendar app for high school and college students

Snap has acquired Saturn, a calendar app that helps students manage their school schedules and share them with others, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Friday. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Saturn will continue to operate as a standalone app. The news was first reported by Engadget. Snap says almost the entire Saturn team is joining Snap as part of the acquisition, with just under 30 full-time employees coming on board. Although Snap didn’t share much about its pla

After raising $38M, African e-commerce startup Sabi lays off 20%, pivots to traceable exports

African B2B e-commerce startup Sabi has laid off around 20% of its workforce (~50 employees) as it pivots from its original retail-focused platform to double down on a growing business in commodity exports. The layoffs, confirmed by the company on Thursday, are part of a broader restructuring aimed at aligning resources with what it describes as rising demand for traceable, ethically sourced commodities, an area it began building out last year under a new vertical called TRACE (Technology Rails

Deezer starts labeling AI-generated music to tackle streaming fraud

Deezer announced on Friday that it will start labeling albums that include AI-generated tracks as part of its efforts to combat streaming fraud. The company reports that about 18% of the music uploaded each day — more than 20,000 tracks — is now fully AI-generated. Although most of these tracks don’t go viral, Deezer says around 70% of their streams are fake and that they are designed to earn royalties fraudulently. To combat this, AI-generated tracks on Deezer are now clearly tagged. These tr

3 more days to fuel your next big move — and save up to $210 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass

The countdown is on — you have just 3 days left to save on your pass to TechCrunch All Stage, happening July 15 in Boston’s SoWa Power Station. After Sunday, June 22 at 11:59 p.m. PT, prices go up, and this opportunity to lock in savings disappears. If you’re a founder looking to scale, a VC hunting for breakout talent, or an operator ready to level up, this one-day founder summit is built to move you forward — with tactical insights, candid conversations, and high-impact networking from start

Announcing our 2025 VB Transform Innovation Showcase finalists

Join the event trusted by enterprise leaders for nearly two decades. VB Transform brings together the people building real enterprise AI strategy. Learn more This year’s VB Innovation Showcase finalists will be at VB Transform, June 24-25, in San Francisco. They will take to the stage as we delve into what’s actually working in enterprise AI, from copilots to agents. Seven companies have been selected to showcase their generative AI products or features that are most likely to disrupt the ente

Multiplier, founded by ex-Stripe exec, nabs $27.5M to fuel AI-powered accounting roll-ups

In late 2022, Noah Pepper, a former Stripe business lead for the Asia Pacific region, founded Multiplier, a startup that aimed to sell software to tax accounts. But soon after ChatGPT was released, he realized that AI can change how professional service firms use technology. “I realized I was barking up the wrong tree by trying to build a SaaS business, and instead I should figure out how to make these people more effective,” he told TechCrunch. The startup acquired Citrine International Tax,

Grifin secures $11M to make investing less intimidating

Grifin, an investment app that simplifies investing by automatically purchasing stocks in brands where users regularly shop, announced on Wednesday that it has secured an $11 million Series A funding round, bringing the total amount raised to around $22 million. Alongside the announcement, Grifin also revealed it has surpassed 500,000 registered users, indicating that its approach to investing resonates with a lot of users. Grifin also claims approximately 1 million total app downloads and 100,

The ‘OpenAI Files’ push for oversight in the race to AGI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said humanity is only years away from developing artificial general intelligence that could automate most human labor. If that’s true, then humanity also deserves to understand and have a say in the people and mechanics behind such an incredible and destabilizing force. That is the guiding purpose behind “The OpenAI Files,” an archival project from the Midas Project and the Tech Oversight Project, two nonprofit tech watchdog organizations. The Files are a “collection o

Grifin secures $11M to make investing less intimidating for its female user base

Grifin, an investment app that simplifies investing by automatically purchasing stocks in brands where users regularly shop, announced on Wednesday that it has secured a $11 million Series A funding round, bringing the total amount raised to around $22 million. Alongside the announcement, Grifin also revealed it has surpassed 500,000 registered users, indicating that its approach to investing resonates with a lot of users. Grifin also claims approximately 1 million total app downloads and 100,0

OpenAI’s $200M DoD contract could squeeze frenemy Microsoft

OpenAI said Monday the U.S. Department of Defense granted it a contract for up to $200 million to help the agency identify and build prototype systems that use its frontier models for administrative tasks and more. OpenAI provides a few examples of possible tasking, such as helping service members get healthcare, streamlining data on various programs, and “supporting proactive cyber defense.” The company also said that “All use cases must be consistent with OpenAI’s usage policies and guideline

Own, a new social media app, aims to tokenize the creator economy

With the TikTok deadline to sell its U.S. operations now just two days away, a new decentralized social media app launched its beta to the public on Tuesday. Own is the latest alternative to TikTok to emerge, featuring a swipeable feed for not just short videos but also text posts and images, as well as other features you’d expect, like direct messaging. However, the new app aims to disrupt the market by utilizing blockchain technology and a token economy. Most notably, content creators on the

Spotify's Daniel Ek leads $694 million investment in defense startup Helsing

Helsing uses AI to analyze large amounts of sensor and weapons system data from the battlefield. European defense technology startup Helsing on Tuesday said that it's raised 600 million euros ($693.6 million) in a bumper new round of funding. The investment was led by Prima Materia, the venture capital firm founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and by Shakil Khan, an early investor in the popular music streaming app. Ek is also chairman of Helsing. Existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, A

US court denies Apple’s request to dismiss antitrust case concerning iCloud

A California district court on Monday denied a request by Apple to throw out a class action lawsuit that alleges the iPhone maker violates competition laws by forcing users of its devices to back up their critical files and device settings on its cloud storage service, iCloud. The complaint also accuses Apple of not allowing third-party cloud services to access certain files, and preventing them from offering a “full-service” storage that competes with iCloud. U.S. District Judge Eumi Lee had

What makes TechCrunch All Stage different from other startup events? Answers to your most pressing questions

Tech and startup events have a formula. You know it. We know it. We’ve all done it. But TechCrunch All Stage 2025, which we’re hosting July 15 at the SoWa Power Station in Boston, is designed to break out of that rinse-and-repeat model — and focus on what early-stage startups actually need to know, right now. Plus, you can still get some limited-time pricing discounts, with Investor passes coming in at a $200 reduction, Founder passes discounted by $210, and our special $99 rate exclusively for