How Techstars, Meta helped profitable LatAm startup Mercately raise a $2.6M seed
In Latin American countries like Brazil and Chile, messaging platform WhatsApp has become one of the most popular apps to use to buy things online. It was even the e-commerce platform of choice in the region during the pandemic. But WhatsApp is designed to be a messaging platform, not an
Read moreWill HP still demand $4B from Mike Lynch’s estate?
Before entrepreneur and investor Mike Lynch died along with six others after the yacht they were on capsized in a storm last week, the party was celebrating Lynch’s victory in the U.S. criminal courts. In June, he was acquitted of all counts of fraud connected to HP’s 2011 acquisition of
Read moreWhy AI can’t spell ‘strawberry’
How many times does the letter “r” appear in the word “strawberry”? According to formidable AI products like GPT-4o and Claude, the answer is twice. Large language models (LLMs) can write essays and solve equations in seconds. They can synthesize terabytes of data faster than humans can open up a
Read moreThe SEC just made life a little easier for smaller VCs
The SEC has updated its limits to the amount of money a “qualified venture fund” can raise to $12 million from $10 million. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Read moreThe US military’s latest psyop? Advertising on Tinder
Tinder removed the U.S. military ads, saying the campaign violated the company's policies. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Read moreTechCrunch Minute: Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is returning home empty
Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are stuck aboard the International Space Station (ISS) after their test flight on Boeing’s Starliner went awry. This weekend, NASA announced that these astronauts will remain aboard the ISS until February, when SpaceX’s Dragon will retrieve them as part of the crew-9 mission. Eight
Read moreCreators are angered by Meta’s Spark AR shutdown, saying they’ll be out of work with little notice
Meta will be shutting down Spark AR, its platform of third-party AR tools and content, effective January 14, 2025. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
Read moreWaymo expands its curbside robotaxi service to Phoenix airport
Waymo said Tuesday it will start offering riders 24/7 access to curbside pickups and dropoffs at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport terminals 3 and 4 — yet another example of the Alphabet-owned company’s push to expand its robotaxi services. Waymo first started offering driverless trips to the Phoenix Airport in
Read moreIs open source AI possible, let alone the future? Find out at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024
Some believe open source AI is a way to break out of the familiar proprietary software quagmire that the technology has predictably fallen into. Hugging Face’s Irene Solaiman and AI2’s Ali Farhadi will discuss this complex issue on a panel at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 — taking place in San Francisco
Read moreNew General Manager of Renewables & Energy Storage at NEC XON
Hilary Campbell has been appointed as the new General Manager of Renewables and Energy Storage at NEC XON. Campbell, who succeeds Herman Viljoen, now GM of Strategic Projects, brings extensive experience and knowledge of the renewable energy sector to her new position. Since 2013, Campbell has been aware of NEC
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