April 2023

Smile Identity, a KYC compliance and ID verification partner for many African fintechs and businesses, has acquired Inclusive Innovations, the parent company of Appruve, a Ghanaian developer of identity verification software. In a statement shared with TechCrunch, Smile Identity said it is “actively fulfilling regulatory requirements to finalize the transaction for the [Inclusive Innovation] affiliated […]

Smile Identity expands African footprint with acquisition of Appruve to strengthen ID verification services by Tage Kene-Okafor originally published on TechCrunch

Japanese shared micromobility startup Luup has raised $30 million (4.5 billion yen) in a Series D financing round, which consists of 3.8 billion yen in equity and 700 million yen in debt. Luup has now amassed a total of $68 million in equity, debt, and asset financing to date, at what sources said valued the […]

Luup raises $30M ahead of Japan’s new micromobility rules by Kate Park originally published on TechCrunch

MG Motor, also called Morris Garages, introduced Wednesday its second EV in India — called Comet EV — targeting the masses looking for a compact vehicle for urban mobility. The British brand, a unit of Chinese state-owned SAIC Motor, says its new hatchback is perfect for young commuters in the South Asian nation. At a starting […]

China’s MG Motor launches compact hatchback EV in India for urban mobility by Jagmeet Singh originally published on TechCrunch

Tile launched a new cat-tracking tag on Tuesday to help you find your furry friends. The tag is essentially a modified version of the Tile Sticker with a silicone collar attachment that costs $40. The company claims that the battery of the Tile for Cats lasts for up to three years, and the sticker can […]

Tile launches a new cat tracking tag with three-year battery life by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch

Only a decade ago, digital transformation seemed like a foreign concept for many. Today, it is table stakes for businesses that want to stay competitive.

Tinder today is rolling out an AI-powered update to its Photo Verification feature, which to date has allowed the app’s users to prove to others they’re neither a bot nor a catfisher. In the past, users would take pictures of themselves, posing as instructed, to become verified on the dating app and receive a blue […]

Tinder’s verification process will now use AI and video selfies by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Honda said today that plans to release its first e:Architecture-based electric vehicle in North America in 2025. That’s a year earlier than the Japanese automaker originally said it would introduce vehicles based on its in-house vehicle platform, which puts greater emphasis on software and over-the-air updates a la Tesla. Honda said in a statement that […]

Honda says first e:Architecture-based EV is coming sooner than planned by Harri Weber originally published on TechCrunch