December 26, 2025

MIT Technology Review’s most popular stories of 2025

It’s been a busy and productive year here at MIT Technology Review. We published magazine issues on power, creativity, innovation, bodies, relationships, and security. We hosted 14 exclusive virtual conversations with our editors and outside experts in our subscriber-only series, Roundtables, and held two events on MIT’s campus. And we published hundreds of articles online,…

India’s PhonePe tops $12 billion valuation in new funding

January 19, 2023

PhonePe’s valuation has surged to $12 billion in a new funding round as the Indian fintech giant readies for life without parent firm Flipkart. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup said it has raised $350 million and anticipates raising up to another $650 million as part of the round. General Atlantic led the first tranche of the investment. […]

India’s PhonePe tops $12 billion valuation in new funding by Manish Singh originally published on TechCrunch

Shein valuation reportedly plummets by a third as it seeks $3B

January 19, 2023

Shein, the fast fashion behemoth that has swept across the world, is raising a significant down round as the startup world braces for a funding crunch. The e-commerce platform known for jaw-dropping outfit prices and savvy TikTok marketing is seeking $3 billion at a valuation of $64 billion, down from the $100 billion price tag […]

Shein valuation reportedly plummets by a third as it seeks $3B by Rita Liao originally published on TechCrunch

Curated Loop is ranging indie designer picks for an edgier take on fashion rentals

January 19, 2023

Here’s a fashion rental startup with a twist: London, UK-based Curated Loop — which soft-launched a high end fashion rental marketplace last week after bootstrapping to launch an MVP — is sourcing statement pieces from independent designers’ sample stock to style itself as an edgier alternative to more conventional rivals. Its approach means items available […]

Curated Loop is ranging indie designer picks for an edgier take on fashion rentals by Natasha Lomas originally published on TechCrunch

Musk stands to lose billions in trial over ‘funding secured’ tweet

January 19, 2023

The question of whether Tesla CEO Elon Musk is a fraud or is just too careless with his words took center stage in a San Francisco court room Wednesday. Under the microscope was Musk’s notorious 2018 tweet that stated funding was “secured” to take Tesla private at a potential value of $420 per share. In a […]

Musk stands to lose billions in trial over ‘funding secured’ tweet by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch

Scrintal raises $1 million for its visual collaboration tool

January 18, 2023

Founded by Ece Kural and Furkan Bayraktar, Scrintal is a visual note-taking and collaboration tool. The Sweden-based company’s product combines visual canvases with documentation to help professionals and teams go from idea to presentable work on the same screen — think Miro meets Notion meets a slew of other tools companies use to keep their knowledge […]

Scrintal raises $1 million for its visual collaboration tool by Haje Jan Kamps originally published on TechCrunch

Amazon fined by regulators for unsafe warehouse work conditions

January 18, 2023

Federal regulators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that three Amazon warehouse facilities had violated legislation designed to require employers to provide safe working environments. Investigations found that Amazon workers are at high risk for back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), especially in warehouse environments that prioritize speed over safety. “While […]

Amazon fined by regulators for unsafe warehouse work conditions by Amanda Silberling originally published on TechCrunch

Font furore as State Dept retires Times New Roman for retiring Calibri

January 18, 2023

In a heartwarming callback to the absurdly low-stakes controversies of the Obama era, the State Department is making extremely small waves by officially retiring the old workhorse Times New Roman font from official communications. It will be succeeded by Calibri, a font best known now for being publicly retired in 2021. Really though, there is […]

Font furore as State Dept retires Times New Roman for retiring Calibri by Devin Coldewey originally published on TechCrunch

Analysts cut 2023 techs spending predictions as consumers hold back

January 18, 2023

Predicting spending is a tricky business, especially in a period of economic uncertainty. Perhaps that’s why both IDC and Gartner have cut their fall predictions in the new year with Gartner now predicting modest 2.2% growth for 2023 with IDC a bit more optimistic at 4.4%. In the fall, Gartner was predicting a far more […]

Analysts cut 2023 techs spending predictions as consumers hold back by Ron Miller originally published on TechCrunch

Some initial thoughts on Apple’s resurrected HomePod

January 18, 2023

Ditching HomePod was a strange choice. At the time, Apple told us, “HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home control all for just $99. We are focusing our efforts on HomePod mini.” While the smart home hasn’t panned out precisely the […]

Some initial thoughts on Apple’s resurrected HomePod by Brian Heater originally published on TechCrunch