Generative AI video startup Tavus raises $18M to bring face and voice cloning to any app
Tavus, a four-year-old generative AI startup that helps companies create digital “replicas” of individuals for automated personalized video campaigns, has confirmed a fresh $18 million in funding and ...
Felicis, Quotient AI and Cellino will dish on TAM at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024
We’re getting closer to this year’s Early Stage get-together in Boston, which means that it’s time to add three more names to our ever-expanding list of whip-smart speakers coming to present, and answ...
Peak XV to launch perpetual fund backed by own partners, other leaders
Peak XV is creating an “evergreen” fund bankrolled by its investment partners and extended team, a source familiar with the matter told TechCrunch, as the venture firm seeks to become a significant LP...
Bear Robotics, a robot waiter startup, just picked up $60M from LG
LG Electronics may no longer be a household name in smartphones, but it still sees a big future in gadgets like robots. Today, the company confirmed a $60 million investment in Bear Robotics, the Cali...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/12/bear-robotics-a-robot-waiter-startup-just-picked-up-60m-from-lg/
Applied Intuition lands $6 billion valuation for AI-powered autonomous vehicle software
Autonomous vehicle software company Applied Intuition has raised $250 million in a round that values the startup at $6 billion, as it pushes to bring more artificial intelligence to the automotive, de...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/12/applied-intuition-series-e-raise-funding-andreessen-lux/
French startup Nijta hopes to protect voice privacy in AI use cases
France-based startup Nijta, whose flagship product Voice Harbor anonimizes voices for AI, raised €2 million in funding from various sources, including deep tech VC fund Elaia.
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Inclusivity-focused VC Ada Ventures pulls in $80M for second fund
UK-based Ada Ventures is an unusual VC. Instead of just talking about SaaS or AI, it hunts down founders addressing inclusivity and diversity. Instead of confusing LPs with this methodology, it’s attr...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/inclusivity-focused-vc-ada-ventures-pulls-in-80m-for-second-fund/
Backed by Leonardo DiCaprio, YC alum SolarMente wants to help democratize solar power in Spain
Barcelona-based cleantech startup SolarMente recently added Leonardo DiCaprio to its cap table, hence becoming the actor's and activist's first investment in the country.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All right...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/solarmente-solar-energy-spain-dicaprio/
Zomato’s Blinkit sprints to quick commerce dominance in India
Even as quick commerce is slowly fading in many markets and several heavily-funded startups have folded in the past two years, India is emerging as a striking outlier where the model remains vibrant. ...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/zomato-blinkit-sprints-to-quick-commerce-dominance-in-india/
The loneliness of the robotic humanoid
Perhaps a few years from now, the halls of the Georgia World Congress Center will be peppered with humanoid robots the week of Modex. In 2024, however, Digit stands alone at the supply chain show. It’...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/the-loneliness-of-the-robotic-humanoid/
TechCrunch Space: RIP $ASTR
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. Happy South by Southwest week for all who celebrate. On to the news.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/techcrunch-space-rip-astr/
Moonbird’s relaxation device takes flight internationally
“Well it looks like you had some fun recently,” a friend said as he joined me for coffee. There, in the middle of my dining room table, is a device that does, now that he mentions it, look an awful lo...
Four things we learned when US spy chiefs testified to Congress
Cyberattacks, regional conflict, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, commercial spyware, AI, misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, and TikTok. These are just some of the top perceived threats...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/four-things-we-learned-when-us-spy-chiefs-testified-to-congress/
Should artists be paid for training data? OpenAI VP wouldn’t say
Should artists whose work was used to train generative AI like ChatGPT be compensated for their contributions? Peter Deng, VP of consumer product at OpenAI — the maker of ChatGPT — was loath to give a...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/should-artists-be-paid-for-training-data-openai-vp-wouldnt-say/
Lucid Motors is stuck in a fight over the name of its Gravity SUV
Lucid Motors is at risk of losing the trademark for the name of its Gravity SUV, just months before the company is supposed to start production. Google Ventures-backed EV charging company Gravity Inc....
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/lucid-motors-trademark-gravity-suv-charging/
Kate Middleton’s photo editing controversy is an omen of what’s to come
After frenzied speculation that a recent photo of Kate Middleton and her children was AI-generated, the Duchess of Cambridge herself had to address the controversy. “Like many amateur photographers, I...
Reddit’s planned IPO share price seems high, unless you look at its AI revenue
If investors agree to pay its high-end range, Reddit's valuation should hit around $5.4 billion.
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https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/reddit-ipo-share-price-plans/
After losing access to Twitter’s API, Block Party pivots to privacy
Block Party, a startup developed by software engineer and tech diversity advocate Tracy Chou, was among the victims of Twitter’s (now X’s) API changes earlier this year, forcing it to pivot its busine...
https://techcrunch.com/2024/03/11/after-losing-access-to-twitters-api-block-party-pivots-to-privacy/
Bitcoin hits new all-time high of $72,700 but one index warns we’re in ‘extreme greed’ territory
The crypto scene continues to remain so hot that bitcoin is hitting one new high after another. It surpassed $72,700 on Monday. This was initially driven by the approval of spot bitcoin ETFs, but is n...
Worldcoin fails to get injunction against Spain’s privacy suspension
Controversial eyeball scanning startup Worldcoin has failed to get an injunction against a temporary suspension ordered Wednesday by Spain’s data protection authority, the AEPD. The authority used eme...