Author: TechBrunch

This morning, Skyflow announced that it has raised $30 million in Series B extension funding led by Khosla Ventures. This deal is interesting on many fronts, including the structure of the round and how Skyflow has been impacted by the growth of AI. The new funding comes after Skyflow expanded its data privacy business last year to support new AI technologies. Skyflow co-founder and CEO Anshu Sharma said in an interview with TechCrunch that the company's AI-related software products have quickly become a significant part of its overall business. The startup has recently grown its revenue from usage related to…

The U.S. government has announced that it will extend its bounty for information on key leaders of the ALPHV/BlackCat cybercriminal organization to its affiliated members. One of them was credited with a massive ransomware attack against a US medical technology giant last month. In a statement Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said it would offer up to a $10 million reward for information identifying or locating anyone associated with ALPHV/BlackCat, including “its persons, activities, or relationships with foreign governments.” He announced that he would provide money. Russia-based ALPHV/BlackCat is a ransomware-as-a-service operation that recruits affiliates (de facto contractors who earn…

Every parent knows that raising children is expensive. Especially at a young age when clothes and toys outgrow them so quickly that parents end up in a never-ending cycle of buying new ones when the old ones are hardly worn or used anymore. . Enter Kidsy, a new e-commerce startup based in Chicago. Kidsy aims to give consumers more access to discounted baby and children's products by partnering with leading brands, retailers, and clearing companies for excess and returned inventory. It also says it can prevent excess inventory and disposal items (such as children's clothing) from ending up in landfills,…

Ibotta has confidently filed an S-1 filing with the SEC for the purpose of listing its stock on the New York Stock Exchange. The 13-year-old cashback startup has returned to profitability and aims to make its public debut in 2023 after recording impressive revenue growth. The company reported revenue of $320 million in 2023, a 52% increase from 2022, when it had revenue of $210 million. Ibotta's gross profit increased 68% from his $164.5 million in 2022 to his $276 million in 2023. The Denver-based company started as an app for consumers to receive cash back on purchases through Ibotta…

As the election cycle heats up, Instagram and Threads will likely reduce the amount of political content entering many users' feeds. These changes, which limit the scope of political content from accounts users don't already follow, will be enforced by default. If you already want to know how to get such content back into your feed, follow our guide to changing Instagram's political settings here. Meta has worked to reduce the reach of news and political content across its platforms. Especially when it comes to content that is recommended by algorithms rather than surfacing from a direct connection to a…

Sam Bankman Fried, co-founder and former CEO of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and trading company Alameda Research, was sentenced to prison in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) about five months after his conviction. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison by Judge Lewis Kaplan. During his trial he was charged with all seven counts related to fraud and money laundering. “When he wasn't lying, he was tearing his hair out, making excuses and trying to get prosecutors to rephrase their questions,” Kaplan said Thursday, according to Inner City Press. “I've been doing this job for almost 30 years.…

Two weeks ago, TechCrunch broke the news that LinkedIn was getting into the game and helping users “deepen their relationships” through puzzle-based interactions. And on Wednesday, TechCrunch reported that the Microsoft-owned social network is experimenting with short-form videos. It's almost as if LinkedIn is targeting a whole new “type” of users: users stuck in limbo between two other popular social networks. Wordle's viral growth began on Twitter, where the New York Times reportedly made a seven-figure donation to the web-based word game. And he said TikTok is well past the 1 billion user mark, and recently became the first non-gaming…

Following Universal Music Group's (UMG) public spat with TikTok, which removed its entire catalog from its video app earlier this year, the company is doubling down on its deal with Spotify. On Thursday, UMG announced it is expanding its strategic relationship with streaming music services to focus on “music discovery and social interaction” and enhancing the fan experience. These new features in the US include the addition of music videos; Spotify recently announced plans to support music videos, announcing it would be testing the option in beta in 11 select markets in March. At the time, the feature did not…

Wonderschool, a startup that provides software and support to help individuals and local governments set up childcare businesses, has acquired EarlyDay, a marketplace for early childhood educators. TechCrunch has covered Wonderschool since its early stages, including both its seed round and Series A (led by Andreessen Horowitz). Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but in an interview with TechCrunch's Equity podcast, EarlyDay co-CEOs Emma Harris and Melissa Tran called the deal “opportunistic” and driven by funding needs. He said that it was not done. Wonder School CEO Chris Bennett declined to provide details on how the deal would work,…

Google.org, Google's philanthropic arm, is launching a new program to help fund nonprofits developing technologies that leverage generative AI. The program, called “Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI,” is funded by a $20 million grant and will be funded by companies including Quill.org, a company that develops AI-powered tools for students to write feedback, and the World Bank. It will be launched with the participation of 21 non-profit organizations. Build generative AI apps to make development research more accessible. In addition to funding, nonprofits participating in the six-week accelerator program will receive technical training, workshops, mentors, and guidance from an “AI coach.”…