Techstars is laying off 17% of its workforce and will end its $80 million J.P. Morgan-backed AdvancingCities program once the fund is completely deployed at the end of this year, TechCrunch has learned. The AdvancingCities program, which launched in 2022, saw the launch of accelerator programs across the nation in cities like Oakland, New York,
Month: August 2024
Last year’s investor dreams of a strong 2024 IPO pipeline have faded, if not fully disappeared, as we settle in to the second half of the year. This year delivered four venture-backed tech IPOs — Reddit, Astera Labs, Ibotta and Rubrik — in March and April, which made it seem like this year could spur
Nothing on Wednesday announced that its budget-focused Phone 2a Plus is now available stateside. As has been the case with the London-based firm’s other handsets, however, there are a few hoops required to purchase the device in the U.S. The world’s third-largest smartphone market has been notoriously difficult to break into for decades now. Carrier
A U.K. space startup has revealed plans to launch its first satellite as part of SpaceX’s rideshare program, ushering in what it claims will be a “new era of space research,” where astronomy data is collected, packaged and sold “as a service.” Similar to previous missions, SpaceX’s Transporter 15 program next year will use a
Defense tech startup Anduril has closed what will almost certainly end up being one of the largest funding rounds of the year: a $1.5 billion deal that values the company at $14 billion. Anduril has ambitions of becoming the next great American defense contractor, joining a class of companies that has shrunk to just five
The $79 K2 has long been one of Keychron’s bestselling mechanical keyboards. As with all of the company’s K-line boards, it offers a relatively no-frills experience but provides all of the advantages of a mechanical keyboard in an affordable package with a 75% layout (which means you get arrow keys and a row of function
Most startups are looking to solve a problem inside a business, but Bandana, a New York City-based startup has a different goal. It wants to help people at the lower end of the wage scale find better jobs with higher wages and good benefits, all while being closer to home to reduce commuting time. Today,
Digital transformation — the process of transforming outdated apps and processes with cloud technologies and digital workflows — can be a risky undertaking. In 2023, Harvard Business Review reported that while 89% of large companies have a digital and AI transformation underway, they’ve only captured 31% of the expected revenue uplift and 25% of anticipated
Google’s been on a consumer hardware jag in August. On Tuesday, the company announced the long-awaited new Nest Thermostat, along with Google TV Streamer, which replaces the 11-year-old Chromecast line. Next Tuesday at Made by Google 2024, the software giant is refreshing the Pixel line with a slew of new smartphones. Previous years’ Made by
Every piece of software needs to go through software quality assurance testing. It usually involves a human tester creating a series of test cases, and then checking the software interface for bugs and other issues. On Tuesday, MuukTest, a Raleigh, North Carolina startup, announced a new AI agent designed to help build those tests in
New York-based fintech Payoneer has acquired Skuad, a Singapore-based global HR and payroll startup, for $61 million in cash, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. Payoneer said it could also pay up to another $10 million, contingent on if Skuad meets various performance goals within the first 18 months of the acquisition. Payoneer also committed to
Automattic, the owner of WordPress.com, has launched a new AI tool designed to help bloggers write more clearly and succinctly. The tool joins a swathe of writing assistants launched over recent years by the likes of privacy app maker Proton as well as the mighty Google. Write Brief with AI, as Automattic’s new tool is
Are you a Series A to B startup looking to make a significant impact in the tech world? The ScaleUp Startups Exhibitor Program at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 is your gateway to success. This program is designed to catapult your startup into the spotlight, connecting you with industry leaders, investors, and potential partners. Benefits of joining
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky suggested on Tuesday’s Q2 earnings call with investors that the company will soon expand into new products and services, including co-hosting, a relaunch of Airbnb’s “experiences,” guest services and more. The company positioned the upcoming offerings as a way for Airbnb to grow its revenue by becoming known for doing more
After nine long years, Google is finally refreshing the device that gave Nest its name. The company Tuesday announced the launch of the Nest Learning Thermostat 4, 13 years after the release of the original and nearly a decade after the Learning Thermostat 3. Google hopes this release will usher in a new era for
Live sports are finally moving onto streaming in a serious way, with a new service called Venu Sports set to launch this fall. This is a joint venture between Disney and Fox (which are part of the same company), as well as Warner Bros. Discovery. It will include 14 live sports channels, including the various
Decentralized X competitor Bluesky, a startup offering a social network where users can choose their own algorithm and moderation services, announced on Monday the addition of a new board member, Mike Masnick. Best known as the founder of tech blog Techdirt, Masnick is also credited with inspiring the Bluesky project through his paper titled “Protocols,
When Nick Frosst was in college over a decade ago, he was worried he was a little late to the AI game. Frosst, a co-founder of enterprise AI startup Cohere, said on a recent episode of TechCrunch’s Found podcast that he came to this conclusion in 2012 after Geoffrey Hinton released his research that showed
Chances are you’ve been there: Your formerly hot shower suddenly turns cold, darkening your mood in the process. Maybe someone in your household took an extra shower or you did a few too many loads of laundry. It’s a classic case of supply not meeting demand. Michael Rigney thinks he can predict when a household
Along with a long-awaited update to the Nest Learning Thermostat, Google on Tuesday unveiled its latest set-top streaming box ahead of the company’s Made by Google 2024 event next week. Google TV Streamer’s arrival marks the end of the Chromecast line. With more than a 100 million sold over an 11-year life, it was a
Amazon Music announced Tuesday the launch of its new AI-powered feature, “Topics,” which allows users to explore podcast episodes by specific topics discussed in the episode. When you visit the page of a podcast episode, look for new Topic tags below the episode description. You can tap on a tag to see a list of
Groq, a startup developing chips to run generative AI models faster than conventional processors, said on Monday that it’s raised $640 million in a new funding round led by Blackrock. Neuberger Berman, Type One Ventures, Cisco, KDDI and Samsung Catalyst Fund also participated. The tranche, which brings Groq’s total raised to over $1 billion and
Location data, for better or worse, continues to be a part of the bedrock of how apps are built. Now a startup developing AI market research based on that location data, Placer.ai, has quietly raised $75 million at an expanded valuation of nearly $1.5 billion, TechCrunch has learned. The startup provides a wide range of
For once, the iPad was the highlight of Apple’s latest sales numbers. The company said in its third quarter earnings report that iPad sales increased year-over-year, from $5.8 billion to $7.2 billion. The reason for that growth is probably new versions of the iPad Air and iPad Pro, which were announced in May. Turns out
From golf to fishing to pickleball, outdoor sports and recreation saw a boom during the pandemic. But unlike some pandemic-driven trends (virtual conferences, Zoom happy hours), the interest in outdoor activities has stuck. By the end of 2023, outdoor participation grew to a record 175.8 million people, or 57% of all Americans aged 6 and
When Mosa Meat served up a first-of-its-kind, lab-grown hamburger in 2013, it cost over $300,000. Eleven years later, around 200 startups worldwide remain hopeful that growing meat from cells, rather than slaughtering animals, will one day be a major portion of our food supply. Despite their optimism, such success is not a given. In 2024,
Sri Lanka isn’t renowned for its startup ecosystem, but one company has been something of an outlier in the South Asian island nation these past two decades. An open source enterprise software provider with customers such as Samsung, Axa, and AT&T, WSO2 recently agreed to be acquired by private equity giant EQT, at a valuation
The humble garage is so steeped in Silicon Valley lore it’s almost cliché. Yet that’s exactly how Caleb Boyd and Kevin Bush started Molten Industries: in the garage of the Stanford professor’s on-campus home, where Kevin rented an apartment. It had everything they needed: space and, most importantly, power. The two wanted to break methane’s
Peloton had one of the most turbulent half decades in tech. The home fitness firm experienced some of the industry’s highest highs and lowest lows in dizzying succession. It’s the story of buzzy startup that became the target of a cult-like following among influencers and fitness fanatics. A global pandemic shot the brand to unknown
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. This week we are looking at acquisitions of small startups, two new unicorns, wearable AI devices, and VCs who are supporting Kamala Harris. Let’s get into it. Most interesting startup stories from the week Image Credits: Bloomberg