Venture Capital Legend Ron Conway Leaves Salesforce Foundation Following Benioff National Guard Comments
Ron Conway, founder of venture firm SV Angel, known for its early investments in Google, Airbnb, and Meta, has resigned from the Salesforce Foundation, The New York Times reported. The resignation comes after Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said last week that he “fully supports” President Trump and suggested that the National Guard should patrol the […]
Why AI startups are getting their hands on the data themselves
For one week this summer, Taylor and her roommate wore GoPro cameras on their foreheads as they painted, sculpted, and did chores. They trained an AI vision model and carefully synchronized footage so the system could capture the same action from multiple angles. It was a difficult job in many ways, but they were well […]
Amazon’s Ring to partner with Flock, an AI camera network used by ICE, federal government, and law enforcement
Amazon-owned surveillance camera maker Ring on Thursday announced a partnership with Flock, a maker of AI-powered surveillance cameras that share footage with law enforcement. Agencies using Flock can now request Ring doorbell users to share footage to aid in “evidence collection and investigative efforts.” Flock cameras work by scanning the license plates and other identifying […]
The real reason Google DeepMind partners with fusion energy startups
Energy startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems announced Thursday that it is working with Google’s DeepMind division to use AI to fine-tune and even improve the operation of future Sparc reactors. The companies’ plan is to use specialized DeepMind software, known as Torax, to simulate the plasma burning inside the CFS reactor. They also plan to combine […]
Rent a Cyber Friend pays to talk to strangers online and shows off its platform at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Francesco Vitali will be the first to admit that he didn’t fully understand the idea of Rent a Cyber Friend when his co-founder Chris Siametis first pitched it to him. “Who would pay to talk to someone?” Vitali told TechCrunch. “But Chris was stubborn. Chris is a Millennial and I’m a Gen Xer, so it […]
A new wave of social media apps brings hope to a world of doomscrolling
Zehra Naqvi remembers the magical days of the early social internet. She grew up in One Direction and Marvel fandom in the early 2010s. This was back when people were posting photos of their lattes on Instagram with Valencia filters, and Twitter was still Twitter, a place where people came together to exchange jokes and […]
Deal reaches valuation of $17.3 billion after raising $300 million from major venture capital
While it was interesting for the tech industry to watch payroll giants Deal and Rippling sue each other over corporate espionage scandals, top venture capital firms apparently aren’t too scared. Deel announced Thursday that it has raised $300 million in a Series E round co-led by A-list fintech venture capital firms Ribbit Capital and Andreessen […]
Apple loses another AI executive to meta
Apple executive Ke Yang, who is leading the iPhone maker’s efforts to build AI-driven web search, is going meta, Bloomberg reports. Yang’s departure is the latest in a series of departures from Apple’s AI division, putting the company in jeopardy ahead of a long-awaited Siri overhaul scheduled for March. Ruoming Pang, Apple’s former head of […]
Microsoft, AWS and Google are looking to significantly reduce China’s role in their supply chains
Amid rising geopolitical tensions between the United States and China, technology giants Microsoft, Amazon and Google are stepping up efforts to move production of their products and data centers out of China, the Nikkei Shimbun reported, citing supply chain sources. Specifically, Microsoft wants to manufacture up to 80% of the components needed to make its […]
Last 48 hours to save before Disrupt 2025 Flash Sale ends
Ticking! TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 will be held October 27-29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. This is your last chance to secure big savings before the doors open. Be patient as ticket prices will increase starting tomorrow, October 17th at 11:59pm PT. Now you can save up to $624 on passes. If you’re attending with […]