Apple approves Epic Games' marketplace app after initial rejections

After multiple rejections, Apple has approved Fortnite maker Epic Games’ third-party app marketplace for launch in the EU. As now permitted by the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Epic announced earlier this year it planned to bring both the digital storefront and its flagship game, Fortnite, back to iOS in …...Read More

OpenAI breach is a reminder that AI companies are treasure troves for hackers

There’s no need to worry that your secret ChatGPT conversations were obtained in a recently reported breach of OpenAI’s systems. The hack itself, while troubling, appears to have been superficial — but it’s reminder that AI companies have in short order made themselves into one of the juiciest targets out …...Read More

Space for newcomers, biotech going mainstream, and more

Welcome to Startups Weekly — TechCrunch’s weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every Friday. Most interesting startup stories from the week Even seemingly crowded categories can see newcomers climb up the ranks. This includes social …...Read More

X plans to more deeply integrate Grok's AI, app researcher finds

Elon Musk’s X is exploring more ways to integrate xAI’s Grok into the social networking app. According to a series of recent discoveries, X is developing new features like the ability to ask Grok about X accounts, use Grok by highlighting text in the app and access Grok’s chatbot through …...Read More

Meet Brex, Google Cloud, Aerospace and more at Disrupt 2024

We’re about four months away from TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, taking place October 28 to 30 in San Francisco! We could not bring you this world-class event without our world-class partners — some of the startup ecosystem’s leading tech companies. Why? They show up armed with their expertise, educational resources and …...Read More

Amazon faces more EU scrutiny over recommender algorithms and ads transparency

In its latest step targeting a major marketplace, the European Commission sent Amazon another request for information (RFI) Friday in relation to its compliance under the bloc’s rulebook for digital services. The development highlights areas where EU enforcers are dialing up their scrutiny of the e-commerce giant, with the bloc …...Read More

Quantum Rise grabs $15M seed for its AI-driven ‘Consulting 2.0’ startup

Quantum Rise, a Chicago-based startup that does AI-driven automation for companies like dunnhumby (a retail analytics platform for the grocery industry), has raised a $15 million seed round from Erie Street Growth Partners. Its approach is somewhat akin to UiPath’s, a company famous for bringing robotic process automation to the …...Read More

YouTube's updated eraser tool removes copyrighted music without impacting other audio

On July 4, YouTube released an updated eraser tool for creators so they can easily remove any copyrighted music from their videos without affecting any other audio such as dialog or sound effects. YouTube chief Neal Mohan posted about the tool on X and said, “Good news, creators: our updated …...Read More

India's Airtel dismisses data breach reports amid customer concerns

Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, on Friday denied any breach of its systems following reports of an alleged security lapse that has caused concern among its customers. The telecom group, which also sells productivity and security solutions to businesses, said it had conducted a “thorough investigation” and found that there …...Read More

Spain's exposure to climate change helps Madrid-based VC Seaya close €300M climate tech fund

According to a recent Dealroom report on the Spanish tech ecosystem, the combined enterprise value of Spanish startups surpassed €100 billion in 2023. In the latest confirmation of this upward trend, Madrid-based VC fund Seaya has closed Seaya Andromeda, an “Article 9” €300 million climate tech fund based out of …...Read More