Author: TechBrunch

In a research note, HSBC estimated that Indian education technology giant Byju's, once valued at $22 billion, is now worth zero. The write-down on that estimate has led to Byju's having one of the most dramatic share price declines of any startup in recent history. This follows an extremely tough year for the Bengaluru-based startup, which was until recently India's most valuable company: Last year, Bijoux struggled to meet financial reporting deadlines and faced a variety of governance issues, ultimately missing its revenue target by more than 50%. These issues, combined with the sudden resignations of the company's auditors and…

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference next week is sure to be a key moment in the iPhone maker's history, and while the Vision Pro debuted at last year's event, don't expect the hardware to be a highlight at WWDC 2024, which starts at 10 a.m. PST on Monday. WWDC is for developers, and much of the focus will be on iOS 18. The Cupertino tech giant will be showcasing its selection of integrating AI technologies into its devices and software, including its historic partnership with OpenAI. As the big event draws closer, various leaks have surfaced about what's in store for…

In its list of winners for the Apple Design Awards, Apple has celebrated indie apps and startups over big tech companies, including companies offering AI chatbots. With the App Store model under question from lawmakers and regulators, Apple's annual list of the best and most technologically innovative software available on its platform has been looking to smaller companies. For example, ChatGPT was not on the list of finalists for Apple's Design Awards. Instead, Apple's Design Awards finalists featured apps from small and mid-sized app makers like Copilot Money, SmartGym, recipe app Crouton, creativity app Procreate Dreams, Gentler Streak, and venture-backed…

Meta said on Thursday it is rolling out its Meta Verified program to WhatsApp Business users in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Colombia, and will eventually expand to other countries. Subscription plans for the service start at $14 per month. The company is also adding more features to its business messaging service, allowing businesses to serve customers through in-app calling using APIs. Meta launched its verification program for creators in March 2023 and expanded it to businesses in September 2023. The program was previously limited to Facebook and Instagram. The company said that merchants who sign up for the plan on…

Last year, during the company's Q3 2023 earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg spoke about leveraging AI to help business accounts respond to customer purchases and support inquiries. Today, Meta announced AI-powered capabilities for the WhatsApp Business app, including helping create click-to-WhatsApp ads and generating responses to frequently sent customer messages. Mark Zuckerberg announced the tools today at the company's Meta Connect conference in Brazil, where he said that in addition to building consumer-facing bots on the platform, Meta wants to build AI agents to help businesses talk to their customers. “Our vision now is not just to build a single AI…

To encourage users to spend more time on the platform and increase engagement, TikTok is testing out continuous playback similar to what's seen on Snapchat. TikTok confirmed that it is testing the feature but did not issue a statement on it. The company said it is experimenting with streaks in limited markets and with select users. The rules for getting a streak are simple: you need to send a direct message to someone for at least three consecutive days. Once you do, a streak badge will appear in your chat, along with the number of days you've posted in a…

New York-based Revel has made a lot of pivots since it first launched as a dockless electric moped-sharing service in 2018. The BlackRock-backed startup briefly ventured into the e-bike subscription business; it launched and currently operates several electric vehicle charging stations across the five boroughs; and it began offering ride-hailing services for its entire workforce, all with Teslas, to guarantee access to charging infrastructure. Revel, which discontinued its moped-sharing business in 2023, is now pivoting again and abandoning one of the key elements that made its ride-hailing service unique: The startup has laid off more than 1,000 drivers and is…

Google on Thursday announced new guidelines for developers building AI apps distributed on Google Play, aiming to reduce inappropriate or prohibited content. The company said that apps that offer AI features must prevent the generation of prohibited content, including sexual content or violence, and must provide a way for users to flag objectionable content they find. Additionally, Google said developers must “rigorously test” their AI tools and models to ensure they respect the safety and privacy of users. Google is also cracking down on apps that promote inappropriate use cases in their marketing materials, such as apps that strip people…

Long before product-led growth became a buzzword, Atlassian offered free plans for nearly all of its productivity and developer tools. Now, that mostly means free access for up to 10 users and other limitations. For startups, this is a good way to get started with the company's tools, like Jira and Bitbucket, but you'll quickly reach the limits of what you can do with the free plan. For early-stage companies that need more seats and access to more advanced features, Atlassian today launched its “Atlassian for Startups” program, which offers companies with less than $10 million in funding free access…

Google today announced that it has partnered with emergency responder platform RapidSOS to allow users to contact 911 through RCS (Rich Messaging Service). The company said it plans to begin rolling out the technology this winter to users in areas where text-to-911 functionality isn't available through RapidSOS' solution. Initially, the feature will only be available to Google Messages users. According to AccesSOS, a nonprofit emergency communications organization, only 54% of 911 call centers in the U.S. offer text-to-911 services. That's why our new feature will help users who are stranded in areas where they might not be able to reach…