Author: TechBrunch

A few years ago, whenever I went to a fintech meetup, the conversation always ended around embedded finance. In 2020, we even wrote that embedded finance could represent the future of fintech. This distribution strategy allows fintech companies to integrate their services with other products and services, allowing users to access new features without having to sign up for new services. This has proven to be a particularly attractive approach for fintech companies, as it provides them with a new product tier to offer to large banks and financial service providers. Ember, a British startup working on embedded tax services,…

The European Union has issued a global ban on Microsoft under the region's online governance regime, the Digital Services Act (DSA), for failing to respond to legally binding information requests focused on: It warned that it could be fined up to 1% of its annual turnover. Its generation AI tool. The EU asked Microsoft and a number of other tech giants for information on the systemic risks posed by their generative AI tools back in March, but on Friday the European Commission provided some of the documents Microsoft had requested. announced that it did not. The company has until May…

The outlook for troubled banking-as-a-service startup Synapse worsened this week after the U.S. Trustees filed an emergency motion Wednesday. According to court documents, the trustee is seeking to change the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy synapse to Chapter 7 liquidation. The need for Chapter 7 is due to the fact that Synapse has “grossly” mismanaged its assets, sustained losses, and that there is no “reasonable restructuring plan” that would allow the company to rebuild and continue operating, the trustees said. He wrote that it arose from the fact that there was almost no possibility of it happening. The new development is…

UK-based Seraphim Space is launching its 13th accelerator program, with nine participating companies working on technologies ranging from propulsion to in-space manufacturing and space situational awareness. According to the company, this intensive 12-week program makes seed and Series A companies “investment ready” by providing expert guidance, networking opportunities, and intensive workshops and pitch training sessions. It is said that it is designed toSeraphim's semi-annual accelerator was the UK's first dedicated space technology accelerator The new cohort includes companies from the UK, US, Italy and India. they are: AADYAH Aerospace (India), subsystems for launch vehicles and satellites Arkisys (USA), developer of…

OpenAI has reached an agreement with Reddit to use the social news site's data to train AI models. In a blog post on OpenAI's press site, the company said its partnership with Reddit provides access to “real-time, structured, proprietary content” (such as posts and replies) from Reddit, and the company's tools and models. “I will be able to understand it more deeply,'' he said. We will introduce its contents. Reddit content will be integrated into ChatGPT, OpenAI's popular conversational AI, and the companies will work together to bring unspecified new “AI-powered features” to both Reddit users and moderators. OpenAI will…

X is rolling out improved community features. This allows users to have their own space and timeline to network around topics they care about. The company announced a number of changes to its community on Thursday, including improvements to discovery tools, recommendations, search and sorting options, and other updates are planned. The broader goal is to connect X's user base with even more people, allowing them to post about specific topics and comment on other users' posts. The community is an important part of making X (formerly Twitter) a more valuable company in terms of the data we provide. Already,…

Strava announced a slew of new features and updates Thursday at its annual Camp Strava event. The San Francisco-based company is redoubling its efforts to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to make its social fitness app more user-friendly for both free and premium subscribers. central role. One of the constant complaints from the Strava community is that users sometimes cheat to gain high leaderboard positions on the app. Leaderboards are one of Strava's core features and are designed to stimulate competition by allowing users to challenge each other on predefined routes called “segments.” For example, cheating may include using a bike…

Sony Music Group has sent a letter to more than 700 tech companies and music streaming services warning them not to use its music to train AI without explicit permission. The letter, obtained by TechCrunch, says Sony Music has “reason to believe” that the recipients of the letter “may have already misused” the content. Sony Music recognizes the “huge potential” of AI, but says the “misuse of SMG content in the training, development and commercialization of AI systems” requires the company and its artists to maintain control and “appropriate compensation.” He said it would be stolen. The company's portfolio of…

Much of the way people buy food is moving online. Restaurants are often replacing menus with QR codes that can be ordered on smartphones, and grocery shopping is being revolutionized with delivery services like his Instacart. But until recently, the other side of the food supply chain – how small restaurants and neighborhood grocery stores source their food – relied primarily on physical media: pen and paper. Now, GrubMarket, which provides software and services that help connect and manage relationships between food suppliers and their customers, wants to make the distribution process more digital and efficient through new acquisitions. California-based…

Bolt founder Ryan Breslow this week proposed a settlement with investor Activant Capital that could end the lawsuit filed by Activant. The investor accused Mr. Breslow of adding $30 million in personal debt to Mr. Bolt's balance sheet and firing board members who urged Mr. Breslow to pay it back. In July 2023, Activant replaced former Bolt board member Steve Saracino after Breslow and two other board members refused to help Breslow repay a $30 million loan. He filed a lawsuit in Delaware court over his dismissal. Mr. Saracino's lawsuit also alleges that CEO Maju Kuruvilla and three subsequently appointed…