Meta's V-JEPA 2 model is a "world model," referring to AI that is designed to understand its physical surroundings.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/metas-v-jepa-2-model-teaches-ai-to-understand-its-surroundings/

Apple might be releasing the AirPods Pro 3 sooner than you think.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/airpods-pro-3-could-be-on-the-way/

The announcement of Collab Capital's Fund II comes as Black-led and founded funds continue closing sizable funds.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/jewel-burks-solomons-collab-capital-has-closed-a-new-75m-fund/

Former OpenAI research leader Steven Adler published a new independent study that claims that, in certain scenarios, OpenAI's AI models will go to great lengths to try to avoid being shut down.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/chatgpt-will-avoid-being-shut-down-in-some-life-threatening-scenarios-former-openai-researcher-claims/

Meta said Wednesday that it is adding video editing capabilities to Meta AI that let users edit short videos using preset AI prompts to change costumes, locations, and styles.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/meta-ai-gains-video-editing-capabilities/

The retail giant described the food shortages as "temporary supply challenges" following the cyberattack at its primary distributor, UNFI.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/whole-foods-tells-staff-cyberattack-at-its-primary-distributor-unfi-will-affect-product-availability/

The studios are seeking monetary damages, a jury trial, and an order barring Midjourney from further copyright infringement.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/disney-and-universal-sue-midjourney-alleging-ai-related-copyright-infringement/

Snapchat is launching a new Snapchat+ tier called "Lens+," the company announced on Wednesday, which is centered around giving users access to exclusive Lenses and AR experiences.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/snapchat-rolls-out-a-new-8-99-lens-subscription-tier/

23andMe holds millions of customers' genetic information. Here's what you can do to protect your data.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/23andme-files-for-bankruptcy-how-to-delete-your-data/

Editors almost immediately criticized the pilot, raising concerns that it could damage Wikipedia's credibility.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/wikipedia-pauses-ai-generated-summaries-pilot-after-editors-protest/

The situation grabbed headlines after a teenage influencer, Bo Loudon, boasted on X that he flagged Khaby Lame's immigration status to authorities.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/tiktoks-biggest-star-was-detained-by-ice-with-help-from-another-influencer/

Apple will begin using AI technology to power the discovery of apps on the App Store, the company announced at this week';s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 25). In a session focused on updates to App Store Connect, its app distribution platform for developers, the company announced it will introduce App Store Tags - labels that [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/at-wwdc-apple-says-it-will-use-ai-to-tag-apps-to-improve-discoverability-on-the-app-store/

The content of a vaccines information website owned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was swapped with gay-themed spam.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/us-governments-vaccine-website-defaced-with-ai-generated-content/

Meta has reportedly invested billions of dollars into AI startup Scale AI and hired its CEO, Alexandr Wang, to lead a new AI research lab. So what does that mean for Meta and the rest of the AI ecosystem?

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/can-scale-ai-and-alexandr-wang-reignite-metas-ai-efforts/

Fervo is developing what promises to be the largest enhanced geothermal power plant in the world.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/fervo-energy-lands-206m-in-financing-to-build-massive-geothermal-power-plant/

New features launching with iOS 26 include significant updates like Call Screening, more travel-friendly features in Wallet, and highly requested group chat features in Messages.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/all-of-the-new-features-coming-to-apples-ios-apps/

Coco Robotics has made more than 500,000 deliveries with its zero-emissions robots since they hit the streets in 2020.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/sam-altman-backed-coco-robotics-raises-80m/

There are some headlines making the rounds claiming that TechCrunch is "pulling out of Europe" and shuttering its coverage of European startups. This is flat-out wrong. It misrepresents who we are, what we do, and - most of all - what we believe. The recent changes at TechCrunch are not about retreat. They are about [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/europe-were-not-leaving-period/

With the new ChatGPT integration, users will be able to access more styles that move beyond the emoji-like creations that Image Playground has become known for.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/apple-is-salvaging-image-playground-with-a-boost-from-chatgpt/

Here's to the perspective that twenty years gives you, and to twenty more years of asking hard questions, helping readers see around corners, and working with people who make even the roughest days worth it.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/11/twenty-years-strong-a-love-letter-to-techcrunch/

Users have shared their interactions with Meta Verified support reps, who they claim have been dismissive and unhelpful.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/meta-users-say-paying-for-verified-support-has-been-useless-in-the-face-of-mass-bans/

The current version of the Trump administration's "big, beautiful bill" would raise the tax credit for U.S. chipmakers to 35%.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/us-chipmakers-could-see-bigger-tax-credits-if-trumps-spending-bill-passes/

Meta shared that it was working on Edits in January after ByteDance-owned CapCut was removed from U.S. app stores.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/a-guide-to-using-edits-metas-new-capcut-rival-for-short-form-video-editing/

Previous lawsuits against SpaceX have alleged similar stories of bias against female employees and a hostile work environment that enabled gender-based harassment.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/former-spacex-manager-alleges-harassment-retaliation-and-security-violations-in-lawsuit/

Not surprisingly, organic traffic has also declined, dropping from over 2.3 billion visits at its peak in mid-2024 to now under 1.7 billion.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/chatgpt-referrals-to-news-sites-are-growing-but-not-enough-to-offset-search-declines/

The startup said that it'll be using the new funding to build a massive facility near Dallas capable of pumping out 240,000 tons of its supplementary cementitious material (SCM) annually.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/terra-co2-cements-124m-series-b-to-slash-concretes-carbon-footprint/

TikTok Shop US is conducting its third round of layoffs in as many months.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/tiktok-lays-off-more-employees-working-on-tiktok-shop-us/

The plan, Perplexity Max, offers unlimited access to various services and priority access to its services using the latest LLM models.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/perplexity-launches-a-200-monthly-subscription-plan/

The insurance giant is one of the largest insurers in India.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/indias-max-financial-says-hacker-accessed-customer-data-from-its-insurance-unit/

For the second consecutive quarter, deployments of its Powerwall and Megapack stationary storage products have declined.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/teslas-energy-storage-business-gets-sucked-into-the-companys-downward-spiral/

Amazon plans to shut down its Freevee app, the company's free ad-supported streaming service, in August, according to an in-app notice to users.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/amazon-is-shutting-down-its-freevee-app-in-august/

Lovable released its vibe coder in late November. Within six months, the startup hit $50 million in ARR, CEO Anton Osika said.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/lovable-on-track-to-raise-150m-at-2b-valuation/

Startups demand constant decision-making and pressure-filled pivots, which bring big emotional swings. It's no wonder anxiety shows up at every stage. But what if it didn't have to be a liability? At TechCrunch All Stage 2025 on July 15 at Boston's SoWa Power Station, Dr. David H. Rosmarin, clinical psychologist, author, and Harvard Medical School [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/david-h-rosmarin-brings-a-founder-focused-approach-to-anxiety-at-techcrunch-all-stage/

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, hinted Tuesday evening that Veo 3, Google's latest video generating model, could potentially be used for video games. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/could-googles-veo-3-be-the-start-of-playable-world-models/

The recent update enables creators to share clips of their live videos on Notes, and Substack will notify them in real time about the performance.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/substack-brings-new-updates-to-livestreaming-as-it-increases-video-push/

Lucid sold 3,309 vehicles in the second quarter, a new record for the EV maker. Still, the company must ramp up production of its Gravity SUV to meet its 2025 target.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/lucid-sales-inch-forward-as-ev-maker-pushes-to-ramp-gravity-production/

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is back at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 27-29, bringing together 10,000+ startup and VC leaders to dig into what's next in tech. And when it comes to artificial intelligence, the conversations aren't just technical - they're creative, cinematic, and boundary-pushing. That's why Nikola Todorovic is headed to the AI [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/wonder-dynamics-co-founder-nikola-todorovic-joins-the-ai-stage-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2025/

OpenAI wants to make clear that Robinhood's sale of "OpenAI tokens" will not give everyday consumers equity - or stock - in OpenAI.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/openai-condemns-robinhoods-openai-tokens/

Qonto, which targets European freelancers and SMBs, currently operates with a payment institution license it obtained in 2018.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/french-b2b-neobank-qonto-reaches-600000-customers-files-for-banking-license/

In late May, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei appeared to kick open the door on a sensitive topic, warning that half of entry-level jobs could vanish within five years because of AI and push U.S. unemployment up to 20%. But Amodei is far from alone in sharing aloud that he foresees a workforce bloodbath. A new [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/ai-job-predictions-become-corporate-americas-newest-competitive-sport/

Google on Thursday said it has begun rolling out its Veo 3 video generation model to Gemini users in more than 159 countries.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/google-rolls-out-its-new-veo-3-video-generation-model-globally/

Qedma specializes in error mitigation software. Its main piece of software, QESEM, standing for Quantum Error Suppression and Error Mitigation, analyzes noise patterns to suppress some classes of errors while the algorithm is running and mitigate others in post-processing.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/israeli-quantum-startup-qedma-just-raised-26-million-with-ibm-joining-in/

The app, which is now available in beta, offers a different way to browse the visual posts on Bluesky.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/everything-you-need-to-know-about-flashes-the-bluesky-based-instagram-alternative/

AI agents are reshaping how work gets done across industries, and at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, one of the leading voices in that transformation is stepping onto the AI Stage. May Habib, CEO and co-founder of Writer, will join us in San Francisco, October 27-29, for a fireside chat that dives deep into how enterprises are [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/writer-ceo-may-habib-to-take-the-ai-stage-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2025/

Qonto, which targets European freelancers and SMBs, currently operates with a payment institution license it obtained in 2018.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/french-b2b-fintech-qonto-reaches-600000-customers-files-for-banking-license/

Fundraising is already hard - don't let a messy cap table make it harder. At TechCrunch All Stage on July 15, founders will get a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to keep a raise on track during the roundtable session "Preparing to Raise: Cap Table Best Practices to Help You Close Fast." Hosted [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/tighten-up-your-cap-table-with-fidelity-cimulate-and-depositlink-at-techcrunch-all-stage-2025/

The cybercriminal group, which said it's releasing its decryption tools to victims, may be transitioning to new infrastructure under a different name.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/ransomware-gang-hunters-international-says-its-shutting-down/

Elon Musk's AI company has been operating more than twice that number without permits for months, a legal group alleges.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/xai-gets-permits-for-15-natural-gas-generators-at-memphis-data-center/

A hypersonics weapon startup is lining up a massive new funding round to scale its business with the U.S Department of Defense.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/castelion-raises-350m-series-b-to-scale-hypersonic-missile-business/

The Pinwheel Watch is designed specifically for kids aged 7 to 14, offering parental management tools, GPS tracking, texting, and more.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/pinwheel-introduces-a-smartwatch-for-kids-that-includes-an-ai-chatbot/

Meta is experimenting with having customizable chatbots messaging users unprompted and follow up on past conversations.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/meta-has-found-another-way-to-keep-you-engaged-chatbots-that-message-you-first/

U.S. District Judge John D. Bates ruled on Thursday that the Trump administration';s Office of Personnel Management did not comply with all necessary laws when it ordered the Department of Health and Human Services to speedily comply with the president';s executive order on "gender ideology." On the first day of his term, President Trump passed [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/trump-admin-unlawfully-killed-health-websites-related-to-gender-court-rules/

Kulveer Taggar, a two-time YC alum and founder of Zeus Living, founded Phosphor Capital last year

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/y-combinator-alum-launched-a-new-34m-fund-dedicated-to-yc-startups-backed-by-garry-tan/

Qedma specializes in error mitigation software. Its main piece of software, QESEM, analyzes noise patterns to suppress some classes of errors while the algorithm is running and mitigate others in post-processing.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/israeli-quantum-startup-qedma-just-raised-26-million-with-ibm-joining-in/

On the first day of his term, President Trump passed a deluge of executive orders, including one that ordered government agencies to change the language of government materials that address "gender ideology." This is the administration's way of referring to transgender or non-binary people.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/trump-admin-unlawfully-killed-health-websites-related-to-gender-court-rules/

At TechCrunch All Stage on July 15 at Boston's SoWa Power Station, Kristen Craft, Head of Business Development at Fidelity Private Shares, will lead a roundtable session titled "It's Not 2021 Anymore. Navigating the 2025 VC Landscape."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/kristen-craft-brings-fresh-fundraising-strategy-to-the-foundation-stage-at-techcrunch-all-stage/

OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever says he stepping into the CEO role at Safe Superintelligence, the AI startup he launched in 2024.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/ilya-sutskever-will-lead-safe-superintelligence-following-his-ceos-exit/

In late May, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei appeared to kick open the door on a sensitive topic, warning that half of entry-level jobs could vanish within five years because of AI and push U.S. unemployment up to 20%.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/02/ai-job-predictions-become-corporate-americas-newest-competitive-sport/

The company is now facing user backlash over the addition, as users, primarily women, are arguing that there should be a way to opt out of DMs entirely, citing harassment concerns.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/not-everyone-is-thrilled-with-threads-dms/

The final bill is largely what emerged from the Senate Finance Committee in mid-June.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/final-gop-bill-kneecaps-renewables-and-hydrogen-but-lifts-nuclear-and-geothermal/

Competitors to Darragh Buckley's Increase are so nervous about his ambitions to "own" a bank, someone has been trying to stop him.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/stripes-first-employee-the-founder-of-fintech-increase-sort-of-bought-a-bank/

Nikola Todorovic, co-founder of Wonder Dynamics, joins the AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in San Francisco from October 27-29. Register to join.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/wonder-dynamics-co-founder-nikola-todorovic-joins-the-ai-stage-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2025/

We're almost there, and ticket rates have officially rolled back with savings of up to $425. TechCrunch All Stage, the founder summit of the year, is just around the corner. On July 15, Boston becomes startup central. Are you ready to gain the insights and strategies you need to launch or scale? Now's the moment [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/rollback-rates-techcrunch-all-stage-brings-back-early-launch-prices-for-a-limited-time/

Ticket rates have officially rolled back with savings of up to $425, as TechCrunch All Stage becomes startup central July 15 in Boston.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/rollback-rates-techcrunch-all-stage-brings-back-early-launch-prices-for-a-limited-time/

Stories about Soham Parekh, a software engineer that simultaneously works at several startups, have gone viral in the last week. Who is he?

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/who-is-soham-parekh-the-serial-moonlighter-silicon-valley-startups-cant-stop-hiring/

Cluely's rapid ascend may be challenged by free copycat products.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/cluelys-arr-doubled-in-a-week-to-7m-founder-roy-lee-says-but-rivals-are-coming/

There is now a new badge of honor for startup founders: your proximity to one previously unknown Indian software engineer named Soham Parekh.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/everyone-in-tech-has-an-opinion-about-soham-parekh/

Slate Auto has updated its website after Congress passed President Trump's tax cut bill, which will eliminate the federal EV tax credit.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/03/slate-auto-drops-under-20000-pricing-after-trump-administration-ends-federal-ev-tax-credit/

The European Union said it will stick to its timeline for rolling out its AI legislation, ignoring calls by tech companies to delay the bloc's AI rules.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/04/eu-says-it-will-continue-rolling-out-ai-legislation-on-schedule/

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility - your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/04/techcrunch-mobility-the-state-of-ev-sales-and-rivian-secures-the-next-1b-from-vw/

Microsoft is closing its operations in Pakistan, marking the end of a 25-year presence in the South Asian nation. The Redmond-based company on Friday told TechCrunch that it is changing its operational model in Pakistan and will now serve its customers through resellers and "other closely located Microsoft offices." "Our customer agreements and service will [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/04/microsoft-is-closing-its-local-operations-in-pakistan/

Earlier this week, San Diego startup Gallant announced $18 million in funding to bring the first FDA-approved ready-to-use stem cell therapy to veterinary medicine. If it passes regulatory muster, it could create a whole new way to treat our fur babies. It's still an experimental field, even though people have been researching stem cells for [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/04/ready-made-stem-cell-therapies-for-pets-could-be-coming/

A group known as the Independent Publishers Alliance has filed an antitrust complaint with the European Commission over Google's AI Overviews, according to Reuters. The complaint accuses Google of "misusing web content for Google';s AI Overviews in Google Search, which have caused, and continue to cause, significant harm to publishers, including news publishers in the [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/05/google-faces-eu-antitrust-complaint-over-ai-overviews/

It's a sad weekend over at Bluesky, where one of the best accounts has disappeared - though we can still hope for its resurrection.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/05/ask-not-for-whom-the-louvre-of-bluesky-tolls-it-tolls-for-thee/

The venture capital world has always had a hot-and-cold relationship with the Midwest. Investors rush in during boom times, then retreat to the coasts when markets turn sour. For Columbus, Ohio-based Drive Capital, this cycle of attention and disinterest played out against the backdrop of its own internal upheaval several years ago -- a co-founder split that could have ended the firm but may have ultimately strengthened it.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/05/drive-capitals-second-act-how-the-columbus-venture-firm-found-success-after-a-split/

Brex quickly realized its normal software procurement process wouldn't work in the age of AI and found a new way to test and vet tools.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/how-brex-is-keeping-up-with-ai-by-embracing-the-messiness/

Academics may be leaning on a novel strategy to influence peer review of their research papers - adding hidden prompts designed to coax AI tools to deliver positive feedback.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/researchers-seek-to-influence-peer-review-with-hidden-ai-prompts/

The main Reuters news account, as well as the Reuters World account, have apparently been inaccessible to X users in India since Saturday evening.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/x-blocks-reuters-accounts-in-india/

With AI igniting an investor frenzy, every month, more startups obtain unicorn status. Using data from Crunchbase and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the VC-backed startups that became unicorns so far this year. While most are AI-related, a surprising number are focused in other industries like satellite space companies like Loft Orbital and blockchain-based trading site [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/7-new-tech-unicorns-were-minted-in-2025-so-far/

On Friday morning, Elon Musk declared, "We have improved @Grok significantly. You should notice a difference when you ask Grok questions."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/improved-grok-criticizes-democrats-and-hollywoods-jewish-executives/

Apple has filed appealed the EU's decision to fine the company €500 million (about $580 million) for not complying with competition rules.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/apple-appeals-eus-e500m-fine-over-app-store-payment-restraints/

Ingram Micro is one of the largest distributors of tech and cloud products.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/ingram-micro-says-ongoing-outage-caused-by-ransomware-attack/

TikTok is developing a new version of its app for U.S. users ahead of an expected sale of the app to a group of investors, according to a new report from The Information.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/tiktok-reportedly-developing-new-version-of-app-ahead-of-planned-us-sale/

With AI igniting an investor frenzy, every month, more startups obtain unicorn status. Using data from Crunchbase and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the VC-backed startups that became unicorns so far this year. While most are AI-related, a surprising number are focused in other industries like satellite space companies like Loft Orbital and blockchain-based trading site [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/at-least-36-new-tech-unicorns-were-minted-in-2025-so-far/

While AI may be the catalyst behind the recent wave of data company M&A, the market was ripe for consolidation.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/ai-is-forcing-the-data-industry-to-consolidate-but-thats-not-the-whole-story/

Threads' mobile app for iOS and Android saw 115.1 million daily active users, representing 127.8% year-over-year growth.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/threads-is-nearing-xs-daily-app-users-new-data-shows/

The European Commission says that Apple failed to comply with the Digital Markets Act rules to allow developers to accept payments for their apps outside Apple's ecosystem.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/apple-appeals-eus-e500m-fine-over-app-store-payment-restraints/

The outage is reportedly affecting software licensing, preventing Ingram Micro's customers from using or provisioning some products that rely on Ingram's systems. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/ingram-micro-says-ongoing-outage-caused-by-ransomware-attack/

Waymo kicked off two "road trips" to Philadelphia and New York City on Monday, signaling the Alphabet-owned company's push to expand into cities in the Northeast. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/waymo-starts-robotaxi-testing-in-philadelphia-and-nyc/

As a result of the deal, CoreWeave says it will gain access to more than a gigawatt of data center capacity - enough energy to power more than 850,000 homes.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/coreweave-acquires-data-center-provider-core-scientific-in-9b-stock-deal/

With AI igniting an investor frenzy, every month, more startups obtain unicorn status. Using data from Crunchbase and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the VC-backed startups that became unicorns so far this year. While most are AI-related, a surprising number are focused in other industries like satellite space companies Loft Orbital and blockchain-based trading site Kalshi.   [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/at-least-36-new-tech-unicorns-were-minted-in-2025-so-far/

Some tennis players are not happy with Wimbledon's new AI line judges, as reported by The Telegraph.ÿ This is the first year the prestigious tennis tournament, which is still ongoing, replaced human line judges, who determine if a ball is in or out, with an electronic line calling system (ELC). Numerous players criticized the AI [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/tennis-players-criticize-ai-technology-used-by-wimbledon/

Block CEO and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey wrote in an X post on Sunday night that he spent his weekend creating an app called Bitchat (presumably a combination of the words "bit" and "chat," and not the other combination of words that it looks like). Bitchat is a messaging app that operates through Bluetooth mesh [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/jack-dorsey-working-on-bluetooth-messaging-app-bitchat/

The early version in the first developer beta of iOS 26 and the accompanying updates for Apple's other devices still left room for improvement in terms of usability, accessibility, and legibility.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/ios-26-beta-3-dials-back-liquid-glass/

Bluesky updated its notifications to allowing users to personalize their experience, including the option to be notified only when accounts reply to them.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/bluesky-users-can-customize-their-notifications-including-activity-alerts-from-their-favorite-accounts/

Some ChatGPT subscribers are reporting a new feature appearing in their drop-down list of available tools called "Study Together." The mode is apparently the chatbot';s way of becoming a better educational tool. Rather than providing answers to prompts, some say it asks more questions and requires the human to answer, like OpenAI';s answer to Google';s [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/chatgpt-is-testing-a-mysterious-new-feature-called-study-together/

Fortnite maker Epic Games has settled its antitrust case against Samsung, according to a court filing.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/fortnite-maker-epic-games-settles-antitrust-case-against-samsung/

With AI igniting an investor frenzy, every month, more startups obtain unicorn status. Using data from Crunchbase and PitchBook, TechCrunch tracked down the VC-backed startups that became unicorns so far this year. While most are AI-related, a surprising number are focused in other industries like satellite space companies Loft Orbital and blockchain-based trading site Kalshi.ÿÿ [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/06/at-least-36-new-tech-unicorns-were-minted-in-2025-so-far/

Waymo kicked off two "road trips" to Philadelphia and New York City on Monday, signaling the Alphabet-owned company's push to expand into cities in the Northeast. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/waymo-heading-to-philadelphia-and-nyc/

Cursor's CEO issued an apology this weekend over an unclear change to its pricing model that resulted in some users being charged more.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/cursor-apologizes-for-unclear-pricing-changes-that-upset-users/

Results of a 20-year-old curiosity now form the basis of Tulum, a startup that has attracted significant investor attention.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/tulum-energy-rediscovered-a-forgotten-hydrogen-tech-and-used-it-to-raise-27m/

Ruoming Pang previously ran Apple's in-house team that trained the AI foundation models that underpin Apple Intelligence and other on-device AI features.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/meta-reportedly-recruits-apples-head-of-ai-models/

Some tennis players are not happy with Wimbledon's new AI line judges, as reported by The Telegraph.  This is the first year the prestigious tennis tournament, which is still ongoing, replaced human line judges, who determine if a ball is in or out, with an electronic line calling system (ELC). Numerous players criticized the AI [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/tennis-players-criticize-ai-technology-used-by-wimbledon/

Bluesky updated its notifications to allow users to personalize their experience, including the option to be notified only when accounts reply to them.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/bluesky-users-can-customize-their-notifications-including-activity-alerts-from-their-favorite-accounts/

The mode is apparently the chatbot's way of becoming a better educational tool. Rather than providing answers to prompts, some say it asks more questions and requires the human to answer.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/chatgpt-is-testing-a-mysterious-new-feature-called-study-together/

Epic had alleged in the lawsuit that Samsung's "Auto Blocker" feature, which blocked downloads outside of the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, was a coordinated effort to block competition in app distribution.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/fortnite-maker-epic-games-settles-antitrust-case-against-samsung/

OpenAI has reportedly overhauled its security operations to protect against corporate espionage. According to the Financial Times, the company accelerated an existing security clampdown after Chinese startup DeepSeek released a competing model in January, with OpenAI alleging that DeepSeek improperly copied its models using "distillation" techniques. The beefed-up security includes "information tenting" policies that limit [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/openai-tightens-the-screws-on-security-to-keep-away-prying-eyes/

If you walked into a Dubai bank to apply for a mortgage in 2020, chances are you'd spend months buried in paperwork or face a huge price discrepancy when it came to listings. Such experiences led Jad Antoun to start Huspy, a startup streamlining how people in the UAE buy homes digitally. Over the past [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/07/uae-proptech-huspy-raises-59m-to-scale-in-europe/

Arbor Energy's carbon-removing power plant is inspired by SpaceX's rocket engines.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/frontier-is-helping-arbor-build-a-vegetarian-rocket-engine-to-power-data-centers/

Slate Auto, which came out of stealth mode earlier this year with a surprising - and surprisingly affordable - customizable electric truck, has raised $700 million to date. But long before the EV startup broke cover, it quietly raised a Series A round of more than $100 million in 2023. And while Jeff Bezos was [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/why-this-los-angeles-vc-firm-was-an-early-investor-in-slate-auto/

Carl Pei led electronics manufacturer OnePlus from being a scrappy brand for tech enthusiasts offering affordable phones to one that produces multiple lines of devices, including flagship phones that challenge Samsung and Apple. He is running a similar playbook with Nothing, a five-year-old, venture-backed hardware startup that just launched its most ambitious device, the Phone [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/nothing-phone-3-review/

We're in the final countdown - TechCrunch All Stage kicks off in less than 7 days, and your chance to save up to $475 disappears when it does. This is the ultimate founder summit, built for every stage of your startup journey. Whether you';re a founder, co-founder, or investor, this is where scaling strategies are [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/7-days-until-doors-open-at-techcrunch-all-stage-and-when-ticket-prices-hike/

AI can help your team move faster - but only if your team knows how to move together. Join Jeff Chow, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Miro, for a roundtable sessions at TechCrunch All Stage on July 15 in Boston';s SoWa Power Station, where he'll break down how product-led innovation can supercharge collaborative problem-solving. [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/jeff-chow-of-miro-shares-how-team-intelligence-drives-better-product-building-at-techcrunch-all-stage/

The retail giant's chair confirmed the breach was caused by ransomware.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/marks-spencer-chair-refuses-to-say-if-retailer-paid-hackers-after-ransomware-attack/

Moonvalley's Marey AI video generation model is open to the public. The monthly subscription is available for $14.99, $34.99, or $149.99.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/moonvalleys-ethical-ai-video-model-for-filmmakers-is-now-publicly-available/

We're excited to welcome Mati Staniszewski, co-founder and CEO of ElevenLabs, to the AI stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27-29 in San Francisco. In a featured fireside chat, Staniszewski will dive into how AI-powered voice technology is transforming digital communication and interaction. Takeaways that blend technical depth with business impact ElevenLabs is [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/exploring-the-future-of-voice-ai-with-mati-staniszewski-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2025/

Mastodon 4.4 takes the first steps towards implementing Quote Posts, and also brings a host of design and UX changes.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/mastodons-latest-update-readies-the-app-for-quote-posts-revamps-design/

Boston, are you ready?! TechCrunch All Stage 2025 is about to explode with energy - and the real magic kicks off with an epic lineup of Side Events lighting up the city from July 14-17! We';re just ONE WEEK AWAY, and we couldn't be more pumped to unveil the full Side Events schedule - your [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/the-complete-side-events-lineup-at-techcrunch-all-stage-2025/

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 hits Moscone West in San Francisco from October 27-29, bringing together more than 10,000 startup and VC leaders for a deep dive into the future of technology. One of the most compelling conversations on one of the AI Stages will feature a panel of innovators redefining what intelligent systems can do - [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/wayve-ceo-alex-kendall-brings-the-future-of-autonomous-ai-to-techcrunch-disrupt-2025/

Rivian has opened customer orders for its second-generation quad-motor R1S and R1T EVs.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/the-tech-behind-rivians-2026-quad-motor-truck-and-suv-and-that-kick-turn/

At TechCrunch All Stage, we're excited to showcase the partners who help shape the conversation around innovation and entrepreneurship. Their involvement goes beyond sponsorship - they bring real-world insights that reflect the pulse of today's startup landscape. From fresh ideas to practical strategies, these partners are driving the energy and inspiration that fuel the event [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/thank-you-to-the-visionaries-celebrating-the-partners-behind-techcrunch-all-stage/

The independent online bookseller Bookshop.org took a swipe at Amazon to celebrate the start of Prime Day, Amazon';s annual sale (which, despite its name, is actually four days this year). Like many other retailers, Bookshop.org holds a sale to coincide with Amazon';s big event - it';s a way to lure away consumers who may be [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/bookshop-org-mocks-jeff-bezos-wedding-invite-in-anti-prime-day-promo/

AI can help your team move faster - but only if your team knows how to move together. Join Jeff Chow, chief product and technology officer at Miro, for a roundtable sessions at TechCrunch All Stage on July 15 in Boston';s SoWa Power Station, where he'll break down how product-led innovation can supercharge collaborative problem-solving. [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/jeff-chow-of-miro-shares-how-team-intelligence-drives-better-product-building-at-techcrunch-all-stage/

We're excited to welcome Mati Staniszewski, co-founder and CEO of ElevenLabs, to the AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27-29 in San Francisco. In a featured fireside chat, Staniszewski will dive into how AI-powered voice technology is transforming digital communication and interaction. Takeaways that blend technical depth with business impact ElevenLabs is [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/exploring-the-future-of-voice-ai-with-mati-staniszewski-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2025/

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 hits Moscone West in San Francisco from October 27-29, bringing together more than 10,000 startup and VC leaders for a deep dive into the future of technology. One of the most compelling conversations on one of the AI Stages will feature a panel of innovators redefining what intelligent systems can do. Among [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/wayve-ceo-alex-kendall-brings-the-future-of-autonomous-ai-to-techcrunch-disrupt-2025/

Launching a U.S.-specific app could be part of the company's broader plan to comply with a 2024 law requiring ByteDance to divest from TikTok.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/bytedance-reportedly-plans-to-release-us-specific-version-of-capcut/

The independent online bookseller Bookshop.org took a swipe at Amazon to celebrate the start of Prime Day, Amazon's annual sale.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/bookshop-org-mocks-jeff-bezos-wedding-invite-in-anti-prime-day-promo/

Waymo has begun offering teen accounts for families in Phoenix as it works to expand more of its user base and entrench young riders in the autonomous life. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/teenagers-can-now-hail-a-waymo-robotaxi-in-phoenix/

Replit is one of the breakout stars of the vibe coding world. This partnership is a good deal for both companies.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/in-a-blow-to-google-cloud-replit-partners-with-microsoft/

The typical online checkout experience has become bloated with friction. And while more companies are building solutions around online checkout, few are rethinking it from scratch. One such company is OneText, which is building what it calls a "text-to-buy network," that lets shoppers complete purchases via text message. The company, founded by former PayPal employees, [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/onetext-raises-4-5m-from-y-combinator-khosla-to-reinvent-shopping-by-text/

Google announced on Tuesday that it's launching a new Gmail feature that is designed to help users easily manage their subscriptions and declutter their inbox.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/gmails-new-manage-subscriptions-tool-will-help-declutter-your-inbox/

Mastodon 4.4 takes the first steps toward implementing Quote Posts and brings a host of design and UX changes.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/mastodons-latest-update-readies-the-app-for-quote-posts-revamps-design/

Activision last week brought offline the Microsoft Store version of "Call of Duty: WWII" as the company was investigating "reports of an issue."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/activision-took-down-call-of-duty-game-after-pc-players-hacked-says-source/

Nothing's Phone (3) is priced at $799 and is intended to compete with devices from Samsung and Apple.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/nothing-phone-3-review/

French AI startup Mistral is in talks to raise up to $1 billion in equity from investors including Abu Dhabi's MGX fund, reports Bloomberg.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/mistral-is-reportedly-in-talks-to-raise-1b/

SpaceX is in talks to raise fresh capital at a $400 billion valuation.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/spacex-in-talks-to-raise-new-funding-at-400b-valuation/

A new report estimates that AI will be a larger-than-ever part of the online shopping process during Amazon';s Prime Day sale, which began Tuesday morning. Amazon';s annual sale, which this year spans four days (July 8-11), is predicted to drive $23.8 billion in online spending across U.S. e-commerce retailers, as other businesses run their own [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/genai-as-a-shopping-assistant-set-to-explode-during-prime-day-sales/

Accused hacker and Chinese national Xu Zewei was arrested in Italy at the request of U.S. prosecutors.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/us-government-confirms-arrest-of-chinese-national-accused-of-stealing-covid-research-and-mass-hacking-email-servers/

Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer, is stepping down from his role later this month.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/apple-coo-jeff-williams-to-step-down-later-this-month/

Grok, the AI chatbot powered by Elon Musk's xAI company, is back with more antisemitic rants.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/grok-is-being-antisemitic-again-and-also-the-sky-is-blue/

AI infrastructure startup LangChain is raising a new round at about $1 billion valuation led by IVP.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/langchain-is-about-to-become-a-unicorn-sources-say/

Also, the micromobility startup that spun out of Rivian this year, was raised $200 million from Greenoaks Capital.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/rivian-spinoff-also-raises-another-200m-to-build-e-bikes-and-more/

Replit is one of the breakout stars of the vibe-coding world. This partnership is a good deal for both companies.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/in-a-blow-to-google-cloud-replit-partners-with-microsoft/

OneText securely vaults a customer's payment information after their first purchase. From then on, they can reorder with a single reply.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/onetext-raises-4-5m-from-y-combinator-khosla-to-reinvent-shopping-by-text/

Activision last week brought offline the Microsoft Store version of Call of Duty: WWII as the company was investigating "reports of an issue."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/activision-took-down-call-of-duty-game-after-pc-players-hacked-says-source/

The company's strategy is to raise money via a fundraising round and separately hold a tender offer to allow employees to sell some of their shares to a select group of investors.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/spacex-in-talks-to-raise-new-funding-at-400b-valuation/

Amazon's annual sale is predicted to drive $23.8 billion in online spending across U.S. e-commerce retailers, as other businesses run their own competing sales alongside the popular shopping event.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/genai-as-a-shopping-assistant-set-to-explode-during-prime-day-sales/

Having worked at Apple for nearly three decades, Williams has played a significant role in introducing the iPod and iPhone programs, leading the development of the Apple Watch, and overseeing the design team, among other contributions.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/apple-coo-jeff-williams-to-step-down-later-this-month/

With a fundraising target of €25 million, Darkstar's goal is to help startups bring battle-tested products to military customers both in Ukraine and throughout Europe.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/08/european-vc-breaks-taboo-by-investing-in-pure-defense-tech-from-ukraines-war-zones/

Hugging Face is releasing two versions of its desktop robot meant for designing and coding AI applications.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/09/hugging-face-opens-up-orders-for-its-reachy-mini-desktop-robots/

These carrier security settings can prevent your phone number from being hijacked or stolen.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/09/how-to-protect-your-cell-phone-number-from-sim-swap-attacks/

Medium CEO Tony Stubblebine announced on Friday that the publishing platform has remained profitable since August of last year, when it first achieved this milestone.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/mediums-ceo-explains-what-it-took-to-stop-losing-2-6m-monthly/

Devin won't replace humans at the bank. Argenti advocates for a "hybrid" workforce, so instances of it will be supervised by a human and, he hopes, improve their productivity.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/goldman-sachs-is-testing-viral-ai-agent-devin-as-a-new-employee/

She appreciates how she can make fast decisions that don't require committee approval. She's also taken to using AI to help her throughout this journey. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/sarah-smith-launches-16m-fund-says-ai-can-unlock-so-much-for-solo-gps-like-herself/

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/techcrunch-mobility-tesla-enters-its-grok-era-and-teens-come-for-robotaxis/

France is investigating Elon Musk's X and a member of parliament, Éric Bothorel, is criticizing Grok's content.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/france-is-investigating-x-over-foreign-interference-while-a-mp-also-criticizes-grok/

Despite conspiracy theories, there's no way that cloud seeding operations days before the storm could have influenced the floods, scientists say.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/a-cloud-seeding-startup-did-not-cause-the-texas-floods/

Jio Platforms, the digital arm of Reliance Industries, has launched a virtual desktop service called JioPC for televisions.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/indias-richest-man-wants-to-turn-every-tv-into-a-pc/

Software engineer workflows have been transformed in recent years by an influx of AI coding tools. However, a new study calls into question the extent to which today's AI coding tools enhance productivity for experienced developers.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/ai-coding-tools-may-not-speed-up-every-developer-study-shows/

Praxis Labs, a learning development platform, announced its acquisition on Thursday for an undisclosed amount by the leadership and coaching enterprise Torch. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/ai-leadership-development-platform-praxis-labs-sells-to-torch/

Tesla may finally start selling its EVs in India with a showroom slated for Mumbai.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/tesla-reportedly-close-to-starting-sales-in-india/

Analysis: In calling itself an ethical spyware vendor, Paragon has opened itself up to scrutiny of its government customers.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/can-an-ethical-spyware-maker-provide-its-tech-to-ice/

Firefly is heading into the initial public offering with $176.9 million in cash and cash equivalents. And while it has incurred negative cash flows and losses from operations, Firefly projected that its cash is adequate to meet its liquidity needs for at least 12 months.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/firefly-aerospace-files-for-an-ipo/

Notably, Google is not taking a stake in Windsurf and will not have any control over the company.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/windsurfs-ceo-goes-to-google-openais-acquisition-falls-apart/

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said Friday the company is delaying the release of its open model indefinitely.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/openai-delays-the-release-of-its-open-model-again/

There is a time-honored crisis management strategy, wherein one says nothing and waits for the outrage to pass. For Sequoia Capital, the strategy worked pretty well this week. While partner Shaun Maguire initially weathered criticism over an inflammatory social media post, that initial indignation cooled quickly. Now, some seem to think that Maguire';s defiant stance [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/11/sequoia-bets-on-silence/

In only 3 days, founders, investors, and operators will flood into the SoWa Power Station in Boston for TechCrunch All Stage 2025 - and if you haven't grabbed your pass yet, this is your final window to lock in the lowest prices available and save up to $475. Whether you're a first-time founder or a [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/12/just-3-days-left-to-save-before-tc-all-stage-2025-lights-up-boston/

In a series of posts on X, the AI chatbot Grok apologized for what it admitted was "horrific behavior."

The posts appear to be an official statement from xAI, the Elon Musk-led company behind Grok, as opposed to an AI-generated explanation for Grok's posts. (xAI recently acquired X, where Grok is prominently featured.)

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/12/xai-and-grok-apologize-for-horrific-behavior/

Welcome back to Week in Review! We';ve got tons of news for you this week, including a shakeup at X, Hugging Face';s new robot, new phones from Nothing and Samsung, and a whole lot more. Have a great weekend! Off to do something else: X CEO Linda Yaccarino stepped down this week after a tumultuous [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/12/week-in-review-x-ceo-linda-yaccarino-steps-down/

Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen sharply criticized universities including Stanford and MIT, along with the National Science Foundation, in a group chat with AI scientists and Trump administration officials, according to screenshots viewed by the Washington Post.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/12/marc-andreessen-reportedly-told-group-chat-that-universities-will-pay-the-price-for-dei/

A research institute connected to the United Nations has created two AI-powered avatars designed to teach people about refugee issues. 404 Media wrote about an experiment conducted by a class at the United Nations University Center for Policy Research that resulted in the creation of two AI agents or avatars - Amina, a fictional woman [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/12/a-united-nations-research-institute-created-an-ai-refugee-avatar/

TechCrunch All Stage 2025 is almost here - In 2 days, the doors swing open at Boston's SoWa Power Station. If you're a founder or investor, this is your last shot to lock in the lowest ticket prices before they vanish at the door. This isn't your average startup conference. TC All Stage is where [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/the-countdowns-almost-over-2-days-until-techcrunch-all-stage-2025-kicks-off-in-boston/

The British Business Bank, owned by the UK government, is creating a £500 million (around $674 million) economic package to help support diverse and underrepresented fund managers and founders in the country.ÿ Fifty million pounds will be set aside for female-led venture funds, which means the BBB has now committed at least £100 million (around [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/uk-launches-500-package-to-support-diverse-underrepresented-investors-and-founders/

One Elon Musk business might be making a big investment in another.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/elon-musks-spacex-might-invest-2-billion-in-musks-xai/

Therapy chatbots powered by large language models may stigmatize users with mental health conditions and otherwise respond inappropriately or even dangerously, according to researchers at Stanford University.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/study-warns-of-significant-risks-in-using-ai-therapy-chatbots/

Meta has acquired Play AI, a startup that uses AI to generate human-sounding voices.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/meta-acquires-voice-startup-play-ai/

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's new app, called Sun Day, ostensibly helps users track UV exposure and Vitamin D intake.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/jack-dorseys-latest-app-tracks-sun-exposure/

According to Discord, Orbs have been popular among testers, with millions earned and spent during the seven-week beta period.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/discords-virtual-reward-orbs-launches-out-of-beta/

A hacker compromised Elmo's X account on Sunday and published abusive posts.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/sesame-street-elmo-x-account-hacked-racist-antisemetic-posts/

TechCrunch All Stage officially kicks off tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. ET at SoWa Power Station in Boston - and that's when ticket prices jump to full rate. This isn't just another founder event. It's the summit built to help startups fundraise smarter, scale faster, and lead with impact. Whether you';re tightening your pitch, planning a [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/tomorrow-techcrunch-all-stage-launches-in-boston-and-ticket-prices-rise/

You voted - they made it onto the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 agenda! After reviewing hundreds of standout Call for Content submissions and opening the vote to the TechCrunch audience, we've locked in the top five roundtables and top five breakout sessions. Without further ado, meet the exceptional tech voices - and the sessions they'll lead [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/the-votes-are-in-techcrunch-disrupt-2025-audience-choice-winners-revealed-for-roundtables-and-breakouts/

Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has transferred a portion of his ownership stake and voting power as part of a newly settled divorce proceeding.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/rivian-ceo-rj-scaringes-voting-control-slips-following-divorce-settlement/

TechCrunch All Stage officially kicks off tomorrow at SoWa Power Station in Boston. This isn't just another founder event. It's the summit built to help startups fundraise smarter, scale faster, and lead with impact.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/tomorrow-techcrunch-all-stage-launches-in-boston-and-ticket-prices-rise/

Meet the exceptional tech voices - and the sessions they'll lead - that will shape the conversation at Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27-29 at San Francisco's Moscone West.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/the-votes-are-in-techcrunch-disrupt-2025-audience-choice-winners-revealed-for-roundtables-and-breakouts/

Atmo will use its deep learning models to help Rainmaker identify clouds that have potential for seeding.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/rainmaker-partners-with-atmo-to-squeeze-more-rain-from-clouds/

The factory's overhaul will give U.S. LFP production a significant boost.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/gm-to-challenge-chinas-lfp-monopoly-with-upgraded-battery-factory/

Weekly subscriptions have now become one of the most popular ways iOS apps are earning revenue, with these plans contributing 46% to the bottom line, according to a new report by app revenue management platform Adapty. The study, which observed $1.9 billion in revenue across more than 11,000 apps, noted that weekly plans have grown [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/weekly-subscriptions-dominate-ios-app-revenue-report-finds/

Meta is currently building out a data center, called Hyperion, which the company expects to supply its new AI lab with five gigawatts (GW) of computational power, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Monday post on Threads. The announcement marks Meta';s latest move to get ahead of OpenAI and Google in the AI race. After [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/mark-zuckerberg-says-meta-is-building-a-5gw-ai-data-center/

The British Business Bank, owned by the UK government, is creating a £500 million (around $674 million) economic package to help support diverse and underrepresented fund managers and founders in the country. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/uk-launches-500-package-to-support-diverse-underrepresented-investors-and-founders/

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's new app, called Sun Day, ostensibly helps users track UV exposure and vitamin D intake.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/jack-dorseys-latest-app-tracks-sun-exposure/

Amazon';s Prime Day, which leads to an overall boost to U.S. e-commerce thanks to competitive sales, saw a significant increase in retail traffic driven by generative AI products, including chatbots and browsers. According to a post-Prime Day analysis by Adobe Analytics, gen AI traffic to U.S. retail sites increased by 3,300% year-over-year - which was [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/prime-day-event-drove-over-24b-in-u-s-e-commerce-sales-gen-ai-traffic-was-up-3300/

Google is adding notebooks from various authors, publications, researchers, and nonprofits to its popular AI-powered research and note-taking assistant NotebookLM.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/notebooklm-adds-featured-notebooks-from-the-economist-the-atlantic-and-others/

A research institute connected to the United Nations has created two AI-powered avatars designed to teach people about refugee issues.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/12/a-united-nations-research-institute-created-an-ai-refugee-avatar/

This isn't your average startup conference. TC All Stage is where high-growth startups get sharper, faster, and more fundable - in just one day. Whether you're pre-seed or preparing for an IPO, this is the room to be in.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/13/the-countdowns-almost-over-2-days-until-techcrunch-all-stage-2025-kicks-off-in-boston/

Malaysia is introducing new export restrictions on U.S. AI chips in an attempt to prevent these chips from being smuggled into China.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/malaysia-will-require-trade-permits-for-u-s-ai-chips/

Elon Musk';s AI chatbot Grok has pivoted from antisemitism to anime girl waifus. Musk wrote in an X post on Monday that AI companions are now available in the Grok app for "Super Grok" subscribers who pay $30 per month. According to posts that Musk has shared, it seems that there are at least two [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/elon-musks-grok-is-making-ai-companions-including-a-goth-anime-girl/

We've compiled an overview of some of the top alternative browsers available today aiming to challenge Chrome and Safari.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/as-the-browser-wars-heat-up-here-are-the-hottest-alternatives-to-chrome-and-safari-in-2025/

A top Democrat criticized the move to spend a billion on offensive hacking operations as the budget guts a billion from U.S. cyber defense.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/trump-administration-to-spend-1-billion-on-offensive-hacking-operations/

Cognition, the startup behind the viral AI coding agent Devin, announced in a blog post on Monday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AI coding startup Windsurf. The announcement comes just days after Google hired away Windsurf';s CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and research leaders in a $2.4 billion deal, a [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/cognition-maker-of-the-ai-coding-agent-devin-acquires-windsurf/

The UnitedHealth-owned medical coding service was hacked earlier this year by a ransomware gang.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/episource-is-notifying-millions-of-people-that-their-health-data-was-stolen/

Weekly subscriptions have now become one of the most popular ways iOS apps are earning revenue, with these plans contributing 46% to the bottom line, according to a new report by app revenue management platform Adapty.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/weekly-subscriptions-dominate-ios-app-revenue-report-finds/

Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is building out some massive data centers to power its AI ambitions and compete with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/mark-zuckerberg-says-meta-is-building-a-5gw-ai-data-center/

Amazon's Prime Day, which leads to an overall boost to U.S. e-commerce thanks to competitive sales, saw a significant increase in retail traffic driven by generative AI products, including chatbots and browsers.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/prime-day-event-drove-over-24b-in-u-s-e-commerce-sales-gen-ai-traffic-was-up-3300/

Cognition, the startup behind the viral AI coding agent Devin, announced in a blog post on Monday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire AI coding startup Windsurf. The announcement comes just days after Google hired away Windsurf';s CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and research leaders in a $2.4 billion reverse-acquihire that [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/cognition-maker-of-the-ai-coding-agent-devin-acquires-windsurf/

Like YouTube, Meta says it won't penalize users who are engaging with other people's content, doing things like making reaction videos, joining a trend, or adding their own takes.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/following-youtube-meta-announces-crackdown-on-unoriginal-facebook-content/

Musk wrote in an X post on Monday that AI companions are now available in the Grok app for "Super Grok" subscribers who pay $30 per month.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/elon-musks-grok-is-making-ai-companions-including-a-goth-anime-girl/

The announcement comes just days after Google hired away Windsurf's CEO Varun Mohan, co-founder Douglas Chen, and research leaders in a $2.4 billion reverse-acquihire that left much of the startup's 250-person team behind.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/cognition-maker-of-the-ai-coding-agent-devin-acquires-windsurf/

Former Sequoia partner Matt Miller has already locked in $355 million for his new fund, Evantic, which is also backed by Sequoia, TechCrunch learned.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/former-sequoia-partner-matt-miller-raises-355m-for-new-fund-with-sequoias-backing/

Top members of Meta's new Superintelligence Lab discussed pivoting away from the company's powerful open source AI model, Behemoth, and instead developing a closed model. This would mark a major philosophical shift for Meta.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/meta-built-its-ai-reputation-on-openness-that-may-be-changing/

Former Founders Fund GP Brian Singerman and co-founder and managing partner of Quiet Capital, Lee Linden, are seeking over $500 million for a new fund called GPx, three people familiar with their strategy told TechCrunch. A significant portion of GPx's fund, potentially as much as 50%, will come from Founders Fund co-founder Peter Thiel, these people said.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/brian-singermans-new-fund-has-a-twist-and-peter-thiel-as-a-big-backer/

Nvidia announced Monday that it';s filing applications to restart sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China, capping a spasmodic few months that saw the Trump administration impose restrictions, then quickly reverse course after a high-profile dinner meeting. The company expects to receive U.S. government licenses soon and begin deliveries shortly after, according to [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/nvidia-is-set-to-resume-china-chip-sales-after-months-of-regulatory-whiplash/

Meta and Mark Zuckerberg are in a hurry to build their superintelligence tech. The company has been poaching AI researchers, while CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Monday that Meta is building a 5-gigawatt data center called Hyperion. The urgency is palpable. As SemiAnalysis reported last week and Business Insider noted, Meta is so eager to [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/meta-is-reportedly-using-actual-tents-to-build-data-centers/

Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg are in a hurry to build their superintelligence tech. The company has been poaching AI researchers, while Zuckerberg announced on Monday that Meta is building a 5-gigawatt data center called Hyperion. The urgency is palpable. As SemiAnalysis reported last week and Business Insider noted, Meta is so eager to boost [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/meta-is-reportedly-using-actual-tents-to-build-data-centers/

Tesla has made its long-awaited entry into India with the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/14/tesla-finally-enters-india-nine-years-after-elon-musk-first-teased-its-debut/

Neighborhood social app Nextdoor is launching a redesigned version of its service that it's calling the "new Nextdoor."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/nextdoor-redesigns-app-with-ai-recommendations-local-news-and-real-time-emergency-alerts/

Today's the day! TechCrunch All Stage is lighting up Boston's SoWa Power Station at 7:30 a.m. ET sharp. The stages are set, the speakers are ready, and the startup community is gathering for one powerful day of insight, innovation, and momentum. In Boston and ready to scale your startup faster and more efficiently? There's still [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/techcrunch-all-stage-launches-in-boston-today-dont-miss-what-founders-are-learning/

Amogy's technology generates power from ammonia without pollution, making it a prime candidate for decarbonizing maritime shipping.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/amogy-raises-80m-to-power-ships-and-data-centers-with-ammonia/

Joby Aviation has doubled the size and production capacity of its pilot manufacturing facility in Marina, California as it races to commercialize electric air taxis by early next year. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/joby-aviation-doubles-pilot-evtol-facility-capacity-as-it-races-toward-air-taxi-launch/

Auriga Space wants to reimagine launch by using electromagnetic forces.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/auriga-space-raises-6m-to-shoot-rockets-off-an-electromagnetic-launch-track/

Google will pay more than $3 billion to source carbon-free hydropower from Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners' plants in Pennsylvania.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/google-inks-3b-deal-to-buy-hydropower-from-brookfield/

xAI says it fixed the issue with Grok 4 where the model said its surname was "mechahitler."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/xai-says-it-has-fixed-grok-4s-problematic-responses/

ParadeDB built a Postgres extension that facilitates full-text search and analytics on Postgres without the need to transfer data.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/paradedb-takes-on-elasticsearch-as-interest-in-postgres-explodes-amid-ai-boom/

China's Geely Auto is officially taking its luxury EV subsidiary Zeekr private, just over a year after the company debuted on the New York Stock Exchange.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/chinas-geely-is-officially-bringing-its-luxury-ev-startup-zeekr-private/

The researcher who found the exposed key said it "raises questions" about how DOGE handles sensitive data.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/doge-staffer-with-access-to-americans-personal-data-leaked-private-xai-api-key/

The factory will develop a series of neodymium magnet manufacturing lines specifically designed for Apple products.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/apple-commits-500m-to-u-s-based-rare-earth-recycling-firm-mp-materials/

Rwazi has raised a $12 million Series A led by Bonfire Ventures to help companies with market intelligence and consumer insights

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/rwazi-raises-12m-series-a-to-help-companies-with-consumer-insights-and-intelligence/

Rivian vehicles will soon replace its Mapbox-based maps with Google Maps. The integration will still see a lot of Rivian DNA in the new mapping system, though.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/rivian-taps-google-to-bring-custom-maps-into-its-evs-and-app/

Reddit users in the UK will have to upload their ID or a selfie to access potentially harmful content.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/reddit-rolls-out-age-verification-in-the-uk-to-comply-with-new-rules/

Baidu is the latest addition to Uber's growing list of autonomous vehicle partners, which includes Waymo, Volkswagen, May Mobility, and Pony AI.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/ubers-latest-robotaxi-partner-is-chinas-baidu/

A complete list of all the known layoffs in tech, from Big Tech to startups, broken down by month throughout 2024.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/tech-layoffs-2025-list/

French startup Mistral has jumped into the audio race with Voxtral, its first open model, aiming to challenge the dominance of walled-off corporate systems with open-weight alternatives. 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/mistral-releases-voxtral-its-first-open-source-ai-audio-model/

The firm will look to invest $500,000 to $4 million in 15-20 seed and Series A companies in the healthcare, climate, consumer, and community sectors.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/venture-gets-a-rare-native-american-led-fund-in-betsy-fores-velveteen-ventures/

Research leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind are urging tech companies and research groups to monitor AI's "thoughts."

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/research-leaders-urge-tech-industry-to-monitor-ais-thoughts/

For years, code-editing tools like Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub's Copilot have been the standard for AI-powered software development. But as agentic AI grows more powerful and vibe-coding takes off, a subtle shift has changed how AI systems are interacting with software. Instead of working on code, they're increasingly interacting directly with the shell of whatever system they're installed in. It's a significant change in how AI-powered software development happens - and despite the low profile, it could have significant implications for where the field goes from here.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/ai-coding-tools-are-shifting-to-a-surprising-place-the-terminal/

A coalition of Ukrainian hackers breached and wiped systems belonging to Gaskar Group, a Moscow-based drone maker.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/ukrainian-hackers-claim-to-have-destroyed-servers-of-russian-drone-maker/

Lucid Motors joins the likes of Ford, General Motors, and Tesla in offering an advanced driver assistance system that allows for hands-free driving.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/lucid-motors-will-roll-out-hands-free-highway-driving-this-month/

Billy McFarland, the convicted criminal behind Fyre Festival, sold the rights to the infamous brand on eBay.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/the-rights-to-fyre-festival-sold-on-ebay-for-245k/

As publishers fret about decreased traffic from Google, the search giant has begun rolling out AI summaries in Discover, the main news feed inside Google';s search app on iOS and Android. Now, instead of seeing a headline from a major publication, users will see multiple news publishers'; logos in the top-left corner, followed by an [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/google-discover-adds-ai-summaries-threatening-publishers-with-further-traffic-declines/

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati says that her new startup, Thinking Machines Lab, was valued at $12 billion in its seed round.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/mira-muratis-thinking-machines-lab-is-worth-12b-in-seed-round/

Pronto.ai CEO Anthony Levandowski said the move is meant to help bolster his company's ranks with like-minded talent and complimentary technology.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/av-startup-pronto-ai-acquires-off-road-autonomous-vehicle-rival-safeai/

Billy McFarland, the fraudster who brought you Fyre Festival, has sold the rights to the brand on eBay for $245,300. We do not yet know who the buyer is or what they plan to do with such cursed IP.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/the-rights-to-fyre-festival-sold-on-ebay-for-245k/

The feature will appear on iOS and Android in the U.S., with a focus on trending lifestyle topics like sports and entertainment. Google also noted the feature will make it easier for people to decide what pages they want to visit.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/google-discover-adds-ai-summaries-threatening-publishers-with-further-traffic-declines/

The deal marks one of the largest seed rounds - or first funding rounds - in Silicon Valley history, representing the massive investor appetite to back promising new AI labs. Thinking Machines Lab is less than a year old and has yet to reveal what it's working on.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/mira-muratis-thinking-machines-lab-is-worth-12b-in-seed-round/

Pronto.ai CEO Anthony Levandowski said the move is meant to help bolster his company's ranks with like-minded talent and complementary technology.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/av-startup-pronto-ai-acquires-off-road-autonomous-vehicle-rival-safeai/

The tech giant fixed the security flaw, netting a security researcher $10,000 for privately disclosing the bug.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/meta-fixes-bug-that-could-leak-users-ai-prompts-and-generated-content/

For years, code-editing tools like Cursor, Windsurf, and GitHub's Copilot have been the standard for AI-powered software development. But as agentic AI grows more powerful and vibe-coding takes off, a subtle shift has changed how AI systems are interacting with software.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/ai-coding-tools-are-shifting-to-a-surprising-place-the-terminal/

A senior engineer describes the thrill, chaos, and exhaustion of working at OpenAI this past year while launching its coding agent Codex.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/a-former-openai-engineer-describes-what-its-really-like-to-work-there/

Cameron Wagenius had already pleaded guilty to other charges earlier this year.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/us-army-soldier-pleads-guilty-to-hacking-telcos-and-extortion/

Amazon is looking to its main competitor to get its next batch of Kuiper satellites to orbit.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/amazons-kuiper-satellites-to-get-boost-from-rival-spacex/

The fund brings Mantis' assets under management to $225 million.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/the-chainsmokers-mantis-ventures-closes-100m-third-fund/

xAI's first AI companions on the Grok app are a lustful anime girl and a homicidal panda.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/15/of-course-groks-ai-companions-want-to-have-sex-and-burn-down-schools/

Researchers warned that Chinese residents, and visitors to China, should be aware of the tool's existence and the risks it poses.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/chinese-authorities-are-using-a-new-tool-to-hack-seized-phones-and-extract-data/

OpenAI researcher Jason Wei will reportedly join Meta's new Superintelligence Lab. Another team member, Hyung Won Chung, might also join Meta, as the company works to catch up to rivals in the AGI race.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/meta-reportedly-scores-two-more-high-profile-openai-researchers/

The hackers stole the company's member list, which included customer names, addresses, and contact information.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/uk-retail-giant-co-op-confirms-hackers-stole-all-6-5-million-customer-records/

London-based Seabound has developed a carbon capture system that transforms CO2 from a ship's engine into limestone, which Heidelberg Materials will use to make cement.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/meet-the-cement-transport-ship-that-makes-cement-ingredients-while-sailing/

Spurred by the performance of its first fund, Cambrian Ventures' $20 million second fund will continue the firm's thesis of focusing on fintech startups.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/rex-salisburys-cambrian-ventures-raises-new-fund-bucking-fintech-slowdown/

The transit software company, is finally taking the step into public markets with an IPO after abandoning the idea in 2021.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/transit-software-startup-via-confidentially-files-for-an-ipo/

The troubled EV startup, its founder, and the founders nephew are all in the financial regulator's crosshairs.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/faraday-future-faces-potential-sec-enforcement-action-after-three-year-probe/

A complete list of all the known layoffs in tech, from Big Tech to startups, broken down by month throughout 2024.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/tech-layoffs-2025-list/

ChatGPT, OpenAI's text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to supercharge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth with 300 million weekly active users. 2024 was a big year for OpenAI, from its partnership [...]

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/chatgpt-everything-to-know-about-the-ai-chatbot/

Former Waymo engineers have launched an autonomous vehicle startup with $80 million in venture funds.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/ex-waymo-engineers-launch-bedrock-robotics-with-80m-to-automate-construction/

The troubled EV startup, its founder, and the founder's nephew are all in the financial regulator's crosshairs.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/faraday-future-faces-potential-sec-enforcement-action-after-three-year-probe/

The new business calling feature uses AI to call local businesses on your behalf, for information about availability and pricing.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/google-rolls-out-ai-powered-business-calling-feature-brings-gemini-2-5-pro-to-ai-mode/

The company is hiring for the role of "Fullstack Engineer - Waifus," or, creating AI-powered anime girls for people to fall in love with.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/xai-is-hiring-an-engineer-to-make-anime-girls/

A timeline of ChatGPT product updates and releases, starting with the latest, which we've been updating throughout the year.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/chatgpt-everything-to-know-about-the-ai-chatbot/

U.S. Commerce Secretary said Nvidia's plans to start selling its H20 chips are tied to ongoing trade discussions with China regarding REEs.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/16/nvidias-resumption-of-h20-chip-sales-related-to-rare-earth-element-trade-talks/