Technology

Episode Six, a global payments and banking infrastructure provider, today announced that it raised $48 million in a Series C funding round led by Avenir with participation from Anthos Capital. In an email, CEO John Mitchell said that the tranche will be used to expand Episode Six’s go-to-market efforts and scale its business as the company […]

Episode Six raises $48M to streamline payment processes by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

MEPs in the European Parliament took the opportunity of a rare in-person appearance by Ireland’s data protection commissioner, Helen Dixon, to criticize the bloc’s lead privacy regulator for most of Big Tech over how long it’s taking to investigate the video-sharing social media platform TikTok. This concern is the latest expression of wider worries about […]

TikTok’s lead privacy regulator in Europe takes heat from MEPs by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

I believe that putting virtual reality headsets in cars will kill people. VR is the most distracting medium ever invented.

The other DWI: Driving while immersed by Walter Thompson originally published on TechCrunch

We asked you, dear readers, to vote for the breakout sessions you want to see in September at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, and your response was amazing! The 15 contenders did nothing to make your job easy, but thousands of votes later, we’re ready to announce the 10 breakouts you’re sending to Disrupt! But first, a […]

Introducing the Disrupt Audience Choice breakout winners by Lauren Simonds originally published on TechCrunch

With Spotify’s AI DJ, the company trained an AI on a real person’s voice — that of its head of Cultural Partnerships and podcast host, Xavier “X” Jernigan. Now, the streamer may turn that same technology to advertising, it seems. According to statements made by The Ringer founder Bill Simmons, the streaming service is developing […]

Spotify may use AI to make host-read podcast ads that sound like real people by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch

Neo, a six-year-old, Bay Area-based outfit founded by renowned serial entrepreneur and investor Ali Partovi, is announcing that it has garnered $235 million in capital commitments across two new funds. According to Partovi, $180 million will be invested in seed deals and via accelerator programs spun up by Neo; the rest, $55 million, will be […]

VC firm Neo looks to up the ante with $235M across two new funds by Connie Loizos originally published on TechCrunch

This deep into the crypto winter big venture fund debuts are few and far between, a far cry compared to previous years. But the freeze is not stopping some venture capitalists from launching new funds targeting the decentralized technology market. Dispersion Capital has compiled a $40 million first fund to invest in decentralized infrastructure, the […]

Dispersion Capital launches $40M fund focused on decentralized infrastructure by Jacquelyn Melinek originally published on TechCrunch

Two things have always felt true about Brooklyn-based 3D display startup Looking Glass. First, their technology is really cool. I’ve seen it in person several times over the years, and it always impresses. Second, is that I can’t quite figure out who it’s for. A major pitfall for commercial innovation is that both of these […]

Looking Glass taps ChatGPT for holographic cartoon animals by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch

Anthropic, the prominent generative AI startup co-founded by OpenAI veterans, has raised $450 million in a Series C funding round led by Spark Capital. Anthropic wouldn’t disclose what the round valued its business at. But The Information reported in early March that the company was seeking to raise capital at an over-$4.1 billion valuation. It […]

Anthropic raises $450M to build next-gen AI assistants by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch