Author: TechBrunch
A 2021 study found that 78% of fruit production, 54% of vegetable production, and 32% of grain production would be lost if farmers did not use pesticides. At the same time, pesticide application methods are not ideal. The only way to ensure that you are applying enough insecticide is to apply in large quantities. That's bad for farmers' wallets and bad for the environment. AgZen, a company born out of more than a decade of engineering research at MIT, also offers a new solution that uses AI to ensure plants get the right amount of spray, making real-time adjustments to…
MyHeritage today announced the launch of OldNews.com, a new website providing access to thousands of historic newspapers, primarily from the 1800s and 1900s. This website features articles from major international newspapers to small town magazines and gazettes. Its search engine allows you to quickly find information about people, topics, and events. OldNews is a $99 annual subscription-based service that offers a 7-day free trial. This website allows genealogists, educators, researchers, and history buffs to find articles about historical figures and events. With OldNews, you can discover stories about your ancestors and gain deeper insight into different moments in history. Browse…
Groq is a startup developing chips that run GenAI models faster than traditional hardware, with an eye on the enterprise and public sector. Today, Groq announced the creation of a new division, Groq Systems, focused on significantly expanding its customer and developer ecosystem. Groq Systems' scope is to serve organizations, including government agencies, that want to add Groq chips to existing data centers or build new data centers using Groq processors. In forming the new division, Groq acquired Definitive Intelligence, a Palo Alto-based company that provides a wide range of business-oriented AI solutions, including chatbots, data analysis tools, and document…
Considering Instagram revealed this week that it's working on a “friend map” feature, it was interesting and timely to come across a startup during Mobile World Congress that plans to go even further than that. Swayy is her iPhone app startup that allows you to share your information. the current location, but your Next appointment location. It could be hours, weeks, or even months away. So why on earth would anyone want to do that? The advantage, as founder Dene Westrop told me, is that “you don't have to constantly coordinate with friends via text or phone calls, and the…
Apple has reversed its decision to block web apps, also known as progressive web apps (PWAs), on iPhones in the European Union. The company has updated its developer page to say that after receiving numerous requests for support for PWAs, it will be bringing back the feature in the upcoming iOS 17.4. PWAs behave like native apps and give you access to a variety of features on your device without taking up much space on your phone. These apps can also send you notifications and keep you logged in to the service. As first pointed out by security researcher Tommy…
CommandBar, a B2B tool designed to make software easier to use, closed $4.8 million in funding in 2021 with one of the boldest minimalist decks I've ever seen. The deck only has seven slides and is missing a ton of really important information, but that didn't stop Thrive Capital and Y Combinator from opening their checkbooks. We're looking for more unique proposal decks, so if you'd like to submit your own, you can do so in the following ways: This deck slide cover slide product slide Demo slides (with link to Loom demo) paper slides Problem/Conflict Situation Slide value proposition…
The U.S. National Security Agency has confirmed that hackers exploiting a flaw in Ivanti's widely used enterprise VPN appliance targeted organizations across the U.S. defense sector. NSA spokesman Edward Bennett said in an emailed statement to TechCrunch on Friday that the U.S. intelligence community, along with interagency intelligence agencies, is “tracking the broader impact of the recent misuse of Ivanti products. I am aware of it,” he admitted. [sic] Department of Defense of the United States. ” ” [NSA’s] “The Cybersecurity Collaboration Center continues to work with our partners to detect and mitigate this activity,” the spokesperson added. Confirmation that…
Travel-focused startups that could have been wiped out by the coronavirus pandemic have instead flourished. TravelJoy, a company that provides a suite of tools to travel entrepreneurs and travel operators, now has customers spending more than $1 billion annually as interest in travel revived in the U.S. in the months following the pandemic. exceeds. The company is now turning to AI to power the next phase of growth for its business. For co-founder and CEO Dayo Esho, the idea for TravelJoy came from growing up in the travel industry and supporting his mother's travel agency business. “I knew there was…
Everbridge, a critical event management (CEM) software company, will be taken private and acquired by private equity giant Thoma Bravo in a $1.8 billion all-cash deal. This is 20% more than the amount originally announced last month.* Founded in 2002 as 3N Global, Everbridge helps governments and businesses across all industries respond to emergencies. This includes risk intelligence to help assess the threat landscape where employees live and travel, and mass notification tools to communicate effectively. Important messages during bad weather or terrorist attacks. Everbridge listed on the Nasdaq in 2016, and the stock hit an all-time high in September…
Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello. Welcome to Equity, the startup business podcast. Uncover the numbers and nuances behind the headlines. This is a Friday episode that delves into the week's most important stories and themes. Here's what Mary Ann and Alex thought: Stripe's reputation will recover. As part of the tender offer, Stripe is now valued at $65 billion. The company's valuation has waxed and waned in recent years as the company works to adapt large companies to private markets. As you can imagine, Alex has ideas about when to publish. Fervo Energy’s $200+ million round:…