Startups News

Google and Apple reportedly warn employees on visas to avoid international travel

Law firms representing Google and Apple have reportedly warned that employees who need a visa stamp to re-enter the United States should avoid leaving the country due to longer-than-usual visa processing times.

It felt so wrong: Colin Angle on iRobot, the FTC, and the Amazon deal that never was

The iRobot founder opens up about the 18-month regulatory process that he says doomed the Roomba maker -- and what it means for American innovation.

OpenAI allows users to directly adjust ChatGPTs enthusiasm level

ChatGPT users can now tweak the chatbots warmth, enthusiasm, and emoji use.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs RAISE Act to regulate AI safety

The bill will require large AI developers to publish information about their safety protocols and report safety incidents to the state within 72 hours.

Sequoia partner spreads debunked Brown shooting theory, testing new leadership

The newest episode raises questions about whether Sequoia's new leadership -- managing partners Alfred Lin and Pat Grady, who took over last month -- can or will rein in Maguire's social media activity.

Ex-Splunk execs startup Resolve AI hits $1 billion valuation with Series A

The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, according to people familiar with the deal.

Building venture-backable companies in heavily regulated spaces

This week on Build Mode, Startup Battlefield editor Isabelle Johannessen spoke to two founders who are working to make progress in industries ripe for disruption, despite the regulatory headaches that might have deterred many other people.

Former Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario resigns from Rivians board

Marcario joined the board in 2021, and will maintain her position as chair overseeing the Rivian Foundation, which made its first grants last year.

Where are investors placing their bets next year? AI, AI, AI.

Investors at TechCrunch Disrupt explained their focus on artificial intelligence and offered advice to founders on how to stand out in a crowded AI field.

Cursor continues acquisition spree with Graphite deal

Graphite is an AI code review assistant that was last valued at $290 million.

Elon Musks $56B Tesla pay package restored by Delaware Supreme Court

The decision brings to a close a years-long court battle that irked Musk so much he moved Tesla's incorporation from Delaware to Texas.

Anonymous messaging app NGL was acquired by EarnPhone startup Mode Mobile

Given NGL's track record of dubious growth hacking, this partnership with Mode Mobile seems like a good match.

Hundreds of Cisco customers are vulnerable to new Chinese hacking campaign, researchers say

Cisco warned that Chinese government hackers are exploiting a zero-day in some of its products. Researchers now say there are hundreds of vulnerable Cisco customers.

Yann LeCun confirms his new world model startup, reportedly seeks $5B+ valuation

Renowned AI scientist Yann LeCun confirmed on Thursday the worst-kept secret in the tech world: that he had indeed launched a new startup. Although he did say he will not be running the new company as its CEO.

OpenAI adds new teen safety rules to ChatGPT as lawmakers weigh AI standards for minors

OpenAI updated its guidelines for how its AI models should behave with users under 18, and published new AI literacy resources for teens and parents. Still, questions remain about how well policies translate into practice.

Krafton hikes India bet with new $670M fund

Called the Unicorn Growth Fund, the investment vehicle is a collaboration between Krafton and South Korean internet conglomerate Naver, and investor Mirae Asset. It aims to deploy around $669.3 million over four years.

Hacks, thefts and disruption: The worst data breaches of 2025

TechCrunch looks back at the biggest data breaches, disruptive cyberattacks, and damaging hacks of 2025, from the raiding of U.S. government databases to a hack every month in South Korea.

OpenAI is reportedly trying to raise $100B at an $830B valuation

The ChatGPT maker is aiming to raise the funding by the end of the first quarter in 2026, and the company may ask sovereign wealth funds to invest in the round.

TikTok agrees to deal to cede control of US business to American investor group

The deal closes a long-running drama in which U.S. authorities have sought to compel ByteDance to divest.

Apple becomes a debt collector with its new developer agreement

Apple says it can now collect any money a developer owes the tech giant at any time.

Instacart to pay $60M to settle FTC claims it deceived consumers

The federal agency alleged Instacart misled consumers with unlawful tactics, causing them to pay higher fees while also denying refunds.

ChatGPT launches an app store, lets developers know its open for business

OpenAI is looking to populate its flagship chatbot with a host of new user experiences.

Why British politicians are flocking to American tech giants

Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has joined OpenAI as managing director and head of OpenAI for Countries. He also will run Coinbase's internal advisory council.

ChatGPTs mobile app hits new milestone of $3B in consumer spending

ChatGPT has reached $3B in lifetime mobile consumer spending in just 31 months, faster than TikTok and major streaming apps.

LinkedIns profile verification push is accelerating and India is leading the charge in 2025

LinkedIn profile verification adoption in India has risen about 80% in the past 12 months.

These 21-year-old dropouts raised $2M to build Givefront, a fintech for nonprofits

YC-backed Givefront is building a fintech designed specifically for nonprofits, including food banks, churches, and homeowner associations.

Trump Media is merging with fusion power company TAE Technologies in $6B+ deal

The merger would broaden Trump Medias holdings into the nascent fusion power space while data centers clamor for more electricity amid the ongoing AI boom.

TDK Ventures, Accel set to back Indias EtherealX in reusable launch vehicle push: sources

EtherealX aims to take on SpaceX's Falcon 9 with its fully reusable rocket.

Tech provider for NHS England confirms data breach

U.K.-based healthcare tech provider DXS International said it discovered and contained a data breach on Sunday. A ransomware gang took credit for the breach.

No keynotes, no BS why this years best tech talks happened over cocktails at StrictlyVC

Impactful talks and connections happen at StrictlyVC. Read the full 2025 recap and join the 2026 waitlist to get access to the lowest ticket prices.

Rivian rolls out new Universal Hands-Free driving feature

The driver assistance software is available on Rivian's for Gen 2 R1 cars and works on 3.5 million miles of North American roads. But it doesn't slow or stop for traffic lights or stop signs.

Instacarts AI-driven pricing tool attracted attention now the FTC has questions

In an economy where everyone's feeling squeezed, AI-driven price testing of kitchen essentials was bound to attract attention.

Adobe hit with proposed class-action, accused of misusing authors work in AI training

The lawsuit is just the latest in a string of copyright-related legal complaints aimed at the AI industry.

Jared Isaacman confirmed as next head of NASA

Isaacman will run the space agency at a time when Trump is trying to both downsize it and task it with returning astronauts to the moon.

YouTube to pull music data from Billboards charts because it doesnt like its ranking formula

YouTube takes its ball and goes home by pulling Billboard's access to its music data.

YouTube will stream the Oscars exclusively beginning in 2029

The news highlights YouTube's growing dominance in the television space and a major shift as streaming takes on more live events.

Meta is pausing its dream of sharing Quests Horizon OS with third-party headset makers

The company said that it would revisit opportunities for third-party partnerships in the future.

Cisco says Chinese hackers are exploiting its customers with a new zero-day

Cisco said it discovered a Chinese hacking campaign targeting its customers by exploiting a zero-day in some of the company's most popular products.

Amazon appoints longtime AWS exec Peter DeSantis to lead new AI org

DeSantis has spent 27 years at Amazon, including eight years as an SVP for AWS, the cloud provider that powers about one-third of the internet.

Warner Bros. Discovery rejects Paramounts hostile bid, calls offer illusory

Warner Bros. Discovery called Paramount's offer illusory and said that the company had misled shareholders about its financing.

Mozillas new CEO says AI is coming to Firefox, but will remain a choice

Mozilla has appointed Anthony Enzor-DeMeo as its CEO, as the Firefox developer scrambles to adapt in a rapidly changing browser market.

Googles vibe-coding tool Opal comes to Gemini

The company on Wednesday said it is integrating the tool, which lets you build AI-powered mini apps, inside the Gemini web app, allowing users to create their own custom apps.

SkanaRobotics helps fleets of underwater robots communicate with each other

Skana Robotics built a decision-making algorithm that helps unmanned vessels react and adapt to data from other vessels.

Amazon reportedly in talks to invest $10B in OpenAI as circular deals stay popular

Amazon is in early discussions to invest as much as $10 billion in OpenAI in a deal that would see the AI lab using the e-commerce giant's AI chips.

Google deepens consumer credit push in India with UPI-linked card

Google has entered India's growing co-branded credit card market by partnering with Axis Bank.

Weeks after raising $100M, investors pump another $180M into hot Indian startup MoEngage

The deal valued MoEngage at well over $900 million post-money.

Apple To Launch Its Third India Store Next Month: Report

iPhone maker Apple is set to expand its retail footprint in India with the launch of its third official store,