GM challenges China’s LFP monopoly with upgraded battery factory
GM said on Monday that it will work with its joint venture partner LG Energy Solutions to upgrade the Ultium Battery Factory to create the automaker’s low-cost EV lithium-iron phosphate cells. Factory overhauls will significantly improve LFP production in the US. Despite being invented and commercialized in the US, the majority of LFP cells are […]
Libian CEO RJ Scaringe’s voting control slips after divorce settlement
Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has transferred some of the ownership and votes as part of the newly resolved divorce proceedings, according to regulatory filings. Scaringe moved about 4 million shares and 6 million options to his ex-wife, Meagan Scaringe, on July 9th as part of the settlement. At Rivian’s current stock price, these […]
All TC stages will be on sale in Boston tomorrow, with ticket prices rising
TechCrunch All Stage will officially kick off tomorrow at 7:30am at the Sowa power plant in Boston. This is when ticket prices rise to the full price. This is more than just a founder event. This is a summit built to help startups fund smarter, scale faster and impact leads. Whether you’re tightening the pitch, […]
Elmo’s X account was hacked to publish racist and anti-Semitic posts
If that wasn’t clear, no, it’s not the real Elmo who posted racist and anti-Semitic posts on Elon Musk’s X. On Sunday, Elmo’s official account published several abusive posts since it was removed. It is not clear how the account was breached, but the non-profit Sesame Workshop said it was “working to restore full control […]
Research warning of “severe risks” when using AI therapy chatbots
According to researchers at Stanford University, therapy chatbots equipped with large language models can stigmatize users with mental health conditions and respond according to inappropriate or risk. Recent reports, such as The New York Times, highlight the role ChatGPT may play in strengthening delusional or collusive thinking, but the new paper entitled “Expressing stigma and […]
UK launches a £500 million package to support diverse and underrated investors and founders
The UK government-owned UK business bank is creating a £500 million economic package (approximately $674 million) to support diverse and undervalued fund managers and founders around the country. £500,000 will be set aside for women-led venture funds. That is, the BBB is currently committed to investing at least £100 million (approximately $135 million) in the […]
Review Week: X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepping on
Welcome back to review week! There’s a lot of news this week, including a shake-up on X, a hug of Face’s new robot, Nothing and Samsung’s new phones. Have a great weekend! X CEO Linda Yaccarino resigned this week after a turbulent two-year term marked by advertisers’ backlash, Elon Musk’s controversy and platform AI troubles. […]
Xai and Grok apologise for “terrifying behaviour”
In a series of posts about X, AI chatbot Grok apologised for recognizing it as “terrifying behaviour.” This post appears to be an official statement from Xai, the Elon Musk-led company behind Grok, in contrast to the AI-generated description of Grok’s post. (Xai recently got an X. Grok is featured here to make it stand […]
Sequoia bets on silence | TechCrunch
There is an old-fashioned crisis management strategy where you say nothing and wait for your anger to pass. For Sequoia Capital, this strategy worked pretty well this week. Partner Sean Maguire initially weathered criticism of inflammatory social media posts, but that first digging quickly cooled. Now, some seem to think that Maguire’s rebellious attitude may […]
Windsurf CEO goes to Google. Openai’s acquisition is falling apart
According to The Verge, Openai’s contract to acquire Viral AI Coding Startup Windsurf for $3 billion. With a shocking twist, Google Deepmind currently employs Windsurf CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and some of the top researchers at startups. A Google spokesman confirmed the employment of Windsurf leaders in a statement to TechCrunch. “We welcome […]