Oct 28th
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024
San Francisco, CA
The Latest
Apps
Elon Musk suggests Twitter could open source its algorithm ‘next week’
2:45 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Update: File this one under things Elon said but didn’t happen. Update 2, 3/17/23: Elon Musk is now saying Twitter will open source all code used to recommend tweets on…
Startups
Soylent acquired by Starco Brands as nutrition company shifts into its ‘natural next stage’
2:20 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Soylent, which is profitable and had been growing over the past few years, is Starco Brands’ third acquisition in six months.
Featured Article
Digging into Coinbase’s better-than-expected Q4 results
Earlier this afternoon Coinbase reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2022 results. In response to the company’s raw numbers, shares of Coinbase are off around 2.2% in after-hours trading as of the time of writing. (The company initially fell much farther before recovering to positive territory; gains that it later shed ahead of its earnings call.)…
2:05 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Apps
YouTube Music’s latest feature lets users create custom radio stations
2:05 pm PST • February 21, 2023
YouTube Music is introducing a new radio experience that lets users create their own custom stations, the company told TechCrunch on Tuesday. Prior to the launch of this feature, users…
As part of the bankruptcy motion, lenders have offered the company $43 million in financing to help Starry maintain normal business conditions.
AI
Science fiction publishers are being flooded with AI-generated stories
1:49 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Across the 17-year history of Clarkesworld, a renowned literary magazine of science fiction and fantasy, authors have speculated about how evolving, futuristic technology will impact our world. Now, editor and…
Transportation
Arcimoto promises new 3-wheeled EVs will steer better as it ramps up 2023 deliveries
1:49 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Arcimoto, maker of doorless three-wheelers, says it is about ready to bang out some new electric vehicles. That’s quite a turnaround from January, when the EV startup halted production and…
Crypto
Coinbase shares rise after nontrading revenues increase amid a continued crypto winter
1:41 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Coinbase, the second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, released its Q4 2022 earnings on Tuesday, giving shareholders and market players alike an updated look into its financials. In response to…
Venture
Ex-WeWork director raises millions for Den’s tiny home plans
1:39 pm PST • February 21, 2023
If it wasn’t for WeWork’s failed IPO, Mike Romanowicz probably wouldn’t be building a proptech business right now. The entrepreneur left his position as director of product management and strategic…
Security
Activision did not notify employees of data breach for months
12:18 pm PST • February 21, 2023
On December 4, hackers successfully phished an employee at the games giant Activision, gaining access to some internal employee and game data. This data breach was not disclosed until last…
Where we’ll be next
Jun 11th
StrictlyVC – Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
May 21st
StrictlyVC – London
London
Hardware
Meta Quest users can now tap and swipe in VR without controllers
12:04 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Today, Meta announced new improvements to the Quest platform as part of the v50 OS update, including an experimental feature called “Direct Touch,” which lets users tap and swipe with…
Featured Article
VCs should want to hold early-stage companies more accountable
If VCs hold their portfolio companies more accountable from the start, not only would it prevent future problems, but it would also likely help build better businesses.
12:00 pm PST • February 21, 2023
Startups
TechCrunch+ roundup: Optimizing acquisition, parental leave tips, riding the downturn express
11:10 am PST • February 21, 2023
I was dismayed to realize that I’d used the word “downturn” in two different headlines this morning.
Crypto
3 questions for Coinbase as we count down to its Q4 earnings
10:20 am PST • February 21, 2023
While Coinbase is no longer a startup, it is a goliath in one of the largest web3 markets. That means its results will help us understand the American crypto market…
Welcome back to Inside Startup Battlefield, the TechCrunch podcast where we take you behind the scenes of one of tech’s top startup competitions. In the…
Apps
Tumblr iOS revenue increased 125% since launching its parody of paid verification
9:22 am PST • February 21, 2023
Tumblr’s parody of paid verification has already delivered the social network and blogging platform a 125% boost in iOS in-app purchase revenue since November, according to a new analysis of…
Enterprise
Amazon’s AWS cozies up to carriers, launches 2 services to build and operate networks in the cloud
9:06 am PST • February 21, 2023
Amazon has been working on ramping up how it works with telecoms carriers as customers and partners — an ambition pushed in no small part by slowing growth for cloud…
Commerce
Amazon backs Indian meat startup FreshToHome in $104 million funding
8:41 am PST • February 21, 2023
Indian startup FreshToHome, which sells fresh fish and meat to consumers in the South Asian market and the Middle East region, has courted a new backer: Amazon. Amazon, through its…
Fintech
Nestment raises $3.5M to help friends and family buy homes together
8:33 am PST • February 21, 2023
For many segments of the population, home ownership is as elusive as ever. A recent report by the National Association of Realtors found that 26% of homebuyers are first-time buyers,…
Featured Article
The nonprofits accelerating Sam Altman’s AI vision
Elon Musk tweeted Saturday a ChatGPT conversation that speculated about the 2019 transition of its creator, OpenAI, from a nonprofit to a for-profit organization. The AI chatbot concluded that, if the for-profit business had used the nonprofit’s resources for the change, it would have been “highly unethical and illegal.” It appears that Musk and ChatGPT…
8:18 am PST • February 21, 2023
