February 17, 2026

The Download: the rise of luxury car theft, and fighting antimicrobial resistance

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. The curious case of the disappearing Lamborghinis Across the world, unsuspecting people are unwittingly becoming caught up in a new and growing type of organized criminal enterprise: vehicle transport fraud and theft. Crooks…

MigRun wants to simplify the process of immigrating to a new country

September 19, 2023
Two year ago, after Vlad Shipilov, a Russian immigrant, moved to Portugal, his business visa was denied because his lawyer wasn’t aware of certain requirements pertaining to visa applications originating from Russia. It ultimately took $16,000, joining immigration groups on Telegram and Facebook and the help of a Portugal-based friend to secure Shipilov his visa […]

Outschool launches an AI-powered tool to help teachers write progress reports

September 19, 2023
Outschool, the online learning platform that offers kid-friendly academic and interest-based classes, announced today the launch of its AI Teaching Assistant, a tool for tutors to generate progress reports for their students. The platform – mainly popular for its small group class offerings — also revealed that it’s venturing into one-on-one tutoring, putting it in […]

Google’s Bard chatbot can now tap into your Google apps, double check answers and more

September 19, 2023
Google today is releasing a more capable version of Bard, its generative AI chatbot and ChatGPT rival, which now lets you double-check its answers, collaborate with others, and, notably, integrate with Google’s own apps and services, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Maps, YouTube, and Google Flights and hotels. The latter is available through new Bard Extensions […]

Babbel acquires language learning browser extension Toucan

September 19, 2023
Babbel, the popular subscription-based language learning service, today announced that it has acquired Toucan, the well-funded language learning browser extension. Toucan, it turns out, wound down as a company earlier this year, though its service has remained online. None of Toucan’s co-founders or employees will join Babbel, which is only buying Toucan’s technology. Babbel will […]

TikTok debuts new tools and technology to label AI content

September 19, 2023
As more creators turn to AI for their artistic expression, there’s also a broader push for transparency around when AI was involved in content creation. To address this concern, TikTok announced today it will launch a new tool that will allow creators to label their AI-generated content and will begin testing other ways to label […]

Meet the next generation of AI superstars

September 19, 2023
So smart! So talented! This week I’m pleased to introduce you to a new crop of bright minds working on some of the most challenging problems in AI and beyond. You can read MIT Technology Review’s full list of 35 Innovators Under 35 here.  We’ve previously highlighted some of the most promising people in tech before…

YC says visa challenges hampering participation of international founders

September 19, 2023
The most recent cohort from Y Combinator features more than 200 startups. The S23 batch stands out for several reasons. More than half of these startups focus on AI applications, highlighting a dominant trend we can expect in the coming years. It’s also remarkable for at least one more reason: only one startup from the […]

IFC leads $5M extension round in Ivorian SaaS e-commerce platform ANKA

September 19, 2023
ANKA, an Ivorian SaaS e-commerce platform for African businesses, has raised $5 million. The pre-Series A extension round is a mix of equity and debt; last January, ANKA, formerly Afrikrea, raised $6.2 million. The seven-year-old startup has secured $13.5 million from investors since its inception. In a statement, ANKA said it will use the fresh […]

Deepfakes of Chinese influencers are livestreaming 24/7

September 19, 2023
Scroll through the livestreaming videos at 4 a.m. on Taobao, China’s most popular e-commerce platform, and you’ll find it weirdly busy. While most people are fast asleep, there are still many diligent streamers presenting products to the cameras and offering discounts in the wee hours.  But if you take a closer look, you may notice…

European carbon accounting startup Plan A raises $27M from VC and corporate heavyweights

September 19, 2023
Plan A, a carbon accounting and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) reporting platform for corporations, has raised $27 million in a Series A round of funding led by U.S. VC giant Lightspeed Venture partners. Technically the funding is an extension of a $10 million Series A round it announced nearly two years ago, meaning for […]