Author: TechBrunch

TechCrunch Team is in Barcelona this week, bringing you all the action happening at Mobile World Congress 2024. You already know what to expect from us. So all week long, sit back, relax, and stay tuned as we bring you product, announcements, and startup news. Information from MWC you should know. So far, we've seen some big announcements from companies, including Google's new Android features, Lenovo's new laptop concept and rollable phone concept, and Xiaomi's robot dog. Here's how to follow our team's coverage as MWC progresses. Tuesday, February 27th replace wireless tv replace mini tv Mike Butcher sat down…

It's hard to track technological developments in cryptocurrencies, but one thing hasn't changed much. It is notoriously difficult to build blockchain applications. This is partly due to its decentralized nature, resulting in a lack of uniform standards across different parts of the infrastructure. Founded by a group of developers in their late 20s, Initia seeks to increase the interoperability of multi-chain networks and simplify the process of creating app-specific blockchains, or app chains. While common household blockchains such as Ethereum and Bitcoin attract most users' attention, app chains have recently emerged that offer developers more freedom to customize things such…

Photoroom, the AI-based photo editing app from Paris that has grown like a weed targeting people who do business online while also attracting many regular users, confirms it has closed its latest round of funding. Did: $43 million for $500 Photoroom was valued at $1 million, according to CEO and co-founder Matthieu Rouif, who co-founded it with CTO Elliott Andres. We first reported that this round was underway in January. At the time, it looked like it would be more than $50 million. In the end it was a little lower. The funding comes as the company continues to see…

For obvious reasons, finance teams can spend a lot of time reconciling a company's financials, accounting, and banking, so anything that speeds up that process usually gets a lot of attention. Today, Embat, a Spanish fintech company doing what it calls “real-time financial management,” closed a $16 million Series AS funding round led by Creandum. Spain's VC Samaipata, 4Founders and Greece's Venture Friends also participated. Angels who invested in this round included Kilian Thalhammer (President of Deutsche Bank) and Martin Blessing (former CEO of Commerzbank). Co-founders Antonio Berga, Carlos Serrano (both former JPMorgan executives), and Thomas Hill founded the company…

As generative AI continues to dominate the headlines, it can be difficult to find working business use cases among the hype. Writer is a San Francisco startup working to develop generative AI writing products with enterprises in mind. Today, the company announced new features for its Palmyra model that generates text from images, including graphs and charts. This is called Palmyra-Vision. May Habib, the company's co-founder and CEO, said the company has made a strategic decision to focus on multimodal content, and being able to generate text from images is part of that strategy. Ta. “We're going to focus on…

Text-to-speech startup Speechify releases a new version (v3.0) of its iOS app with features such as a redesigned homepage, document scanning capabilities, Gmail and learning platform Canvas integration, and an in-app explore page. To do. content. Speechify has a revamped homepage and offers shortcuts to import files with options like iOS Files, Google Drive, Kindle, Gmail, Text, Scan, Links, and more. The new update has a scanning feature that allows users to scan physical documents and import the text to listen to later. User can also scan his two pages of the book at the same time. Image credits: give…

On the fringes of MWC, the world’s biggest mobile phone show, TechCrunch is getting a demo of a new kind of AI device. The small black box sitting in front of us on a table in a hotel lobby in Barcelona is designed to tap into the generative AI boom — making it another example of how the wheel of innovation is spinning up again in mobile. Its maker — Jolla, a born-again startup with the combined forces of around 40 seasoned staff behind this new push — is building what’s being tentatively described at this early product design stage…

TechCrunch Early Stage, our founder-focused summit, returns on April 25th in Boston. And we're looking for amazing volunteers to help make this event happen. If you want to see what goes into building a technology event, apply to volunteer. If you're selected, you'll not only get a behind-the-scenes look at how the event is produced, but you'll also win tickets to enjoy Early Stage 2024 once your shift is complete, as well as a free pass to experience it. Disrupt will be held in San Francisco October 28-30. Whether you're a startup founder, marketer, or dream of becoming an event…

In 2024, it could cost a lot of money to find an analog camera, buy the film (and possibly a special battery), and take the photos, and you'll have to pay to develop them. . But there was a charm and simplicity to the experience. For those nostalgic for the old days, a startup called Lapse is offering smartphone users an alternative. Once a photo is taken, there is no opportunity to edit or retake it, and it must wait until it is “developed” and cannot be shared with a selected group. Friends if you choose. Lapse has gained some…

The construction industry is notoriously slow to adopt technology. But a new venture capital firm backed by large traditional construction companies is trying to change that. Zacua Ventures has launched its first $56 million fund for early-stage construction technology startups, backed by 19 leading construction companies. The limited partner group includes Procore, a provider of construction management software; Volvo is a manufacturer of trucks, buses, and construction equipment. and sustainable construction materials company CEMEX. Bivin Hegde, Mauricio Tessi Weiss, and Juan Nieto founded San Francisco-based Zacua in 2022. Hegde previously worked at construction tool maker Hilti Corporation, while Tessi Weiss…