Investors hear hundreds of pitches — but only a few break through. On the Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, a candid panel of seasoned operators and investors will reveal what captures their attention, what turns them off, and the subtle signals founders often miss. Register here to take advantage …
Read More »All of the iPhone 17 models compared
Apple on Tuesday announced its iPhone 17 lineup, which consists of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. All four of the devices will be available to preorder on Friday and will be available on September 19. iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air …
Read More »Reddit launches tools for publisher to track and share stories
Reddit on Wednesday launched a set of free tools for publishers to track their article performance and receive suggestions on where to share their stories within the site’s communities. The new features are launching as a part of Reddit Pro, a suite of business tools it debuted last year to …
Read More »Exploring the future of voice AI with Mati Staniszewski at Disrupt 2025
Synthetic speech is no longer the stuff of science fiction. From audiobooks and dubbing to gaming and avatars, AI-generated voice is breaking into the mainstream — and Mati Staniszewski, CEO and co-founder of ElevenLabs, is helping lead the charge. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, he’ll take the stage to talk about …
Read More »Dutch battery startup LeydenJar’s silicon anode tech could pose a challenge to China
Battery materials startup LeydenJar has closed a €13 million ($15.2 million USD) round to scale up manufacturing of its silicon anode technology for an unnamed “leading U.S.-based consumer electronics company.” The Netherlands-based startup will use the funding, along with a €10 million commitment from the U.S. customer, to build the …
Read More »After selling to Spotify, Anchor’s co-founders are back with Oboe, an AI-powered app for learning
The co-founders who sold their last startup Anchor to Spotify are launching their next project: Oboe, an AI-powered educational app that enables anyone to create lightweight, flexible learning courses on nearly any topic they choose, simply by entering a prompt. These courses can span a variety of verticals, including topics …
Read More »Vimeo to be acquired by Bending Spoons in $1.38B all-cash deal
Video platform Vimeo announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to be acquired by Bending Spoons, one of Europe’s largest mobile app developers, in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $1.38 billion. The deal is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions and …
Read More »Lyft and May Mobility launch robotaxis in Atlanta
Riders in Atlanta can now hail a May Mobility robotaxi on the Lyft app, marking the first commercial deployment in the two companies’ partnership. The small fleet of autonomous vehicles is Lyft’s latest attempt to carve out a presence in the robotaxi market. Lyft’s Atlanta launch signals an effort to …
Read More »Zoox opens its Las Vegas robotaxi service to the public
Zoox robotaxis — custom-built all-electric and autonomous vehicles that operate without a steering wheel or pedals — can now be hailed by the public in Las Vegas. But this isn’t a commercial service just yet. For now, the Zoox robotaxi service currently offer rides for free. The Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company, which …
Read More »AI gaming startup Born raises $15M to build ‘social’ AI companions that combat loneliness
Fabian Kamberi, CEO and co-founder of the Berlin-based AI gaming startup Born, thinks the current AI companions on the market are designed to be exploitative and geared towards isolating users through one-to-one relationships with AI chatbots. “It feels like it fuels the loneliness epidemic, instead of making it more fun …
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