SpaceX has completed a second low-altitude test flight of its ‘Starhopper’ demonstration prototype, which is being used to test technologies that will be used to build the full-scale next-generation SpaceX ‘Starship’ spacecraft. This test involved ‘hopping’ the Starhopper (hence the name, get it?) to a height of around 150m (or a little under 500 feet),…
TechCrunch will partner with General Catalyst for Include Office Hours on September 4th from 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Partners Niko Bonatsos and Kyle Doherty will meet with underrepresented and underserved entrepreneurs to provide key feedback and advice. Founders, apply here! Founded in 2014, TechCrunch launched the Include Program in an effort to leverage the extensive TechCrunch…
French startup Alan announced new products, international expansion plans and a brand refresh at a press conference this morning. The company also announced plans to overhaul some of its tech stack to improve the overall user experience. Alan is a software-as-a-service startup that offers health insurance in France. The company wants to create a well-designed…
Days after Google said YouTube was used in a coordinated effort to spread misinformation about protesters in Hong Kong, the platform has begun labeling videos uploaded by media organizations that receive government or public funding. While YouTube says the new feature, which is now live in 10 regions, including Hong Kong, is intended to provide…
The automotive industry has embraced — and advertised — self-driving cars as a kind of panacea that will solve numerous problems that modern society is grappling with right now, from congestion to safety to productivity (you can work while riding!). Unfortunately, a very big question that has been almost entirely overlooked is: how long will…
Online education startup Udacity has hired former LendingTree executive Gabriel Dalporto as its new CEO, an appointment that follows months of layoffs and a restructuring directed by the company’s co-founder and executive chairman Sebastian Thrun. Dalporto comes to Udacity after seven years at LendingTree, where he served in numerous positions, including chief marketing officer and…
FreshToHome, a Bangalore-based e-commerce startup that sells fresh vegetable, fish, chicken, and other kinds of meat, has raised $20 million in a new financing round as it looks to expand its footprint in the nation. The Series B round for the startup was led by Iron Pillar, with Joe Hirao, the founder of Japan’s ZIGExn…
Hostinger said it has reset user passwords as a “precautionary measure” after it detected unauthorized access to a database containing information on millions of its customers. The breach is said to have happened on Thursday. The company said in a blog post it received an alert that one of its servers was improperly accessed. Using…
It’s hard at times not to feel sorry for Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, given all that he inherited when he became the ride-share giant’s top boss back in April 2017. Among his many to-do items: take public a money-losing company whose private-market valuation had already soared past what many thought it was worth, clean-up the…
Hello and welcome back to Startups Weekly, a weekend newsletter that dives into the week’s noteworthy startups and venture capital news. Before I jump into today’s topic, let’s catch up a bit. Last week, I wrote about the flurry of IPO filings. Before that, I noted the differences between raising cash from angels vs. traditional venture…
