Telegram lets creators share paid content to channels

Telegram launched a digital currency called Stars for in-app use last month. Now, the company is expanding its use cases to paid content. The chat app is also allowing channels to covert the stars they have to Toncoin — the cryptocurrency Telegram uses over The Open Network (TON) blockchain. Alternatively, they can use them to […]

Altrove uses AI models and lab automation to create new materials

For the past couple of years, innovation has been accelerating in new materials development. And a new French startup called Altrove plans to play a role in this innovation cycle. The deep tech startup has already raised €3.7 million (around $4 million at current exchange rates). If you’re interesting in new materials development, you may […]

Indian social network Koo to shut down

The Indian social media platform Koo, which positioned itself as a competitor to Elon Musk’s X, is ceasing operations after its last-resort acquisition talks with Dailyhunt collapsed. Despite securing over $60 million in funding from prominent investors including Tiger Global and Accel, Koo faced significant challenges in expanding its user base and generating revenue over […]

Europe is still serious about ESG, and Apiday is helping companies comply

European regulation is turning ESG reporting from a nice-to-have to a must. This creates new tailwinds for startups such as Paris-based Apiday, whose platform targets private equity funds and blue-chip companies needing to track and pilot sustainability practices.  Asset management firms have been a key target for Apiday, especially European ones. Because of the Sustainable […]

Google’s environmental report pointedly avoids AI’s actual energy cost

Google has issued its 2024 Environmental Report, a more than 80-page document describing all of the massive company’s efforts to apply tech to environmental issues and to mitigate its own contributions. But it totally dodges the question of how much energy is AI using — perhaps because the answer is “way more than we’d care […]

Yieldstreet says some of its customers were affected by the Evolve Bank data breach

The alternative investment platform Yieldstreet is the latest company to reveal that its customers were affected by the recent data breach at Evolve Bank and Trust, TechCrunch has exclusively learned.  On Tuesday, Yieldstreet spokesperson Clare Burrows confirmed to TechCrunch that “some Yieldstreet customer information may have been impacted” as a consequence of the Evolve breach.  […]