Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai took the stage on Wednesday at a Stanford event held by the university’s business school, offering some small insights into how he thinks about running one of the world’s most valuable tech companies. It was a notable appearance because Pichai’s been having a bit of a rough go lately. Google is … Read more
Queerie is a dating app aimed specifically at LGBTQIA+ folks. It’s a very early-stage company that’s raising just $300,000 — a round size that typically falls into the “friends and family” category. Dating is a fiercely competitive space, and there’s been a fair amount of M&A activity over the years, so I was eager to … Read more
Tesla is reportedly abandoning its plan to build a lower-cost EV thought to cost around $25,000, according to Reuters, despite that vehicle’s status as a pivotal product for the company’s overall growth. The company will instead focus its efforts on a planned robotaxi that is being built on the same small EV platform that was … Read more
Spotify’s live audio app is no longer active, but the company has been using the tech to connect fans and artists better with the “Listening Party” feature. The feature lets high-engaging fans join events like releasing of an album by an artist with opportunities to ask them questions. The company confirmed to TechCrunch that it … Read more
For just a brief moment, this was the internet at its best. I stared at a vase of dried out Trader Joe’s flowers, rumbling on my table for maybe thirty seconds, but I was too shocked to even process what was happening. Then, I saw the tweets (which, in this moment of shock, I refuse … Read more
Varda Space Industries has closed a massive tranche of funding just weeks after its first drug manufacturing capsule returned from orbit. The company’s $90 million Series B round marks an inflection point for the company, which is now gearing up to scale from the initial demonstration mission to a regular set of missions carrying customer … Read more
Apple is laying off 614 employees in California after abandoning its electric car project. According to the WARN notice posted by California, Apple notified the affected employees on March 28 and the changes will go into effect on May 27. Affected employees worked at eight locations in Santa Clara. Although the notice doesn’t specify which … Read more
What a week, everyone. Two full days of Y Combinator demo day activity kept us busy, but the latest accelerator cohort’s launch was far from the only big story in startup-land. Today on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Mary Ann, Becca, and Alex gathered to dig into favorites from the hundreds of new YC companies that pitched, … Read more
Tesla is dropping prices of unsold Model Y SUVs in the U.S. by thousands of dollars in an attempt to clear out an unprecedented backlog of inventory. Many long-range and performance Model Ys are now selling for $5,000 less than their original price, while rear-wheel drive versions are seeing even bigger cuts of more than … Read more
On Feb. 26, 1998, hundreds of people gathered to watch a total solar eclipse. The crowd gasped as the moon gobbled up the sun. They oohed and aahed as the feathery streams of the top of the solar atmosphere burst into view. Applause erupted moments later, when the sun peeked back out from behind the … Read more