Author: TechBrunch
Earlier this week, the Instagram thread launched what the company said was Direct Messages (DMS), the most requested feature to date. However, the company is currently facing user backlash over the addition, as users claim that they are citing harassment concerns, primarily by claiming that there is a way for women to opt out of DMS entirely. DMs are part of other social networks that resemble threads like X, Bluesky, Mastodon, and others, but some thread users previously admitted it wasn't an option. “I don't want to receive a DM. How can I shut this down? I ask on behalf…
Procuring in 2025 doesn't look like it went in 2021. That's exactly what's important. At all stages at Boston's Sowa Power Station on July 15th, Kristen Craft, head of business development for Fidelity Private Share, will lead a roundtable titled “It's Not Not Not Not 201. Navigate 2025 VC Landscape.” In this conversation, craft guides new norms in venture capital. From changing investor expectations to scrutiny of business models, she explores what it takes to succeed in a market that no longer rewards unconfirmed growth or vague roadmap. And it's easier than ever to get that fresh perspective on how…
Investing in a Y-combinator startup can bring great benefits to investors. “Looking at the data, 6% of YC companies become unicorns, and 6% of those 6% become big cones,” Kulveer Taggar told TechCrunch. Taggar is a YC alum best known for establishing Zeus Living, a property management startup that has raised over $150 million. Taggar is so confident in the potential for continued returns that it offers by its well-known accelerators, that it has established Lin Capital, a venture company dedicated to investing in YC companies. Since launching last year, Lin has raised $34 million in capital from two funds.…
Imagine messaging a friend on the Facebook Messenger app or WhatsApp. Imagine receiving unsolicited messages from an AI chatbot who is obsessed with movies. “I hope you have a harmonious day!” it writes. “Did you want to check in and see if you've recently discovered a new favorite soundtrack or composer? Or do you want some recommendations for the night of the next film? Let us know and we'll be happy to help!” This is a real example of a sample AI persona named “The Magical Maestro of Movies” that could potentially send as an active message about Messenger, WhatsApp,…
The ransomware gang known as Hunter International announced on Thursday it was shutting down on a dark webpage. “We have carefully considered it and decided to close the Hunter International Project in light of recent developments,” Hacker wrote in the post. “This decision has not been underestimated and we recognize the impact that it will have on the organizations we interact with.” The hacker also said it offers free decryption keys “to all businesses affected by our ransomware.” “Our goal is to allow us to recover encrypted data without the burden of paying the ransom,” the gang wrote, asking victims…
Funding is already difficult – don't make your messy cap tables difficult. On July 15th, TechCrunch All Stage, founders will have them take a look behind the scenes what they really need to do to keep going smoothly during “Preparing for Raise: Best Practices for Cap Tables to Help You Quickly Close Cap Table Best Practices.” Hosted at the foundation stage, the conversation brings together seasoned legality, financial and founder voices to share what works, what slows things down, and what actually needs to close quickly. From legal preparations to stock clarity and investor expectations, this is a session built…
AI agents are reshaping how work is done across the industry, disrupting 2025 with TechCrunch, and one of the key voices of that transformation is taking its way into the AI stage. Writer CEO and co-founder May Habib will join San Francisco on October 27-29, joining a fireplace orientation chat where businesses dive deep into how AI can operate at large and speed. With over 10,000 startups and VC leaders taking part in the event, the session is set to be one of the most timely and discussed conversations about the agenda. Within the Enterprise AI Revolution As a writer…
This year, Flashes launched an Instagram alternative built on top of the Bluesky social network. It is now available on the App Store. This app offers another way to view visual posts on Bluesky. Instead of viewing them in a timeline-like feed similar to X, the app draws inspiration from photo-based social networks like Instagram. Things you can post Built by Berlin-based developer Sebastian Vogelsang, the app runs on the same underlying protocol that enhances Bluesky to the AT protocol (or Atproto for short). This means that the same requirements you see directly on Bluesky have the same requirements for…
Over the past year, Subrack has significantly expanded its video tools for creators, evolving from a platform primarily dedicated to newsletters. On Wednesday, Subrack announced a new feature aimed at helping publishers grow and promote their livestreams. Recent updates allow creators to share clips of live video on their notebooks. Substack notifies you of performance in real time. This allows publishers to decide which clips to upload to other platforms, such as YouTube shorts, to reach more viewers. When a creator connects to their YouTube account, the top two clips will be uploaded to the Shorts channel. This new feature…
One of Vibe-Coding's world's beloved figures and one of Europe's fastest-growing AI startups, Lovable is committed to raising more than $150 million at a valuation of nearly $2 billion, according to the Financial Times. The salary increases and huge step-ups in valuation come just a few months after the Swedish startup raised a $15 million round led by Creandum in February. The company described the round as “PreSeries A” to TechCrunch, but with the numbers so large, it's safe to say that Lovable jumped from seed rounds to price growth rounds, no matter what the serial alphabet labels might be.…