SoftBank and OpenAI announced a new 50-50 joint venture this week to sell enterprise AI tools in Japan under the brand “Crystal Intelligence.” On paper, it’s a straightforward international expansion deal. But SoftBank’s role as a major investor in OpenAI is raising questions about whether AI’s biggest deals are creating real economic value or just moving money in circles. […]
VC Jennifer Neundorfer explains how founders can stand out in a crowded AI market
January Ventures co-founder Jennifer Neundorfer discussed this AI-driving funding market on the Equity podcast during TechCrunch Disrupt.
A better way of thinking about the AI bubble
AI isn’t all or nothing, and even good bets can turn sour if you aren’t careful about how you make them.
Rad Power Bikes faces shutdown in January without new funding
The company is “still fighting to find ways to continue” according to an email viewed by TechCrunch.
Kaltura acquires eSelf, founded by creator of Snap’s AI, in $27M deal
Kaltura acquires AI avatar startup eSelf to integrate generative AI into enterprise video and learning tools.
Google brings Gemini to the Google TV Streamer
The tech giant says the change will enable users to use their voice more naturally to access content and more.
AI PowerPoint-killer Gamma hits $2.1B valuation, $100M ARR, founder says
Gamma is growing quickly, and profitably, its co-founder CEO Grant Lee says.
Wikipedia urges AI companies to use its paid API, and stop scraping
Wikipedia, the online nonprofit encyclopedia, is urging AI companies to stop scraping its pages and to use its paid API instead.
Consolidation begins to hit the carbon credit market
Carbon Direct is buying Pachama as the voluntary carbon markets enter a period of uncertainty.
Google Maps releases new AI tools that let you create interactive projects
Google is debuting an agent that will generate code for you to build interactive Maps projects.