Korean storytelling companies want to kindle the popularity of webtoons and web novels in the West on the back of their success in East Asia. Serialized digital comics, also known as webtoons in South Korea, are optimized for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets or websites, which read top to bottom. Digital comics gained … Read more
AI may be getting hyped as the next billion dollar (or, much bigger) opportunity these days after that mega round for OpenAI from Microsoft, but that rising tide is not lifting all boats. SoundHound — the voice AI company that provides conversational AI services for automotive, connected home and hospitality applications — earlier this month … Read more
After successfully building Kind Snacks into a multibillion-dollar company, Daniel Lubetzky and his team, including former Kind executive Elle Lanning, have unveiled Camino Partners, a startup incubator and investment platform. Lubetzky, founder and chairman of Camino Partners, built Kind up from just $5 million in initial investment and told TechCrunch he wants to help other … Read more
The FBI accused two groups of North Korean government hackers of carrying out last year’s heist of $100 million in crypto stolen from a company that allows users to transfer cryptocurrency from one blockchain to another. On Monday, the FBI announced that the Lazarus Group and APT38 — two groups linked to the North Korean … Read more
The software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry is facing budget constraints and reductions in headcount as a result of the pandemic and the broader slowdown in tech. Companies have tightened up their budgets for SaaS purchases, looking to keep cash on hand while growing more efficiently. That’s why Kush Kella and Ahmed Sharif founded Vartana (which my colleague … Read more
Paris Heymann Contributor Share on Twitter Paris Heymann is a partner at Index Ventures, where he invests primarily in B2B SaaS and data. For the tech community, the rallying cry in 2022 was about moving from the growth-at-all-costs mindset toward emphasizing profitability. We believe that in turbulent times, startups and scaleups alike need to ensure: … Read more
WhatsApp has released its native macOS app compatible with Apple Silicon in a public beta. Users running Mac with Apple’s own chip with macOS 11 Big Sur or newer version will be able to download the test version. Plus, people with Intel Macs that can run apps built with Apple Catalyst — the company’s program … Read more
It’s never been cheaper to send a spacecraft to orbit, but many companies are hamstrung by the complex and expensive demands of satellite mission management. Quindar wants to change that. The company, which just closed $2.5 million in seed funding, has built a web app for end-to-end satellite operations that it says will enable its … Read more
When Itamar Jobani, a software developer by trade, was working for a healthcare company, he dreaded doing expense reports every month using his employer’s preferred reimbursement tool. Jobani looked for an alternative, but didn’t end up finding one — and so he built it himself. PayEm, as it came to be known, launched in 2019 … Read more
One of the biggest bottlenecks in the EV rollout is charging infrastructure. There’s no shortage of companies taking a stab at it, but Orange believes it has a smarter approach. Working within the typical constraints of multifamily dwellings (think apartment buildings, etc.), the company makes it super easy for building managers to install sockets especially … Read more
QuickNode, a blockchain deployment platform, has raised $60 million in a Series B round for an $800 million valuation, the company’s CEO and co-founder, Alex Nabutovsky, told TechCrunch. The round was led by 10T Fund, with participation from Tiger Global, Seven Seven Six Ventures and QED Investors, among others. This fundraise comes about 15 months … Read more
A heart attack three years ago was a wake-up call for Bernard David, founder and CEO of the ISH Company. After being told that he would only eat plants for the rest of his life, he found that this diet eventually made him “long for those old animals that I used to eat.” Instead of … Read more
LastPass’ parent company GoTo — formerly LogMeIn — has confirmed that cybercriminals stole customers’ encrypted backups during a recent breach of its systems. The breach was first confirmed by LastPass on November 30. At the time, LastPass chief executive Karim Toubba said an “unauthorized party” had gained access to some customers’ information stored in a … Read more
Digital twins — virtual representations of actual systems — have become an important component in how engineers and analysts build, visualize and operate AI projects, network security, and other complicated architectures that might have a number of components working (or malfunctioning as the case may be) in tandem. Today, a startup called Forward Networks — … Read more
At the same time internet of things (IoT) devices and embedded software are becoming more complex, manufacturers are looking for ways to effectively manage the increasing volume of edge hardware. According to Statista, the number of consumer edge-enabled IoT devices is forecast to grow to almost 6.5 billion by 2030, up from 4 billion in … Read more
In the enterprise, there’s been an explosive growth of data — think documents, videos, audio files, posts on social media and even emails. According to a Matillion and IDG survey, data volumes are growing by 63% per month in some organizations — and data’s coming from an increasing number of places. The same survey found … Read more
Scythe first hit our radar when it emerged from stealth in 2021 with a $13.8 million Series A. The world of robotic mowers is already a fairly crowded one, but while many are going after home applications (lawn Roombas, if you will), the Boulder, Colorado–based firm is specifically targeting commercial landscapers. “[The M.52 mower] is … Read more
Karthee Madasamy Contributor Share on Twitter Karthee Madasamy is the managing partner at MFV Partners, a deep tech-focused venture firm. Like nearly every other sector, deep tech faced significant headwinds in 2022. As interest rates skyrocketed, deep tech deals, which inherently take more capital than other kinds of software businesses, became less attractive to many … Read more
Another penalty for Spain’s homegrown on-demand delivery app and dark store operator, Glovo — which has been fined close to €57 million (~$62M) for breaching local labor laws by falsely classifying 7,800+ of its delivery couriers in Madrid as self-employed, per local newspaper El Diario. Citing sources familiar with the Labor department’s investigation of Glovo, … Read more
Real estate marketplace Zillow has introduced an instant tour booking feature for renters on its platform. The company now allows users to book an in-person tour directly at a suitable time without having to contact an agent or a property manager. Until now, when someone had to look at a rental property, either they had … Read more
Fintech startup Plum is doubling the number of countries where it operates. The company is launching its product in five new European countries — Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Greece and Cyprus. Originally from the U.K., Plum is a money management app that helps you automatically set some money aside. This way, users can save money … Read more
Niantic, the company behind the mega-hit Pokémon GO, has reached an inflection point. Whether because of pandemic fatigue or frustration over the limitations of today’s AR tech, the Google-spawned startup has struggled mightily to replicate the success of GO, which became one of the fastest-growing games in history shortly after it launched in July 2016. … Read more
Strava, the activity tracking and social community platform used by more than 100 million people globally, has acquired Fatmap, a European company that’s building a high-resolution 3D global map platform for the great outdoors. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2009, Strava has emerged as one of the preeminent activity tracking services, … Read more
More than two years since announcing Amazon Pharmacy to take some of the prescription drugs business away from big (and smaller) drug stores, Amazon is launching a new product to expand its reach in the space. Today, it’s taking the wraps off RxPass, a service where Prime users in the U.S. can pay a monthly … Read more
Pasqal, a Paris-based quantum computing startup, today announced that it has raised a $100 million Series B funding round let by Singapore’s Temasek. In addition to Temasek, existing investors Quantonation, the Defense Innovation Fund, Daphni and Eni Next, as well as new investors European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, Wa’ed Ventures and Bpifrance (through its Large … Read more
Solar-powered electric vehicle maker Lightyear said it’s halting production on its flagship Lightyear 0, its premium EV with a sticker price of €250,000. Despite only starting production on the vehicle three months ago, Lightyear is restructuring to focus on building a more affordable model, the Lightyear 2 for around €40,000, reports Electrek. The news comes … Read more
Electric vehicles accounted for nearly 6% of all new cars sold in the U.S. in 2022, an increase from 3.1% the year before, and that number will continue to grow over the coming years. While it’s still a young industry, the ecosystem surrounding EVs — from EV charging and installation to insurance products and parking … Read more
Elon Musk testified Monday that he was not only certain he’d have the backing from Saudi financiers to take Tesla private in 2018, but also that he could have sold enough shares of his rocket company SpaceX to fund a buyout. Musk defended himself as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the CEO for allegedly … Read more
To get a roundup of TechCrunch’s biggest and most important stories delivered to your inbox every day at 3 p.m. PST, subscribe here. Happy new week! Did you know that TechCrunch has a bunch of amazing newsletters that aren’t this one? If you’re into transportation, don’t miss Kirsten’s The Station. Greg writes our weekly Week … Read more
Hello and welcome back to Max Q! I hate writing intros, so let’s get to it, shall we? In this issue: A startup tackling the “unsexy” parts-ordering workflows Space tech predictions from Seraphim Space News from Varda, ClearSpace and more Stell wants to modernize the “unsexy” workflows slowing down America’s industrial base There is very … Read more