Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Welcome to TechCrunch AM! First up, don't forget to check the live blog for updates on Nvidia's GTC. Otherwise, we've got Elon Musk's tangle with the Constitution, the return of stranded astronauts, Shopify's new home, big money for HR tech, Dubai's drone shows, a new deep tech fund, and more! Let's dive in. — Rebecca

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Andrew Harnik / Getty Images

1. Violating the Constitution: A federal judge's opinion states that Elon Musk's role overseeing DOGE is likely a violation of the Constitution's appointments clause. Musk has railed against court orders he disagrees with, calling for the impeachment of judges who have overruled aspects of his plans to overhaul the federal government. Read More

2. It's personal: Nvidia unveiled a lineup of two new "AI personal supercomputers" powered by the company's Grace Blackwell chip platform. The computers are designed to help users prototype, fine-tune, and run AI models in a range of sizes at the edge. Read More

3. The prodigal astronauts return: The two NASA astronauts who were lowkey stranded on the International Space Station for nine months thanks to Boeing Starliner issues have finally made it home, splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico in a SpaceX Dragon capsule Tuesday evening. Read More

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Morning must-reads

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

👀 Big Brother is really watching: Researchers revealed the governments of Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, and Singapore are likely customers of Israeli spyware maker Paragon. Cool, cool. Read More

💹 Moving house: Shopify is transferring its listing from the NYSE to the Nasdaq after 10 years on the market. Why? Who knows? Maybe Shopify is interested in the Nasdaq's lower fees or wants to better align with tech-focused investor bases. Read More

🤑 HR tech gets a boost: Barcelona-based HR unicorn Factorial has secured $120 million from General Catalyst to accelerate its go-to-market by investing in more sales and marketing. The most interesting part of this, though, is the way this non-dilutive loan is set up. Read More

🤓 The old pipeline: Critical Venture Partners wants to tap the old university-to-startup pipeline by giving young founders the chance to solve the world's most intractable problems. The firm has raised a $5 million inaugural fund to woo deep tech founders from universities. Read More

🐢 The tortoise: Tesla got a permit from California regulators which is the first step towards eventually being able to operate a robotaxi service in the state. But before you get excited, this permit doesn't cover autonomous vehicle testing or deployment. Read More

Around the web

🤝 Strange bedfellows: Elon Musk's xAI and Nvidia will be part of a group to develop infrastructure for AI that includes BlackRock, Microsoft, and Abu Dhabi-backed investment firm MGX, according to Reuters. Read More

📉 The downside of tariffs: Well, there are many, but when it comes to AI progress, Trump's tariffs on China and Mexico – two of the U.S.'s biggest computer equipment import sources – may pile on costs to data centers, per Bloomberg. Read More

✨ Look up: Dubai and the Middle East host some of the world's largest and most expensive drone shows. It's an interesting new opportunity for creators and artists, even if the work is seasonal, per Rest of World. Read More

Before you go

Image Credits: hapabapa / Getty Images

🎶 Smells like tech spirit: The U.S. has crossed the threshold into 100 million paid subscribers for music streaming services for the first time ever. Spotify dominates market share, followed by Apple Music. As the decentralized web takes hold, I wonder if we'll start to see some new startups come in to shake things up? Read More