The recruiter website fixed the email address exposure earlier this week.
Category: Exclusive
Exclusive, Global Security News, Landa, NFX, Real estate, Startups
Landa promised real estate investing for $5. Now it’s gone dark.
The idea of becoming a real estate investor for as little as $5 may seem too good to be true. And for many users of Landa, a proptech company that promised just that — it has been. Landa emerged from stealth in August 2022, announcing a total of $33 million in funding and a pledge…
Careto, cuba, Cybersecurity, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hackers, hacking, infosec, Kaspersky, Security, spain, The Mask
Mysterious hacking group Careto was run by the Spanish government, sources say
The elusive hacking group Careto was never publicly linked to a specific government, but TechCrunch has learned researchers concluded privately that the Spanish government was behind the group.
Biden administration, Congress, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), cybersecurity harmonization, Exclusive, Gary Peters, Global Security News, Government, James Lankford, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), office of management and budget, privacy, rand paul, regulation, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
Senators revive bill to harmonize conflicting cybersecurity regulations
A bipartisan Senate duo is reintroducing legislation Thursday that would establish an executive branch panel to align conflicting cybersecurity regulations on the private sector. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is bringing back the Streamlining Federal Cybersecurity Regulations Act with co-sponsor James Lankford, R-Okla. “By reducing…
Computer Vision, Exclusive, Global Security News, gut health, Startups, TC, toilets, Venture
The wild story of how gut health AI toilet startup Throne raised $4M led by Moxxie
The tale of how smart toilet startup Throne landed its seed round is so full of serendipities, one could almost believe it was orchestrated by the hand of Fortuna, Roman god of providence. Throne is an Austin-based company working on an AI-powered toilet device for consumers. It uses computer vision (cameras pointing in the bowl…
Alt Carbon, Climate, enhanced rock weathering, Exclusive, Global Security News, Lachy Groom, Startups
Alt Carbon scores $12M seed to scale carbon removal in India
From a struggling family tea estate to an innovative climate venture, Alt Carbon has raised $12 million in a seed round as it plans to scale its carbon dioxide removal work in the South Asian nation. The climate-tech startup, which locks away carbon for thousands of years through enhanced rock weathering on farmlands, attracted investment…
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Exclusive, Global Security News, Transportation, Uber, uber freight
Uber Freight bets big on AI tools to grow its business
Three years ago, as the pandemic caused chaos for companies big and small, Colgate-Palmolive’s chief supply chain officer Luciano Sieber orchestrated a “logistics blitz.” The result gave Sieber a better understanding of how Colgate-Palmolive moves its products around the world. But it stuck Sieber with another problem: too much data. About a year ago, Sieber…
AI, Apps, Exclusive, Global Security News, Google, Google I/O
Stitch is Google’s AI-powered tool to help design apps
At the Google I/O 2025 developer conference, Google launched Stitch, an AI-powered tool to help design web and mobile app front ends by generating the necessary UI elements and code. Stitch can be prompted to create app UIs with a few words or even an image, providing HTML and CSS markup for the designs it…
Canada, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, keep, spend management, Startups, Tribe Capital
Keep raises $12M in increasingly competitive Canadian corporate spend market
In the U.S., a number of startups aim to be the corporate spend manager of choice for small and large businesses. Brex, Ramp, and Mercury are among those companies, just to name a few. Moving north of the border to Canada, the options are fewer, but growing. Keep is a startup that has built a…
Brex, Exclusive, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, zip
Brex partners with former competitor Zip, with an eye on reducing cash burn to get to an IPO
Brex has once again made the surprising, but perhaps realistic, decision to partner with another one-time competitor. This time Zip, the CEOs of both companies told TechCrunch exclusively. In April 2022, fintech Brex announced it was making “a big push” into both the enterprise and software. The news was notable considering that Brex originally was…
Exclusive, Global Security News, Venture
South Loop Ventures closes $21M fund in Houston to build up local tech ecosystem
South Loop Ventures, a Houston-based venture firm, announced a $21 million Fund I, with Rice Management Company and Chevron Technology Ventures serving as anchor investors. The firm, which launched in 2022, focuses on seed and pre-seed companies, with $400,000 as the average check size. It also primarily hopes to focus on backing founders of color. …
Cleveland Avenue, Climate, Collab Capital, Elemental Impact, EV charging, Exclusive, fast charging, Fundraising, Global Security News, MarcyPen Capital Partners, SparkCharge, Transportation
SparkCharge raises $30M to help fleets electrify without commitments
SparkCharge raised $15.5 million in equity and secured a $15 million loan to expand its fleet charging operations.
Exclusive, expense management, Fintech, Fundraising, Global Security News, signalfire, SMB, Startups
Affiniti’s 20- and 22-year-old founders raise $17M led by SignalFire just 6 months after an $11M seed
Affiniti founders Aaron Bai and Sahil Phadnis are building the kind of expense management software for main street small businesses that tech startups have enjoyed for years.
Cybersecurity, data breach, Exclusive, Global Security News, Security, Spyware, stalkerware
Cocospy stalkerware apps go offline after data breach
The trio of spyware apps — hacked earlier this year — no longer work.
Deel, Exclusive, Global Security News, lawsuit, Rippling, Startups, TC
Deel wants Rippling to hand over any agreements involving paying the alleged spy
Deel has lobbed a new volley in the ongoing legal battle with rival HR tech startup Rippling. Deel filed a motion, containing a series of letters, asking the Irish court to make Rippling hand over information. In one letter, Deel wants unredacted versions of witness affidavits, including the famed one by former Rippling employee, Keith…
Climate, Department of Energy, Exclusive, fusion power, Global Security News, Government & Policy, nuclear fusion, scoop, U.S. Department of Energy
Laser-powered fusion experiment more than doubles its power output
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Ignition Facility increased the yield of the experiment in recent attempts.
AI, AI agents, Exclusive, Global Security News, Startups, Y Combinator
Y Combinator startup Firecrawl is ready to pay $1M to hire three AI agents as employees
Y Combinator startup Firecrawl is back on the hunt for AI agent employees, after a previous attempt to hire one didn’t go as planned.
Climate, data centers, Enterprise, Exclusive, fission, Fundraising, Global Security News, nuclear fission, nuclear power, scoop, Startups
The Nuclear Company raises $51M to develop massive reactor sites
The funding round arrives as tech companies and utilities are struggling to secure power for data centers.
Climate, data centers, Enterprise, Exclusive, fission, Fundraising, Global Security News, nuclear fission, nuclear power, scoop, Startups
The Nuclear Company raises $46M to develop massive reactor sites
The funding round arrives as tech companies and utilities are struggling to secure power for data centers.
AI, Bessemer Venture Partners, data science tools, Exclusive, Global Security News, Harvard Business School, Startups, Twitter
Fake fired Twitter worker ‘Rahul Ligma’ is a real engineer with an AI data startup used by Harvard
The morning after Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter (now X), reporters encountered two men with boxes outside the company’s headquarters. One introduced himself as recently laid-off Twitter engineer “Rahul Ligma.” His real name is Rahul Sonwalker but the prank went viral. He piled on his character’s notoriety when he went to the Bahamas to…
Biotech & Health, Climate, E14, Exclusive, Fundraising, gene editing, Global Security News, LDV Capital, microbes, synthetic biology, Ubiquity Ventures
Fieldstone Bio is building microbes that can sense everything from TNT to arsenic
Fieldstone Bio recently raised $5 million in seed funding.
AI, AI chips, Artificial Intelligence, chips, Enterprise, Exclusive, generative ai, Global Security News, semiconductor
Cognichip emerges from stealth with the goal of using generative AI to develop new chips
Chips are a critical component of the AI industry. But new chips don’t hit the market with the same speed as new AI models and products do. Cognichip has a lofty goal of creating a foundational AI model that can help bring new chips to market faster. San Francisco-based Cognichip is working to build a…
Bain Capital, Commerce, Exclusive, Global Security News, pronto, Startups, Urban Company
Bain bets on Indian domestic work startup Pronto even as rivals face criticism
Pronto, which provides cleaning, laundry and home services within 10 minutes, has raised $2M at a $12.5M valuation.
Crypto, CryptoCurrency, Cybercrime, Cybersecurity, Exclusive, Exploits, Financial, financial fraud, Global Security News, investigation, investment, Money, money laundering, sophos, Threats
Who needs VC funding? How cybercriminals spread their ill-gotten gains to everyday business ventures
Cybercriminals aren’t so different from the rest of us — they live in the real world, and their spending and investment habits, though funded through crime, can look surprisingly ordinary. Luxury cars and lavish vacations may still grab headlines, but those perks are reserved for the most elite cybercriminals. In reality, everyday businesses — like pizza…
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, digital twin, Enterprise, enterprise startup, Exclusive, Global Security News, software deployment, Startups, TC
Tensor9 helps vendors deploy their software into any environment using digital twins
Enterprises want access to new software and AI tools but can’t risk sending their sensitive data out to a third-party software-as-a-service (SaaS) providers. Tensor9 looks to help software companies land more enterprise customers by helping them deploy their software directly into a customer’s tech stack. Tensor9 converts a software vendor’s code into the format needed…
AutoUnify, Exclusive, Global Security News, Porsche, repairsmith, Startups, Transportation, Up.Labs
UP.Labs-Porsche’s newest startup wants to be the Plaid of automotive retail
As serial entrepreneur Joel Milne founded, scaled, and then successfully sold mobile auto repair service startup RepairSmith to AutoNation, he was plagued by a persistent problem. The automotive retail industry has a communication problem. And it’s an expensive one. Thousands of dealerships and mechanic shops — each one with an array of software systems —…
Cybersecurity, email scams, Exclusive, Global Security News, Government, Government & Policy, Security
Government email alert system GovDelivery used to send scam messages
The state of Indiana attributed the scam emails to a compromised contractor’s account.
Bestow, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, Goldman Sachs, insurtech, Startups
Insurtech Bestow lands $120M Series D from Goldman Sachs, Smith Point Capital
Melbourne O’Banion co-founded insurtech Bestow with Jonathan Abelmann in 2017 after struggling to secure his own life insurance policy. His goal was to make it easier for people to obtain life insurance and make the process more tech-enabled. Initially, Bestow operated as a direct-to-consumer insurance provider — selling, underwriting, and servicing life insurance policies. In…
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, slate auto, Transportation
Slate Auto crosses 100,000 refundable reservations in two weeks
Buzzy new EV startup Slate Auto has racked up more than 100,000 reservations for its customizable low-cost electric pickup truck, the company has confirmed to TechCrunch. Slate crossed the milestone over the weekend, just a little more than two weeks after coming out of stealth mode and unveiling the truck at an event in Los…
buildings, Climate, construction materials, Exclusive, Global Security News, materials science
InventWood is about to mass produce wood that’s stronger than steel
The material has 50% more tensile strength than steel with a strength-to-weight ratio that’s ten-times better.
alexandr wang, data labeling, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Scale AI, Startups
The Department of Labor just dropped its investigation into Scale AI
The U.S. Department of Labor has dropped its investigation into Scale AI’s compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, according to a source directly familiar with the matter. The FLSA is a federal law that regulates misclassification of employees as independent contractors and unpaid wages. TechCrunch first reported that Scale was the subject of such…
AI, Exclusive, Global Security News, liquidity, sales automation, Sequoia, Startups, Venture
Sequoia leads $1.5B tender offer for sales automation startup Clay
It took seven years of hard work for Kareem Amin, co-founder and CEO of sales automation startup Clay, to see the company’s product finally take off in 2022. Since then, the startup has experienced explosive growth, reached a valuation exceeding a billion dollars, and expanded its employee count from low double digits to over 200.…
AI, Andrew Dudum, autonomous vehicles, Biotech & Health, Cruise, Exclusive, Global Security News, Hims & Hers, Transportation
Why Hims & Hers turned to the autonomous vehicle industry to find an AI-savvy CTO
Hims & Hers, the telehealth and wellness company, has hired a veteran of the autonomous vehicle industry as its next chief technology officer. The move, according to Hims & Hers co-founder and CEO, Andrew Dudum, was intentional. Hims & Hers on Thursday said its next CTO would be Mo Elshenawy, the former president and CTO…
AI, Enterprise, Exclusive, Fastino, Global Security News, Khosla Ventures, LLMs, Startups
Fastino trains AI models on cheap gaming GPUs and just raised $17.5M led by Khosla
Tech giants like to boast about trillion-parameter AI models that require massive and expensive GPU clusters. But Fastino is taking a different approach. The Palo Alto-based startup says it has invented a new kind of AI model architecture that’s intentionally small and task-specific. The models are so small they’re trained with low-end gaming GPUs worth…
autonomous vehicles, avs, electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global Security News, robotaxi, Tesla, Transportation
Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ and ‘Cybercab’ trademarks hit roadblocks ahead of June launch
Tesla’s attempt to trademark the term “Robotaxi” in reference to its vehicles has been refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for being too generic, according to a new filing. Another application by Tesla to trademark the term “Robotaxi” for its upcoming ride-hailing service is still under examination by the office. In addition, applications…
BluSmart, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, India, Startups, Transportation
BluSmart investors propose $30M in new funding to revive the Uber rival
A group of investors are considering a plan to inject another $30 million into BluSmart in a bid to revive the Indian cab-hailing startup, which abruptly halted operations last month, TechCrunch has learned. The proposal from these existing investors has a catch: It’s contingent on BluSmart co-founder Anmol Singh Jaggi agreeing to resign. The proposed…
Exclusive, Finom, Fintech, Fundraising, General Catalyst, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
Finom, a challenger bank aimed at SMBs, lands $105M in growth funding from General Catalyst
Finom, an Amsterdam-based digital bank for small- and medium-sized businesses, has raised €92.7 million (roughly $105 million) in a growth investment from General Catalyst’s Customer Value Fund, the company tells TechCrunch exclusively. The capital infusion “will be used exclusively and only for growth” and not for operational expenses or product development, Kos Stiskin, Finom’s chairman…
Bow Capital, carbon credits, carbon offsets, Climate, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, markets, sustainability
Cnaught wants to make carbon credits easy for businesses small and large
Cnaught is a market maker seeking to ease the pain of buying carbon credits for companies without dedicated teams.
Agree.com, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, Pelion, Startups
Agree.com raises $7.2M to take on Docusign, Bill.com with AI
Agree.com says its AI-powered e-signature platform is different from competitors because it includes invoicing and payment processing. That’s why the company might have a shot at tackling the industry goliath, Docusign. Because the startup makes its money from transaction fees for any money movement facilitated by its platform, Agree.com has made e-signatures free to all…
Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, image generator, MidJourney, openai, Recraft, Startups
A stealth AI model beat DALL-E and Midjourney on a popular benchmark. Its creator just landed $30M.
Recraft, the startup behind a mysterious image model that beat OpenAI’s DALL-E and Midjourney on a respected industry benchmark last year, has raised a $30 million Series B round led by Accel, it exclusively told TechCrunch. Other investors in the round include Khosla Ventures and Madrona. Based in San Francisco, Recraft previously raised a $12…
anti-cheat, Cheating, Exclusive, Games hacking, Gaming, Global Security News, league of legends, riot, Riot Games, Security, Valorant, Vanguard
How Riot Games is fighting the war against video game hackers
Riot’s “anti-cheat artisan” Phillip Koskinas explains how he and his team go after cheaters and cheat developers to protect the integrity of games, such as Valorant and League of Legends.
Cybersecurity, dating app, Exclusive, Global Security News, privacy, Security
Dating app Raw exposed users’ location data and personal information
The app claims it uses end-to-end encryption, but spilled its users’ dating preferences and granular location data to the open web.
accounting, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Layoffs, Startups
Fintech Bench conducts layoff while others still work month-to-month
Bench, the accounting and tax startup that was bought in a fire sale last December, has conducted a round of significant layoffs, it confirmed to TechCrunch. Bench didn’t specify how many people were affected, but one person who works there estimated that Bench was eliminating dozens of positions – that’s a big chunk of the…
Exclusive, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, nuvo, Sequoia Capital, Startups
Nuvo, a network for B2B trade, has nabbed $34M from Sequoia and Spark Capital
Nuvo, a company that has built a social-like platform to facilitate easier purchasing of physical goods between businesses, has raised a $34 million Series A from Sequoia Capital and Spark Capital, it tells TechCrunch exclusively. The San Francisco-based startup previously raised $11 million in an undisclosed seed round led by Founders Fund and Index Ventures…
AI, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, Kintsugi, sales tax, Startups, Vertex
AI sales tax startup Kintsugi had doubled its valuation in 6 months
Kintsugi, a Silicon Valley-based startup that helps companies offload and automate their sales tax compliance, has raised $18 million in new funding led by global indirect tax technology solution provider Vertex. The startup plans to enable more small and medium businesses to use its AI-enabled capabilities for tax calculations and filings. The ongoing growth of…
AI, Exclusive, figure ai, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotics, secondary market, Venture
Figure AI sent cease-and-desist letters to secondary markets brokers
Last month, Brett Adcock, founder of a robotics startup Figure AI, claimed in a post on X that his company “is now # 1 most sought-after private stock in the secondary market.” But the company has sent cease-and-desist letters to at least two brokers who run secondary marketplaces, those brokers told TechCrunch.These people said Figure…
agriculture, AgTech, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Breakthrough Energy, Climate, cows, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, Hoofprint Biome, methane, sosv
Hoofprint Biome boosts cow nutrition while slashing methane burps
The startup’s enzymes modify a cow’s microbiome using enzymes, slashing methane while boosting the nutrients available to the cow.
Deel, Exclusive, Global Security News, Startups
Deel officially agrees to be served legal papers in Rippling’s lawsuit
HR tech giant Deel says its executives have formally accepted to be served legal documents in its ongoing court battle with rival Rippling in Ireland. This ends weeks of suspense after Rippling’s bailiffs couldn’t find Deel’s execs to serve them – only for Deel’s CEO and top lawyer to turn up in Dubai. Deel CEO…
Deel, Exclusive, Global Security News, Startups
Deel officially agrees to be served legal papers in Rippling’s lawsuit
HR tech giant Deel says it has formally accepted to be served legal documents in its ongoing court battle with rival Rippling in Ireland. This ends weeks of suspense after Rippling’s bailiffs couldn’t find Deel’s execs to serve them – only for Deel’s CEO and top lawyer to turn up in Dubai. Deel CEO Alex…
Canoo, electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global Security News, Transportation
Mysterious financier asks judge to stop Canoo asset sale
A mysterious investor out of London has asked a bankruptcy judge in Delaware to stop the sale of EV startup Canoo’s assets to its CEO, calling it a “flawed” process. Charles Garson, a UK-based investor with no obvious ties to the EV startup, offered $20 million for Canoo’s assets, according to a filing. A lawyer…
Automation, Climate, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Exclusive, Fundraising, glacier, glacier robotics, Global Security News, recycling, Startups
Amazon-backed Glacier gets $16M to expand its robot recycling fleet
The world has a trash problem. The amount of stuff we throw away is expected to nearly double, to 3.8 billion metric tons, by 2050. Reducing what we use would go a long way to addressing the issue, but let’s face it, we’re not very good at buying less either. That leaves recycling, which has…
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global Security News, slate auto, Transportation
Slate Auto eyes former Indiana printing plant for its EV truck production
Slate Auto, the buzzy new EV startup that broke stealth this week, is close to locking in a former printing plant located in Warsaw, Indiana as the future production site for its cheap electric truck, a review of public records shows. The company is expected to lease the 1.4 million-square-foot facility for an undisclosed sum.…
AI, Exclusive, Global Security News, prince harry, Social
Prince Harry meets, funds youth groups advocating for social media and AI safety
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, walked into the sunlight-lit hotel conference room in Brooklyn on Thursday to meet with a dozen youth leaders working in tech safety, policy, and innovation. The young adults chatted away at black circular tables, many unaware of his presence until he plopped down at a table and started talking with…
Exclusive, Fintech, Flex, Global IT News, Global Security News, M&A, Maza, Startups
Flex acquires a16z-backed Maza for $40M as fintech M&A heats up
Flex, a startup that offers personal finance software for business owners, has acquired Maza, a finance app aimed at Spanish speakers in the U.S., for $40 million, the companies told TechCrunch exclusively. At first glance, the pairing may seem a bit curious. Flex’s software and payments infrastructure is to help business owners have a single…
Apps, chess, chess.com, COVID-19, Exclusive, Gaming, Global Security News, Social
Chess.com reaches 200 million members
Chess.com reaches a new membership milestone as it nears its 20th birthday. Chess.com, the online chess platform that was founded in 2005 and launched in 2007, has surpassed 200 million members. Of those 200 million members, 1.5 million are paying users. More than 6 million games of chess are played every day on the platform.…
carbon capture, carbon removal, Climate, direct air capture, Exantia Capital, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, taranis
RepAir Carbon is making carbon removal machines inspired by batteries
RepAir recently raised a $15 million extension to its Series A.
Andreessen Horowitz, Automation, Climate, critical minerals, day one ventures, Exclusive, Global Security News, lux capital, mining, robotics
Durin digs up $3.4M to automate drills for critical minerals exploration
Mining companies spend billions on exploration. Durin thinks it can slash costs.
aerospace, battery materials, Climate, cobalt, critical minerals, defense technology, Exclusive, Global Security News, lithium ion batteries, metals
The U.S. doesn’t refine cobalt. This startup wants to change that.
Xerion says it has a new technique to produce highly refined cobalt in a single step.
AI, Anysphere, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, M&A, openai, Startups, Venture, Windsurf
Why OpenAI wanted to buy Cursor but opted for the fast-growing Windsurf
Anysphere, maker of AI coding assistant Cursor, is growing so quickly, it’s not in the market to be sold, even to OpenAI, a source close to the company tells TechCrunch. It’s been a hot target. Cursor is one of the most popular AI-powered coding tools and its revenue has been growing astronomically – doubling on…
AI, Canvas Ventures, Exclusive, Global Security News, Lace AI, Startups
Ex-Meta engineer raises $14M for Lace AI, a revenue generation software startup
As an AI engineer at Meta, Boris Valkov helped build PyTorch, one of the world’s largest machine learning libraries. During his time there, Valkov realized that artificial intelligence “was about to unlock capabilities…in the application layer in the software stack.” He left Meta in late 2021 to start Lace AI, a startup that has developed…
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, jeff bezos, slate auto, Startups, Transportation
Bezos-backed EV startup pitched investors on ‘Transformer’-like customization
Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto has planted multiple concept versions of its EV on the streets of California. It’s a marketing tactic that teases the secretive startup’s strategy to sell a “Transformer”-like vehicle, people familiar with the company’s internal discussions told TechCrunch. This unconventional real-world tease comes days before Slate’s April 24 launch event at Long…
cement, Climate, coal, construction materials, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, Waste
PHNX Materials found a way to decarbonize concrete using dirty coal waste
PHNX Materials has devised a way to strip fly ash of sulfur and aluminum, impurities that concrete companies would rather avoid.
defense tech, Exclusive, Global Security News, Startups, Y Combinator
Defense tech Theseus landed Y Combinator, the US Special Forces and $4.3M from a tweet
On February 18, 2024, Ian Laffey posted on X that he and two others he’d just met built a cheap drone at a hackathon that calculated its coordinates simply by using its camera and Google Maps. He and his colleagues, Sacha Lévy and Carl Schoeller, were all engineers under the age of 25. The tech…
Apps, Bolt, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, Ryan Breslow, Startups
Bolt’s Ryan Breslow pins his hopes on a new app that takes on Coinbase, Zelle, and PayPal
Ryan Breslow is officially back. While the founder of one-click checkout company Bolt re-assumed its helm as CEO in March, Breslow is unveiling Wednesday a new “superapp” that he hopes will formally mark his return as the fintech’s leader. He describes the new product as “one-click crypto and everyday payments” in a single platform, in…
Asia Pacific, china, CISA, critical infrastructure, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), disinformation, Exclusive, Gary Peters, Global Security News, Government, information sharing, information sharing and analysis centers (ISACs), Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, Local Government, Mike Rounds, misinformation, North Carolina, Policy, privacy, rand paul, Russia, Salt Typhoon, Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, SolarWinds, State Government, Volt Typhoon
Exclusive: Peters, Rounds tee up bill to renew expiring cyber threat information sharing law
A bipartisan pair of senators are kicking off the race Wednesday to reauthorize a 2015 cyber threat information sharing law, a move that industry groups and cyber experts are eager to see happen before it’s set to expire in September. Advocates say the 10-year-old Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act has been vital to sharing threat information…
Climate, construction robotics, Exclusive, Fundraising, Giant Ventures, Global Security News, robotics, solar panels, Solar Power
Cosmic Robotics’ robots could speed up solar panel deployments
Cosmic Robotics has developed a robotic assistant that does the heavy lifting on solar job sites.
Deel, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Rippling, Startups
Deel’s CEO is now in Dubai, complicating Rippling’s lawsuit
Rippling’s efforts to serve Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz have been significantly complicated by the fact that Bouaziz and his lawyer are now in Dubai, according to internal correspondence seen by TechCrunch. The UAE is a country with a reputation of being a safe haven for those wanting to avoid extradition. Rippling is trying to serve…
Climate, Exclusive, fusion power, General Catalyst, Global Security News, nuclear fusion, Pacific Fusion, power plant, Startups
Here’s how Pacific Fusion plans to build a fusion power plant
Pacific Fusion also announced the hiring of a key executive from competitor Helion.
AI, Artificial Intelligence, atomic, Exclusive, Global Security News, Startups, Venture
Former Tesla supply chain leaders create Atomic, an AI inventory solution
Tesla famously struggled to scale up production of the Model 3 sedan in 2018 — so much so that CEO Elon Musk said his company was weeks away from collapsing. That near-death experience helped spawn a whole new company called Atomic that’s built around using AI to streamline supply chains. Co-founded by former Tesla employees…
Climate, Exclusive, Fundraising, fusion power, Global Security News, lasers, MaC Venture Capital, nuclear fusion
Fusion power has a fuel problem; Hexium has a laser-powered solution
Hexium has emerged from stealth with $8 million in seed funding.
Biotech & Health, Exclusive, Global Security News, Hardware, neuroscience, Phantom Neuro, Prosthetics
Phantom Neuro grabs $19M to help amputees put their phantom limbs to use
The science fiction trope of humans superpowered by computer and bionic implants is fast becoming a reality, and today, a startup hoping for a role in how that plays out is announcing some funding. Phantom Neuro, which is developing a wristband-like device that gets implanted under the skin to let a person control prosthetic limbs,…
conifer, electric vehicles, Exclusive, Funding, Global Security News, Startups, Transportation, Venture
Conifer locks down $20M seed round for its ‘drop-in’ electric hub motor
A handful of engineers who worked at Lucid Motors and on Apple’s electric car project have launched a new startup that puts a fresh spin on electric hub motors. The new startup, called Conifer, has developed its motor to be free of rare earth elements by using more abundant ferrite magnets, which the company says…
Climate, Exclusive, Global Security News, heat pumps, hvac, Matt Rogers, Nest, quilt, Startups
Why Nest co-founder Matt Rogers is still bullish on HVAC
Matt Rogers says Quilt is picking up where his old startup, Nest, left off.
carbon capture, carbon removal, Climate, CO2, Enterprise, Exclusive, Global Security News, Microsoft
Microsoft inks massive carbon removal deal powered by a paper mill
The purchase covers 12 years of emissions from CO280’s first carbon capture project at a mill on the Gulf Coast.
DEI, Exclusive, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Trump Administration, Yahoo
Yahoo removes DEI pages from its website
Several tech companies have scaled back public commitments to DEI amid a broader crackdown by the Trump administration.
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, slate auto, Transportation
Bezos-backed EV startup Slate Auto’s pickup truck spotted in the wild
Just one day after TechCrunch revealed that Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive EV startup called Slate Auto, an early version of the company’s low-cost electric pickup truck was spotted in the wild. Reddit user u/discostranger09 posted a photo to the r/whatisthiscar subreddit on Wednesday of a small, dark gray, two-seater pickup truck on a…
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, slate auto, Transportation
Bezos-backed EV startup Slate Auto’s pickup truck spotted in the wild
Just one day after TechCrunch revealed that Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive EV startup called Slate Auto, an early version of the company’s low-cost electric pickup truck was spotted in the wild. Reddit user u/discostranger09 posted a photo to the r/whatisthiscar subreddit on Wednesday of a small, dark gray, two-seater pickup truck on a…
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, slate auto, Transportation
Bezos-backed EV startup Slate Auto’s pickup truck spotted in the wild
Just one day after TechCrunch revealed that Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive EV startup called Slate Auto, an early version of the company’s low-cost electric pickup truck was spotted in the wild. Reddit user u/discostranger09 posted a photo to the r/whatisthiscar subreddit on Wednesday of a small, dark gray, two-seater pickup truck on a…
Coinbase, Daniel Ruskin, Exclusive, Global Security News, Inventex, patents, Startups
Inventex founder, an engineer for Coinbase at 14, wants to revolutionize patent applications
Daniel Ruskin started his career when he was a mere 14 years old as an engineer for Coinbase. As he tells it, he was a teenager “who knew how to code and wanted to build cool things.” Obviously too young to get a bank account, Ruskin did freelance development work he found on reddit in…
baas, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, North America, Solid
Solid, which claimed to be the ‘AWS of fintech,’ files for bankruptcy after raising nearly $81M in funding
Banking-as-a-service startup Solid (formerly called Wise) has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to documents filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on April 7. Founded in 2018, the fintech company had raised a total of nearly $81 million in funding from investors such as FTV Capital and Headline.…
Exclusive, Global Security News, initialized capital, laundry service, LG Electronics, NoScrubs, Rinse, Startups
Tired of doing laundry? These startups want to help.
Doing laundry can be a chore. It takes time and is tedious. Few of us like to do it. So it’s no surprise that startups have emerged to take that load off your back — literally. And investors are lining up to fund new and older players alike. Eleven-month-old NoScrubs has just raised $2 million…
AI, AI agents, AI SDR, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
Artisan, the ‘stop hiring humans’ AI agent startup, raises $25M – and is still hiring humans
It’s been a tough but exciting year for 23-year-old Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, founder and CEO of AI sales agent startup Artisan. Artisan just raised a $25 million Series A led by Glade Brook Capital, Carmichael-Jack exclusively tells TechCrunch. Y Combinator, Day One Ventures, HubSpot Ventures, Oliver Jung, Fellows Fund, and others participated as well. A year…
AI, Enterprise, Exclusive, Global Security News, Tessell, WestBridge Capital
Tessell snags $60M to drive data management at scale
Tessell, a startup developing a multi-cloud database-as-a-service, has raised $60 million in a new funding round led by WestBridge Capital ahead of its plans to expand its market presence and launch an AI-powered conversational database management service. As data becomes more critical than ever, many companies are struggling to manage and store it efficiently. Legacy…
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global Security News, jeff bezos, Transportation
Inside the EV startup secretly backed by Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos is funding a secretive EV startup based in Michigan called Slate Auto that could start production as soon as next year, according to multiple sources and documents that link the billionaire’s family office to the startup. Slate, which took root in another Bezos-connected company called Re:Build Manufacturing, has been operating quietly since its…
earned wage access, EWA, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, Prosus, Rain, Startups
Los Angeles-based Rain raised a $75M Series B in another good sign for fintech
Rain, a startup offering employer-integrated earned wage access (EWA) app coupled with financial-wellness features like overdraft alerts and spending trends, has raised $75 million in an all-equity Series B round. The round was led by Prosus at a post-money valuation of $340 million. Rain plans to use the new funds to help it add credit…
electric vehicles, EVs, Exclusive, Global Security News, Nikola, Transportation, Trevor Milton
Nikola founder Trevor Milton wants to buy the bankrupt startup’s assets
Nikola founder Trevor Milton, who was recently pardoned after being convicted of securities fraud, is trying to buy the assets of his former company out of bankruptcy, according to new court filings and a person familiar with the matter. Nikola filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February and has said it hopes to sell…
Cybersecurity, data breach, Exclusive, Global Security News, Ransomware, Security
Someone hacked ransomware gang Everest’s leak site
“Don’t do crime,” the ransomware gang’s dark web leak site reads.
Ballistic Ventures, Cybersecurity, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, Security, Startups, Venture
Ted Schlein’s Ballistic Ventures is raising $100M for a new fund
Ted Schlein’s cybersecurity-focused Ballistic Ventures is raising $100 million for a new fund, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.
Exclusive, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, Healthcare, Index Ventures, Startups, Thatch
Thatch raises $40M to give employees more control of their health care choices
Thatch, a startup that aims to transform the health insurance experience for employers and employees alike, has raised $40 million in a Series B round of funding, it tells TechCrunch exclusively. Index Ventures led the financing, which included participation from existing backers Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), General Catalyst, SemperVirens, PeopleTech Partners, The General Partnership, and new…
Europe, Exclusive, Global Security News, JB Straubel, Redwood Materials, Transportation
Redwood Materials preps for expansion spree with new R&D center in San Francisco
Redwood Materials has been on an expansion tear in recent years — growth that has extended the lithium-ion battery recycling and materials startup’s footprint well beyond its Carson City, Nevada headquarters as it locked up deals with Toyota, Panasonic, and, GM, started construction on a South Carolina factory, and made an acquisition in Europe. And…
Exclusive, Founders Fund, Global Security News, Keith Rabois, Khosla Ventures, Real estate, Roam, Startups
Khosla’s Keith Rabois leads $11.5M Series A for startup Roam, calls it ‘the future of the housing market’
During the COVID-19 pandemic, mortgage interest rates dropped to historic lows — as low as 2.5%. Fast-forward a few years and rates soared — to highs nearing 8% in 2023, with the national average 30-year fixed mortgage APR as of April 1 still at 6.84%. The whiplash has left many people seeking to buy homes…
AI, bain capital ventures, Exclusive, Global Security News, Startups
Actively AI raises $22.5M to offer sales ‘superintelligence,’ says AI SDRs failed
Actively AI argues that most AI sales reps have “failed.” It just raised $22.5 million.
Climate, data centers, electrolyzers, Exclusive, Fourier, Fundraising, Global Security News, Hydrogen, manufacturing, Transportation
Fourier is making hydrogen electrolyzers inspired by data centers
Most recent hydrogen startups have been focused on making modular electrolyzers, but Fourier has taken that trend to the extreme.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Climate, consumers, Exclusive, Fundraising, Global Security News, Marketing, Northwind Climate, Surveys
Who are climate conscious consumers? Not who you’d expect, says Northwind Climate
Rather than divide people into demographic buckets, Northwind Climate analyzes survey responses for behavioral clues.
API security, Cybersecurity, data breach, Exclusive, Global Security News, Security
API testing firm APIsec exposed customer data during security lapse
The API testing firm took down a database exposed to the internet without a password.
Enterprise, Exclusive, Global Security News, microservices, open source, Startups, Temporal, tiger global
Temporal lands $146 million at a flat valuation, eyes agentic AI expansion
Seattle-based Temporal has made its name over the last several years in the world of microservices — specifically providing a platform to orchestrate the messy business of building and operating integrations and updates across disparate services and apps in the cloud. But the AI boom has come at the company fast. Now, Temporal has raised…
Biotech & Health, Exclusive, Global Security News, Startups, Y Combinator
YC-backed Taxo raises $5M to slash healthcare admin with its AI ‘reasoning engine’
YC-backed startup Taxo has raised a $5m seed round to save doctors time and money on admin work.
Apps, Exclusive, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Security, signal, Social
Signal downloads spike in the US and Yemen amid government scandal
The encrypted messaging app Signal is getting some unexpected attention this week. High-ranking officials in the Trump administration, including Vice President J. D. Vance and Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth, communicated the plans for an attack on the Yemeni Houthis via a potentially unauthorized group chat on Signal. However, Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly…
Base10 Partners, Exclusive, expense management, Fintech, Global IT News, Global Security News, latin america, Mendel
YC alum Mendel, a ‘Ramp for LatAm enterprises,’ raises $35M Series B
Mexico City-based Mendel has raised $35 million in a Series B round of funding, it tells TechCrunch exclusively. Corporate spend management platform Mendel last raised in December 2021 — a $15 million Series A round and $20 million in debt — after participating in Y Combinator’s Winter 2021 cohort. With this latest capital infusion, the…
Abound, Exclusive, Fintech, Global Security News, India, Times Internet
Times Internet spin-out Abound raises $14M to let more Indian Americans send money home
Abound, a go-to remittance app that was spun off by India’s Times Internet, has raised $14 million in a seed round.