TechCrunch Industry News

UK clears $8.1B merger between NortonLifeLock and Avast

05 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has formally cleared the proposed $8.1 billion merger between cybersecurity giants NortonLifeLock...

Google will allow alternative payment systems for Play Store in more countries

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Google announced today it’s expanding the user choice billing program for Play Store — which lets users choose alternative payment systems for in-...

Disney+ will reportedly launch in-app commerce features by year’s end

02 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Disney is looking at ways for viewers to buy themed merchandise and accessories by scanning a QR code in the Disney+ app, according to a report from t...

OneSignal lands $50M to automatically optimize SMS, in-app and email campaigns

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

OneSignal, a platform that powers notifications for mobile apps and more, today announced that it raised $50 million in a Series C round led by BAM El...

Twitter’s attempt to monetize porn reportedly halted due to child safety warnings

01 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite serving as the online watercooler for journalists, politicians and VCs, Twitter isn’t the most profitable social network on the block. Lea...

China’s NetEase snaps up French video game studio Quantic Dream

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

NetEase, a Chinese technology company and billion-dollar video-game publisher, has acquired French video-game studio Quantic Dream. Learn more about y...

PostEx acquires Call Courier to become Pakistan’s larger e-commerce service provider

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pakistani fintech PostEx has acquired logistics service provider Call Courier, creating what it describes as the largest e-commerce service provider i...

Musk cites whistleblower allegations in fresh attempt to backtrack on $44B Twitter acquisition

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk is adding allegations from Twitter security whistleblower Peiter “Mudge” Zatko to his list of reasons for pulling out of the $44 billion...

Honda and LG Energy plan to build a $4.4 billion lithium-ion plant in the US

30 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Honda is the latest car company with plans to manufacture lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...

NASA scrubs Artemis I launch due to technical issue

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After much fanfare, including a crop of celebrity appearances and the arrival of Vice President Kamala Harris, NASA said it was scrubbing today’s fi...

T-Mobile phones will connect to Starlink for free starting next year

29 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

T-Mobile and SpaceX have announced that Starlink satellites launched next year will be able to connect directly to the carrier’s phones over existin...

Zuckerberg says Meta’s next VR headset will launch in October and will focus on ‘social presence’

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Meta is launching its next VR headset this October at the company’s Connect conference. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a...

$10B crypto developer platform Alchemy buys coding bootcamp in first-ever acquisition

26 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Web3 developer infrastructure startup Alchemy, which last raised a $200 million Series C1 last February, has just made its first acquisition ever — ...

Instagram is now allowing users to share posts, Reels, and locations through QR codes

25 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Instagram is now allowing users to share anyone’s posts or Reels through a QR code. What’s more, users can also share a QR code location through i...

Strange Facebook bug is spamming everyone’s feed with celebrity page posts

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Facebook said Wednesday that it’s aware that some users are seeing bizarre posts on their feeds and assured it’s working to resolve the issue. Lea...

Dutchie launches new cannabis Point of Sale platform with its own dual-screen register

24 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Dutchie today is announcing a new cannabis point of sale platform, including a dual-screen terminal for dispensaries. Called Dutchie POS, this comes j...

Ex-Apple engineer admits stealing automotive trade secrets

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A case concerning Apple’s driving trade secrets which started in 2018 has come to a close. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.co...

Human drivers in UK won’t be liable for accidents when vehicle is self-driving

23 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Manufacturers operating self-driving vehicles in the UK will be liable for a vehicle’s actions when in autonomous mode, according to the country’s...

Zencastr adds editing and distro in bid to become a full-service podcast offering

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Zencastr has been my go-to podcast recording platform for a while now, owing to an innovative system that records each participant’s channel locally...

Otter.ai challenger Airgram raises $10M to transcribe and time your video calls

22 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There’re plenty of tools out there competing to help people make their video calls breezier. Some, like voice transcription service Otter.ai, have b...

Lincoln’s latest EV concept is a grand tourer land yacht with a sprinkle of 1920s nostalgia

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lincoln revealed Thursday during Monterey Car Week its vision for future EVs — while commemorating its centennial year — with the debut of the Lin...

Revolut to allow users to donate to the homeless via the Beam crowdfunding platform

19 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The world is entering a huge cost of living crisis, which will inevitably result in a rise in homelessness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...

This new $100M fund plans to focus on startups accelerating the science around longevity

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Longevity-focused startups have been proliferating in recent years as we become more focused on our health. However, it’s not just about apps to get...

Funding Circle cofounder unveils new Super Payments fintech venture with $27M investment

18 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Funding Circle cofounder Samir Desai has unveiled a new U.K. fintech startup called Super Payments, a venture he founded back in February but which ve...

Incredible Health passes unicorn valuation as it bags $80M Series B

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Incredible Health, a US-based job-matching platform which made nurses its first focus, has closed an $80 million Series B funding round and announced ...

Polestar is launching an EV roadster in 2026 called the Polestar 6

17 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Electric vehicle maker Polestar said Tuesday that it is expanding its lineup to include an 884-horsepower hard-top convertible with recycled polyester...

Meta launches Horizon Worlds in France and Spain

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In an effort to expand its social platform for virtual reality, Horizon Worlds, Meta is launching it in France and Spain today. Learn more about your ...

Tencent veterans secure $13M to build cross-chain decentralized identities

16 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There is a host of startups working on decentralized identities for the next generation of the internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podca...

Uber to sunset free loyalty program in favor of subscription membership

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ride-hailing giant Uber is shutting down its free loyalty program, Uber Rewards, so it can focus on its subscription-based Uber One membership. Learn ...

US unmasks alleged Conti ransomware operative, offers $10M for intel

15 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The U.S. government said it will offer up to $10 million for information related to five people believed to be high-ranking members of the notorious R...

Suspected Tornado Cash developer arrested in Amsterdam

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The Dutch government agency responsible for investigating financial crimes said it has arrested a developer suspected of being involved with crypto mi...

Google Meet’s new feature lets users consume YouTube and Spotify together

12 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As Google continues the great merger between its Duo and Meet video communications apps, the company today announced that it’s introducing new Apple...

Farther, a wealth tech firm, banks $15M Series A as valuation hits $50M

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Farther provides two sets of tools, one for advisors to expand their businesses and one for clients to invest in ways that align with their goals. Lea...

Weedmaps for Business debuts as a SaaS suite for cannabis retailers and brands

11 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Veteran cannabis tech company WM Technology is rebranding and expanding its SaaS offering to move upstream beyond its existing Weedmaps marketplace. L...

Joby Aviation’s contract with U.S. Air Force expands to include Marines

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The United States Department of Defense is deepening its relationship with electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company Joby Aviati...

South Korea to probe Apple and Google over in-app payment rule break

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

South Korea’s communication watchdog, the Korea Communications Commission (KCC), said Tuesday it will investigate Apple and Google over potential vi...

WhatsApp extends time limit to delete a message to 60 hours

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

WhatsApp now allows you to delete a message for up to two days and 12 hours (60 hours in total), so you can remove an accidentally sent chat even afte...

Bitmain co-founder welcomes crypto regulation to restore market confidence

09 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The collapse of Three Arrow Capital and the counterparties wrapped in the crypto hedge fund’s troubles have drawn questions about the soundness of t...

Google is suing Sonos over patent infringement once again

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Google is suing Sonos (again) over patent infringement in what seems to be an unending legal fight series between two tech companies. Learn more about...

Amazon is buying iRobot for $1.7B

08 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon this morning announced plans to acquire Roomba maker iRobot for an all-cash deal valued at $1.7 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

Get ready for a HBO Max – Discovery+ mashup app in 2023

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The headline of Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings call was something a lot of people dreaded: HBO Max and Discovery+ are merging into a new service....

Toyota-backed robotaxi unicorn Pony.ai sues ex-employees over trade secrets

05 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous vehicle company valued at $8.5 billion as of late, has sued two former employees over alleged trade secret infringement....

Samsung brings Amazon Luna games to its smart TVs and monitors

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Samsung announced Wednesday that it’s bringing more than 250 games to the Samsung Gaming Hub through the Amazon Luna streaming-based gaming service....

Thousands of Solana wallets drained in multimillion dollar exploit

04 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Solana, an increasingly popular blockchain known for its speedy transactions, has become the target of the crypto sphere’s latest hack. Learn more a...

Uber’s ride with Indian food delivery firm Zomato comes to an end

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Uber’s ride with Zomato has concluded. The ride-hailing firm sold its 7.8% stake of the lossmaking Indian food delivery firm on Wednesday for over $...

Discord says Android users won’t be left hanging anymore

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Discord announced new measures to bring its Android app into parity with its iOS counterpart today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...

Sheryl Sandberg officially stepped down as Meta COO on August 1, filing shows

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We knew it was happening, but Meta has confirmed that its long-standing chief operating officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg has departed from her role as of...

After dominating the short video market, TikTok may be considering a music service

02 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok parent company ByteDance filed a trademark application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in May for a service called “TikTok Music.”...

Indian telecom firms bid $19 billion in 5G auction

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Telecom operators in India bid slightly over $19 billion in the government auction for the 5G airwaves, the highest from them in any spectrum sale, as...

US-based fintech Umba buys majority stake in Kenya’s Daraja microfinance bank

01 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Umba, a US-based digital bank with a focus on emerging markets, has acquired a majority shareholding of Daraja, a Kenyan deposit-taking microfinance b...

Twitter is increasing the price of Twitter Blue from $2.99 to $4.99 per month

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Twitter is increasing the price of its subscription service, Twitter Blue, from $2.99 to $4.99 per month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podc...

Gmail rolls out its latest Material You redesign and search improvements to all users

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you feel like you’ve seen a lot of “Gmail redesign roll out” posts in the last few months, it’s not just you: Google has been teasing and t...

DealCart is focused on price-conscious Pakistani consumers

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The price of consumer goods has been soaring all around the world, creating a major budgeting headache for many people. Social commerce startup DealCa...

Google Maps is rolling out location sharing notifications and immersive view for landmarks

28 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Google Maps is introducing three features today in different categories including an aerial view of 100 landmarks, detailed cycling routes, and improv...

Spotify exits short-lived Car Thing hardware play, as reports Q2 MAUs of 433M, offsetting Russia exit and service outage

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Spotify’s push to complement its music streaming with a big move into podcasting and related content appears to be paying off, despite the ups and d...

Corporate travel tech platform Spotnana nabs $75M

27 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Spotnana, a self-proclaimed “travel-as-a-service” platform that targets corporations, travel management firms, and other technology companies with...

Snyk adds policy-based code security to its arsenal

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Last year was a pretty good one for Snyk, a Boston-based security company. It raised a hefty $530 million on a $8.5 billion valuation, and with that k...

Netflix’s iOS app now has a sign up button that takes you to its website

26 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Netflix’s app on iOS now has a signup button that will redirect you to its site so you can subscribe to one of its plans with the company paying no ...

Real driverless cars are now legal in China’s tech hub Shenzhen

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

There are plenty of autonomous driving vehicles testing on the roads of Shenzhen today: Pony.ai, Baidu, DeepRoute, AutoX, you name it. Learn more abou...

Mexican region gives Tesla and its suppliers a dedicated border crossing lane

25 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tesla suppliers traveling from Nuevo León, Mexico, to Texas now have their very own dedicated border patrol lane. Learn more about your ad choices. V...

Google’s Pixel 6a is a budget device with the heart of a flagship

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It’s probably hyperbole to credit Google’s Pixel A devices for single-handedly keeping the broader line alive during some admittedly lean times. L...

Meati Foods sinks teeth into $150M to expand its mushroom-root meat operations

22 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After five years of research, Meati Foods is poised to begin shipping its plant-based meat product later this year. Learn more about your ad choices. ...

Just Eat Takeaway scales back in France as market value drops 84% in 10 months

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Just Eat Takeaway is cutting 390 jobs from its workforce in France, constituting part of a broader global restructuring effort as the food delivery gi...

China’s $1B fine on Didi could end the mobility giant’s troubled year

21 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Didi, the Chinese ride hailing behemoth that has undergone a year of regulatory overhaul, faces a fine of over 8 billion yuan ($1.28 billion) from the...

Google expands its photo and canvas printing service to Europe and Canada

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Google is expanding its photo and canvas prints service to Europe and Canada. Google has offered printed photo books in the U.S. since 2017, a service...

Microsoft u-turns on policy that would’ve banned commercial open source apps

20 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Microsoft has confirmed that it won’t be introducing a previously announced new policy that would effectively ban developers from selling open sourc...

Amazon sues admins from 10,000 Facebook groups over fake reviews

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If the reviews of the last completely necessary and not at all superfluous thing you bought on Amazon looked like so much copypasta, there’s a good ...

HireArt lands $26.25M to help manage and recruit W2 contractors for clients

19 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

HireArt, which TechCrunch previously described as a “resume-killing” jobs marketplace, today announced that it raised $26.25 million in a Series B...

Vektor Partners raises new €125M fund to look specifically at sustainable mobility

18 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some estimates put the future mobility market at $178.7 billion by 2026, up from $78.1 billion two years ago. And there has been $400 billion wo...

The New York Times is turning Wordle into a board game

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The New York Times is turning the popular online word game Wordle into a board game by teaming up with toymaker Hasbro. Learn more about your ad choic...

Richard Branson backs Lightyear as UK stock trading platform launches into Europe

15 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Lightyear, a U.K. fintech startup that promises consumers commission-free trading on U.S. and European stocks, is officially extending into Europe fro...

Plaid adds read-only support for thousands of crypto exchanges

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Plaid, the company building data transfer technologies to power fintech and digital finance products like smartphone-based wallets, today announced th...

SendSprint, by ex-Flutterwave executive, hits market with $5 flat fee for all international money transfers

14 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SendSprint, a money transfer startup based in the UK but with operations in the US and Nigeria, has been launched today with the unique selling point ...

Long-time Bitcoin bull Anthony Pompliano launches crypto hiring firm Inflection Points with $12.6M raise

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past 18 months, Inflection Points has been working in stealth mode to build out a crypto-focused employment and corporate training business a...

SpaceX’s Starship booster engines explode in test gone wrong

13 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

SpaceX’s Starship program encountered a setup after a test ended in a fiery explosion at its Boca Chica development facility in Texas on Monday nigh...

Spotify is expanding video podcast publishing to creators in six more countries

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Spotify is expanding the ability to post video podcasts for creators in six new countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico...

Pix Moving brings robovans to Japan, eyes DAO-based EV making

12 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

A company from China is ready to capture Japan’s demand for autonomous service vehicles as robots play an increasingly important role to address the...

Online donation platform Change helps charities fundraise in crypto

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Crypto owners tend to be more generous when donating to charity than other investors, research shows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...

Feds must step in or renewable energy will have nowhere to go, says MIT report

11 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Building wind and solar farms is an important part of building a new green grid, but a calm night stops their energy generation cold. It’s just as i...

Instacart’s new rewards program gives shoppers exclusive early access to orders and more

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Instacart announced today that it’s launching a new “Cart Star” rewards program for shoppers on its platform. The program will offer incentives ...

28% of Americans still won’t consider buying an EV

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More than a quarter of Americans say they would not buy an electric vehicle, according to a Consumer Reports survey released Thursday. Price, range an...

Pinterest launches new shopping features for merchants

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Pinterest announced today that it’s rolling out new merchant features, including product tagging on Pins and a Pinterest API for Shopping. The compa...

Nothing can’t resist the NFT hype, and its fans are questioning

07 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Nothing, the consumer tech company started by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei and known for its aggressive marketing, unveils a non-fungible token project...

With maiden $42M fund, Bonfire Union wants to invest in web3 like Tencent does in web2

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mask Network, a Binance-backed startup that enables users to send cryptocurrencies and encrypted messages on established internet platforms like Twitt...

Google-backed Glance to launch in US within two months

06 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Glance, a subsidiary of adtech giant InMobi Group, is planning to launch its lock screen platform on Android smartphones in the U.S. within two months...

American Robotics’ owner set to acquire fellow drone firm, Airobotics

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Some drone industry consolidation this morning as Ondas Holdings, the company behind Waltham, Massachusetts–based American Robotics announced its pl...

Google will start erasing location data for abortion clinic visits

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision to strip federal abortion rights in the U.S., many people are questioning how the apps they use eve...

Meta is pulling the plug on its crypto payments wallet, Novi

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Three years after Facebook announced its ill-fated push into cryptocurrency, aka the Libra project, the tech giant has signalled another scaling back ...

Google will reimburse developers $90 million to settle a lawsuit over Play Store earnings

04 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Google said Thursday it will pay $90 million to settle a lawsuit with US developers that accused Google of abusing its power of app distribution and c...

Open source developers urged to ditch GitHub following Copilot launch

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Software Freedom Conservancy, a not-for-profit organization that provides support and legal services for open source software projects, has called on ...

Apple says developers will have to submit a new version to use third-party payment systems in South Korea

01 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Apple announced Thursday that developers can now use a third-party payment system for the South Korea App Store. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

The Drako Motors 2,000-hp electric luxury SUV “feels more like a spaceship”

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Startup EV manufacturer Drako Motors previewed today the follow-up to its $1.25 million Drako GTE: the 2,000-horsepower Drako Dragon Super-SUV. Learn ...

Tesla lays off nearly 200 Autopilot workers, shutters San Mateo office

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tesla has gutted the data annotation team working on Autopilot, laying off nearly 200 employees and shutting down the San Mateo, California office whe...

Arzooo raises $70 million to bring ‘best of e-commerce’ to physical stores in India

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Arzooo, an Indian startup that is attempting to bring the “best of e-commerce” to physical retail shops, has raised $70 million in a new financing...

Democrats ‘exploring’ legislation to protect data in reproductive health apps

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that Democrats are considering the introduction of legislation that could protect the ab...

JourneyOne harvests a dope $10M fund to invest in cannabis tech

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As the cannabis markets are maturing, we’re seeing new opportunities rise to the surface. JourneyOne ventures told TechCrunch it’s closed a $10 mi...

Battery giant Anker backs programmable robot maker Keyi

28 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The promise of STEAM robots, which are billed to increase children’s interest in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), ha...

Volkswagen unveils ID.AERO concept that will provide the basis for 2023 flagship EV

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Volkswagen Group unveiled its ID.AERO concept in China on Monday — slated to serve as the inspiration behind the automaker’s flagship EV, and firs...

Amsterdam cyber startup Hadrian closes €10.5M Seed for platform which simulates hacker attacks

27 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

As companies grow they expose more of themselves online and become harder to defend in terms of cybersecurity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Airrow is automating battery and payload swapping for drones

24 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Any given year, the real unsung highlight of re:Mars are the dozen or so startups and researchers who show off their wares on the show floor. There ar...