Author: TechBrunch
A typical online checkout experience is bloated by friction. Additionally, while more and more companies are building solutions around online checkout, few are rethinking it from scratch. One such company is OneText. This is building what is called a “text-to-view network.” This will allow shoppers to complete their purchase via text message. Founded by former PayPal employees, the company has closed a $4.5 million seed round backed by Khosla Ventures, Cotue, Citi Ventures, Y Combinator, Good Friends (a fund created by the founders of Warby Parker, Allbirds, Harry's) and Muse frontman Matt Bellamy. Co-founder and CEO Jonathan Fudem came up…
According to a report from Business Insider, Tiktok owner Bytedance plans to move users to a new version of the video editing app. Launching a US-specific app is part of the company's broader plan to comply with the 2024 law that requires it to leave Tiktok and other US assets, or risks it being forced to suspend its domestic operations. Bytedance is also reportedly developing a new version of Tiktok for US users ahead of the expected sale of the app to investors groups. Capcut has been downloaded over a billion times on the Google Play Store. It is also…
TechCrunch destroyed Moscone West in San Francisco on October 27-29, 2025, bringing together over 10,000 startups and VC leaders to dive deeper into the future of technology. One of the most engaging conversations in one of the AI stages features a panel of innovators that redefine what Intelligent Systems can do. Among them is Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve. Kendall founded Wayve in 2017 with a bold vision. It's about unlocking autonomous mobility through embodied intelligence, not handmade rules. His pioneering research at Cambridge University laid the foundation for a new generation of self-driving systems with deep learning…
Mastodon, an open-source, decentralized social network that replaces Elon Musk's X and Meta threads, has rolled out many updates with the release of Mastodon 4.4 on Tuesday. Most notably, this app takes the first step towards implementing changes that will make it comparable to other networks, but it can also affect user behavior. Preparing to integrate quoted posts, or Twitter will call quote tweets. This type of repost allows users to quote other people's posts and add 2 cents and commentary on it. Now on Twitter, called X, the addition of features leads to a culture of “dunk” where users…
The chairman of British retail giant Marks & Spencer refused to tell a panel of lawmakers earlier this year whether the company paid for the hacking group after the ransomware attack. “We've said we haven't discussed the details of our interactions with threatening actors,” Chairman Archie Norman said, referring to ransom payments. “I don't think it's in the public interest to get into that subject, as it's a law enforcement issue.” Norman said Marks & Spencer's “Nobody” had a direct conversation with cybercriminals. In May, Marks & Spencer revealed that the hacker had stole unspecified customer data, including name, date…
AI helps teams move faster, but only if they know how to move together. Join JeffChow, Milo's Chief Product and Technology Officer, for a roundtable session at TechCrunch All Stage at the Sowa Power Station in Boston on July 15th. Titled “Building Team Intelligence: How Product-Driven Innovation Changes Collaborative Problem Solving,” the session is built for founders, product leaders, and startup teams looking to do smart work in the age of AI. From startup to scaling up, the way teams think together may be more important than what they build. Chow shares a framework that allows teams to coordinate across…
We are on the final countdown. TechCrunchAll Stage kicks off within 7 days and your chances of saving up to $475 will disappear. This is the ultimate founder summit built for every stage of your startup journey. Whether you are a founder, co-founder, or investor, this is where your scaling strategy is revealed and future forms of trading begin. Are you faster, smarter, ready to move further? All signs point to Boston on July 15th. Currently, the founder's pass is only $100, while the investor's pass is $200. These are the lowest prices you see. When they are gone, the…
Slate Auto, which came out of stealth mode earlier this year, has raised $700 million so far with amazing, and surprisingly affordable customizable electric trucks. But it quietly raised a $100 million Series A round in 2023 long before the EV startup broke the cover. And Jeff Bezos was involved in that round, but as TechCrunch originally reported, he was not alone. Regulatory filings filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission show that as many as 16 investors are involved. Slauson & Co is a Los Angeles venture company that was launched five years ago. is one of the few…
Fortnite Maker Epic Games has settled an antitrust lawsuit against Samsung, according to court filings. The incident, filed last September, accused Samsung of working with Google to block rival app stores on Samsung phones by default. “Following the parties' argument, they are dismissing the trial against Samsung,” Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said in an X post. “We are grateful that Samsung addresses Epic's concerns,” he added. The epic spokesman declined further comment, pointing out Sweeney's post. Samsung and Google did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment. Epic has argued in the lawsuit that Samsung's “auto-blocker” feature blocked downloads outside…
On Monday, Bluesky announced three updates to enhance notifications, allowing users to personalize their experiences while organizing their notification centers and reducing unnecessary alerts. Updates include the ability to receive activity notifications for a particular account, as well as the option to adjust notification settings to control which alerts you receive. For example, users can choose to notify them only when a particular account responds. Bluesky users can now navigate to Settings and Notifications to customize alerts for a variety of interactions, including new followers, likes, replies, mentions, quotes, reposts, and more. There is also a “all other” option that…