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 was a bit of a carryover from the previous one in that the Bolt drama continued to unfold — another story to follow — but money also flowed into startups with traction, venture capital funds with proven track records, and valuable theses. This week's most interesting startup stories Image credit: Bryce Durbin Some news stories appear and disappear within a few days, while others require you to keep an eye…
Google is preparing for the upcoming US presidential election by rolling out safety measures to more of its generative AI products. The company had already announced that it would be restricting Gemini queries related to the election, but is now applying additional restrictions to its other generative AI products. These safeguards apply to search AI profiles, YouTube AI-generated profiles in live chat, Gems, and image generation in Gemini. As part of the restrictions, these AI products will not respond to election-related topics. Google acknowledges that generative AI is a relatively new technology and therefore prone to error, and has limited…
Regulators around the world are stepping up efforts to make the internet safer for kids. Major social networks are facing increased scrutiny and fighting back by introducing child protection tools. A central focus is on the content that kids see on their screens and how to make it safer. While many of these efforts are aimed at teenagers, young children also use the devices to consume content, so the three founders, who have worked at companies like Google and Amazon, are working on building an AI-powered browser/companion to create a safe environment for kids to learn and explore through Hello…
Startups aren't giving up on the idea of an AI-powered pin, and Plaud's latest device focuses on just one task: taking notes. In the past few months, companies like Humane and Rabbit have launched their own gadgets powered by generative AI. It may be too early to write off these companies or products entirely, but Humane's Pin has received particularly harsh criticism. More broadly, none of these devices have been big enough of a hit to prove that this is a new category that most consumers actually care about. So in that context, the fact that Proud's NotePin focuses solely…
Jam & Tea Studios is the latest gaming startup implementing generative AI to transform the way players interact with non-playable characters (NPCs) in video games. Traditionally, NPCs in video games operate according to pre-determined scripts that can make them feel repetitive, unrealistic and boring, and can limit the possibilities of what a player can experience. However, with generative AI, players can have casual conversations and interact with NPCs however they want (within reason). Founded by gaming industry veterans from Riot Games, Wizards of the Coast and Magic: The Gathering, the company announced on Friday its first game that utilizes generative…
While family offices have traditionally been viewed as private financial institutions, they are playing an important role in the supply of venture capital, leveraging startup investments as a way to diversify their portfolios and work on breakthrough technologies. Join Eti Lazarian, Principal at Elle Family Office, and Bruce Lee, CEO and Founder of Keebeck Wealth Management, as they discuss the future of family office investing on the Builder's Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco. They'll explore why startups are an attractive option, hot areas like the evolution of EV technology, and how to realign your investment strategy to…
With just two months to go until TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco, we're still looking for enthusiastic and motivated volunteers to help our events team. Don't miss your chance to be a part of this big event! For aspiring startup founders, marketers and event coordinators, this experience offers a rare insight into the inner workings of a top tech startup conference. Volunteer duties Volunteers will help with a variety of fun tasks, including: Registration check-in. Queue/traffic control. Wayfinding/customer support. Expo set-up support. General event set-up. Volunteer Benefits Free pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 Once you complete your volunteer shift,…
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Investor 360 One estimates that VerSe, the Indian tech and media startup that runs popular news aggregator Daily Hunt, is worth about 42% less than its last private valuation. The asset manager disclosed a valuation of VerSe of $2.9 billion in an investor update in June, according to an internal document reviewed by TechCrunch. The Bangalore-headquartered startup, whose backers include Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, CPP Investments, Goldman Sachs, Google, Sofina and Peak XV, was valued at about $5 billion in an $805 million funding round announced in April 2022. As previously reported by TechCrunch, in its update, 360One revealed that…
Today on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Devin Coldeway kicks off his roundup of the week's best buys with a look at Piramidal, a startup that offers a basic model for analyzing brain scan data and just raised $6 million. The idea behind the company is an interesting one: their technology aims to augment the work of nurses and doctors in neuro-intensive care units by identifying signs of things like epileptic seizures and strokes. Mary Ann Azevedo led the discussion on Comun, a neobank that provides financial services and banking products to immigrants in the U.S., primarily Latinos. The fintech company just…