Friday, May 10, 2024

Welcome to TechCrunch AM! This morning, let's take a walk down memory lane to detail how Google built the first versions of popular Android apps like Twitter. We also have notes on more funding to AI companies, a bit of fintech drama, yet another investigation into an EV startup's increasingly sketchy car, and a scoop about a gaming company trying to get back into India.

But before we dive in, some sad news: This will be the last morning newsletter I write at TechCrunch. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm extremely grateful for your support. But fear not! A new voice will grace your inbox next week onwards. To work! — Alex

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Getty Images

1. DEEPX snags $80M for AI-on-chip tech: While a lot of attention is paid to getting chips made, purchased, and used in data centers to crunch the numbers for AI, there are other AI chips that we need. DEEPX, now worth a good $529 million, builds neural processing units for devices big and small in anticipation of AI at the edge becoming a big market. Read More

2. How has the Fisker Ocean not been recalled yet?! U.S. safety regulators have opened their FOURTH investigation into EV startup-gone-SPAC Fisker's Ocean SUV. This time, the probe looks at claims of "inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking." The eight complaints range from quick, sharp braking to full, hard braking "which brings the vehicle to a complete stop in the travel lane." Yikes. Read More

3. Drama in Fintech Land: Payments ship TabaPay is not going to buy banking-as-a-service company Synapse out of bankruptcy. Synapse is blaming its banking partner, Evolve. Evolve is all nope, not us. And then weirdly, Mercury jumped into the fray? Mary Ann Azevedo has the latest on this drama. Read More

Morning Must Reads

Image Credits: Fisker

How Google jump-started Android's app store: Here's a bit of mostly-lost history: Did you know that when Android was but a babe, Google did the heavy lifting to ensure that it had popular apps like Twitter? It sounds a bit Windows Phone-esque, but former Twitter employee Sara Beykpour, now the co-founder of the AI news startup Particle, dropped the historical tidbit on a podcast. Read More

Pip pip, CoreWeave: Now flush with new capital and a $19 billion valuation, GPU cloud provider CoreWeave is expanding to Europe, kinda. It's opening data centers in the UK, and will open a London office, which will serve as its European HQ. Read More

Fast-tracking cancer trials with GenAI: Triomics has figured out how to use generative AI and LLMs for some actual good. The startup is using AI to help cancer patients find clinical trials in minutes instead of hours. Six cancer centers and hospitals are piloting Triomics's LLMs, and the startup has raised a fresh $15 million round from Lightspeed, Nexus Venture Partners, General Catalyst and Y Combinator to expand its work. Read More

Around the Web

OpenAI targets search: While I do not understand the precise state of relations between Microsoft (cloud, AI and search) and OpenAI (AI, and soon, search), it does seem that they are competing with each other more than before. OpenAI is set to unveil a search tool at the end of the month, Reuters reports. Let's see if Bing makes an appearance. Read More

No Starlink for Russia: The Pentagon, Ukraine and SpaceX are working together to ensure that Starlink doesn't help the Russian army snuff out the Ukrainian nation. Good! Bloomberg has the story here, and I have to admit that this one does, in fact, spark joy. Read More

Forget pedaling, let's row: Ah, the at-home workout space. Will it ever not be a place where we see booms and busts? Yesterday's boom is today's bust, as Peloton discovers that its market value is low, and dropping. But Hydrow, which makes in-home rowing machines? CNBC reports it's riding high. Read More

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Before You Go

Image Credits: Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch

Gaming around India's red tape: After its hit game, Free Fire, was banned in 2022, Singaporean game studio Garena has found a way back into the Indian market. TechCrunch has exclusively learned Garena is quietly developing new games with local themes – think cricket and 1v1 fighting with a Hindu mythology theme. This is a great example of how ambitious companies can work around bureaucratic hurdles and keep up with the fast-moving consumer market. Read More