Start-ups

Are you a pre-Series A startup founder looking to make your mark on a global stage? This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Applications for TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 — the premier startup pitch competition — are officially open. We want to see you showcase your game-changing innovations to the world at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Get an unbeatable chance to gain exposure and pitch your startup to world-class VC judges — and the entire

On June 5, 1,200 of the brightest minds in AI and VC leaders will converge in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley for TechCrunch Sessions: AI — the must-attend AI event of the year. What does this mean for your startup? A prime opportunity to showcase your breakthrough to a crowd hungry for AI innovation. We’ve made it seamless — just visit this exhibit page and claim your booth today! Why exhibiting your AI innovation is

The CEO of Colossal, a startup that aims to use genetic editing techniques to bring back extinct species, including the wooly mammoth, assured audiences at SXSW that the company has no plans to create a real-life Jurassic Park — lest there was any doubt. “Modern conservation isn’t working […] and we’re gonna need a ‘de-extinction’ toolkit,” Colossal CEO Ben Lamm said during an onstage interview Sunday in Austin, responding to questions from actor and board

Creatopy, a startup that uses AI to automate the creation of digital ads, has brought on a new CEO: Tammy Nam. Nam was previously COO and CMO at photo-editing startup PicsArt, and before that the CEO of video streamer Viki. She told TechCrunch via email that Creatopy was looking for a US-based executive who knows how to scale early-stage startups, has worked with European founders (the product was first developed in Romania), and understands marketing

Last year was a monumental year for the AI industry in the U.S. and beyond. There were 49 startups that raised funding rounds worth $100 million or more in 2024, per our count at TechCrunch. Three companies raised more than one “mega-round” last year, and seven companies raised rounds at $1 billion or larger. How will 2025 compare? It’s still early in the year but the number of U.S. AI companies that have raised more

Investor interest in AI coding assistants is exploding. Anysphere, the developer of AI-powered coding assistant Cursor, is in talks with venture capitalists to raise capital at a valuation of nearly $10 billion, Bloomberg reported. The round, if it transpires, would come about three months after Anysphere completed its previous fundraise of $100 million at a pre-money valuation of $2.5 billion, as TechCrunch was first to report. The new round is expected to be led by

TechCrunch will be on the ground at SXSW 2025 — the annual tech, music, comedy, and film conference that kicked off Friday in Austin — in search of the zeitgeist of this AI-centric era. Yup, we’re one sentence in and AI has already made its entrance. And why not? A quick scan of the massive SXSW schedule illustrates that AI is on center stage in Austin — and globally. It’s worth noting that this year

Discord — the chat app with over 200 million monthly users — is in early-stage talks to IPO, The New York Times reports. Discord’s discussions with investment bankers are still exploratory and plans could change, per the NYT’s sources. Discord understands there is a lot of interest about its plans, but does not comment on rumors or speculation, a spokesperson told TechCrunch.  This isn’t the first time Discord has mulled over an IPO.  The San

Just weeks after Google said it would review its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, the Google for Startups Founders Fund web page is peppered with changes. Most notably Google is now using past tense to describe all of its fund programs for underrepresented founders.  This is a change that took place after December, according to the internet archives. And the site currently says that there are zero fund programs available.  Google’s Startup Founders Fund launched in

On June 5, TechCrunch Sessions: AI will kick off — and you can be part of the industry-changing conversations that will be taking place. We have an open invitation for members of the AI community to lead breakout sessions and discussions with over 1,200 startup founders, VC leaders, and AI aficionados attending our newest event, which will be held in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley. There’s just one catch: You have to apply by midnight tonight,