Author: TechBrunch
Design software startup Figma announced on Tuesday that it had filed confidential documents with the IPO. I don't know any more until the documents are made public. But with the stock market in groundhog mode, it is surprising, even on an exploratory level, to see its shadow in all new turn of the Trump administration's trade policy and tariffs and pursue an IPO now. Klarna and StubHub are two potentially blockbuster technology IPOs that were humming along last month, pressing the pause button in early April after the stock market crashed on tariff news. They have not been rescheduled yet.…
Google's mobile operating system Android will automatically restart if your phone is locked for three consecutive days. On Monday, Tech Giant pushed an update to Google Play Services, the core part of Android that provides functionality for the app and the operating system itself. Listed under “Security and Privacy” is a new security feature that “automatically restarts your device if it is locked for 3 consecutive days”. Last year, Apple launched the same iOS feature. The thought behind adding an automatic restart after a certain period of inactivity is to make life more difficult for those trying to unlock or…
As Tiktok continues to build search experiences, social networks are surfaced with reviews of specific locations within the video's comments tab. The new feature that looks like a test eliminates the need to conduct a new search or open Google when you encounter a Tiktok location and want to know more about it. Tiktok users who have access to this new feature will click to view the video's comments and then a new “Reviews” tab will appear on the right. For example, if the creator comes across a video in Central Park in New York City where the location is…
This week, StrictlyVC Downloads have joined TechCrunch Editor-in-Chief Connie Loizos and StrictlyVC's Alex Gove with Return Guest Hans Swildens. Swildens is the founder and CEO of Industry Ventures, a company known for its pioneering role in the venture secondary market. With over 700 venture funds' interests and years of experience in the Sendari market, he knows a lot about what VCs think in terms of current liquidity issues of ventures. In this episode, Swildens analyses the evolution and current state of the secondary market, including LP- and GP-led secondary, continuity funds, and why they have become lifelines for aging venture…
The infamous Internet Forum 4chan was hacked on Tuesday. At the time of writing, the 4chan website had not been loaded. Social media users reported that the site was down for several hours intermittently. The message on the rival message board seen by TechCrunch praised Hack. One claimed that the hackers responsible for the violation were in the 4chan system “for more than a year.” Several screenshots showing what appears to be the backend of 4chan are distributed online and show suspected templates to ban the site's backend, source code, and users. Also, the leaked data includes a list of…
Tesla was notoriously struggling to expand production of its Model 3 sedan in 2018. So CEO Elon Musk said his company has been a few weeks away from collapse. That near-death experience helped create an entirely new company called Atomic, built around using AI to streamline the supply chain. Co-founded by former Tesla employees Michael Rossiter and Neil Suidan, Atomic was created within DVX Ventures, a company run by former Tesla President John McNeill. Rossiter is also a partner in DVX, leading Atomic's $3 million seed round, with Seattle-based Madrona Ventures. “Michael and Neil experienced this pain firsthand as Tesla…
According to an SEC filing, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund has completed a salary increase for the third Growth Fund. This is beyond the total, a major step from the previous $3.4 billion growth fund that closed in early 20222, but there are a few other interesting things to consider about this salary increase. One is reportedly the company is raising more than the $3 billion growth fund, according to a report from February. The Founders Fund is so big and successful that you can always raise an over-supported fund whenever you choose. According to the filing, 270 LPs have actually…
The application speaking on TechCrunch All Stage will be closed this Friday, April 18th. Don't miss the opportunity to work hard to share insights with more than 1,200 startup founders and VCs. If you're on trench and you've broken down tough growth issues, now is the time to step up and share your scaling strategy on stage at TC All Stage on July 15th in Boston. Ready to make your mark? Use your experience to guide the next wave of startups. By applying now, you can raise your spot into the viewer's selection round that determines who will win a…
The Trump Trade War has spread word-of-mouth in Tiktok, bringing Chinese e-commerce app Dhgate to the top of US app stores. After Trump increased US tariffs on Chinese imports by 145%, many Chinese suppliers and manufacturers began making videos of Tiktok and explain to consumers how the global luxury market actually works. The clothing, handbags and other accessories that many people assumed were made in Europe are derived from factories in China, the video explains. As a result of this trend, China's wholesale market app Dhgate has surged to become the third top free iPhone app in the US app…
Neptune is one of the latest short form video apps on the block that seeks to compete with major players such as Tiktok, Instagram reels and YouTube shorts. The app, currently in beta, has attracted attention from hundreds of thousands of users, as it features 970 testers and 400,000 people on its waitlist, according to the company. Neptune announced Monday that it is preparing to launch the app on the App Store next week. It plans to roll it out to the Google Play Store in about six months. The startup was founded by Ash Leaderlin, who has a background…