Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri will testify before the Senate for the first time as part of a series of hearings about online safety for children and teens. Per The New York Times, Mosseri’s hearing will take place on December 6. Mosseri’s upcoming testimony comes after Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) wrote a letter to Facebook […]
Niantic raises $300M at a $9B valuation to build the ‘real-world metaverse’
Niantic, the augmented reality platform that’s developing games like Pokémon GO, raised $300 million from Coatue, valuing the company at $9 billion. The San Fransisco-based startup, which initially spun out of Google, will use this money to build what it calls the “real-world metaverse.” As early as August, Niantic founder and CEO John Hanke has […]
Netflix to acquire German visual effects studio behind ‘Stranger Things’ and more
Netflix is acquiring Munich-based visual effects studio Scanline VFX for an undisclosed amount. The company expects the deal to close in the first quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory approvals and closing conditions. Scanline has done work on several Netflix originals, including “Stranger Things” and “Cowboy Bebop.” The studio has also provided special effects for […]
Wave brings some science and sanity to the business of mental health
The kids aren’t alright. According to the founders of Wave, 75% of Gen Z is struggling with their emotional well-being. To be clear — not all of them are meeting the criteria for diagnosable mental health illnesses, but they do need a bit more than a firm handshake and a “keep going, son.” That’s the […]
Inpathy aims to be a social network that mirrors real human experience
There have been countless studies about the damaging effects of social media on mental health, particularly on teens. And yet, most of us just can’t quit social networking. Even if it makes us feel bad about ourselves. The constant comparisons of our lives to the highlight reels that people post on Facebook and Instagram is […]
TikTok brings its TV app to more devices across the US and Canada
Just ahead of the U.S. Thanksgiving holidays, TikTok is expanding its footprint in the living room. The company earlier this month launched its TV app in North America in partnership with Amazon Fire TV. Today, TikTok is rolling out its TV app to more TV platforms across North America, including Google TV and other Android […]
Kaszek leads Z1’s latest round as it develops its bank app aimed at LatAm teens
The new capital will provide support as the company aims to grow 10 times over the next 12 months and add new features to enhance the financial inclusion and literacy of customers.
San Diego-based startup LifeVoxel raises $5 million seed funding for its AI diagnostic visualization platform
San Diego-based startup LifeVoxel has raised $5 million in a seed round to bolster data intelligence of its AI diagnostic visualization platform for faster and precise prognosis. The platform, dubbed Prescient, is used for diagnostics, workflow management and triage, taking away the stress of managing software and hardware technology from physicians and hospitals — and […]
This Week in Apps: Apple defends app ad buying, Spotify gains lyrics, Instagram kills Threads
Welcome back to This Week in Apps, the weekly TechCrunch series that recaps the latest in mobile OS news, mobile applications and the overall app economy. The app industry continues to grow, with a record 218 billion downloads and $143 billion in global consumer spending in 2020. Consumers last year also spent 3.5 trillion minutes […]
Grammarly raises $200M at a $13B valuation to make you an even better writer using AI
Grammarly, the popular auto-editing tool for writing, has raised $200 million in funding at a $13 billion valuation from new investors including Baillie Gifford and funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, among others. The company plans to use the investment to accelerate product innovation and team growth. “We believe this funding round is a great […]