Author: TechBrunch
Businesses selling on Amazon will now have access to a new generative AI tool that can create video ads from a single product image. There are actually two related products that Amazon has announced: Live Image and Video Generator, both of which are marketed as a way for sellers to easily create video ads without investing time or money into video production and animation. Live images are short and essentially animated GIFs — for example, Amazon's promotional videos turn photos of coffee mugs, vases and telescopes into short animations that may be more effective than photos at capturing shoppers' attention…
Kirsten Kolosec, Devin Caldway, and Rebecca Beran took to the mic again on the latest episode of Equity to discuss some weird things and at least one cool thing. First off, the crew discussed the least weird thing of the week: It's so great that Cohere co-founder Nick Frost has a band that people really like. And then there's the weirder stuff. First up, the good kind of weird: a helmet that compresses your head, but for a good reason: to prevent hair loss from chemotherapy. Devin covers Luminate's latest funding and news, and everyone is happy that the money…
The UK's data protection watchdog has confirmed that Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has stopped processing user data to train AI models for now. Stephen Almond, executive director of regulatory risk at the UK Information Commissioner's Office, said in a statement on Friday: “We are pleased that LinkedIn has considered the concerns we raised about the company's approach to training AI models with information about UK users, and we welcome LinkedIn's confirmation that it has suspended such model training pending further consultation with the ICO.” Eagle-eyed privacy experts have already noticed that LinkedIn has quietly amended its privacy policy following backlash over its…
As the startup landscape changes, so do recruiting strategies. Downsizing at large tech companies and a tight labor market require founders to navigate a conservative job market to attract and retain top talent. The hiring landscape of 2025 will bring challenges and opportunities for those who can adapt. Founders have more influence, but respecting staff and retaining key players remains important. How can entrepreneurs strike this balance? Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 from October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco for a conversation with Heather Doshay, People & Talent Partner at SignalFire, Lauren Illovsky, Talent Partner at CapitalG,…
We've increased standard ticket prices for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. This is your last chance to take advantage of big savings before the event. Through September 27th, you can purchase individual tickets and save up to $600. Disrupt 2024 is the ultimate startup hub and will take place at Moscone West, San Francisco from October 28-30. You will have the opportunity to join 10,000 startup, tech and venture capital leaders, engage in meaningful discussions across 200+ sessions, gain valuable insights from industry giants, and much more. Don't miss out on our Ticket Reboot Week prices, secure your discounted tickets here. Key…
Entrepreneur Rania Lamplugh sat in Athens during the first COVID-19 lockdown and watched as social distancing led to an explosion of online e-commerce. But retailers still struggled with low conversion rates because of complicated checkout processes and the need to integrate multiple providers for payments, shipping and loyalty programs. “I knew there had to be a better way to reduce friction for both merchants and customers,” Lamplugh told TechCrunch. So she wondered what would turn the checkout process into a “checkout-as-a-service” platform that could streamline it for both merchants and shoppers, and started coding in Python. But she wasn't the…
The data centers that train the massive language models behind AI consume unimaginable amounts of energy, making it a big gamble for big tech companies to have enough power to run those plants, which is why Microsoft is now pushing into nuclear power. The tech giant signed a major deal on Friday with nuclear power plant operator Constellation Energy to buy power for its data centers from Constellation Energy's Three Mile Island Unit 1 nuclear plant. The nuclear plant is located right next to the infamous TMI-2 reactor, which suffered a meltdown in 1979. Unit 1 was shut down in…
French insurance unicorn Alain has just signed a multi-faceted deal with Belfius, one of Belgium's largest banks, that includes a distribution partnership in addition to a significant capital investment in the startup. Belfius is leading Alan's Series F funding round, bringing the total amount raised to €173 million (approximately $193 million at current exchange rates), with some of Alan's existing investors again participating, specifically OTPP via Teachers' Venture Growth, Temasek, Coatue and Lakestar. For those of you who don't know Alain, the company originally started out as a health insurance product to complement the French national health insurance system, which…
Indian education technology startup Physics Wallah has secured $210 million in fresh funding amid a tough fundraising environment for education technology companies in the country following the collapse of Byju's, once the industry giant. PhysixWallar said on Friday that its Series B round was led by hedge fund Hornbill Capital, a joint venture between China's Orchid Asia and India's Hornbill, with “significant” participation from Lightspeed Ventures Partners, along with existing backers Westbridge and GSV. The round values PhysixWallar at $2.8 billion, a significant increase from the previous $1.1 billion it raised in June 2022. The startup has raised over $310…
Indian film director Ram Gopal Varma says he's ditched human musicians in favor of artificial intelligence and will use only AI-generated songs in his future projects, a move that highlights AI's growing influence in the creative industries. The film director and screenwriter, known for popular Bollywood films like “Company,” “Rangeela,” “Sarkar” and “Sathya,” told TechCrunch that he has launched a venture called RGV Den Music that will only feature music generated from AI apps such as Suno and Udio. Varma said he plans to use AI-generated music in all his projects, including films, and that the music in his upcoming…