DeepSeek reaches No. 1 on US Play Store

Chinese AI lab DeepSeek’s Android app has taken the No. 1 spot on the Google Play Store, days after the chatbot app clinched the top spot on the App Store. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Shared scooter startup Voi reports its first profitable year as it explores an IPO

Swedish shared micromobility giant Voi had its first profitable year in 2024, according to preliminary unaudited results the company shared exclusively with TechCrunch.  Voi, which offers shared e-scooters and e-bikes across more than 100 markets in Europe, recorded €132.8 million ($138 million) in net revenue in 2024. On an adjusted basis, Voi earned €17.2 million… Continua a leggere Shared scooter startup Voi reports its first profitable year as it explores an IPO

This fintech has a fix for the biggest cross-border payments issues in Francophone Africa

Until a few years ago, it used to be difficult to make payments across borders almost anywhere in the world. But it’s still a big problem in Africa, where fragmented, disconnected systems, high fees, and poor infrastructure make it tough for businesses and individuals to move money quickly and affordably. The majority of people and… Continua a leggere This fintech has a fix for the biggest cross-border payments issues in Francophone Africa

Formance raises $21M to build the AWS for fintech infrastructure

If you talk to a fintech entrepreneur about their business, chances are they’ll end up talking about ledger issues at some point. A ledger is a record of money movements that serves as the source of truth for financial assets, but when a company starts having multiple bank accounts, payment processors and funds spread across… Continua a leggere Formance raises $21M to build the AWS for fintech infrastructure

Microsoft probing whether DeepSeek improperly used OpenAI APIs

Just a few hours after David Sacks claimed DeepSeek used OpenAI’s models to train its own models, Bloomberg Law reports that Microsoft is investigating DeepSeek’s use of OpenAI’s application programming interface (API). According to security researchers working for Microsoft, the Chinese company behind the R1 reasoning model may have exfiltrated a large amount of data… Continua a leggere Microsoft probing whether DeepSeek improperly used OpenAI APIs

DeepSeek’s AI avoids answering 85% of prompts on ‘sensitive topics’ related to China

AI chatbot DeepSeek has taken the world by storm, topping app store charts and sending Silicon Valley and Wall Street into meltdown. An offshoot of Chinese hedge fund High-Flyer, DeepSeek’s cost-to-performance ratio makes for impressive reading compared to incumbents such as OpenAI. However, reports have increasingly documented some of the things the AI chatbot is… Continua a leggere DeepSeek’s AI avoids answering 85% of prompts on ‘sensitive topics’ related to China

Meteomatics eyes U.S. expansion for its enterprise-focused weather forecasting tools

Martin Fengler knows a lot about the weather. Fengler got his Ph.D. in mathematics, focused on numerical weather prediction, before working for Meteomedia AG, a network of weather stations in Switzerland and Germany. But while he knew a lot about weather forecasting from the prediction side, he realized the gaps that remained on the consumption… Continua a leggere Meteomatics eyes U.S. expansion for its enterprise-focused weather forecasting tools

ChatGPT’s mobile users are 85% male, report says

The AI bubble hasn’t burst yet, at least when it comes to consumer spending on AI apps. Led by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, overall spending on AI apps jumped to $1.42 billion in 2024, according to app analytics firm Appfigures. This marks a 274% increase from 2023 (the app launched in May of that year). Among tens… Continua a leggere ChatGPT’s mobile users are 85% male, report says

Uber-backed mobility fintech Moove acquires Brazil’s Kovi, takes ARR to $275M

Uber-backed Moove, an Africa-born mobility fintech that offers vehicle financing to ride-hailing and delivery app drivers across six continents, has acquired Kovi, a Brazilian urban mobility provider. The value of the deal is not being disclosed, but Moove confirmed it was an all-share transaction, and Kovi is now wholly owned by Moove. Moove co-founder and… Continua a leggere Uber-backed mobility fintech Moove acquires Brazil’s Kovi, takes ARR to $275M

Engineering giant Smiths Group says hackers accessed its systems during cyberattack

U.K.-based engineering giant Smiths Group has confirmed a cybersecurity incident involving “unauthorized access” to its systems. The London-listed company, which operates across multiple sectors including energy, security, aerospace and defense, said Tuesday that it is currently “managing” the incident. The company said it isolated affected systems and activated its business continuity plans, implying a disruptive… Continua a leggere Engineering giant Smiths Group says hackers accessed its systems during cyberattack