TechCrunch Disrupt is a global event, and the Startup Battlefield 200 cohort reflects the rich geographic genius the world has to offer. Although we’ve never had a startup from Antarctica, that’s probably just a matter of time. Right now, however, we’re looking at the countries that make up APAC and Oceania. APAC and Oceania: Join…
In a significant move made by Disney, the company announced Wednesday that U.S. customers are getting a new app that combines Disney+ and Hulu content. The company also announced that it is raising the price of the Disney+ ad-free tier later in the year. During Disney’s quarterly earnings call, CEO Bob Iger revealed that the…
Ola, an Indian ride-hailing startup, has seen its valuation trimmed by its backer Vanguard amid a weakening global economy that has significantly impacted market capitalizations across numerous public companies. Vanguard cut the valuation of Ani Technologies, Ola’s holding firm, by 35% as of the end of the February, it disclosed in its semi-annual report to…
Twitter has introduced a new feature that lets users choose almost any emoji to react to a direct message in a conversation. Previously, the company allowed you to react to only the most recent DM with only a select set of emojis. Elon Musk tweeted that the feature is rolling out with the latest app…
One of the most prominent mental health organizations in the U.S. is out with a set guidelines designed to protect children from the potential harms of social media. The American Psychological Association (APA) issued its first ever health advisory on social media use Tuesday, addressing mounting concerns about how social networks designed for adults can…
Amazon is launching a new immersive shopping experience called “Amazon Anywhere,” the company announced on Tuesday. The service brings Amazon’s online marketplace to video games and mobile apps, starting with Niantic’s new real-world augmented reality game Peridot. With Amazon Anywhere, the company will allow users on gaming, mobile and AR applications to discover and buy…
Last year we covered how late-stage tech backer Liquidity Group had raised $775M for its fintech platform from Apollo (private equity) and MUFG (a Japanese bank). Liquidity is part tech platform and part lender, using its technology to make decisions on deploying debt facilities and other financial solutions from $5M to 100M relatively quickly compared…
After aggressively promoting its new lifestyle social media platform Lemon8 in the U.S., ByteDance appears to be brewing another content app for its biggest overseas market. Lemon Inc, a subsidiary of ByteDance, has submitted a trademark application for a range of book publishing products and services, according to a filing posted on the United States…
Tesla officially broke ground Monday on a Texas lithium refinery, making it the only U.S. automaker to refine its own lithium. CEO Elon Musk said the refinery will produce enough battery grade lithium for 1 million electric vehicles by 2025, which would make Tesla the largest processor of lithium in North America. Tesla will continue…
Lucid’s first-quarter results showed a company with widening losses and revenue that failed to meet Wall Street expectations, results that sent shares tumbling as investors worried about demand for its luxury all-electric Air sedan. Lucid Group’s shares dropped more than 9% in after-hours trading as investors reacted to the dismal first-quarter earnings. Shares have since…
