What do Ryan Reynolds and Sam Altman have in common?

TechCrunch Newsletter

By Christine Hall Friday, January 05, 2024

To answer the question from today's headline, Paul reminds us why we've heard of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), who's using them and why they are having a moment right now. Get the scoop. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is seeping into every industry as a way to automate and streamline workloads. Romain writes about Nabla, a French startup that raised another $24 million for its AI approach to helping doctors. Read more. And Kirsten reports on Aurora and Continental, which made a pre-CES announcement that they completed the first phase of a more than $300 million project to mass-produce autonomous vehicle hardware for commercial self-driving trucks. Buckle up. Image Credits: Jobalou / Getty Images

More top reads Tough year in VC: Venture capital activity was down everywhere, including Africa. In today's story, Annie and Tage give a deep dive into what happened in 2023 and talk to investors about what happened and where the ecosystem goes from there. Read more. Drive time: Uber is testing a flexible pricing model across India in a move that could help it gain a broader customer base. See how it works. IPO alert: MobiKwik, an Indian financial services company, is going after an $84.2 million raise through issue of new shares in an initial public offering in the home market. Read more. Pitch Deck Teardown: In this latest version, which just so happens to be the 78th one (and you can be the 79th), Haje looks at Pepper Bio's seed deck. Find out what he liked, and didn't like, about the drug discovery company's approach. Get the scoop. (TC+) Hype it up: Artificial intelligence was everywhere in 2023, especially if you've been reading TechCrunch. After a year of hyping it up, venture capitals say they are eager to move forward and see more enterprise adoption and vertical AI solutions. Learn more. (TC+) Watching for the plateau: It's true — when you hit a peak, usually the only way to go is down. And as I mentioned at the beginning of this section, it's been a tough year for VC. Now we have the fourth-quarter data to prove it. Take a look. (TC+) In case you missed it: CES 2024: How to watch as Nvidia, Samsung and more reveal hardware, AI updates Logan Paul promises CryptoZoo refunds, as long as you don't sue him Lawsuit against Snap over fentanyl deaths can proceed, judge rules The goal of a startup is to cease existing (TC+) Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

On the pods This week on Equity, we kicked things off with news of Ruth Foxe Blader leaving Anthemis to launch Foxe Capital and Exponent announcing their second fund. We then dove deep into layoffs and shutdowns for Frontdesk and Countdown Capital, respectively, and new efforts to support tech startups in both Israel and Palestine. Listen here. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

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Newest Jobs from Crunchboard Chief Technology Officer / Cofounder at truckmentum.com (Atlanta, GA, USA) IT Technology Analyst II at Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (Middletown, PA, United States) IT Project Lead at Valley Water (San Jose, CA, USA) Founding Team - Senior Full Stack Developer at Mindworks (San Francisco, CA, USA) Senior Software Engineer at Zulu Airline Systems, Inc. (Atlanta, GA, USA) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $349 per month.

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Data breach law firm has a breach of its own

TechCrunch Newsletter

By Christine Hall Thursday, January 04, 2024

You really can't make this stuff up! In today's top story, Zack reports that a law firm that handles data breaches was hit by its own data breach. Personal information and sensitive health data was stolen from some 630,000 people. Find out what happened. Meanwhile, another generative AI startup rakes in the capital, and a higher valuation. Kyle writes about Perplexity AI, an AI-powered search engine that is now valued at $520 million after raising $73.6 million. Here's how it works. And you all really enjoy your Microsoft news. After Copilot's launch yesterday on iOS and Android, Frederic reports that Microsoft wants to add a Copilot key to your PC keyboard. Read why 2024 might be the "year of the AI PC.” Image Credits: Gado / Getty Images

More top reads More capital ahead: Ex-Plaid and ex-Robinhood executives walk into a bar, and what results is Exponent Capital, which has now raised $75 million to invest in early-stage startups. Learn about their investment thesis. This truck has a little face: Autonomous delivery startup Nuro taps simulation company Foretellix to help virtually test its driving system in an effort to cut R&D costs. Read more. For those who miss pushing tiny buttons: For just $139, this startup turns your iPhone into a BlackBerry-era relic. Get the scoop. The eyes have it: Ahead of CES next week, Qualcomm unveils its next-generation XR chip that promises up to 4.3k resolution per eye. Check it out. Going link by link: A new report shows that software supply chain security remains a challenge for most enterprises. See why. You can never shop enough: TikTok has plans to grow its TikTok Shop U.S. business tenfold to $17.5 billion in 2024. Here's how it plans to do that. Comparison shopping: For those of you who like to compare apps before you use them, here's how HSBC's international payments app Zing compares to Wise and Revolut. Read more. Shorty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low: As we find out, big, costly seed deals were the exception in 2023's lackluster venture capital market. Learn about the wrinkle. (TC+) This year, be a new and improved "you": Apple wants to help you with that with some new features for Apple Fitness+ that include sound meditation and a workout program for golfers. Time to tee up. Take this exit: See which way some VCs are going when it comes to exits in 2024. Read more. (TC+) Even more for your Thursday: This startup is bringing a 'voice frequency absorber' to CES 2024 OpenAI's app store for GPTs will launch next week Satellite imagery analysis shows immense scale of dark fishing industry Big offshore wind farms are now transmitting sweet, sweet battery juice to the US grid Superpedestrian to auction 20,000 e-scooters after shutting down Is the latest near-room-temperature superconductor legit? Don't count on it (TC+) Image Credits: Charley Ma and Mahdi Raza / Exponent Founders Capital

On the pods On this week's Chain Reaction, Jacquelyn dove back into the latest developments on spot bitcoin ETF applications in the U.S. as anticipation builds. Fred Thiel, the CEO of Marathon Digital Holdings, a digital asset technology company and the largest publicly traded bitcoin mining firm, joined to help break down the latest developments on spot bitcoin ETFs. Listen here. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

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Newest Jobs from Crunchboard Chief Technology Officer / Cofounder at truckmentum.com (Atlanta, GA, USA) IT Technology Analyst II at Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (Middletown, PA, United States) IT Project Lead at Valley Water (San Jose, CA, USA) Founding Team - Senior Full Stack Developer at Mindworks (San Francisco, CA, USA) Senior Software Engineer at Zulu Airline Systems, Inc. (Atlanta, GA, USA) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $349 per month.

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23andMe plays the blame game

TechCrunch Newsletter

By Christine Hall Wednesday, January 03, 2024

So get this: You sign up for a program that requires you to give them personal information, your DNA and credit card information. All of that data is stored on the company's servers. Then hackers come in and steal that data. However, instead of beefing up security or helping victims, the company blames them for not updating their passwords. Lorenzo gets into all this and more surrounding the latest move by 23andMe to tell breach victims it's their fault this happened. Read more. Meanwhile, Microsoft Copilot made its debut on iOS and Android. Aisha writes the launch was quiet but packed a loud punch. See why. And check out my story on Diadem Capital, a scrappy startup matching startups with investors and lenders. Get your warm introduction here. Image Credits: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for LARAS

More Top Reads Strong hold: Later this year, India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will look to enforce the Digital India Act, which will oversee the market practices of large tech companies. Get the scoop. Movers and shakers: Moonwalker robotic shoes get lighter and smarter. See them in action. Going beyond Firefox: Mozilla has its eye on the future, and that means making a name for itself along with Firefox. What's next for Mozilla? Big funding ahead: Cloud-native cybersecurity startup Aqua Security raises $60 million and remains a unicorn. Read more. A new boob tube: Roku's winter lineup includes a variety of high-end TVs. View them all. Disappearing act: Headlines were back on X for a brief moment before going away again. Was it real or just an illusion? Let's get physical: Darrell writes that when he broke his wrist, Meta Quest 3 and Supernatural came through. Read about his journey to recovery. Crypto's wild ride: Blockchain technology isn't going away soon, and that's why Alex is "modestly crypto-bullish in 2024." Read more. (TC+) Corporate culture: Find out why building a strong startup developer culture requires constant adjustment. Read more. (TC+) Listen up: If you're looking for some new headphones, check out Urbanista, which is integrating Powerfoyle technology powered by the sun. Learn more. In case you missed it: Short-term rental provider Frontdesk lays off entire staff, on the verge of shutting down Samsung's Galaxy S24 lineup set for January 17 debut Tech for Palestine launches to provide tools to help support Palestinians Former Anthemis partner soft-launches new fintech-focused venture firm Why Fortnite is getting into cozy gaming Image Credits: MONEY SHARMA / AFP / Getty Images

On the pods On today's Equity, TechCrunch reporter Morgan Sung spoke with Shruti Dwivedi, co-founder and CEO of health tech startup Duly, which was part of the TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 Battlefield cohort. Duly, a contraceptive care platform, is initially targeting the Indian market, one where Dwivedi says fewer than 15% of Indians have access to sexual education despite having quite a large population of people under 30. Find out how Duly aims to remove the stigma around sexual wellness. Listen here. Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

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Newest Jobs from Crunchboard Chief Technology Officer / Cofounder at truckmentum.com (Atlanta, GA, USA) IT Technology Analyst II at Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (Middletown, PA, United States) IT Project Lead at Valley Water (San Jose, CA, USA) Founding Team - Senior Full Stack Developer at Mindworks (San Francisco, CA, USA) Senior Software Engineer at Zulu Airline Systems, Inc. (Atlanta, GA, USA) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $349 per month.

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New year, new price for the Quest 2 headset

TechCrunch Newsletter

By Christine Hall Tuesday, January 02, 2024

Happy New Year my dear Daily Crunchers! I'm back from a long, much-needed vacation and ready to deliver today's big stories. Big thanks to Kyle and Cody for taking the reins in my absence. Ivan had two of the top stories for today. First, it might be too late to ask Santa for the Quest 2 headset, however, Meta is giving you a present by lowering the cost. Especially for those of you not ready to shell out $500 for the Quest 3. Read more. In the second one, Fidelity made further cuts to its valuation of X Holdings, the parent company of social media site X, to close out 2023. X's valuation is now almost a third of the investment price. Read more. And Aria got a scoop that Countdown Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm investing in hard tech, is shutting down. Read about what that could mean for future industry investments. Image Credits: Joan Cros/NurPhoto / Getty Images

More top reads New year, new rebates: If you're looking into finally switching to an electric vehicle, we show you the five EVs that qualify for the full federal tax credit in 2024. Read more. Delivery woes: On news that Rivian deliveries slipped 10% in the fourth quarter, so did its share price, raising demand questions. Read more. Would you swallow this?: MIT scientists are working on a vibrating obesity pill that will send signals to the brain that you are full. Read more.  Click if you agree: See how OpenAI moves to shrink regulatory risk in the European Union around data privacy. Natasha also lays out how this all came about. Accelerating sales: Whereas Rivian had some delivery difficulties, Tesla shipped a record number of electric vehicles in the fourth quarter. See which model got it there. Mickey Mouse becomes a meme: The public domain just got one of cartoon's biggest superstars. And people have wasted no time in making fun. New update alert: Telegram's latest update brings a redesigned call interface that uses less of your phone's battery. And bots, oh the bots. Mythbusters: Becca spoke with some founders who debunk the myth that crowdfunding is only good for cash. Read more. (TC+) Intro: Now that The New York Times has sued OpenAI and Microsoft, Alex wonders if we, meaning those who have had materials gobbled up by ChatGPT for learning purposes, have to become digital copyright experts. You be the judge. (TC+) Weekend warriors you may have missed: Try these apps to reach your New Year's resolutions in 2024. Climate tech might be the hot job market in 2024. (TC+) What a long, strange year it's been in enterprise tech news. (TC+) Image Credits: Rivian

On the pods Equity is back with a look at the latest in tech news from the weekend and what's making headlines early in the week. We’re talking through The New York Times’ suit against OpenAI, how X’s value continues to fall, climate tech’s job growth and more. Listen here. This week Found is going down under. New Zealand-based TechCrunch reporter Rebecca Bellan talked with Alex Zaccaria, the co-founder and CEO of Linktree, about how they’ve scaled the freemium model to grow the social media reference landing page startup. Alex also talked about the challenges and benefits of fundraising internationally, the upside to raising in a more difficult climate, and how they see Linktree changing the way creators curate content for their audiences. Listen here.

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Newest Jobs from Crunchboard IT Technology Analyst II at Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (Middletown, PA, United States) IT Project Lead at Valley Water (San Jose, CA, USA) Founding Team - Senior Full Stack Developer at Mindworks (San Francisco, CA, USA) Senior Software Engineer at Zulu Airline Systems, Inc. (Atlanta, GA, USA) Systems Administrator I or II at City of Newport (Newport, OR, USA) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $349 per month.

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