MFast get backing from Wavemaker Partners to increase financial services access in Vietnam

August 29, 2023
The majority of Vietnam’s population live in rural areas and often lack access to financial services because banks and other institutions open most of their physical locations in cities. MFast wants to change that with what it says is the leading financial services distribution network in Vietnam. The company announced today it has raised $6 […]

Last call: Volunteer at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 and earn a free pass

August 29, 2023
In just about three weeks, more than 10,000 startup leaders from across the globe will gather at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, which takes place September 19–21 in San Francisco. It’s the mecca of the startup world, and we could use a few more volunteers to help us make it an event to remember. What’s in it […]

Mercedes to open first charging hubs in Atlanta, China, Germany

August 28, 2023
Mercedes-Benz has shared plans to open its first electric vehicle DC fast-charging hubs in Atlanta, Georgia; Chengdu, China; and Mannheim, Germany, starting in the fourth quarter of 2023. The automaker plans to install 2,000 charging hubs worldwide by the end of 2024, with 10,000 chargers in North America, Europe, China and “other core markets” by […]

Cruise is bringing its robotaxis to Seattle and Washington, DC

August 28, 2023
Cruise, the self-driving subsidiary of General Motors, said Monday it has begun manual data collection in Seattle and Washington, DC, the first step toward launching commercial services in the cities. Data collection involves manually driving a robotaxi around to grab information on the local driving environment and climate. The next step will be mapping the […]

A new creator’s guild aims to protect online content creators

August 28, 2023
Content creation is work, but in such a rapidly shifting social media landscape, creators face an uphill battle fighting for fair pay and ownership of their content — typically without any institutional support. The Creators Guild of America (CGA) wants to change that.  The CGA, which launched last week, describes itself as a “professional service […]

Is the US Dollar Being Replaced by BRICS?!

August 28, 2023
Speculation has grown regarding the possibility of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) planning to create a centralized currency to replace the US dollar as the…

Astra’s Apollo Fusion acquisition followed by delays and desertion

August 28, 2023
Two years ago, Astra hailed its acquisition of satellite propulsion startup Apollo Fusion as a strategic move that would round out its launch business and bring expert engineers into the fold. But under Astra leadership, Apollo Fusion quickly disintegrated, with the majority of the original team resigning, leaving few people to staff the one part […]