Author: TechBrunch
According to independent layoff tracker layoffs, the wave of high-tech layoffs is still kicking in 2025. So far, more than 22,000 workers have been victims of cuts across the tech industry, with 16,084 incredible cuts in February alone. Tracking tech industry layoffs in 2025 allows you to see the trajectory of reductions and understand the impact on innovation for all types of companies. As businesses continue to embrace AI and automation, this tracker serves as a reminder of the human impact of layoffs and what comes with the rise in innovation. Below is a comprehensive list of all known technology…
Japanese AI startup Sakana said that AI produced one of the first peer-reviewed science publications. However, while the claims are not necessarily true, there are warnings to be aware of. The discussions swirling around AI and its role in the scientific process grows day by day. Many researchers don't think AI is ready to function as a “co-scientist,” while others believe it is possible, but they acknowledge that it is an early age. Sakana falls into the latter camp. The company said it will use an AI system called AI Scientist-V2 to generate papers that Sakana submitted to ICLR's workshop,…
Snapchat is introducing its first video-generating AI lens, the company told TechCrunch exclusively. The lens is equipped with a generated video model built in-house by SNAP. Three new AI video lenses are available to users of Snapchat Platinum, the app's premium subscription layer. The launch will be on sale as SNAP announced its AI video generation tool at its Partner Summit last September. A spokesman for SNAP said that the new AI video lens of this underlying technology will utilize later versions. SNAP is considered a leader in AR, but along with almost every other tech company, they have invested…
Indian police have arrested the co-founder of Garantex, a Russian cryptocurrency exchange approved by the European Union and the US government under the Indian extradition law. On Tuesday at 4pm (3:30am), Kerala Police arrested Lithuanian National Aleksedi Beshkov in the coastal municipality of Valkara, the state police officer who made the arrest. Police officers said the Patiara House Court in New Delhi has issued an arrest warrant against Besiokov. Last week, the US Department of Justice accused Besiocov of personally approving a transaction at Gallantex in relation to North Korean government hackers and other cybercriminals, and charged Besiocov for the…
Companies have a wealth of internal data and information needed for employees to complete tasks and answer questions for potential customers. But that doesn't mean that the right information can be easily found. Onyx wants to solve that problem through an internal enterprise search tool. While other big names such as GLEAN (which raise $600 million venture capital) target market share in the HOT category, San Francisco-based Onyx has differentiators that help separate them from the pack. It's open source. Companies can run Onyx in about 30 minutes and connect to data sources from over 40 internal enterprises, including Salesforce,…
A recurring theme in the European world of technology is that the region needs its own Google or Microsoft. Now, a new fund is being launched to support this initiative. Project Europe – a new fund for founders to “solve tough problems with technical solutions” — says it first put together $10 million from 128 different founders and technical executives from startups further afield in Europe and further afield. The list you can view here includes founders of Klarna, Mistral and Soundcloud. Successful recipients each get 200,000 euros (approximately $200,000) to build an idea. Companies need to start in Europe,…
Northvolt filed for bankruptcy in Sweden on Wednesday. This is the latest blow to Europe's attempts to create a battery-making juggernaut that could rival the Chinese giants. Swedish startups have raised over $14 billion, but have recently been in cash shortages. Northvolt filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States in November. Since then, they have been struggling to stop bankruptcy, saving cash and raising new funds. Those efforts are lacking. “Northvolt has experienced a series of compounding challenges eroding its financial condition, including rising capital costs, geopolitical instability, subsequent disruption in the supply chain and changing market demand,”…
La Fourche is only seven years old, but it was a very roller coaster for a French startup. During this time, online grocery retailers experienced a global pandemic, followed by the rise of venture-backed quick commerce startups that promised to deliver food items within 15 minutes and promised to break down that vertically. Speaking to Nathan Labat, co-founder and CEO of La Fourche, he doesn't spend much time living in Flink, Getir, Gopuff, Gorillas and all Q-commerce startups around 2021. The startup is also VC back, but I took another pass. Most of La Fourche's stock is made up of…
The powerful and smart security operations team is at the heart of their cybersecurity strategy, and today startups building tools to keep their toes unveil their funds against a backdrop of growth. Pentera has built a system to launch testing software and simulations of network attacks to stress test human responses – has announced $60 million in funding. The funds will be used for M&A and to continue developing the product, CEO Amitai Ratzon said in an interview. Pentera is a play of the term “pente test,” short for penetration testing, a program designed to help train security teams on…
Elliot Wolf, the son of Dick Wolf, executive producer and creator of Law and Order, is taking part in a new venture aimed at attracting true crime fans. He is working with co-founders Andrew Adashek (CEO) and Noah Rosenberg (CTO) to develop Wolf Games, a new startup that uses AI to create everyday murder mystery games. The company also announced a $4 million seed funding round on Wednesday. Wolf Games' flagship title is called Public Eye and takes advantage of the growing interest among real crime enthusiasts who love to play detectives. Public Eye is set in a dystopian future…