Oct 28th
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024
San Francisco, CA
The Latest
Robotics
SoftBank backs Japanese robotics startup Telexistence in $170M funding round
5:56 am PDT • July 6, 2023
SoftBank is backing Japanese robotics startup Telexistence, making good on the tech giant’s recent pledge to go back on the investment offensive in light of the current AI hype. Tokyo-based Telexistence…
Existing Spotify subscribers who have been paying for the service through Apple’s App Store can no longer pay using this method. The users paying through that mechanism will be moved…
Fintech
Thrive Capital doubles down on Clair, a fintech helping frontline workers get paid instantly
4:00 am PDT • July 6, 2023
New offerings include an on-demand pay solution where users can withdraw funds immediately for the money they’ve earned, but not yet received, and a lending program for employers.
Apps
Threads profile can only be deleted by deleting Instagram account, Meta says
12:17 am PDT • July 6, 2023
Threads, Meta’s Twitter rival, is drawing users at an astounding pace, amassing 10 million sign-ups in just seven hours, according to co-founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. But the highly…
Startups
Ask Sophie: What do I need to know about getting a J-1 exchange visa?
11:30 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
Is there anything I should know about the J-1, particularly if I later decide to stay in the U.S. once the J-1 program ends?
AI
This sex toy company uses ChatGPT to whisper sweet, customizable fantasies at you
11:24 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
It was only a question of time, I suppose, before someone made a generative AI that can whisper sweet, sweet obscenities at you. Lovense — perhaps best known for its…
Gadgets
Samsung is holding its next Unpacked on July 26 to unveil new foldables
10:41 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
Samsung announced today that it is holding its next Galaxy Unpacked event on July 26, where the company will likely unveil the Galaxy Fold 5 and the Galaxy Flip 5…
Venture
Notion hits €300M for its fifth fund but is unimpressed by big rounds into generative AI startups
10:00 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
When it first appeared on the scene around 10 years ago, Notion Capital was poised to take advantage of the oft-repeated phrase, “Software is eating the world.” In particular, it…
Featured Article
India’s electric two-wheeler sales hit a speed bump
In India’s bustling streets, where two-wheelers are seen as the primary mode of transportation, a powerful shift toward electrification is happening. Fossil fuels still dominate the South Asian nation’s automotive industry, but a shift toward EVs — particularly in the two-wheeler category — is underway. More than 1.3 million electric two-wheelers have been sold to…
8:10 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
Update July 6, 8AM PT: Zuckerberg noted that Threads crossed the milestone of 30 million sign-ups the morning after its launch. Previously, he said that 10 million people signed up…
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Jun 11th
StrictlyVC – Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
May 21st
StrictlyVC – London
London
Brinc, the Hong Kong–based accelerator backed by investors like Animoca Brands, is launching a new program for fledgling climate tech startups. The three-month program is tailored for founders who are…
Gaming
Mark Zuckerberg’s remarks on China cast shadow over Meta’s VR quest
5:31 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
As Meta sets its sight on introducing its virtual reality headsets to the Chinese market, Mark Zuckerberg’s contentious remarks about Beijing in the past may pose a major obstacle to…
Meta is taking on Twitter with a new app. Instagram today announced the anticipated launch of its text-based social networking app, Threads, which allows Instagram users to authenticate with their…
Apps
Bluesky announces its $8M seed round and first paid service, custom domains
3:57 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
Hours before Meta launches its anticipated Instagram competitor, Threads, another Twitter rival — Bluesky — is announcing additional funding and its first paid service. In a blog post on Wednesday,…
Transportation
Fiat says its cutest EV will tote accessories like, I kid you not, a ‘little shower’
2:05 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
Fiat is gradually trickling out new details on its upcoming Topolino EV, and it turns out the teeny-tiny quadricycle will do some trickling of its own. Designed for short trips…
Featured Article
Crypto funding drops for fifth straight quarter as investors continue to pull back
Capital flowing into the industry dropped for the fifth consecutive quarter since Q1 2022 to $2.34 billion globally.
12:39 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
AI
OpenAI is forming a new team to bring ‘superintelligent’ AI under control
12:07 pm PDT • July 5, 2023
OpenAI is forming a new team led by Ilya Sutskever, its chief scientist and one of the company’s co-founders, to develop ways to steer and control “superintelligent” AI systems. In…
Astra is carving out its spacecraft engine business as a wholly owned subsidiary, a corporate restructuring that will provide greater flexibility in hiring and financing, according to documents viewed by…
Government & Policy
Judge silences White House social media talks in lawsuit that departs from reality
11:16 am PDT • July 5, 2023
Update 2: 10 days later, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has paused the injunction pending oral arguments in that jurisdiction. Update: Bizarrely, there are actually two cases before this…
Media & Entertainment
Gfycat, the Snap-owned GIF hub, shuts down on September 1
11:03 am PDT • July 5, 2023
Gfycat, the Snap-owned GIF-hosting platform, announced that it’s shutting down on September 1, pulling its full archive of GIFs offline. Users have two months to save content before it leaves…
