Author: TechBrunch
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…
The countdown continues for early bird deals at TechCrunch Disrupt, taking place October 28-30 in San Francisco. You have five more days to save up to $800 on admission, which ends Friday, May 31 at 11:59 PM PDT. Get your tickets now. Find the best early bird pass for you Attendee Pass — $675 Access to all stages, breakout sessions, and roundtable sessions. Access to onsite 1:1 and small group networking. Access to the event app. Access to session slides and recordings. Founder Pass — $525 All attendee pass benefits. Exclusive founder/investor networking. Access to investor list (opt-in only). Investor…
If the number 11 is your threshold of interest, you might be interested to know that according to Dealroom's latest report on the Spanish tech ecosystem, the total enterprise value (EV) of Spanish startups is set to exceed €100 billion in 2023. As we'll see later, venture investment in Spanish startups has also been pretty robust, with €2.2 billion raised across around 850 funding rounds. Total venture capital in Spain was lower last year than in 2021 and 2022, but that's not surprising since those years were exceptions. But unlike elsewhere, Spain hasn't fallen below pre-pandemic activity levels. For reference,…
A month after announcing its first product, Humane's co-founders reportedly took their well-funded startup to market. Even the company's biggest cheerleaders didn't expect AiPin to change the world so quickly, but some of its many critics didn't expect things to get so bad so quickly. Humane's biggest competitor, the Rabbit R1, also didn't fare much better. Upon release, the generative AI-powered handheld device was panned by critics, with the most prominent criticism of the “half-baked” device being that it could have been an app instead of a $200 piece of hardware. The excitement surrounding the launch of both devices is…