Author: TechBrunch
Shield AI, a San Diego defense technology startup that builds military systems powered by drones and other AI, announced today that it has raised $240 million at a $5.3 billion valuation. Shield AI says its Hivemind software already allows fighters and drones to fly autonomously. Currently, Shield AI wants to sell Hivemind to a wide range of customers, including Robotics Companies. Investors in the round include L3Harris and Hanwha Aerospace, one of the largest defense contractors in the United States. Existing investors like Andreessen Horowitz also took part. This makes Shield Ai the second largest defense technology startup in the…
The US Secret Service has teamed up with a coalition of international law enforcement agencies to remove and seize the website of Garantex, a Russian cryptocurrency exchange that has been accused of being associated with darknet markets and ransomware hackers. On Thursday, the official Garantex website was replaced by a notice that the exchange's domain was seized by the Secret Service following a warrant by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. This is the latest measure taken by the Western government against the Moscow-based exchange. Last month, the European Union also approved Garantex, saying it was…
Spotify acknowledges the issue that some paid premium subscribers are now encountering ads when trying to play music. In an X post published Thursday by Spotify's customer service account, the company said it was investigating the issue and linking to a community website where the issue has been documented by users over the past four weeks. However, the company revealed to TechCrunch that the current issue has a different cause than previously reported bugs by users. A small number of users said they were affected by the issue and the team deployed the fix. (The X account has not yet…
Mistral AI, the French company behind AI Assistant LE Chat and some basic models, is officially considered one of France's most promising high-tech startups and is undoubtedly the only European company that can compete with Openai. However, its global market share remains relatively low compared to its $6 billion valuation. However, the recent launch of chat assistants on mobile app stores has encountered hype, especially in their home countries. French President Emmanuel Macron said in a television interview ahead of the AI Action Summit in Paris, “Download and download LeChat made by Mistral, not open or anything else.” This wave…
June 5th, TechCrunch Sessions: AI kicks off. And you can be part of the industry-changing conversations that take place. Members of the AI community have open invitations to lead breakout sessions and discussions with more than 1,200 startup founders, VC leaders, and AI enthusiasts taking part in the latest event at Zellabach Hall in Berkeley, California. There's only one catch. You must apply by March 7th by the end of tomorrow. You only have 4 days left to get your application before our team before we choose! As the AI field develops rapidly, we want to enable discourse-promoting innovators to…
Currently backed by $4 million in seed funding, Intangible offers AI-driven creative tools that allow you to create 3D world concepts using text prompts to help creative professionals in various industries. The company's mission is to make creative processes accessible to anyone, including professionals such as filmmakers, game designers, event planners, marketing agencies and more, as well as everyday users trying to visualize concepts. For example, everyday users can use this tool to generate home design and small art projects. With new funding, Intangible Plan plans to launch a codeless web-based 3D studio in June. The main intangible is Charles…
Getting a ghost is never fun. Especially if you are a founder who is looking for capital from investors. It's similar to a date. You said, “Why hasn't this person returned to me? Did you do something wrong?” Did investors dislike the product? Did they personally not care about me? ” It's enough to drive everyone like crazy. Ghosts are an undeniable signal of lack of interest. If the VC wants to invest, they will definitely answer your cold call or return to you after the pitch. According to some VCs who spoke with TechCrunch, there are various reasons why…
More integrations are being rolled out in the security industry as platform players scooped up technology and provide deeper expertise in business growth. On Thursday, Armis, a $4.2 billion expert in cyber exposure management, said it would acquire Otorio, an expert in ensuring the industrial and physical environment. The terms of the transaction have not been revealed, but sources close to the transaction tell TechCrunch that Armis, based in San Francisco but with Israeli roots, has paid $120 million in Otorio's cash and shares. Previously, the Tel Aviv-based startup had raised $50 million from one strategic investor, the industrial company…
Reddit announced Thursday that it will introduce a new set of tools to make it easier for users to participate on the platform. This feature is designed to help users find communities and prevent posts from breaking rules, and understand how to contribute across social networks. The combination aims to enhance the Redditor posting experience, especially by making it easier for new users who don't understand how Reddit works and where to post. First of all, the company says it will start helping users find a suitable community for their audience with “Community Proposals.” If users create a post and…
Every week, it seems like a newer AI model is a more impressive one. Given the rapid pace, how can founders occupy the best place to build in addition to this technology? TechCrunch Sessions: AI, June 5th, at Zellerbach Hall in UC Berkeley, will host a panel on “How Founders Building on Existing Fundamental Models” to answer some existential questions facing AI startups. Google Deepmind, Cohere and 12 labs (three companies at the forefront of AI model development) are excited to help answer these questions. Participants can hear directly from the source about what AI model developers are trying to…