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 […]
Category: Latest News
Fairphone 5: The Ethical Smartphone with Android 13 and Long-Term Support
Ethical electronics startup, Fairphone, has taken the recycled wrapping off a new flagship smartphone, the Fairphone 5, which will start shipping to buyers in Europe next month. The Android 13-powered handset comes with a five year warranty and the promise of software support that it says will last until at least 2028 — and even […]
Hyperproof Raises $40 Million in Funding Round, Doubling Valuation
Hyperproof, a software-as-a-service risk and compliance management company, today announced that it raised $40 million in a funding round led by Riverwood Capital with participation from Toba Capital, an early-stage VC firm. The tranche brings Hyperproof’s total raised to $66.5 million and “doubles” the company’s valuation from nine months ago, according to co-founder and CEO […]
China’s New IPO Rules: How Chinese Companies Navigate Overseas Listings
Six months ago, China’s securities authority announced a set of new rules to facilitate overseas IPOs of Chinese companies, allowing Beijing to tighten its grip on businesses seeking to sell shares abroad. Since then, companies have committed themselves to meeting these new requirements, and now news is surfacing that some have managed to receive regulatory […]
Fitbit Faces Privacy Complaints for Allegedly Breaching EU Data Protection Rules
Google-owned Fitbit is facing a trio of privacy complaints in the European Union which allege the company is illegally exporting user data in breach of the bloc’s data protection rules. The complaints target Fitbit’s claim that users have consented to international transfers of their information — to the US and elsewhere — arguing the company […]
PhonePe Launches Share.Market App, Expanding into Stock and Mutual Fund Investment
India’s PhonePe is getting into stock and mutual fund investment, the latest in a series of expansion by Walmart-backed payments app as it looks to leverage its 450 million-plus user base to win new categories. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup launched Share.Market, an app that allows users to open their trading accounts and invest in stocks, mutual […]
Introducing SynthID: A Game-Changing Image Watermarking Tool by Google Deepmind
In partnership with Google Cloud, Google Deepmind, Google’s AI research division, is launching a tool for watermarking and identifying AI-generated images. But only images created by Google’s own image-generating model. The tool, called SnythID and available in beta for select users of Vertex AI, Google’s platform for building AI apps and models, embeds a digital […]
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Requests More Information from Tesla regarding Autopilot Safety
Once again, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is requesting more information from Tesla regarding the safety of Autopilot. In a special order dated July 26, the regulator shared concerns about a change to Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system that allows drivers to use the system for extended periods of time without prompting the […]
Meta Quest Headsets: Experience Bipedality on Virtual Reality
It’s time to beta test Meta’s greatest technological innovation since the News Feed: legs. Now on Meta Quest headsets, you can download an update that lets you walk on two feet, just like our ancient ancestor, the Ardipithecus ramidus, an early hominid that achieved bipedality 4.4 million years ago. Now, it comes full circle. When […]
The Explosive Evolution of AI: Unraveling the Unregulated and Thrilling Industry at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
AI — the tech that’s everywhere and touching everything — keeps evolving at a pace that’s surprising even in an industry where change is just about the only constant. It’s complicated, unregulated, thrilling and unnerving all at once. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, we’re dedicating a day and a stage to this galloping industry — and […]