If there was any doubt, the generative AI bubble did not burst in 2024. Investments in generative AI, which encompasses a range of AI-powered apps, tools, and services to generate text, images, videos, speech, music, and more, reached new heights last year. According to data from financial tracker PitchBook compiled for TechCrunch, generative AI companies
Month: January 2025
The fintech segment, which saw massive growth during the pandemic and immediately after, had a fairly rough 2024, ending with the abrupt shutdown — and then unexpected acquisition — of accounting startup Bench. Though the rapid pace of funding has slowed, some fintechs are continuing to see growth and expand their teams. In an effort
Friday, December 27, was supposed to be the start of a relaxing holiday weekend. But it was chaos for thousands of small business owners who use Bench, an accounting and tax startup based in Canada that raised $113 million from investors like Bain Capital Ventures and Shopify. That morning, they found themselves unable to log
Dara Khosrowshahi is resigning from the board of autonomous vehicle technology company Aurora Innovation, citing a desire to focus on his ongoing responsibilities as CEO of Uber and reduce external board commitments, according to a Friday regulatory filing. Khosrowshahi’s resignation was effective as of Tuesday. Aurora says Khosrowshahi’s decision to leave the board was not
SteamWorld Heist II snuck out last year in early August and didn’t create as many ripples as some of the other genre spin-offs in its quirky robotic universe. That’s a shame because the bones of this tactical RPG are some of the strongest around, even if the surrounding fluff can get in the way sometimes.
/ Samsung’s 2025 TVs and soundbars will be ready for YouTube videos that use the Eclipsa Audio format for 3D sound experiences. By Emma Roth, a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Share this story Image: Samsung
Stern Pinball is back with another new machine and this time it’s a tribute to Dungeons & Dragons following the tabletop RPG’s 50th anniversary. The table comes with all kinds of whimsical bells and whistles and an all-star voice cast, and it can be yours starting at $7,000. Or you could pay nearly double that
Ready to add a new Max show to your rotation? These days, it’s Max — not HBO Max — that delivers HBO to the streaming masses. The service is home to popular shows like Succession, The White Lotus, Hacks and The Sex Lives of College Girls. There’s no shortage of exceptional fare to explore. Max unites the
Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Want it in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. Welcome to 2025! The first half of the week was relatively quiet in terms of startup announcements, but activity is already starting to pick up. We’re also
In a recent interview with Games Industry.biz, Ken Levine disparaged his most famous and popular game, BioShock, as “a very, very long corridor.” He uses this description pejoratively to distinguish the 2007 first-person mystery game from his current project, science fiction FPS Judas, a game he says is being made “very, very differently.” He wants,
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has fined accessiBe, a startup that claims to make websites more compatible with the screen readers blind people rely on to access the internet, for false advertising and compensating reviewers without disclosing that it sponsored the reviews. In a proposed order, the FTC would require accessiBe to pay $1 million
2025 is here, and there are plenty of available deals for anyone who didn’t get the chance to shop during 2024’s Black Friday or Cyber Week. Now is a great time to save across all categories, and that includes home security deals that add an extra layer of protection without breaking the bank. Woot is
With CES 2025 kicking off next week, OnePlus is incentivizing preorders with a bunch of savings and free add-ons for making the purchase early. This specifically applies to its new flagship smartphone — the OnePlus 13 — with its North American launch getting nearer. If you fancy getting in on the action, a $50 preorder
If you’re looking for crisp, clean visuals for your PC gaming setup, now is a great time to invest in a new gaming monitor. Whether you’re building your first rig or you’re looking to upgrade your current setup, you can save some dough on your new parts purchase with this deal from Alienware — if
There are a lot of great fan-made Sonic the Hedgehog games out there. Sega has been notoriously chill with fans of the Blue Blur using its characters in their own projects, and there are even a handful of community-driven remakes of old games that could use a modern touch-up. The one we’re talking about today
For so many years, so many have been lamenting the dire state of Pokémon Go’s monthly Community Days. What should be events that encourage players to fill local parks for a fun series of challenges have become repetitive, desultory events that can be completed almost without trying. And now they’re doubling in price! Suggested Reading
Hydrogen startups are widely seen as a promising way to eliminate fossil fuels from heavy industry and long-haul transportation. But they have been stuck in limbo for the last couple years, waiting for official guidance from the U.S. Treasury on lucrative tax credits. The wait ended today, with the Treasury announcing final rules for hydrogen
The holidays are over, but discount season will stretch into mid-January 2025 thanks to Sony’s ongoing New Year sale on PlayStation 5 and PS4. There are some really steep discounts on a ton of great games. A perfect time to grab some neat stuff that you’ve been meaning to tick off your backlog. Suggested Reading
We’ve seen a handful of AirPod-charging iPhone battery cases come and go over the years. Artronic’s new earbuds take a different approach, with a slim charging case that snaps directly to the back of MagSafe-compatible phones. The Komutr buds were announced on Friday, a few days ahead of their CES 2025 debut. In a sea
Electra has raised $76.3 million to clean up the dirty ironmaking industry, TechCrunch has learned. The startup has developed a novel method of using electricity to coax pure iron out of low-grade ores, opening the door to cleaner steel. The new funding round, which was disclosed in a regulatory filing, seeks to raise a total
Consumer goods giant Hindustan Unilever is in advanced talks to acquire four-year-old direct-to-consumer startup Minimalist for up to $350 million, according to two people familiar with the matter. An acquisition would add to the Unilever subsidiary’s buying spree in India, where it expanded into the health and wellbeing category by acquiring Oziva and Wellbeing Nutrition
Just about everyone can use a good pair of reliable, quality wireless earbuds. Whether you’re listening to a new podcast on the way to work or jamming out to your playlist at the gym, most of us use wireless earbuds regularly. And you don’t have to break the bank getting a good pair either. The Anker
I’ll admit, whenever I upgrade my iPhone to the newest version of iOS, it’s initially a bit of a let-down. Everything more or less looks the same — which is actually a good thing, because most people don’t like jarring changes. But then I want to know what’s new and exciting, and with iOS 18.2 there’s plenty to explore,
TP-Link makes some of the most popular routers in the country, but they may not be available in the US for much longer. Investigators at the Commerce, Defense and Justice departments have all opened probes into the company that have to do with Chinese cyberattacks. These departments are weighing a potential ban on the sale
A US federal appeals court on Thursday struck down net neutrality regulations that had pit telecommunications companies and internet service providers against the Federal Communications Commission. The ruling comes after the FCC voted last year to restore regulations that would require ISPs, including companies like AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, to treat internet traffic equally. Net neutrality
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections and Strands puzzles. Today’s Wordle puzzle isn’t too difficult, and here’s a tip. We’ve got a list ranking all the letters in the alphabet by how frequently they
2025 stretches ahead of us with plenty of opportunities, including a full schedule of meteor showers. They come around every year like clockwork and that means planning shooting star trips can be done months in advance. Here’s a look at what’s happening when, and how you can watch. The New Year kicks off with Quadrantids, which
KoBold Metals closed a $537 million Series C round on Wednesday to help build a multi-billion-dollar mine to exploit a copper deposit it found using AI. The new funding round, which was led by Durable Capital Partners and T. Rowe Price, will be used to expand the company’s exploration efforts on five continents and develop
You may have not noticed it, but Tom Holland wasn’t on your movie screen in 2024, and that could become an extended reality in the not-too-distant future. In his recent Men’s Health cover story, the 28-year-old actor revealed his plans for life after acting, including what life change has to happen for him to walk
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is getting a Squid Game event this weekend following the hit Netflix show’s recent return with season two. Unlike previous events, however, this one will lock some of its best rewards behind a paid event pass. Think of it as a battle pass within a battle pass, on top