June 27, 2025

The Download: how to clean up AI data centers, and weight-loss drugs’ side effects

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. This battery recycling company is now cleaning up AI data centers In a sandy industrial lot outside Reno, Nevada, rows of battery packs that once propelled electric vehicles are now powering a small…

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Apply to compete in TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 today!

March 24, 2025
Start your engines … applications for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 competition are open! If you’re a pre-Series A startup founder looking to make your mark on a global stage, this is an opportunity you can’t pass up. We want to see you showcase your game-changing innovations to the world at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025’s premier startup pitch […]

The Download: the dangers of AI agents, and ChatGPT’s effects on our wellbeing

March 24, 2025
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Why handing over total control to AI agents would be a huge mistake —Margaret Mitchell, Avijit Ghosh, Sasha Luccioni, Giada Pistilli all work for Hugging Face, an open source AI company. AI agents…

The Cadillac Optiq EV and Cadillac Escalade IQ go big on tech, luxury, and price

March 24, 2025
Cadillac’s new IQ portfolio of all-electric vehicles — notably the compact Optiq SUV and grandaddy full-size Escalade IQ — has put the company on a techier, more advanced, and luxurious plane. And the shift couldn’t have come soon enough.  The slate of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles that have come out of Cadillac in recent […]

Why handing over total control to AI agents would be a huge mistake

March 24, 2025
AI agents have set the tech industry abuzz. Unlike chatbots, these groundbreaking new systems operate outside of a chat window, navigating multiple applications to execute complex tasks, like scheduling meetings or shopping online, in response to simple user commands. As agents are developed to become more capable, a crucial question emerges: How much control are…

Ex-Network International execs raise $6M for Enza, an African fintech serving banks

March 24, 2025
Over the past decade, Dubai-based Network International has become one of the dominant payment processors across the Middle East and Africa, thanks in part to a pair of acquisitions. However, many large incumbents can fall prey to slower innovation, opening the door for smaller, faster-moving startups. The latest development is Enza, a fintech founded in […]

DNA testing company 23andMe files for bankruptcy protection, CEO resigns

March 24, 2025
Genetics testing company 23andMe has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. to initiate the sale of its assets. Alongside the announcement, the company’s co-founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki separately said she is leaving the company to become an independent bidder for the company. “After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have […]

Former Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt’s new robotics startup reportedly raises another $150M

March 23, 2025
The Bot Company, the robotics startup founded by former Cruise co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt, has raised $150 million in a round led by Greenoaks, according to Reuters, citing unnamed sources. Vogt founded the startup with Paril Jain, who led the AI tech team at Tesla, and former Cruise software engineer Luke Holoubek. Vogt did […]