The once popular third-party podcast app Castro has seemingly shut down, after earlier saying that it was “actively seeking a new home” for its product. The announcement had followed rumors that the company would soon be closing down, spurred by a post from a former Castro employee Mohit Mamoria who, in November, wrote on X that…
Microsoft Copilot, the company’s recently launched AI chatbot built with OpenAI technologies, does not yet appear to be siphoning users away from OpenAI’s own ChatGPT, according to a new analysis of app store data. Copilot, which combines an AI chatbot with an Image Creator feature powered by DALL-E 3, is notable for offering free access…
Basecamp founders’ email service Hey is fighting with Apple again — this time over the rejection of its new calendar app from the App Store. Apple’s reasoning is similar to when Cupertino-based tech giant rejected Hey’s email app four years ago — non-paying users can’t use the app after downloading it. Plus, new users can’t…
Carta, an ambitious 14-year-old Silicon Valley outfit, has gone through numerous iterations over time, originally inviting investors, startups, and employees to use its software to manage their cap tables and later aspiring to evolve into a “private stock market for companies,” as founder Henry Ward once told TechCrunch. As he explained back in 2019: “Now…
Oklahoma took a stand against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) last month. The state’s governor, Kevin Stitt, signed an executive order defunding DEI efforts in public colleges and universities and banning it in other state agencies. He said the move would take “politics out of education” and encourage “equal opportunity rather than promising equal outcomes.”…
Last year presented a tough period for African tech startups. Venture capital was hard to bag (as predicted earlier), bridge and down rounds became the norm, and news of fire sales, layoffs and startup closures reverberated across the continent. With the overall amount of VC funding raised in Africa dipping significantly across the year, according…
Venture capitalists and founders are hoping — praying? — for exits to pick back up in 2024. A recent TechCrunch+ survey found that there is consensus among VCs that exits will start to rebound this year, but the when and the how are still a bit fuzzy. The consensus, though, is that fintech Stripe will go public…
Welcome back, and welcome to 2024! We’re starting the year off on a high note: After a mediocre 2023, investors are optimistic about exit activity picking back up in 2024. Some think M&A activity will skyrocket, while others think we will see the IPO market bounce back. Full TechCrunch+ articles are only available to members.Use…
Lu Zhang, the founder and managing partner of Fusion Fund, is a renowned Silicon Valley–based investor and a serial entrepreneur in healthcare. ChatGPT’s launch ushered in the age of large language models. In addition to OpenAI’s offerings, other LLMs include Google’s LaMDA family of LLMs (including Bard), the BLOOM project (a collaboration between groups at…
Hello, and welcome to 2024! If, like us, you’re still burning off a holiday sugar rush, here’s the perfect way to focus your energy and boost your reputation as a thought-leader at the same time. Apply to speak at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024, taking place on April 25 in Boston, and share your hard-won expertise…
