Author: TechBrunch

Energy giant Halliburton has confirmed that its systems were hacked following a cyber attack last week, with intruders “accessing and stealing information.” “Halliburton said in a brief filing with government regulators on Tuesday: [stolen] It explains “what information” should be handled and what data breach notifications must be given. Halliburton said last week that it had taken some systems offline after detecting a cyberattack and that the company was currently “working to determine the impact of the incident” on its ongoing oil and hydraulic fracturing operations. Reached on Tuesday, Halliburton spokeswoman Amina Rivera would not comment on whether the company…

Many airlines and shipping companies claim to be net-zero carbon by 2050, but there is currently no clear path to achieving that goal. While it's scientifically possible to eliminate fossil fuels from these industries, it's not economically possible — at least not yet, a new startup argues. Oxyrus Energy believes it holds the key to solving one side of the equation. The company spun out of Yale University's chemistry lab last year and has been working to improve the production of so-called green methanol. Currently, most methanol is made from fossil fuels and used to make petrochemicals, but it can…

Clearview AI, the controversial US-based facial recognition startup that harvested selfies from the internet without people's consent and built a searchable database of 30 million images, has been hit with Europe's largest ever privacy fine. Dutch data protection authority Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Associated Press) announced Tuesday that it had fined Clearview AI 30.5 million euros (about $33.7 million at current exchange rates) for a series of violations of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) after finding that the database contained images of Dutch citizens. The fine is higher than the GDPR fines imposed individually by data protection authorities in…

Elon Musk-owned social network X is finally introducing one of the most requested features for direct messages: message editing. Last weekend, X rolled out the message editing feature to iOS users, and one of the company's engineers posted about the rollout, saying that the message editing feature will soon be available on other platforms. Here's how to use it: X Open a direct message chat from the iOS app. Press and hold a sent message or tap the three dots menu next to it. To edit a sent message,[メッセージを編集]Select an option: According to the support page, there is no time…

Bootstrapped companies don't appear in startup news as often as venture-backed companies because they don't have flashy funding rounds to show off. Fleet is a great example of a company that has grown steadily without ever raising outside funding. The Paris-based company initially offered a way to rent hardware, so that instead of spending a fortune to buy an army of laptops for their employees, companies could lease devices using Fleet and pay a monthly fee. The company has now launched several software services in addition to its hardware-as-a-service proposition, from device management to cybersecurity to insurance. As a bootstrapped…

Akeed Azmi and David Reche stumbled upon what they believed to be a $2 billion opportunity while scaling and managing teams at two of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region's largest unicorns. They noticed that their former employers, Careem and Kitopi, as well as other local businesses in the region, were struggling with payroll administration issues caused by human error and high compliance costs. Their startup, Cercli, which launched in January, is addressing this challenge by developing software that enables companies in the MENA region to hire, manage and pay employees around the world. The potential of Cercli's…

Hospitals around the world regularly face bed shortages. A health crisis or other major disaster can exacerbate the problem to the breaking point. Startup Doccla is deploying technology to address the issue. The company is developing “virtual bed” technology to allow doctors to remotely manage patients who are discharged early, or in some cases, never go to hospital. The company has gained popularity in the UK and Ireland and is now raising £35 million ($46 million) to expand in Europe. Lakestar led the Series B round, with participation from Elaia and several existing investors. The funding comes two years after…

SparkLabs, an early-stage venture capital firm that has made a name for itself by backing OpenAI as well as a number of other AI startups, including Vectara, Allganize, Kneron, Anthropic, xAI, Glade (YC S23) and Lucidya AI, is preparing to double down on more startups in the space. The VC firm on Tuesday announced the closing of a new $50 million fund, the AIM AI Fund, which will back AI startups from its AIM-X accelerator in Saudi Arabia as well as other AI startups around the world. SparkLabs' new fund and its broader investment objectives highlight a larger trend that…

Open source has evolved from a niche approach to software development into the business model of many successful technology companies as companies grapple with the challenge of running sustainable businesses without sacrificing their core principles. Its principles of transparency and collaboration have fostered innovation, but balancing these ideals with the practical demands of running a profitable business can be a challenge. Industry leaders Accel Partner Casey Aylward, Docker CEO Scott Johnston, and Reddis CEO Rowan Trollope will take to the SaaS stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 to explore the complexities of operating with an open source business model and share…

Whether it's a sophisticated cocktail party, a casual happy hour, a niche meetup or a skill-building workshop, Disrupt Week gives you the flexibility to host side events that truly represent your brand. Use this opportunity to raise awareness of your brand in front of 10,000+ TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 attendees and the vibrant Bay Area tech scene. Apply for free by September 6th. Benefits of hosting side events Expand your impact: Connect with thousands of Disrupt 2024 attendees and the surrounding tech community. We'll promote your side event across multiple platforms, ensuring it reaches a broad and diverse audience. Disrupt 2024…