💥 Check out this must-read post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: Startups,Build Mode 💡 Key idea: Building in regulated industries adds a huge hurdle to the already difficult journey of building a startup. And this week on Build Mode, Startup Battlefield editor Isabel Johansen spoke with two founders who are working to make headway in industries ripe for disruption, despite regulatory issues that may be deterring many others. In this episode, we talk about life and death and how regulatory clearance doesn't have to be a barrier to innovation but will lengthen timelines and require careful planning from the jump.…
🔥 Check out this must-read post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: TC,Transportation ✅ Main takeaway: Rose Marcario, former CEO of Patagonia, has resigned from her position on Rivian's board of directors, according to stock exchange filings Friday afternoon. Rivian wrote in the filing that Marcario's last day would be Jan. 1, and that she was leaving to "focus on other commitments." Rivian's board will shrink from eight members to seven following her resignation. Marcario has served on Rivian's board of directors since January 2021, a role she took on after 12 years as CEO (and eventual CEO) of Patagonia. Before…
✨ Check out this awesome post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: Apps,TC,Mergers and Acquisitions 📌 Here’s what you’ll learn: Anonymous messaging app NGL announced on Friday that it has been acquired by Mode Mobile, a smartphone rewards company that makes money by bombarding its users with ads. NGL quickly rose to the App Store charts after its launch in late 2021, joining a host of similar apps popular among teens that allow users to send and receive anonymous questions and messages. But it has been embroiled in controversy for most of its existence. Anonymous messaging apps are a problem because…
✨ Discover this must-read post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: Security,Censys,Cisco,cybercrime,cybersecurity,hackers,hacking,infosec,Shadowserver Foundation ✅ Key idea: Cisco revealed on Wednesday that a group of Chinese government-backed hackers is exploiting a security vulnerability to target enterprise customers using some of the company's most popular products. Cisco did not say how many of its customers have already been compromised, or may be using vulnerable systems. Now, security researchers say there are hundreds of Cisco customers who could potentially be compromised. Piotr Kijewski, CEO of Shadowserver, a nonprofit that scans and monitors the Internet for hacking campaigns, told TechCrunch that the scale of exposure…
💥 Discover this awesome post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: AI,AI chatbots,ChatGPT,OpenAI,teen safety 📌 Key idea: In its latest effort to address growing concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence on young people, OpenAI on Thursday updated its guidance on how its AI models behave with users under 18, and published new AI literacy resources for teens and parents. However, questions remain about the extent to which these policies continue to translate into practice. The updates come as the AI industry in general, and OpenAI in particular, faces increased scrutiny from policymakers, educators and child safety advocates after several teens…
💥 Discover this awesome post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: Media & Entertainment,Netflix,Podcasting,Spotify,YouTube 💡 Here’s what you’ll learn: When you're listening to a podcast, you're probably not opening the Netflix app — at least right now. This may change if Netflix achieves its goal. The company signed deals with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports this week, in addition to a recent deal with Spotify, for exclusive video rights to select shows. The company is also rumored to be in talks with SiriusXM. The podcasters see this as an offensive move with YouTube being the primary target. The data provides a compelling…
💥 Read this trending post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: TC,Startups,Media & Entertainment,Gaming,Netflix,Avatars,Exclusive,ready player me 💡 Main takeaway: After changing its gaming strategy to focus more on games played on TV, Netflix announced that it has acquired Ready Player Me, an avatar creation platform based in Estonia. The streamer said Friday that it plans to use the startup's development tools and infrastructure to create avatars that will allow Netflix subscribers to carry their personalities and fanbase across different games. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Ready Player Me has raised $72 million in venture backing from investors including a16z,…
✨ Read this awesome post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: AI,Social,ai models,alexandr wang,Mark Zuckerberg,Meta 💡 Key idea: Everything is ready at Meta, where the company is developing new models of artificial intelligence within the framework of its superintelligence laboratory led by Alexander Wang, co-founder of Scale AI. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company is now working on a photo and video model codenamed “Mango” along with a new text-based model known internally as “Avocado.” The tech giant plans to launch the new models in the first half of 2026, the newspaper said, citing an internal Q&A at Meta…
✨ Check out this trending post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: Gaming,Startups,Venture,BGMI,Krafton,Krafton India,Mirae Asset,Naver ✅ Here’s what you’ll learn: Krafton, the South Korean gaming company behind hit games like PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), is launching an India-focused growth investment fund, increasing its lead in the world's largest internet user base. This investment vehicle is called the Unicorn Growth Fund, and is a collaboration between Krafton, South Korean internet conglomerate Naver, and investor Mirae Asset. It aims to deploy up to 60 billion Indian rupees (about $669.3 million) over four years, Crafton confirmed to TechCrunch. The fund, which will…
💥 Explore this awesome post from TechCrunch 📖 📂 Category: Security,Coupang,cybersecurity,data breach,doge,Jaguar Land Rover,oracle,south korea,Trump Administration,us government 💡 Main takeaway: Every year, TechCrunch takes a look at the cybersecurity horror shows of the past 12 months — from the biggest data breaches to hacks that led to weeks of disruption — to see what we can learn. This year, data breaches were like nothing we'd seen before. Here's a look at some of the biggest security incidents of 2025, starting with: The US government has remained one of the biggest targets in cyberspace. The year began with a bold cyberattack…
