Author: TechBrunch
Launching a new product is hard, but doing it in a space dominated by tech giants requires bold innovation, sharp strategy and the ability to scale quickly. TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, taking place October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco, will do just that, while bringing together three experts tackling one of the world's biggest challenges: climate change. We're excited to welcome Paul Lambert, founder and CEO of Quilt, Gurinder Nagra, CEO of Furno Materials, and Brigid O'Brien, Managing Partner at RA Capital Management, to our Builder's Stage lineup at Disrupt 2024. They'll share the strategies that have enabled them…
BackMarket held a press conference in Paris on Thursday morning to talk about upcoming product launches and provide an update on the company's current situation. For those of you who may not be familiar with this French startup, it operates a marketplace for refurbished electronics (mostly smartphones). The company has attracted a lot of investor funding in recent years, but it has also been through some tough times. Like many big tech companies in 2021, Back Market has been riding the wave of zero interest rates around the world to raise huge amounts of funding: a $335 million Series D…
UPchieve, a free, 24/7 online tutoring and college counseling app for low-income students, announced Thursday that it will provide Title 1 middle and high school teachers with new tools to ensure their students get the academic support they need. Called “UPchieve for Teachers,” the new service allows teachers to offer one-on-one support to their students. Teachers can invite students to sign up for tutoring, create classes, and monitor students' use of the platform. Previously, students had to sign up for tutoring services themselves, but with this new product, teachers can now invite students for one-on-one tutoring for free. In the…
In a world where innovation knows no borders, a new trend is emerging in the tech ecosystem: startups serving the national interest. From aerospace and defense to critical infrastructure, these companies are ensuring that innovation directly supports the growth, security, and prosperity of the nation. As Silicon Valley approaches a tipping point in its evolution, the question arises: Can startups reshape the foundations of an entire nation? TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 will bring together three prominent leaders making waves in the national interest startup world, who will share their perspectives on how to rapidly scale new technologies while serving the strategic…
The Startup Battlefield 200 is a major highlight of every Disrupt, and we're excited to find out which of the thousands of startups that apply will get the chance to pitch to top VCs at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. Tune in to watch this epic showdown, taking place from October 28-30 at Moscone West in San Francisco, where every applicant will have a shot at making a big impact. The judges will provide you with detailed feedback on the evaluation criteria, giving you an inside look at what they look for in promising companies. Don't miss your chance to learn from…
Like rival Google, Amazon has also launched an AI-powered video generator, though it's currently only aimed at advertisers and has somewhat limited functionality. Amazon today announced at its Accelerate conference that Video Generator can turn a single product image into a few-second video clip in just a few minutes. The company said Video Generator can create “custom” AI-generated videos that “showcase the features of your product” at no extra cost. Jay Richman, Amazon's vice president of advertising, said in a statement that Video Generator, which is currently in beta for some advertisers in the U.S., will be fine-tuned over time…
Last year, the United States designated magnesium as one of the “electric 18” critical minerals essential to the energy transition. The metal is used in a variety of electronic devices and is lighter than aluminum, making it an attractive alternative for automakers. But like many other minerals, China has grown to dominate the market. And it's not because there's a shortage of magnesium. In fact, it's the eighth most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust and the third most abundant dissolved mineral in the world's oceans. But at least in the United States, there's only one company that produces virgin…
Amazon sellers now have access to an AI assistant designed to help grow their business by answering questions about their metrics, and in the future, may even directly solve problems that arise. Built on AWS Amazon Bedrock, the assistant is code-named Project Amelia and is initially available in beta to US sellers starting today. The retail giant said select US merchants will have immediate access, followed by a broader rollout across the U.S. Later this year, the feature will start coming to more countries in languages other than English. According to Amazon, the goal of Project Amelia is to give…
When Elon Musk unveiled Tesla's first “master plan” in 2006, it seemed a bit far-fetched that batteries would transform the auto industry, much less global electricity production and consumption. But today, as electric vehicles continue to gain market share and giant batteries remove smoke-belching power plants from the power grid, the idea seems less far-fetched. This year, in the United States alone, developers plan to add 15 gigawatts of grid-scale battery capacity. But Michael Spencer believes the changes happening in the US, Europe, China and elsewhere are just the beginning: “There's a lot of room and potential for Tesla's master…
At many meetings these days, it can feel like there are more AI note-taking and transcription bots than humans. There seem to be dozens of options these days, but one I've started seeing more and more of is Fathom. The company was one of the early players, launching in 2020. Fathom then raised a $4.7 million seed round in early 2022 and today announced a $17 million Series A round led by partners at Telescope. Notably, $2 million of the $17 million was provided by Fathom users via crowdfunding on Wefunder. The company claims that over the past two years,…