Author: TechBrunch
Elon Musk's Brain Computer Interface Startup Neuralink has closed its $650 million funding round, the company announced in a blog post Monday. Series E funding included investors such as Ark Invest, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital and Thrive Capital. NeuralInk raised a $280 million Series D funding round in 2023, with an additional $43 million tranche added in a few months. Since then, Neuralink's Brain Chip technology has made several major leaps. The company says it is currently conducting more human clinical trials and implanting brain chips in five individuals with severe paralysis. In May, Neuralink received a groundbreaking device designation…
Chime, which is expected to have a pending IPO to be one of the 2025 blockbusters, issued a stock range of $24 to $26 on Monday. Its market capitalization is up to $11.2 billion. In the midrange, the company will raise $800 million for itself and a handful of investors, including European VC Powerhouse Cathay Innovation, which plans to sell some stocks at the IPO. Even with these slow IPO times, this is not the biggest IPO of 2025. CoreWeave raised $1.5 billion and is valued at $23 billion and holds the title. This is true despite CoreWeave wanted far…
Xai, the AI startup for billionaire Elon Musk, is reportedly beginning a $300 million stake sale for $113 billion. The Secondary Scholar offer comes after Xai acquires Musk's social media platform X for $33 billion, allowing staff to sell their shares to new investors. The tender offer could precede a larger investment round in which Xai provides new capital to external supporters. As the Financial Times notes, while Xai is trying to raise additional cash, Musk is working to shift his attention from politics to his various companies. Tesla shares hit a six-month low in early March, but X has…
Compliance company Vanta confirmed that the bug has made the personal data of some customers public to other Vanta customers. The company told TechCrunch that the data exposure was the result of a change in the product code and not a penetration. Vanta, which will help corporate customers automate the security and compliance process, identified the issue on May 26th and said the repairs will be completed on June 4th. The incident has resulted in “a subset of data from less than 20% of third-party integrations being exposed to other Vanta customers,” according to a statement arising from Vanta's chief…
In May, the ju judge determined that the Spyware Maker NSO Group had to pay WhatsApp $167 million in damages for a 2019 hacking campaign targeting more than 1,400 people. Calling control “outrageous”, “blatantly illegal” or “unconstitutionally overreaching”, NSO groups want a judge who will oversee whether to reduce the amount or order a new trial. On Thursday, the company filed a new trial or “remittance” claim. This is a procedure that allows the court to reduce excessive verdicts. Contact Us Do you have any more information about the NSO Group or other spyware companies? From unprocessed devices and networks,…
On Sunday, Elon Musk announced that Xchat, a new version of X's Direct Messaging (DM) feature, is rolling out with support for features such as lost messages, encryption and file sharing, along with voice call support. XChat has just started beta testing between user groups in selected groups, so the new features are not yet widely available. However, Musk said the X-Team hopes to bring XChat to all users this week, unless they encounter scaling issues during deployment. In a series of X posts, Musk also noted that an updated version of Xchat is built on rust with “Bitcoin Style”…
Time is running out. Exhibitor tables for TechCrunch All Stage, which will take place in Boston on July 15th, are almost gone. TC All Stage is an attractive summit for founders at every stage. Designed to provide actionable insights and practical guidance, they are also actively sought the next big bet with investors. Showing it here puts the brand at the heart of the startup ecosystem. Put your startup in the spotlight Showing at TC All Stage is more than a table. This is a direct line for those who can fund, support and amplify their next move. With its…
Do you think you know which AI defeated the human champion in the GO game? Or, which company has developed a trans-architecture that enhances many modern language models? This is your moment of brilliance. And you'll win two tickets for one price (value $200). Put your AI knowledge into the test to get the opportunity to participate in a TechCrunch session: AI Answer some brain-crushing questions about artificial intelligence. Ace it and you may find a special promo code waiting in your inbox for a 2-to-1 pass to your TechCrunch session. Every day brings new questions. So, don't be discouraged…
Three days from now, the future of AI will pass through the doors of a TechCrunch session: AI from Zellerbach Hall in UC Berkeley. TC Session Thursday, June 5th: AI brings together the mind that shapes: Builders, dreamers, and disciplined thinkers are committed to what AI can and should do. Even if you're fine-tuning your LLMS or knowing what AI shouldn't do, this event is designed to deliver your brain and expand your network. Don't miss the chance to save: Win a 2-on-1 ticket contract with the AI Trivia Countdown Challenge or take advantage of savings of $300 or more…
Elad Gil began betting on AI before most of the world was on the spot. By the time investors began to understand what ChatGpt meant, Gil had already written seed checks for startups such as Perplexity, Charition.ai and Harvey. Now, as the early winners of AI Wave become more clear, the well-known “solo” VCs are increasingly focusing on new opportunities. Reinvent traditional business using AI and scale it through rollups. The idea is to identify opportunities to buy mature people, such as law firms and other professional services companies, expand AI, use improved margins to acquire other such businesses, and…