[[{“value”:” Aside from the crucial omission of an Ask and Use of Funds slide, just about every slide in the deck felt almost very good — but then stumbled by overlooking an important detail. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. “}]]
OpenAI Startup Fund quietly raises $15M
[[{“value”:” The OpenAI Startup Fund, a venture fund related to — but technically separate from — OpenAI that invests in early-stage, typically AI-related companies across education, law and the sciences, has quietly closed a $15 million tranche. According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, two unnamed investors contributed the $15 million in […] © 2024 TechCrunch….
Google’s new ‘Speaking practice’ feature uses AI to help users improve their English skills
[[{“value”:” Google is testing a new “Speaking practice” feature in Search that helps users improve their conversational English skills. The company told TechCrunch that the feature is available to English learners in Argentina, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mexico and Venezuela who have joined Search Labs, its program for users to experiment with early-stage Google Search experiences. The […] © 2024 TechCrunch….
Area man, Twilio co-founder Jeff Lawson, buys The Onion
[[{“value”:” Jeff Lawson, co-founder and recently departed CEO of Twilio, is the proud new owner of satirical online newspaper The Onion. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. “}]]
Despite complaints, Apple hasn’t yet removed an obviously fake app pretending to be RockAuto
[[{“value”:” Apple’s App Store isn’t always as trustworthy as the company claims. The latest example comes from RockAuto, an auto parts dealer popular with home mechanics and other DIYers, which is upset that a fake app masquerading as its official app has not been removed from the App Store, despite numerous complaints to Apple. RockAuto co-founder […] © 2024 TechCrunch….
Good news for Rubrik, bad news for TikTok and medium news for early-stage startups
[[{“value”:” Rubrik’s strong IPO pricing and warm reception by the public markets after its listing add more weight to the perspective that the public markets are not as closed to tech startups as some thought. If Rubrik’s result isn’t enough to break the logjam, well, maybe there’s something else going on. But there was a lot more that […] © 2024 TechCrunch….
Thoma Bravo to take UK cybersecurity company Darktrace private in $5B deal
[[{“value”:” Darktrace is set to go private in a deal that values the U.K.-based cybersecurity giant at around $5 billion. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. “}]]
Tesla Autopilot investigation closed after feds find 13 fatal crashes related to misuse
[[{“value”:” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed a long-standing investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot driver assistance system after reviewing hundreds of crashes involving its misuse, including 13 that were fatal and “many more involving serious injuries.” At the same time, NHTSA is opening a new investigation to evaluate whether the Autopilot recall fix that Tesla implemented […] © 2024 TechCrunch….
Shein to face EU’s strictest rules for online marketplaces
[[{“value”:” Ultra-fast fashion e-commerce giant Shein will be subject to an additional layer of governance rules targeted at very large online platforms (VLOPs) under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), the Commission announced Friday. Shein had reported passing an average of 45 million monthly users in the region — which is the threshold for the […] © 2024 TechCrunch….
Global Founders Capital will deploy Rocket Internet’s cash instead of raising a new fund
[[{“value”:” Global Founders Capital, the Berlin-based early-stage VC firm with close ties to the German startup factory Rocket Internet, is going to become the venture arm of Rocket Internet. The VC previously raised two $1 billion funds and, just a few years ago, its name appeared in dozens of deals per year. But then, things quietened […] © 2024 TechCrunch….