Meta Platforms is acquiring Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup that’s become the talk of Silicon Valley since it debuted last spring with a demo video that showed an AI agent doing things like screening job candidates, planning vacations, and analyzing stock portfolios. Manus claimed at the time that it outperformed OpenAI’s Deep Research. Learn m…

Money was no object for the AI industry in early 2025. A vibe check crept in the second half of the year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

The electrical grid is facing unprecedented stress from the addition of new data centers. Software could offer a cost-effective way to boost reliability and capacity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

At TechCrunch Disrupt, three investors took the stage to dissect what makes — and breaks — a pitch deck. They shared with the crowd their candid views on what works in a pitch deck — and what doesn’t. Their biggest pet peeve? Buzzword overload. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

Tech companies are increasingly warning their customers that they have been targeted by governments with advanced government spyware, such as NSO's Pegasus or Paragon's Graphite. What happens after receiving a threat notification? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

Investors share what founders should remember if looking to raise a Series A. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

Matt Rogers's food waste startup will soon deploy its commercial food waste bins in grocery stores throughout the U.S. Here's how Rogers thinks about preparing a startup for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

For years, Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline has been aiding journalists and dissidents who have been targeted with government spyware. This is how they operate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

As Nigel Morris watches his BNPL investments from the other side of the table, he seems to understand the warning signs better than most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

Plus - Slack CEO Denise Dresser to join OpenAI as chief revenue officer; Three in 10 US teens use AI chatbots every day, but safety concerns are growing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

An investor explains the "buy, fix, and hold" model employed by Bending Spoons and similar companies that buy distressed startups. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

The $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros., and the acquisition has already been described as sending Hollywood into “full-blown panic mode,” “possibly a death blow to theatrical filmmaking,” and maybe even “the end of Hollywood” itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

Plus - Instagram brings Reels to the big screen; DoorDash rolls out an AI social app for discovering new restaurants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

After struggling to retain customers at his e-commerce site Headphones.com, founder Andrew Lissimore built his own loyalty solution — and it’s now a startup called Lantern. The Shopify-native platform helps brands boost retention through customizable loyalty, referrals, and account management tools. Also, Deel says it's been profitable for three ye…

TechCrunch's Dominic-Madori Davis writes about women who ran an experiment to see if LinkedIn's new algo was being sexist and thought they proved it. But experts say there's more complexity involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

Across Uzbekistan, a network of about a hundred banks of high-resolution roadside cameras continuously scan vehicles’ license plates and their occupants, sometimes thousands a day, looking for potential traffic violations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

Two experienced investors share their tips for founders and operators hoping to nail product-market fit at their AI startups. Also, Uare.ai, formerly Eternos, raised $10.3 million in seed funding led by Mayfield and Boldstart Ventures. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

Pirate group Anna’s Archive says it has scraped 86 million songs from Spotify. Also, OpenAI says prompt injections will always be a risk for AI browsers with agentic capabilities, like Atlas. But the firm is beefing up its cybersecurity with an 'LLM-based automated attacker.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

Move over, Santa. Now there’s another magical character for kids to track: the Tooth Fairy. After making a personalized Tooth Fairy video for his nephew, Oliver Finel noticed a gap. While there are plenty of Santa trackers, nothing similar existed for the Tooth Fairy. Also, digital avatar generation company Lemon Slice is working to add a video lay…

Plus - ChatGPT launches a year-end review like Spotify Wrapped Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

Alphabet is set to pay $4.75 billion in cash, plus debt, for the data center and clean energy developer. Also, the move is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to delay the construction of 6 gigawatts of offshore wind near a hotspot of data center development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

The future may be electric, but that future is being postponed. The European Commission, citing the need for flexibility, has softened its ambitious plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesโดย TechCrunch

The bill will require large AI developers to publish information about their safety protocols and report safety incidents to the state within 72 hours. Also, the newest episode raises questions about whether Sequoia's new leadership -- managing partners Alfred Lin and Pat Grady, who took over last month -- can or will rein in Maguire's social media…