Marco Rubio bans Calibri font at State Department for being too DEI
Calibri, which could make documents easier to read for the vision impaired, was apparently installed in 2023 by the department’s then-DEI office.
TikTok rolls out a ‘Nearby’ feed to display local content in select countries
While TikTok is already known for its recommendation algorithm, which is able to target users with highly personalized content, the addition of a Nearby feed gives it the ability to display even more relevant content to its users.
SoftBank, OpenAI launch new joint venture in Japan as AI deals grow ever more circular
SoftBank's joint venture with OpenAI that will localize and sell the AI company's enterprise tech to companies in Japan. And the first customer of this joint venture is going to be SoftBank itself.
Navan IPO tumbles 20% after historic debut under SEC shutdown workaround
Navan finished its first day trading at an approximate valuation of $4.7 billion, which is about half of its last private valuation of $9.2 billion.
Nvidia is reportedly investing up to $1 billion in Poolside
Nvidia is an existing investor in the AI company and participated in it's $500 million Series A round in 2024.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/30/nvidia-is-reportedly-investing-up-to-1-billion-in-poolside/
OpenAI says over a million people talk to ChatGPT about suicide weekly
OpenAI released data on just how many of ChatGPT's users are facing mental health challenges, and how its addressing them.
EC finds Meta and TikTok breached transparency rules under DSA
The European Commission said on Friday that it has preliminarily found that both companies are not complying with rules of the Digital Services Act (DSA) that mandate them to give researchers adequate access to public data.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/24/ec-finds-meta-and-tiktok-breached-transparency-rules-under-dsa/
Life360 ventures into pet tech with the launch of a new GPS tracker
Family location safety app Life360 is venturing into pet tech with the launch of its new tracking device for cats and dogs.
I spent a month living with a $430 AI pet, the Casio Moflin
Casio’s Moflin, a hamster-like robot pet, uses AI to develop a personality over time.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/21/i-spent-a-month-living-with-a-430-ai-pet-the-casio-moflin/
Regulators probe Waymo after its robotaxi drove around a stopped school bus
The incident happened in Atlanta, Georgia earlier this month. Waymo says it has already updated the software on its robotaxis.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Newly elected Mayor Daniel Lurie steps onto the Disrupt stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, October 27-29 at Moscone West, in a homecoming of sorts for both tech and the city that helped define it. Register now to save and catch this live discussion.
OpenEvidence, the ChatGPT for doctors, raises $200M at $6B valuation
Trained on medical journals from JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine, the platform helps users quickly get answers to existing medical knowledge to help treat patients. Verified medical professionals can access OpenEvidence’s tool, which is supported by advertising, for free.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/20/openevidence-the-chatgpt-for-doctors-raises-200m-at-6b-valuation/
Last-minute ticket deal for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Save 60% on your +1
To celebrate the 7-day countdown, we’re offering a special 60% discount for your +1. Buy your pass and save up to $444, plus get 60% off a second ticket for your co-founder, partner, friend, or team member.
Final Countdown: Only 7 days until TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 and ticket prices increase
7 days until TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 officially kicks off at San Francisco’s Moscone West and ticket prices increase. Save up to $444 now, and get 60% off a second ticket.
X to launch marketplace for buying inactive handles
Rare handles could be priced at anywhere from $2,500 to over seven figures, X says.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/20/x-to-launch-marketplace-for-buying-inactive-handles/
How tiny Mubadala-backed AAF is winning VC deals in some of the hottest startups
In less than a decade AAF has backed startups with exits totaling $2 billion, it says and is doing so through an unusual VC model.
Zepto raises $450 million at $7 billion valuation as Indian quick commerce market heats up
Indian quick commerce startup Zepto said it has raised $400 million in a funding round led by a new investor, California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), a U.S.-based pension fund. The round, which is a mix of primary and secondary investment, also has participation from existing investors, including Avenir, Avra, Lightspeed, Glade Brook, The Stepstone […]
Mozilla’s Firefox adds Perplexity’s AI answer engine as a new search option
The integration offers conversational, cited answers instead of traditional links and follows positive feedback from earlier tests in select markets. Perplexity will expand to mobile soon.
Google Meet launches an AI-powered makeup feature
Google Meet finally has a makeup filter for those days when you don't feel like applying lipstick.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/14/google-meet-launches-an-ai-powered-makeup-feature/
Instagram to show PG-13 content by default to teens, adds more parental controls
Instagram users under 18 will now by default only see content that adheres to PG-13 ratings applied to movies, avoiding themes like extreme violence, sexual nudity, and graphic drug use.
iPhone 17 Pro Max review: orange you glad the battery is bigger
Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro lineup adds a sturdier unibody design, bigger battery, and camera upgrades, trading thinness for power, endurance, and creator appeal.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/10/iphone-17-pro-max-review-orange-you-glad-the-battery-is-bigger/
Discord suffers data breach impacting at least 70,000 users
The platform said in a press release that hackers breached a third-party vendor that Discord uses for age-related appeals.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/09/discord-suffers-data-breach-impacting-at-least-70000-users/
Knapsack picks up $10M to help bridge the gap between design and engineering teams
Knapsack creates a unified workspace that integrates design and coding tools to ensure design and engineering teams are on the same page.
Google ramps up its ‘AI in the workplace’ ambitions with Gemini Enterprise
The new product launched Thursday already has customers, including Gordon Foods, Macquarie Bank, and Virgin Voyages.
A break down of the H-1B changes — and why more changes could come
Jeremy Neufeld, the director of immigration policy at the Institute for Progress, comes on Equity to talk H-1B changes.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/08/a-break-down-of-the-h-1b-changes-and-why-more-changes-could-come/
Trump’s DOE proposes cutting billions in grants for GM, Ford, and lots of startups
Trump's Department of Energy wants to cancel billions more in awards that were granted by the Biden administration, and startups are in the crosshairs.
Clop hackers caught exploiting Oracle zero-day bug to steal executives’ personal data
Oracle fixes another security flaw that Clop hackers were using to steal sensitive personal information about executives as part of a mass-extortion campaign.
From Robinhood to Aetherflux: Baiju Bhatt’s next frontier at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and founder of Aetherflux, shares insights on building transformative companies in fintech and aerospace at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025.
Honda and Astrobotic team up to keep the lights on through the long lunar night
Honda is partnering with Astrobotic to study whether their tech could provide continuous power on the moon.
Indian fintech Jar turns profitable by enabling millions to save in gold
Jar has been profitable after tax for the past two quarters.
Mark Zuckerberg has begun his quest to kill the smartphone
"The promise of glasses is to preserve this sense of presence that you have with other people," Mark Zuckerberg said.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/09/18/mark-zuckerberg-has-begun-his-quest-to-kill-the-smartphone/
Bumble BFF’s revamped app is here, focusing on friend groups and community building
Bumble BFF's revamped app introduces a new groups feature to help users connect with new friends beyond one-on-one matching.
Tesla could have avoided that $242.5M Autopilot verdict, filings show
Instead, a jury awarded plaintiffs $242.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.
Volunteer opportunities still open for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Whether you want to launch your own startup, build your event chops, or get inspired by real traction stories, volunteering at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 is your backstage pass to see how a world-class tech conference comes to life. Apply before September 30.
StrictlyVC at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Inside the LP Track
StrictlyVC is back at TechCrunch Disrupt in October, bringing together the insiders who shape the venture capital landscape, this time with a sharper focus on the market’s biggest challenge: liquidity. In an era of extended exit timelines, slowed distributions, and increasingly selective LPs, the conversations behind closed doors matter more than ever. Working with Cendana […]
https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/21/strictlyvc-at-techcrunch-disrupt-2025-inside-the-lp-track/
Raising multiple rounds of venture capital might be wrong for your startup
What if startups raised less VC money and became self-sustaining? SecurityPal founder Pukar Hamal has done that and wants founders to know their options.
Google’s AI Mode expands globally, adds new agentic features
As part of the expansion, Google is bringing AI Mode to 180 new countries in English.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/21/googles-ai-mode-expands-globally-adds-new-agentic-features/
Report: Meta is hitting pause on AI hiring after its poaching spree
The freeze went into effect last week, and it’s not clear how long it will last, The Journal’s sources say. Meta is still likely working through its reorg, which split its AI unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs, into four new groups: TBD Labs, run by former Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang, and three groups focused on research, product integration, and infrastructure, respectively.
Hackers who exposed North Korean government hacker explain why they did it
The two self-described hacktivists said they had access to the North Korean spy’s computer for around four months before deciding what they had found should be made public.
Nvidia is latest investor to back AV startup Nuro in $203M funding round
Nuro has attracted more investors, and capital, to push its Series E round to $203 million.
Thousands of Grok chats are now searchable on Google
Whenever a Grok user clicks the “share” button on a conversation with the chatbot, it creates a unique URL that the user can use to share the conversation via email, text or on social media. According to Forbes, that also makes the URL indexable by search engines like Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo, which in turn lets anyone look up those conversations on the web.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/20/thousands-of-grok-chats-are-now-searchable-on-google/
Aalo Atomics raises $100M to build a microreactor and data center together
Nuclear startup Aalo Atomics plans to turn on its first power plant, the 50-megawatt Aalo-X, in the summer of 2026. It's an aggressive timeline that bucks nuclear industry trends.
Reddit plans to unify its search interface as it looks to become a search engine
Reddit is working on a new unified interface that will merge its legacy search and AI-powered Q&A features, as well as make its search box more prominently visible in the app.
New York state cyber chief calls out Trump for cybersecurity cuts
The top cybersecurity official in New York told TechCrunch in an interview that Trump's budget cuts are going to put the government at risk from cyberattacks, and will put more pressure on states to secure themselves.
https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/28/new-york-state-cyber-chief-calls-out-trump-for-cybersecurity-cuts/
Data breach reveals Catwatchful ‘stalkerware’ is spying on thousands of phones
The spyware operation's exposed customer email addresses and passwords were shared with data breach notification service Have I Been Pwned.