Exclusive

How Warp is introducing robots to automate its network of warehouses

Robotics /

Warp was founded in 2021 to help companies streamline their shipping supply chains and reduce costs through its tech-enabled network of shippers, carriers and warehouses. Now, it wants to make supply chains further efficient by using robots to automate its web of warehouses. Daniel Sokolovsky, the co-founder and CEO of Warp, told TechCrunch that Warp […]

How Warp is introducing robots to automate its network of warehouses Read More »

Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft — and people are paying anyway

Transportation /

A central premise of robotaxis is that high usage and lower labor costs will ultimately make it a cheap transportation option. That is still far from true, but now there’s some data that gives us an idea of by how much. Obi, an app that aggregates real-time pricing and pick-up times across multiple ride-hailing services,

Waymo rides cost more than Uber or Lyft — and people are paying anyway Read More »

Whole Foods warns of shortages after cyberattack at its primary distributor UNFI

Security /

Whole Foods told its employees that the ongoing outages and disruptions at its primary distributor, United Natural Foods (UNFI), may take “several days to resolve.” The Amazon-owned retail giant told staff in an internal communication, seen by TechCrunch, that UNFI was experiencing a “nationwide technology system outage,” which UNFI has for its part described as

Whole Foods warns of shortages after cyberattack at its primary distributor UNFI Read More »

Whole Foods tells staff cyberattack at its primary distributor UNFI will affect product availability

Security /

Whole Foods told its employees that the ongoing outages and disruptions at its primary distributor, United Natural Foods (UNFI), may take “several days to resolve.” The Amazon-owned retail giant told staff in an internal communication, seen by TechCrunch, that UNFI was experiencing a “nationwide technology system outage,” which UNFI has for its part described as

Whole Foods tells staff cyberattack at its primary distributor UNFI will affect product availability Read More »

Mitra Chem is raising $50M for its cheaper, domestic battery materials

Climate /

Battery material startup Mitra Chem has raised $15.6 million of a planned $50 million funding round, according to a regulatory filing seen by TechCrunch. Mitra Chem is developing materials to make lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries store more energy. Automakers have begun to turn to LFP in an attempt to trim costs from electric vehicle battery packs,

Mitra Chem is raising $50M for its cheaper, domestic battery materials Read More »

After its data was wiped, KiranaPro’s co-founder cannot rule out an external hack

Security /

Indian grocery delivery startup KiranaPro’s recent data loss story has more holes than Swiss cheese, as the startup remains unclear whether the incident was an internal breach or an external hack. Last week, the Bengaluru-based startup discovered that it could not access its back-end servers and that all its data, including its app code, had

After its data was wiped, KiranaPro’s co-founder cannot rule out an external hack Read More »

Jony Ive’s LoveFrom helped design Rivian’s first electric bike

Transportation /

Lovefrom, the creative firm founded by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive, played a role in the development of Rivian’s first electric bike, according to multiple sources who spoke to TechCrunch.  For about 18 months, a handful of LoveFrom staff worked alongside Rivian’s design team and engineers within a skunkworks program led by Specialized’s former

Jony Ive’s LoveFrom helped design Rivian’s first electric bike Read More »

Clean energy investment hits new highs and shows no sign of slowing

Climate /

The world is set to invest nearly twice as much in clean energy as fossil fuels this year, according to a new International Energy Agency report. While fossil fuel outlays are still significant — about $1.15 trillion this year — they’ll be dwarfed by clean energy, which is expected to receive $2.15 trillion in 2025.  But

Clean energy investment hits new highs and shows no sign of slowing Read More »

Toma’s AI voice agents have taken off at car dealerships – and attracted funding from a16z

Fundraising /

When Monik Pamecha co-founded AI voice startup Toma in early 2024, he hadn’t anticipated spending the summer months sweating in Bible Belt car dealerships. He and co-founder Anthony Krivonos were still focused on banking and healthcare customers when the dealers came knocking.  “They just called us up and said ‘we are drowning in phone calls,’”

Toma’s AI voice agents have taken off at car dealerships – and attracted funding from a16z Read More »