Author: TechBrunch

WhatsApp adds AI capabilities to its business suite. The company announced Tuesday that it would introduce the ability for large businesses to reach customers through voice calls. The company is also considering using AI to recommend products to users. With over 200 million users per month, WhatsApp Business is a prominent revenue driver for Meta, as executives pointed out in revenue calls over the past quarter. The company makes money through What's ads from clicks and bills merchants for messaging features on the platform. We are not currently charged for AI features, but we may be able to add a…

TechCrunch Surpter 2025 will be coming to Moscone West in San Francisco on October 27-29 to bring together over 10,000 startups and VC leaders to chart the next thing in technology. And then, on October 27th, Andreessen Horowitz's David George will be on the premier industry stage to be revealed, taking the microphone for a side chat in the fireplace focusing on one of the most important and misunderstood decisions in the lifecycle of the company. What to expect from this fireside chat In this conversation, George unlocks what the next generation of scaled startups need to know. From the…

IPOs may not be on your short-term roadmap, but the best founders will start planning it long before the bankers appear. On all stages at the Sova Power Plant in Boston on July 15th, Mo Jomaa, partner of Capitalg (Alphabet's Independent Growth Fund), will lead a session on the scale stage entitled “What do you think if you want to IPO IPO?” In this session, Jomaa has spent years investing in companies such as Databricks, Grafana, Armis and Cribl, and will show founders what they actually need for their public debut. Whether you want to keep your doors open, Jomaa…

Appsforbharat, the Indian startup behind Hindu dedicated app SRI Mandir, has raised $20 million in just over nine months since securing $18 million as the app continues to attract strong interest not only devotees but investors. Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital led the Series C round with participation from existing investors including Indian billionaire and tech veteran Nandan Nilekani's basic partnership, Elevation Capital and Peak XV Partners. Religious devotion is deep in India, with 53 temples for every 100,000 people. Nearly two million Hindu followers pray for peace and happiness at home in local priests and temples. According to a survey…

On Monday, Instagram announced it will finally add the ability to listen to previews of songs users have shared from Spotify to stories. Instagram has long allowed users to share Spotify songs with stories, but they do so without sound, simply providing a link to songs on streaming platforms. Now, when users post songs to their stories, viewers can listen to previews of the songs on Instagram. Small but notable changes make it easier to share and discover music on the platform without leaving the app. The move comes just a few weeks after social networks roll out similar features…

During the pre-seeding stage, VCs do not often analyze. No revenue curve, retention metrics, no CAC. That doesn't mean they're guessing. That means they're looking at everything else. At TechCrunch All Stage 2025 held in Boston on July 15th, Charles Hudson, Managing Partner and Founder of Precursor Ventures, will showcase the subtle, high-stakes signals that are important when data is scarce and pitch is everything. In his session, “All Ways to Know that VCS is valuing your company with a pre-seed,” Hudson pulls back the curtains on how investors evaluate early stage opportunities and why founders often underestimate the weight…

Baidu just open-sourced its powerful ERNIE 4.5 AI models — including a 424B parameter multimodal model — yet the market hasn’t reacted. With strong benchmark results, global developer accessibility, and enterprise-grade toolkits, this move could trigger a major revaluation. BIDU looks poised to surge to $120 as investors wake up to the scale of this release. Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU) may be one of the most misunderstood plays in AI right now. While Wall Street yawns at today’s announcement, those paying attention see a clear catalyst that could push the stock to $120 or higher in the coming weeks. This morning,…

There are many iPad apps that can help you explore and express your creativity. The iPad started out as a simple device that can be used to stream content and browse the web on the go, but Apple essentially transformed the iPad into a powerful machine that can be used to create digital art, edit videos, and more. Here's a list of the best creativity iPad apps available on the App Store. Before you enter the list, be aware that Adobe creative apps are often the biggest choice of iPad creativity. This list is already well known, so they are…

Startup life is tough. Funding rounds, team building, and finance management can feel like trying to solve Rubik's cube blindfold. That's exactly why there's all stage 2025 TechCrunch. It's about giving founders like you the tools, tactics and real stories from those who have experienced it and built something lasting. If there's one session you don't want to miss, then it's with Stash co-CEO and co-founder Brandon Krieg. He will join us at the Sova Power Plant in Boston on July 15th to discuss how technology has enabled us to become investors, not just wealthy people. And to make it…

The US Department of Justice announced Monday that it had taken several enforcement measures against North Korea's gold-making work. It announced that it would rely on undercover IT workers within American high-tech companies to raise funds for the administration's nuclear weapons program and steal data and cryptocurrency. As part of DOJ's multi-state efforts, the government has announced the arrest and indictment of “Danny” Wang, National Zenks in the United States. The scheme generated more than $5 million in revenue for the North Korean regime, according to the indictment. The King is accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering…