Author: TechBrunch
Welcome to Startups Weekly, your weekly dose of the can't miss happenings from the startup world. Want to receive it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. This week has seen encouraging signs that deal-making is still happening on both sides: new unicorns are being born and more capital is flowing into AI, but deals are also happening from unexpected quarters. This week's most interesting startup stories Image credit: Friendly Apps There was a wealth of AI news this week, ranging from M&A both large and small to new product launches. AI Portfolio: Generative AI unicorn Typeface has acquired…
Keep the energy going at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 and leverage your brand with after-hours side events. Hurry, today is your last chance to apply! Get your brand in front of 10,000 Disrupt attendees and the vibrant Bay Area tech scene during Disrupt Week, October 26-November 1. From cocktail parties to workshops, happy hours to silent discos, create an event that perfectly reflects your brand's unique personality. Benefits of hosting side events Increase your visibility. Connect with thousands of Disrupt 2024 attendees and the Silicon Valley tech community. We'll promote your side event across multiple platforms to reach a wide and…
Although Apple's iPhone 16 has been launched, the company has yet to make the Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18 available to users. In July, Apple rolled out these features to users in the iOS 18 developer beta, and earlier this week, it added the AI features for public beta users. However, if you're not using the experimental version of the software, you still have to wait to find out when you'll get the Apple Intelligence features. This AI-powered feature proofreads, summarizes, and even alters text to make it more professional, concise, and friendly in tone. However, it’s important to…
The tech layoff wave is still going strong in 2024. Following significant workforce reductions in 2022 and 2023, this year has already seen 60,000 job cuts across 254 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. Companies like Tesla, Amazon, Google, TikTok, Snap and Microsoft have conducted sizable layoffs in the first months of 2024. Smaller-sized startups have also seen a fair amount of cuts, and in some cases, have shut down operations altogether. By tracking these layoffs, we’re able to understand the impact on innovation across companies large and small. We’re also able to see the potential impact of businesses…
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…