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 […]
Spotify partners with record labels to develop ‘artist-first’ AI music products
Spotify on Thursday announced a series of deals with major record labels to develop new AI products designed to ensure fair compensation and put artists and songwriters at the center of the experience. The streamer said it is partnering with Sony, Universal, Warner and Merlin to develop “responsible AI” products that allow artists to choose […]
Jack & Jill raises $20 million to bring conversational AI to job hunting
Between endlessly scrolling job boards and the mysterious rise in fake applicants using AI to mass apply, job hunting has quickly become one of the most bewildering experiences the internet has to offer. If the request goes unanswered, the listing is posted and reposted on various platforms, creating a flood of spam-like activity on both […]
Zepto raises $450 million at $7 billion valuation as India’s quick commerce market heats up
Indian quick-commerce startup Zept has announced that it has raised $400 million in a funding round led by new investor, US-based pension fund California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS). The round is a combination of primary and secondary investments, with participation from existing investors including Avenir, Avra, Lightspeed, Glade Brook, The Stepstone Group, and Nexus […]
India’s Kuku nabs $85 million as mobile content wars heat up
Kuku, the Google-backed Indian storytelling platform, has raised $85 million in fresh funding as it aims to expand its audio and video content offerings as competition intensifies in the South Asian country’s mobile-first content market. The Series C round, led by Granite Asia (formerly GGV Capital), more than doubles Kuku’s previous valuation to about $500 […]