Author: TechBrunch

The venture capital world has always had a passionate relationship with the Midwest. Investors rush to the boom period and retreat to the coast when the market gets sour. For Ohio-based drive capital Columbus, this cycle of attention and indifference came against the backdrop of an internal upheaval of its own years ago. At the very least, Drive achieved something new and valuable in today's venture landscape this May. The company returned $500 million in a week to investors, distributing $140 million worth of root insurance stock within days of cashing out Austin-based thoughtful automation and another privately held company.…

Earlier this week, San Diego startup Gallant announced $18 million in funding to bring ready-to-use stem cell therapy to veterinary medicine, originally approved by the FDA. If you pass the restriction call, you may create an entirely new way to treat a baby fur. Despite people have been studying human stem cells for decades, it is still an experimental field. The 7-year-old Gallant's first target is a cat's painful mouth condition called feline chronic gingival infection (FCG), which Gallant says could get FDA approval by early 2026. This field shows early results of some encouragement. Studies on dogs with arthritis…

Have you entered the Y Combinator, raised $20 million from the A16Z and then went to Meta? I think that's cool. But has Soham Parekh applied to your job at your startup? Now, startup founders have a new badge of honor. I'm Soham Parekh, who is close to an unknown Indian software engineer. Silicon Valley's Anna Del Bay posted an X on Wednesday by former Mix Panel CEO Suhaildosi to alert fellow founders about Parev. “PSA: A man named Soham Parekh (India) works at a 3-4 startup at the same time. He has won YC companies and more. Be careful,”…

We are almost there and ticket prices are officially rolled back with savings of up to $425. TechCrunch All Stage, Founder Summit of the Year, is soon to be there. On July 15th, Boston will become Startup Central. Are you ready to gain the insights and strategies you need to launch or expand? Now is the moment We have regained the early release price for a limited time only. The founder pays just $155. Investors, only $250. These are the lowest prices you can see before the door opens at the Sowa Power Plant. Sign up now and pocket big…

Earlier this week, the Instagram thread launched what the company said was Direct Messages (DMS), the most requested feature to date. However, the company is currently facing user backlash over the addition, as users claim that they are citing harassment concerns, primarily by claiming that there is a way for women to opt out of DMS entirely. DMs are part of other social networks that resemble threads like X, Bluesky, Mastodon, and others, but some thread users previously admitted it wasn't an option. “I don't want to receive a DM. How can I shut this down? I ask on behalf…

Procuring in 2025 doesn't look like it went in 2021. That's exactly what's important. At all stages at Boston's Sowa Power Station on July 15th, Kristen Craft, head of business development for Fidelity Private Share, will lead a roundtable titled “It's Not Not Not Not 201. Navigate 2025 VC Landscape.” In this conversation, craft guides new norms in venture capital. From changing investor expectations to scrutiny of business models, she explores what it takes to succeed in a market that no longer rewards unconfirmed growth or vague roadmap. And it's easier than ever to get that fresh perspective on how…

Investing in a Y-combinator startup can bring great benefits to investors. “Looking at the data, 6% of YC companies become unicorns, and 6% of those 6% become big cones,” Kulveer Taggar told TechCrunch. Taggar is a YC alum best known for establishing Zeus Living, a property management startup that has raised over $150 million. Taggar is so confident in the potential for continued returns that it offers by its well-known accelerators, that it has established Lin Capital, a venture company dedicated to investing in YC companies. Since launching last year, Lin has raised $34 million in capital from two funds.…

Imagine messaging a friend on the Facebook Messenger app or WhatsApp. Imagine receiving unsolicited messages from an AI chatbot who is obsessed with movies. “I hope you have a harmonious day!” it writes. “Did you want to check in and see if you've recently discovered a new favorite soundtrack or composer? Or do you want some recommendations for the night of the next film? Let us know and we'll be happy to help!” This is a real example of a sample AI persona named “The Magical Maestro of Movies” that could potentially send as an active message about Messenger, WhatsApp,…

The ransomware gang known as Hunter International announced on Thursday it was shutting down on a dark webpage. “We have carefully considered it and decided to close the Hunter International Project in light of recent developments,” Hacker wrote in the post. “This decision has not been underestimated and we recognize the impact that it will have on the organizations we interact with.” The hacker also said it offers free decryption keys “to all businesses affected by our ransomware.” “Our goal is to allow us to recover encrypted data without the burden of paying the ransom,” the gang wrote, asking victims…

Funding is already difficult – don't make your messy cap tables difficult. On July 15th, TechCrunch All Stage, founders will have them take a look behind the scenes what they really need to do to keep going smoothly during “Preparing for Raise: Best Practices for Cap Tables to Help You Quickly Close Cap Table Best Practices.” Hosted at the foundation stage, the conversation brings together seasoned legality, financial and founder voices to share what works, what slows things down, and what actually needs to close quickly. From legal preparations to stock clarity and investor expectations, this is a session built…