Categoria: Techcrunch

Chinese AI startup Manus reportedly gets funding from Benchmark at $500M valuation

Chinese startup Manus AI, which works on building tools related to AI agents, has picked up $75 million in a funding round led by Benchmark at a roughly $500 million valuation, according to Bloomberg. The company will use the money to expand to new markets, including the U.S., Japan, and the Middle East, Bloomberg noted,… Continua a leggere Chinese AI startup Manus reportedly gets funding from Benchmark at $500M valuation

Bezos-backed Slate Auto debuts analog EV pickup truck that is decidedly anti-Tesla

A new American electric vehicle startup called Slate Auto has made its debut, and it’s about as anti-Tesla as it gets. It’s affordable, deeply customizable, and very analog. It has manual windows and it doesn’t come with a main infotainment screen. Heck, it isn’t even painted. It can also transform from a two-seater pickup to… Continua a leggere Bezos-backed Slate Auto debuts analog EV pickup truck that is decidedly anti-Tesla

Faraday Future founder named co-CEO three years after being sidelined by internal probe

Troubled electric vehicle startup Faraday Future’s board of directors has appointed founder Jia Yueting as the company’s co-CEO, three years after he was sidelined following an internal probe into allegations of fraud — a probe that led to an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission that remains ongoing. Jia will serve alongside current CEO… Continua a leggere Faraday Future founder named co-CEO three years after being sidelined by internal probe

OpenAI wants its ‘open’ AI model to call models in the cloud for help

For the first time in roughly five years, OpenAI is gearing up to release an AI system that’s truly “open,” meaning it’ll be available for download at no cost and not gated behind an API. TechCrunch reported on Wednesday that OpenAI is aiming for an early summer launch, and targeting performance superior to open models… Continua a leggere OpenAI wants its ‘open’ AI model to call models in the cloud for help

OpenAI may be developing its own social platform, but who’s it for?

OpenAI is reportedly building its own X-like social network. The project is still in the early stages, but there’s an internal prototype focused on ChatGPT’s image generation that contains a social feed, The Verge reports. A social app would give OpenAI its own unique, real-time data that X and Meta already use to help train… Continua a leggere OpenAI may be developing its own social platform, but who’s it for?

You’re invited to a fireside chat with Baiju Bhatt on Sand Hill Road on June 18 at StrictlyVC

We’re thrilled to announce that Baiju Bhatt, co-founder of Robinhood and founder and CEO of Aetherflux, will be joining us for a rare, intimate fireside chat as part of TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC evening series on June 18 on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. As with all of our StrictlyVC evenings, the event will feature just… Continua a leggere You’re invited to a fireside chat with Baiju Bhatt on Sand Hill Road on June 18 at StrictlyVC

Flex acquires a16z-backed Maza for $40M as fintech M&A heats up

Flex, a startup that offers personal finance software for business owners, has acquired Maza, a finance app aimed at Spanish speakers in the U.S., for $40 million, the companies told TechCrunch exclusively. At first glance, the pairing may seem a bit curious. Flex’s software and payments infrastructure is to help business owners have a single… Continua a leggere Flex acquires a16z-backed Maza for $40M as fintech M&A heats up

Within six years, building the leading AI data center may cost $200B

Data centers to train and run AI may soon contain millions of chips, cost hundreds of billions of dollars, and require power equivalent to a large city’s electricity grid, if the current trends hold. That’s according to a new study from researchers at Georgetown, Epoch AI, and Rand, which looked at the growth trajectory of… Continua a leggere Within six years, building the leading AI data center may cost $200B

Anthropic is launching a new program to study AI ‘model welfare’

Could future AIs be “conscious,” and experience the world similarly to the way humans do? There’s no strong evidence that they will, but Anthropic isn’t ruling out the possibility. On Thursday, the AI lab announced that it has started a research program to investigate — and prepare to navigate — what it’s calling “model welfare.”… Continua a leggere Anthropic is launching a new program to study AI ‘model welfare’

Speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Applications now open

TechCrunch Disrupt returns October 27-29 to Moscone West in San Francisco — and we’re inviting thought leaders, founders, VCs, and tech experts to apply for a chance to take the stage at one of the most anticipated tech events of the year. Applications are now open to speak at Disrupt 2025, where over 10,000+ tech… Continua a leggere Speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Applications now open