TechCrunch

When Adobe announced it was buying Figma for $20 billion earlier this month, the news was a bombshell. But what stunned a lot of people wasn’t just the truckload of money — it was that a company whose whole raison d’être seemed to be going after Adobe was suddenly going to be part of Adobe. Was … Read more

Faraday Future said it has secured up to $100 million in funding as the struggling EV startup tries to launch its long-delayed first model, the FF 91. The near-term funding agreements include up to $40 million in convertible notes and warrant exercise payments, and up to $60 million in convertible notes from Hong Kong holding … Read more

Elbit Systems of America, the U.S. arm of Israeli defense contractor Elbit, says its network was compromised in early June and personal information of employees was stolen. In a breach notification filed with the Maine attorney general’s office, Elbit Systems of America said 369 employees were affected by the data breach, which included employee names, … Read more

Tech Nation is trailing in second place in the race to remain the UK’s government-backed ‘startup champion’ after the latter put the £12 million contract out to tender, according to TechCrunch’s sources. First in line at this point in time – in a decision which is due in December – is banking giant Barclays. Tech … Read more

Volkswagen is partnering with a Belgian technology group to produce battery materials in Europe, the latest in a spate of industry-wide deals to create a circular battery economy that can meet that can meet production targets as automakers shift toward EVs. The $3 billion joint venture between Volkswagen Group’s battery business PowerCo and Brussels-based Umicore … Read more

In the final days of the third quarter, it’s becoming clear that some areas of startup investment are losing luster. Declines are hardly surprising amid a more conservative venture capital market, a falling stock market, and global macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty. And still, even with large caveats, the pace of change in certain startup sectors … Read more

Police in London have confirmed a 17-year-old teenager, who is suspected of involvement in high-profile breaches at ride hailing giant Uber and Rockstar Games, has been charged with multiple counts of computer misuse and breaches of bail. The suspect, whose name was not released due to U.K. reporting restrictions on identifying non-adults, was arrested in … Read more

Netflix’s push into the mobile gaming market continues with today’s announcement the streamer is establishing an internal games studio based in Helsinki, Finland, led by the co-founder and General Manager of the Zygna Helsinki game development studio, Marko Lastikka. The studio will be the fourth for Netflix, joining others including Next Games, Night School Studio, … Read more

Is game streaming the next big chapter for Netflix? So far, the streamer has remained mum on the topic, despite recent job listings calling for cloud gaming skill sets. Netflix told TechCrunch it’s always looking for talent and exploring new product ideas, adding, “We have nothing else to share at this time.” The company launched … Read more

Hello and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. Don’t forget that the code “EQUITY” can save you money on Disrupt tickets and TechCrunch+ access. And it makes us here on the show look good! Markets: Stocks are mostly down around the world today, taking especially … Read more

TikTok is facing a £27 million ($29 million) fine after the U.K.’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) provisionally found that the company breached child data protection laws for a two year period. The alleged breach happened from May 2018 through July 2020, with the ICO noting that the company “may have” processed data of children under … Read more

Amazon is holding a Prime Day-like shopping event this fall, marking the first time that the online retail giant will host two sales events exclusively for Prime members in the same year. The “Prime Early Access Sale” will take place on October 11 and 12. The exclusive deals for members will be available in 15 … Read more

French startup Not So Dark has raised an $80 million Series B funding round led by Kharis Capital and Verlinvest, with Convivialité Ventures also participating. The startup has launched digital food delivery brands that you can find in food delivery apps. While Not So Dark started with a network of dark kitchens, the company has … Read more

Are smartphones ever entirely secure? It depends on one’s definition of “secure,” particularly when dealing with corporate environments. Most companies with bring-your-own-device policies install apps or agents on workers’ smartphones to help secure them, leveraging the management capabilities built into operating systems like Android and iOS. But those might not be sufficient. That’s what Cloudflare … Read more

Funding sources for tech startups in Ukraine have gone off a cliff this year, with investors (and their LPs) wary of taking on the risk of backing potentially promising ideas and people who have stayed in the country amid the sustained, persistent and increasingly ugly onslaught from Russia. But just as there are glimmers that … Read more

Samsung has launched two credit cards in India, entering a crowded category that sees over 50 companies fiercely compete for consumers’ attention in the world’s second largest internet market. The South Korean giant said it has partnered with the Mumbai-headquartered Axis Bank and global payments processor Visa to launch the cards, which it is calling … Read more

India is repurposing its COVID-19 contact-tracing app and vaccination website to address other health concerns in the South Asian country. A senior official said Sunday that the Indian government is planning to use Aarogya Setu as the country’s standalone health app. The app will offer residents the ability to book medical checkup appointments and verify the … Read more

Apple has started assembling the iPhone 14 models in India, it said Monday, locally producing the current lineup for the first time in the same calendar year in the world’s second largest smartphone market as analysts predict a greater shift in the American giant’s future manufacturing. The company’s global partner Foxconn is manufacturing the device … Read more

Interpol has issued a red notice for Do Kwon, requesting law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and arrest the Terraform Labs founder whose blockchain startup collapsed earlier this year and wiped out investors’ $40 billion. Kwon faces charges in South Korea for the wipeout of investors’ money, the prosectors said. The notice against Kwon may … Read more

Given the political climate and Peter Thiel’s political views, it initially seemed ironic that Thiel Capital chose now as the ideal time to back 28, a self-described “femtech” company that offers fitness and wellness recommendations based on the phases of one’s menstrual cycle. Then, you start to do the math. Thiel is known for having … Read more

Happy Sunday, fellow startup nerds. Today we’re talking about risk in the gambling sense of the word. You see, there’s a way for unicorns to avoid painful dilution when they next raise capital, and it appears that a good number of the world’s billion-dollar startups are taking the wager. But new data indicates that the … Read more