Start-ups

The tech layoff wave is still kicking in 2025. Last year saw more than 150,000 job cuts across 549 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. So far this year, more than 22,000 workers have been the victim of reductions across the tech industry, with a staggering 16,084 cuts taking place in February alone. We’re tracking layoffs in the tech industry in 2025 so you can see the trajectory of the cutbacks and understand the

Japanese AI startup Sakana said that its AI generated one of the first peer-reviewed scientific publications. But while the claim isn’t necessarily untrue, there are caveats to note. The debate swirling around AI and its role in the scientific process grows fiercer by the day. Many researchers don’t think AI is quite ready to serve as a “co-scientist,” while others think that there’s potential — but acknowledge it’s early days. Sakana falls into the latter

Bolt’s controversial co-founder Ryan Breslow, who returned as CEO earlier this month, spoke on Monday about the $30 million personal loan he took out of his company that sparked legal battles and contributed to his (temporary) ouster. Breslow also announced that Bolt will launch an “everything app” that will integrate one-click checkouts for everything from crypto to financial services “very soon.” The legal battle over the loan began in 2023, when Bolt investor Activant sued

Speaking at the SXSW conference in Austin, tech investor and entrepreneur Mark Cuban shared his thoughts on how AI technology can help small businesses outperform their competition. In short, he told the crowd that AI was not the answer, in and of itself; it’s meant to serve as an aid that can help entrepreneurs by making it easier to get started growing their businesses and answering questions along the way. Cuban suggested that today’s entrepreneurs

Worth, a company focused on helping fintechs, banks, and enterprises underwrite small and medium-sized businesses more easily, has raised $20 million in a seed funding round, the startup tells TechCrunch exclusively. It’s a large seed round, especially these days when capital is harder to come by. But the founders’ history may have something to do with that. Sal Rehmetullah and Suneera Madhani, who are siblings, also founded another fintech company, Stax Payments. They exited that

A new venture firm called Leitmotif has been on a quiet blitz for the last 16 months, funding around 20 startups broadly focused on decarbonization. Its portfolio includes EV companies, space and battery plays, and four nuclear fusion startups. But the firm has only said its funding is from “European industrial interests.” Now, Leitmotif has told TechCrunch where the money came from: the Volkswagen Group.  The German automotive giant has committed $300 million to Leitmotif’s

It’s no secret that AI has eaten the lion’s share of funding over the past couple of years, with investments into the sector surging 62% to $110 billion in 2024 alone, while startup funding overall declined 12%.  Startups may think that just adding “AI” to their company’s name might help them secure that funding. But as the frenzy around foundation models has given way to a focus on real-world applications, AI agents, and long-term profitability,

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is taking over as the CEO of Relativity Space, a 9-year-old rocket startup, a company spokesperson confirmed in a statement to TechCrunch. This is Schmidt’s first CEO job since he left Google nearly 15 years ago. On Monday, Schmidt told employees of Relativity Space that he made a significant investment and had taken a controlling stake in the company, The New York Times first reported. Schmidt is succeeding the startup’s

Two initiatives to create a more open web, where users are in control of their own digital identities and data, may be coming together. At SXSW 2025, entrepreneur Frank McCourt, whose Project Liberty is developing open internet infrastructure (and is throwing its hat in the ring as a potential buyer for TikTok), announced that his organization has been in discussions with internet pioneer Tim Berners-Lee about an integration with Solid, his open source project aimed

If you want to amplify your brand to over 1,000 AI experts and innovators, there’s no better way than by hosting a Side Event during TechCrunch Sessions: AI Week. From June 1 to June 7, TechCrunch is looking for fun and thought-provoking events to coincide with TC Sessions: AI, which takes place on June 5 in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley. Whether it be a cocktail party, an industry meetup, or a thought-provoking panel, we’re