Author: TechBrunch

For technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs, there's only a little time left to secure your early bird tickets to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. There are only 4 days left until the deadline on May 31st. Now is the perfect time to buy your tickets and save up to $800 before the price goes up. The event will take place in San Francisco and will bring together 10,000 innovators, investors, and startups from around the world to discuss the future of technology and business. Don't miss this opportunity to join the conversation and network with some of the brightest minds in the industry.…

While AI may not be capable of replacing Google search yet, it could be useful in more specific situations, like handling the tedious work that comes with performing everyday tasks like scheduling meetings. That's the vision of Skej, a new startup that offers an AI assistant that integrates into email and finds the best time for everyone to meet. Unlike other scheduling solutions like Calendly, with Skej you don't need to look up someone's free time to find a time to meet – in fact, if someone sends you a Calendly link, Skej will scan the link to find a…

Shopping at thrift stores is always a gamble: That cool shirt might fade soon, and you'll never know where those worn-out jeans are. Sure, some stores and websites try to weed out bad products, but with so many options, it's hard to make a good purchase on the internet. Berlin-based Fairkad has developed a browser extension that aims to solve that exact problem. The company aims to be the discovery layer for second-hand goods and has raised €3 million in a round led by World Fund, with participation from Accel, General Catalyst, Lightspeed Venture Partners, NEA, Northzone, Backbone Ventures, Earlybird…

Twice-acquired blogging site Tumblr announced that its Tumblr Labs division will launch an open beta for its “Communities” feature, which gives users a dedicated space outside of Tumblr's main dashboard to connect with others on various topics. The open beta comes six months after Communities launched in closed beta and marks a shift in focus for the social platform under new parent company Automattic, developer of WordPress.com. Tumblr communities are “semi-private” spaces with their own moderators, rules, and privacy settings, similar to Reddit subreddits and X (formerly Twitter) communities that are now used as training grounds for AI. Users can…

Google today announced new AI-powered features for its Chromebook Plus series of devices, including a writing assistant, wallpaper creation feature, and easy access to the Google Gemini chatbot. As a reminder, Chromebook Plus laptops are productivity-focused devices with minimal spec requirements. The company also announced new Chromebook Plus models from HP, Acer, and Asus. The search giant added a number of Gemini-powered features to Maps and called out spam detection at its Google I/O developer conference earlier this month, and Google is now placing a Gemini icon on Chromebooks' app shelf for easy access. Additionally, users who purchase a new…

Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, the dynamic duo from the Grammy Award-winning music group The Chainsmokers, will be bringing their entrepreneurial expertise to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. Known for their chart-topping hits, Paul and Taggart have also expanded their influence into the venture capital world: In 2020, they founded Mantis Venture Capital, a firm with roughly $1 billion in assets under management that is focused on backing companies with a sustainable future. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, Pall and Taggart will host a conversation titled “How Chainsmokers are Adding Value Beyond Celebrity Status,” joined by Dan Lorenc, co-founder and CEO of software…

Infra.Market, an Indian startup that helps construction and real estate companies source materials, has raised $50 million from the MARS Unicorn Fund to expand overseas, the companies told TechCrunch on Tuesday. MARS Unicorn Fund, a joint venture between AI-driven fund Liquidity Group and Japanese bank MUFG, is an existing backer of the Mumbai-headquartered startup, having invested $50 million in 2022. The new investment, a major fundraising by InfraMarket's Singapore unit, values ​​the startup at $2.5 billion, maintaining its 2021 Series C valuation. Infra.Market is working to transform the way small and medium-sized manufacturing businesses in India operate. For example, Infra.Market…

Solar panels were all but sold out in Europe after Russia's invasion of Ukraine caused electricity prices to skyrocket, but now that prices have started to fall, solar panel installers are spending more on marketing to attract customers. One proven way to win more business is to offer financing. But smaller entities typically don't have the capital to undertake new installations that can cost tens of thousands of euros each, forcing customers to go to the bank. The problem is that many customers change installers because “they get contacted by five other providers on their way to the bank,” Jodok…

Ledger, the French startup known for its secure cryptocurrency hardware wallets, has started shipping new wallets, about 18 months after introducing its latest Ledger Stax device. The updated wallet features an E-Ink display and was designed in collaboration with Tony Fadell, one of the lead designers of the iPod. E-Ink technology is commonly used in e-readers such as the Amazon Kindle and Rakuten Kobo because the displays are easy to view in sunlight and don't require a lot of power. The company plans to list Ledger Stax on its website once it has stock after fulfilling all pre-orders. The delay…

A data protection taskforce that’s spent over a year considering how the European Union’s data protection rulebook applies to OpenAI’s viral chatbot, ChatGPT, reported preliminary conclusions Friday. The top-line takeaway is that the working group of privacy enforcers remains undecided on crux legal issues, such as the lawfulness and fairness of OpenAI’s processing. The issue is important as penalties for confirmed violations of the bloc’s privacy regime can reach up to 4% of global annual turnover. Watchdogs can also order non-compliant processing to stop. So — in theory — OpenAI is facing considerable regulatory risk in the region at a…