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Pornhub has been playing a game of chicken with many state legislatures for some time. Last year, the obscenity merchant blocked access to users in Mississippi, Virginia, and Utah.
And this week, if you live in the Lone Star State, the site was removed from the internet. That's right, Texans are now officially banned from Pornhub's hallowed halls unless they're crafty enough to use a VPN to get past their digital bouncers. This epic development was made possible thanks to the fight over age verification laws that has been popping up like unwanted weeds in various states.
In a development that shouldn't surprise anyone, Pornhub is reluctant to ask patrons to present a digital ID at the door. Rumors about this have been going on for a while, but the site chose to ban Texans rather than risk data security, citing concerns that privacy advocates would nod at. It's a bold move, especially considering it initially followed a similar law in Louisiana. As you might imagine, this pretty much puts an end to access, since users who want to see humans turned into beasts from behind aren't necessarily keen on uploading their driver's licenses before indulging in a carnal feast. was struck.
Pornhub isn't exactly a startup, but why is it a focus of our Startups Weekly newsletter? Well, we're adult entertainment enthusiasts and deeply fascinated by the power struggles between corporations and regulations. I thought you might share that fascination. If not, don't worry. In the remainder of this edition, we will not repeat those points that cannot be mentioned again.
Continuing with last week’s slightly less exciting story…
This week's most interesting startup stories
Image credit: TechCrunch
In the latest episode of “Corporate Drama: Techstars Chronicles,” the main character, Techstars CEO Mael Gavet, takes part in a Zoom meeting, which causes some spicy reactions. Gavet reveals that Advance Cities Fund, an $80 million venture aimed at supporting underrepresented founders, is not the rainbow bridge to diversity he had hoped for. . Financial giant JP Morgan, whose customers dreamed of a diversified dividend, suddenly held its breath.
“It looks like you’ve been having fun lately,” my friend said as we sat down to have coffee. In the middle of my dining room table was a device he said looked a lot like a sex toy. Moonbird's raison d'être isn't to get your pulse racing and your breathing heavy. In fact, quite the opposite. The Belgian company has helped more than 35,000 customers sleep better and reduce stress through breathing techniques.
Will an IPO bode well?: Reddit, the digital watering hole for everything from cat memes to existential debates, is strutting toward an IPO with the confidence of a peacock in heat. , is aiming for a valuation that fluctuates between “impressive” and “attractive.” Im kidding? ” At a per-share price tag that might make Scrooge McDuck think twice, Reddit is aiming for a valuation of more than $5 billion, calling itself “We're a great deal'' and “We're not making a profit.'' However, it is positioned somewhere in the middle. Have you seen our AI plans? ”
We detected some issues. Inscribe, an AI-powered fraud detection startup, cut its cast by nearly 40%. Even though he received a top $25 million Series B funding round, Inscribe found itself facing the harsh reality of missed revenue goals and a brick-walled market. I did.
You can get a GPU! Get a GPU!: AI2 Incubator is for AI startups looking to hit the jackpot and sprinkle some computing magic by acquiring $200 million in compute resources from anonymous sources. She is the fairy godmother.
This week's most interesting fundraisers
Image credit: Pallet Exchange (Opens in new window)
In the latest “because the world definitely needed more of this” news, Tavus, a startup that is essentially a modern-day digital Frankenstein, is creating human clones for personalized video campaigns. The company invested $18 million to perfect the technology to create digital replicas. Nothing says “personal touch” more than a clone CEO thanking you for your purchase. The four-year-old generative AI whiz has now opened up its platform to third-party software integrations and is on a mission to personalize sales and marketing in the creepiest possible way.
The words “disruption” are thrown around like confetti on a parade, but Ted Schlein and his merry band of cybersecurity musketeers at Ballistic Ventures are completely medieval in this industry. I decided to take on the challenge. Schlein launched Ballistic a few years ago with a whopping $300 million, and now he's going even bigger with a $360 million sequel. Unlike the “don't bother me” hands-off approach of their fellow VCs, Ballistic's staff get along very well with startups, stopping short of moving in and giving “value-added investor” a whole new meaning. is bringing about. ”
Brother, would you like to buy NFTs?: Remember NFTs? Pallet Exchange is making people's dreams of trading digital trinkets on a blockchain that no one has heard of yet come true. Co-founders Kelvin Wang and Davey Lee had just finished their stint at the Web 3 gaming playground, and they somehow managed to convince investors that there was a future somewhere in NFTs for 250. I convinced him to part with his million dollars.
A small pickup truck attracts top talent. In a world obsessed with the idea that “bigger is better,” Telo Trucks has zigged where other trucks zig and unveiled a vehicle that will amaze light truck enthusiasts and fleet managers alike. Telo raised his impressive $5.4 million in funding and added the Tesla co-founder to its board of directors.
Let's take it to the grave. Death will continue to exist as inconveniently as taxes. And Empathy has emerged as a tech-savvy fairy godmother for bereaved families, swooping in with a $47 million cash injection to sprinkle digital magic on the menial task of post-mortem paperwork. and the grieving process.
Other must-see TechCrunch articles…
Every week there are several articles that I would like to share with you, but for some reason they do not fit into the above categories. It would be a shame if you missed it, so I'd like to introduce you to a bag containing random goods.
Surprise, Rivian!: Last week, Rivian made a surprise announcement of an all-electric hatchback called the R3. At the event, which was ostensibly about the new R2, the company made “one more” big announcement in his Apple style. SUV.
Dawn is LLM: Elon Musk's AI startup xAI will open source Grok, its chatbot to rival ChatGPT, this week. This came just days after he complained that he was straying from his roots.
Some people are typing: It's rare to see an established company burn through three CEOs in less than a year. But due to circumstances beyond our control, that's what happened with Slack.
Coming to an impasse: Phantom Auto, a remote-driving startup launched seven years ago amid talk of self-driving technology, is shutting down after failing to secure new funding.
Those heavy feelings: Lucid Motors is at risk of losing the trademark for its SUV's Gravity name months before production is scheduled to begin.