29 C 
Chinese brain interface startup Gestala raises $21M just two months after launch
This is the largest early-stage funding in Chinas brain computer interface industry.
AI actor Tilly Norwood put out the worst song Ive ever heard
This song is an AI actor's rallying cry to other AI actors, urging them to keep going despite the naysayers who doubt their humanity. Literally no one can relate to this.
Nuro is testing its autonomous vehicle tech on Tokyos streets
Nuro began testing its self-driving software on public roads in Tokyo, marking the first international expansion for the AV startup.
Google Play is adding new paid and PC games, game trials, community posts, and more
The updates indicate that Google is focused on transforming Google Play into an enhanced gaming hub.
Fords new AI assistant will help fleet owners know if seatbelts are being used
Ford Pro AI debuted at Work Truck Week in Indianapolis and is now available to all of its U.S.-based Pro telematics subscribers.
Ride-hailing inDrive acquires Pakistans Krave Mart to bolster grocery delivery
inDrive has closed its acquisition of KraveMart, expanding grocery delivery in a market dominated by Foodpanda.
India neobank Fi winds down banking services on its platform
Fi, founded by former Google Pay executives, is discontinuing banking services over four years after launch.
Netflix may have paid $600 million for Ben Afflecks AI startup
This deal could rank as among the streaming giant's largest acquisitions ever.
Lovable says it added $100M in revenue last month alone, with just 146 employees
Swedish vibe-coding unicorn Lovable crossed $400 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in February.
Quince hits $10B valuation with giant $500M round led by Iconiq
E-commerce company Quince has raised another massive round, less than a year after its previous raise.
Alternative app store AltStore PAL joins the fediverse
AltStore PAL now supports the fediverse, using its own Mastodon server to let iOS developers share app updates and alerts across platforms like Mastodon and Threads.
Drivers in fatal Ford BlueCruise crashes were likely distracted before impact
The National Transportation Safety Board released documents ahead of a March 31 hearing that help show how and why two drivers crashed into stationary vehicles in 2024, leading to three deaths.
Replit snags $9B valuation 6 months after hitting $3B
Replit raised a new $400 million round and said it hopes to have $1B in ARR by year's end.
Pro-Iran hacktivist group says it is behind attack on medical tech giant Stryker
The hacktivist group claimed the attack was in retaliation for a U.S. strike on a Tehran school that killed more than 175 people, most of them children.
EV startup Harbinger reveals a smaller work truck with electric and hybrid variants
The LA-based startup is trying to corner the commercial truck market with its electric and hybrid trucks that offer a lower cost of ownership and a better driving experience.
Meta didnt buy Moltbook for bots it bought into the agentic web
Metas Moltbook acquisition may look odd at first, but the deal could signal how Meta sees AI agents shaping future advertising and commerce on an agentic web.
WhatsApp is launching parent-linked accounts for pre-teens
WhatsApp is rolling out parent-managed accounts for under-13 users, limiting features to messaging and calls while giving parents PIN-protected controls, alerts, and approval over contacts and groups.
Amazon expands a program that lets customers shop from other retailers sites
The changes allow more merchants to participate in Amazon's Shop Direct program, which sends Amazon customers to other retailers' websites.
Meta rolls out new scam detection tools to Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger
The tech giant says the new features are designed to alert users before they engage with something suspicious.
Lucid Motors ships Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to Gravity SUV owners
The update comes after a rocky first few months of software problems on the electric SUV.
Canopii looks to succeed where past indoor farms have not
Canopii's robotic farms can autonomously grow 40,000 pounds of herbs and leafy greens a year while being the size of a basketball court.
Former Apple engineer raises $5M for a note-taking pendant that only records your voice
Taya is trying to address privacy concerns around note-taking wearables with its device that can be worn as a pendant and records only the user's voice.
Google wraps up $32B acquisition of cloud cybersecurity startup Wiz
Google has officially acquired Israeli cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion in all-cash, a full year after the companies announced the deal. This marks Google's biggest acquisition in its history.
Zoox plans to put its robotaxis on the Uber app in Vegas this year
The purpose-built robotaxis will be available on Uber's app in Las Vegas this year, and Los Angeles next year, if Zoox gets the federal approval it's been seeking.
Health insurance startup Alan reaches 5B valuation
French health insurance startup Alan is now valued at 5 billion approximately $5.83 billion, up from $4.5 billion in 2024.
Google brings Gemini in Chrome to India
As part of the rollout, Gemini will support languages including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil.
Google and Tesla think were managing the electrical grid all wrong
The duo have teamed up with other companies to launch Utilize, which seeks to change how the grid is used and regulated.
Mandiants founder just raised $190M for his autonomous AI agent security startup
Mandia, who sold his previous company Mandiant to Google for $5.4 billion in 2022, has launched an agentic security startup.
ChatGPT can now create interactive visuals to help you understand math and science concepts
On Tuesday, OpenAI introduced dynamic visual explanations, a new ChatGPT feature that allows users to see how formulas, variables, and mathematical relationships change in real time. Instead of just reading an explanation or looking at a static diagram, users can now interact directly with interactive visuals. For example, when exploring the Pythagorean theorem, you can []
U.S. military contractor likely built iPhone hacking tools used by Russian spies in Ukraine
Google found a series of hacking tools they said were used by a Russian espionage group and a cybercriminal group in China. Sources from a U.S. government defense contractor said some of those hacking tools were theirs.
AgentMail raises $6M to build an email service for AI agents
AgentMail provides an API platform that lets you give AI agents their own email inboxes, with support for two-way conversations, parsing, threading, labeling, searching, and replying.
Thinking MachinesLab inksmassive compute deal with Nvidia
The multi-year deal involves at least a gigawatt of compute power and also includes a strategic investment from Nvidia.
Google gives in to users complaints over AI-powered Ask Photos search feature
The option appears on the Google Photos Search screen and lets users pick which experience they want.
Legora reaches $5.55 billion valuation as AI legal tech boom endures
Legora, an AI platform for lawyers, is now valued at $5.55 billion following a $550 million Series D led by Accel to fuel its growth in the U.S.
Meta acquired Moltbook, the AI agent social network that went viral because of fake posts
Meta says that Moltbook's approach to connecting agents through an always-on-directory is novel.
YouTube expands AI deepfake detection for politicians, government officials, and journalists
YouTube's AI deepfake detection tool is becoming available to politicians, journalists, and officials, letting them flag unauthorized likenesses for removal.
Adobe is debuting an AI assistant for Photoshop
Adobe is also adding new AI-powered image editing features to Firefly.
This SpaceX veteran says the next big thing in space is satellites that return to Earth
The company's first demonstration mission is expected in early 2027.
Google rolls out new Gemini capabilities to Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive
The idea behind the new features is to make the apps more personal and capable to help users get things done faster, right within the platforms themselves.
Zoom introduces an AI-powered office suite, says AI avatars for meetings arrive this month
Zoom is also introducing a real-time deepfake detection tech for meetings
Sandbar secures $23M Series A for its AI note-taking ring
Sandbar aims to ship the Stream, which can be used to take notes, chat with an AI assistant, and for media playback, this summer.
AI network startup Eridu emerges from stealth with hefty $200M Series A
Unlike a vibe-coded product built by a college dropout, Eridu's co-founder, Drew Perkins, has been inventing networking tech since the dawn of the internet.
Whoop launches a new blood test focused on womens health
The wearable maker is launching a new panel focused on women's health through its Whoop Labs blood testing service. It's also adding a new feature to its app that surfaces information about hormonal changes during menstrual cycles.
Uzbekistans Uzum valuation leaps over 50% in seven months to $2.3B
Uzum now reaches 20 million users and processes $11B in payments as it expands its e-commerce and fintech ecosystem across Uzbekistan.
Apple now makes one in four iPhones in India: report
Apple reportedly produced 55 million units in India last year, a shift accelerated as Apple faced growing uncertainty in China.
Yann LeCuns AMI Labs raises $1.03 billion to build world models
AMI Labs, the new venture cofounded by Turing Prize winner Yann LeCun after he left Meta, has raised $1.03 billion at a $3.5 billion pre-money valuation.
Electric air taxi maker Archer hits back at Joby in countersuit alleging concealed Chinese ties
Archer's countersuit comes four months after Joby sued its rival for alleged 'corporate espionage.'
Founders Fund nears $6B close for latest growth fund, sources say
The fresh fundraise comes less than a year after Founders Fund closed its third growth fund, a $4.6 billion vehicle intended primarily for follow-on investments in its successful late-stage companies.
Electric air taxis are about to take flight in 26 states
The federal government has selected eight proposals to test electric aircraft across 26 states.
OpenAI and Google employees rush to Anthropics defense in DOD lawsuit
More than 30 OpenAI and Google DeepMind employees signed onto a statement supporting Anthropic's lawsuit against the Defense Department after the agency labeled the AI firm a supply-chain risk, according to court filings.
Anthropic launches code review tool to check flood of AI-generated code
Anthropic launched Code Review in Claude Code, a multi-agent system that automatically analyzes AI-generated code, flags logic errors, and helps enterprise developers manage the growing volume of code produced with AI.
Bluesky CEO Jay Graber steps down
Bluesky's board will search for a replacement while Graber becomes Chief Innovation Officer.
It looks like the DOJ isnt going to break up Live Nation and Ticketmaster
The DOJ and Live Nation agreed to a tentative settlement, but dozens of State Attorneys General don't want to drop the lawsuit.
Slate Auto changes CEO months ahead of affordable EV launch
Former Amazon Marketplace vice president Peter Faricy is the new person in charge of the company.
Qualcomms partnership with Neura Robotics is just the beginning
Neura Robotics is going to build new robots on top of Qualcomm's new IQ10 processors that were released at CES.
Russian government hackers targeting Signal and WhatsApp users, Dutch spies warn
Dutch intelligence is accusing Russia-backed hackers of running a large-scale global hacking campaign against Signal and WhatsApp users.
Salt Typhoon is hacking the worlds phone and internet giants. Heres everywhere thats been hit.
Salt Typhoon is by far one of the most prolific hacking groups in recent years, breaching some of the top American phone companies. Here are all the countries that have been targeted.
Zoox starts mapping Dallas and Phoenix for its robotaxis
It's a precursor to launching robotaxis in those cities, though the Amazon-owned company is still waiting for federal approval to commercially operate its purpose-built AV.
The 2027 Chevy Bolt is the McRib of the automotive world
TechCrunch drove the 2027 Chevy Bolt and found that incremental improvements build on a solid basic recipe to deliver an affordable EV.
Flipkart moves its headquarters back to India ahead of IPO
Flipkart's headquarters shift comes as the Walmart-backed e-commerce giant reaches about $30 billion in GMV.
The facial recognition question is where things get more tangled.
Palmer Luckeys retro gaming startup ModRetro reportedly seeks funding at $1B valuation
The company launched its first product, a Game Boy-style handheld device called the Chromatic, in 2024.
Owner of ICE detention facility sees big opportunity in AI man camps
AI data center developers are increasingly relying on a style of camp popularized as housing for men working in remote oil fields.
TechCrunch Mobility: Rivians R2 gambit
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all things future of transportation.
Push for $40 smartphones builds momentum, but still faces cost hurdles
A coalition of telecom operators and device makers is pushing $40 smartphones to bring up to 20 million people online, but rising component costs threaten the plan.
