Author: TechBrunch

Following a series of lawsuits and criticisms that have allegedly failed to protect minor users from harm, the character AI, a startup that allows users to create different AI characters and talk to them via phone or text, said Tuesday it is rolling out a new set of parental supervision tools to increase the safety of teenage users. Character AI provides Guardians and parents with a summary of teenage activities on the app via weekly email. Emails are likely to show the average amount of time a child spends on the app and the web, how long they spend talking…

French VC company Daphni has announced the first closure of its new fund, Daphni Blue. The company raised 200 million euros (approximately $215 million at its current exchange rate). It plans to raise 250 million euros ($270 million) by the end of the year. Daphni's most notable past investments include Back Market, Swill, Hub Cycle and Pascal. Overall, the company has invested in 70 European startups since 2015. Daphni has the latest fund and plans to invest in 40 more startups. Daphni Blue's limited partners include Crédit Mutuel Arkéa, Bpifrance, European Investment Fund, Pro BTP, and Swen Capital Partners. “We…

Founders Future, a Paris-based VC company, is a VC company with managed assets (approximately $324 million at current exchange rates), and has opened capital for the Future's Future funds and the holding company that manages Sowefund. The company sold 25% of its holding company to MACSF, the Dassault family, CMA CGM group and others. Since 2018, Founders Future has had an interesting track record of early stage bets at Lydia, Alma, Taster, La Fourche, Riot, Swan, Yuka, and many other startups covered by TechCrunch. Overall, the company has invested in 110 companies with two early stage funds and a growth…

The Trump administration's national security leader mistakenly included Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg in a chat about a signal discussing a secret plan to attack Yemen's Houtis. “We couldn't believe that US national security leadership would communicate about signals about the imminent war plans,” Goldberg wrote about his March 15 message. Signals and other commercial technology platforms are not permitted to share sensitive information among government officials. Goldberg was first thought to be misleading by bad actors trying to plant false stories in the Atlantic. However, a national security council spokesman later confirmed to the Atlantic that this was a real…

US Treasury officials have lifted sanctions on tornado cash, a crypto mixer that the US government previously said was used to stolen 7 billion worth of crypto theft by North Korean hackers. In a statement, the Treasury said it had “execute our discretion” to abolish tornado cash following the legal battle. Sanctions make it illegal for Americans or US companies to trade with listed entities. Cryptographic mixers allow customers to hide where the cryptography comes from, including contaminated or illegal funds, by merging the funds with other cryptography. In 2022, the Treasury denounced the “notorious” tornado cash for stolen codes…

Ukraine's state-owned railway operator Ukruzariznitya said he was hit by a massive cyber attack on Monday. CyberAttack has affected online ticket sales via the mobile app, but the trains continue to operate, according to a statement from the railway operator on the official Telegram channel. Ukraine-based journalist Dalina Antoniuk reported the confusion in records from Kiev's central station, writing that the capital's main railway station was “unusually crowded on Monday morning, with dozens waiting to buy tickets for travel in Ukraine and abroad.” In his announcement (for each machine translation): “As a last resort, if you don't have time to…

Call all tech innovators, startup fanatics, marketing gurus and emerging VCs. This is your moment! You've been waiting long enough, and now it's time to plunge into the spotlight at TechCrunch's 2025 TechCrunch Strupt, which will take place in San Francisco from October 27-29. Share your expertise with over 10,000 enthusiastic participants and host roundtable or breakout sessions to make an impact. Apply to speak on TechCrunch 2025 It curates a diverse group of industry experts to lead interactive breakout sessions and roundtable discussions, covering key topics that are most important to startup founders and entrepreneurs. Do you think it…

TechCrunch All Stage will return to Boston, Massachusetts on July 15th to Jam Pack Day for actionable insights to drive startup growth no matter what stage the founder is at. With an expert-led lineup of sessions, founders leave practical strategies that can be implemented immediately. Investors are there too, and want to find the next great opportunity to network and support them. The perfect blend of learning, connection and innovation. Previously known as the early stages, events reflect the success of a startup occurs at all levels. Book your tickets now and save up to $320 on the Early Bird…

DNA and genetic testing company 23AndMe is in disarray following a 2023 data breaches and its continued financial decline. The once-pioneering giant faces an uncertain future as bankruptcy looms on the company, increasing concern about what will happen to genetic data for around 15 million customers at 23andMe. Best known for its saliva-based test kits that allow you to get a glimpse into a person's genetic ancestors, 23andMe has plummeted more than 99% from its $6 billion peak since its release in early 2021 after not passing profits. That lack of benefits was attributed to the inactive growth of subscription…

According to reports from local media, Furiosaai, a Korean startup that manufactures chips for AI applications, rejected a $800 million acquisition offer from Meta and chose to instead focus on the development and production of AI chips. The report says that negotiations have collapsed due to differences in opinion regarding post-acquisition business strategies and organizational structures rather than pricing issues. Along with other tech companies building large language models (LLMS) for a variety of AI applications, Meta is looking to reduce its dependence on NVIDIA for chips specialized in training and building LLMS. Last year, the tech giant unveiled custom…