Tech

Rad Power Bikes faces shutdown in January without new funding | TechCrunch

Rad Power Bikes faces shutdown in January without new funding | TechCrunch

Rad Power Bikes has informed its employees that it will shut down in January if it is unable to find new funding or get acquired, according to an internal staff email viewed by TechCrunch. The company’s leadership is “still fighting to find ways to continue,” and “the cessation of Rad’s operations is not a forgone conclusion,” according to the email, …

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Kaltura acquires eSelf, founded by creator of Snap’s AI, in $27M deal | TechCrunch

Kaltura acquires eSelf, founded by creator of Snap’s AI, in M deal | TechCrunch

Kaltura, a New York-headquartered AI video platform company, is acquiring eSelf.ai, an Israel-based startup behind conversational avatars — AI-generated digital humans that can talk with users — for about $27 million. Kaltura announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire eSelf, a platform supporting more than 30 languages and featuring a user-friendly studio for creating, customizing, and …

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Google brings Gemini to the Google TV Streamer | TechCrunch

Google brings Gemini to the Google TV Streamer | TechCrunch

Google announced on Monday that it’s starting to roll out Gemini to the Google TV Streamer, replacing Google Assistant. The tech giant says the change will enable users to use their voice more naturally to access content and more. For example, users can now ask something like, “I like dramas but my wife likes comedies. What’s a movie we can …

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AI PowerPoint-killer Gamma hits $2.1B valuation, $100M ARR, founder says  | TechCrunch

AI PowerPoint-killer Gamma hits .1B valuation, 0M ARR, founder says  | TechCrunch

Gamma, a startup that creates AI-generated presentations, websites, and social media posts, announced on Monday a $68 million Series B round at a $2.1 billion valuation led by Andreessen Horowitz.  Co-founder and CEO Grant Lee posted on X that the company has profitably hit $100 million in ARR, with 70 million users. The startup hit $50 million profitably in its first two years, Lee previously posted. Gamma last raised a $12 million Series A round led by Accel in 2024.  Gamma isn’t exactly a new-to-the-scene AI startup (at least …

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Wikipedia urges AI companies to use its paid API, and stop scraping | TechCrunch

Wikipedia urges AI companies to use its paid API, and stop scraping | TechCrunch

Wikipedia on Monday laid out a simple plan to ensure its website continues to be supported in the AI era, despite its declining traffic. In a blog post, the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that runs the popular online encyclopedia, called on AI developers to use its content “responsibly” by ensuring its contributions are properly attributed and that content is accessed …

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Consolidation begins to hit the carbon credit market | TechCrunch

Consolidation begins to hit the carbon credit market | TechCrunch

Carbon management startup Carbon Direct is buying another carbon credit startup, Pachama, the companies announced today. Pachama laid off around 20 employees this summer as voluntary carbon markets softened. The company had attracted investments from a range of prominent names, including Amazon’s Climate Pledge, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, and several celebrity angel investors, including Ellen DeGeneres, Laura Dern, and …

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YouTubers aren’t relying on ad revenue anymore — here’s how some are diversifying | TechCrunch

YouTubers aren’t relying on ad revenue anymore — here’s how some are diversifying | TechCrunch

YouTube has become the biggest platform out there, offering tons of opportunities for creators to earn a living. Back in June, the company reported that its creative ecosystem added over $55 billion to the U.S. GDP and created more than 490,000 full-time jobs. However, many YouTubers have reduced their reliance on ad revenue and brand deals. There are several reasons …

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Venmo launches cash back rewards program for debit cards | TechCrunch

Venmo launches cash back rewards program for debit cards | TechCrunch

Venmo on Monday introduced a new rewards program, Venmo Stash, offering cash back to customers who transact with their favorite brands on the payments app and engage with Venmo’s products. While cashback rewards are a common incentive for credit cards, Venmo’s rewards — which can be up to 5% — are returned to Venmo’s Mastercard Debit Card. The program is …

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