Oct 28th
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024
San Francisco, CA
The Latest
Featured Article
US government agencies bought Chinese surveillance tech despite federal ban
This story was reported in partnership with video surveillance news site IPVM. At least three U.S. federal agencies, including the military, have purchased China-made video surveillance equipment banned from use in the federal government. Purchasing records seen by TechCrunch and video surveillance news site IPVM show the agencies collectively spent thousands of dollars on purchasing…
8:00 am PST • December 1, 2021
Media & Entertainment
Reddit introduces new real-time features including typing and comment indicators
8:00 am PST • December 1, 2021
Reddit is rolling out several new real-time features including voting and comment count animations, typing indicators, reading indicators and new comment indicators. The new features are rolling out globally across…
With audio advertising on the rise with no signs of slowing down, here’s what brands need to consider when diving into the growing audio pool.
Media & Entertainment
Meta explains its approach to user safety following delayed rollout of end-to-end encryption
7:59 am PST • December 1, 2021
Meta (formerly Facebook) recently announced its plans to delay the rollout of end-to-end encryption* across its messaging service until sometime in 2023, citing concerns from child safety advocates who warned…
Media & Entertainment
Niantic buys gameplay recording app Lowkey to improve its in-game social experience
7:43 am PST • December 1, 2021
Niantic has acquired another company to help build out its augmented reality platforms: Lowkey, an app you can use to easily capture and share gameplay moments.
Urtopia, the latest e-bike brand from China, has other ideas. Its debut ride is, on paper, one of the most tech-heavy bikes we’ve seen. The spec sheet reads more like…
Cannabis and banking vets launch credit card for dispensaries
7:19 am PST • December 1, 2021
Most consumer cannabis transactions are done in cash, legal or not. Since the United States classifies cannabis as a Title IV drug, the banking industry is unwilling and unable to…
Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our…
Media & Entertainment
Markai raises $4M from Pear VC, Sea Capital and others to buy Chinese e-commerce brands
7:00 am PST • December 1, 2021
China has attracted yet another e-commerce roll-up to enter its gargantuan e-commerce market. Markai, founded by two Stanford business school grads, has joined the fray to buy out Chinese brands…
Enterprise
Goalsetter raises $15 million to go B2B with children’s financial literacy app
7:00 am PST • December 1, 2021
Goalsetter, a financial education platform for kiddos, has announced the close of a $15 million Series A financing round. The funding was led by Seae Ventures, with participation from Fiserv,…
Where we’ll be next
Jun 11th
StrictlyVC – Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
May 21st
StrictlyVC – London
London
Let’s be honest: the e-reader market isn’t what it used to be. Amazon has long dominated the market, and Kobo is still doing its thing — but even then, it…
China is considering removing the VIE loophole that allowed Chinese companies to list in the United States, closing a method by which local companies could access foreign capital.
Media & Entertainment
TikTok adds creator monetization features, including tips and video gifts
6:33 am PST • December 1, 2021
TikTok is today introducing new ways for its creators to make money from their content. While already, the short-form video platform allowed creators to accept virtual gifts from fans during…
Frontegg, a Tel Aviv-based startup that provides SaaS companies with the core user management tools they need to build their own services, today announced that it has raised a $25…
Republic acquires the UK’s Seedrs in $100M deal to push into Europe
6:26 am PST • December 1, 2021
UK equity crowdfunding business Seedrs – who’s merger with rival Crowdcube was earlier blocked by competition regulators – has been acquired by start-up investing platform Republic in a $100m deal.The…
Security
Attack surface management startup CyCognito raises $100M Series C on $800M valuation
6:07 am PST • December 1, 2021
As companies look for ways to prevent cyber attacks, one strategy is to be proactive and find vulnerabilities that could lead to a breach in an approach called “attack surface…
Media & Entertainment
Spotify’s Wrapped 2021 arrives with artist video messages, Blend and even a game
6:00 am PST • December 1, 2021
Spotify’s anticipated year-end retrospective, Spotify Wrapped, is rolling out today to consumers, artists and podcast creators. The experience offers Spotify users a look back at their year on Spotify, highlighting…
Transportation
Nuro and 7-Eleven to pilot autonomous delivery service in California
5:11 am PST • December 1, 2021
Convenience store giant 7-Eleven is pairing up with Nuro to pilot a commercial delivery service using autonomous vehicles in the Silicon Valley enclave of Mountain View, California. The service, which…
Crypto
Decentralized exchange aggregator 1inch grabs $175 million in token sale
5:02 am PST • December 1, 2021
1inch, a popular aggregator of decentralized protocols, has raised $175 million in what it calls a Series B funding round. It isn’t a traditional venture round as the company isn’t…
Startups
A rind is a terrible thing to waste: Spoiler Alert leaps to the rescue
5:01 am PST • December 1, 2021
We spend such a tremendous amount of our resources growing, processing, transporting and selling food items. In a world where not everyone has enough to eat, it’s a disgrace that…
