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Google’s Kurian approached Wiz, $23B deal could take a week to land, source says

Startups /

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is in advanced talks to acquire Wiz for $23 billion, a person close to the company told TechCrunch. The deal discussions were previously reported by the Wall Street Journal. Wiz, a cybersecurity startup founded in 2020, was approached a few weeks ago by Thomas Kurian, head of Google’s cloud division, the […]

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Mitti Labs aims to make rice farming less harmful to the climate, starting in India

Climate /

Rice is the staple crop of more than half of the world’s population. Demand is growing with the rising population in South and Southeast Asia. However, a significant portion of rice farming still relies on traditional cultivation methods that lead to substantial methane emissions, which are a major contributor to climate change — methane is

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India clings to cheap feature phones as brands struggle to tap new smartphone buyers

Hardware /

India, the world’s second-largest smartphone market after China with around 750 million users, is struggling to get new smartphone buyers, as the average person in the country finds it hard to afford a brand-new smartphone. Instead of switching to a new smartphone, millions of Indian consumers prefer to continue with their existing feature phones or

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HeadSpin, whose founder is in prison for fraud, sold to PE firm for ‘cents on the dollar,’ sources say

Startups /

Canadian private equity firm PartnerOne has acquired HeadSpin in a fire sale, TechCrunch has learned exclusively. And most of its former employees received nothing for their options, according to multiple sources. HeadSpin is the mobile app testing company whose founder was sentenced to prison for fraud earlier this year. In total, HeadSpin raised $117 million

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Why Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ superconducting magnet sale is more than it seems

Climate /

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is shipping a pair of its specialized magnets to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the startup exclusively told TechCrunch. The move comes years before CFS anticipates starting its demonstration reactor, SPARC. It’s the first such deal, though possibly not the last, suggesting that the fusion sector has matured to the point where it

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WhatsApp now allows businesses to send authentication codes to users in India

Apps /

WhatsApp now allows businesses to send authentication and login codes through its API to users in India. The company confirmed that it enabled this functionality in India starting July 1. Meta introduced this ability for merchants to authenticate users in other geographies last year. However, it started allowing these types of messages from organizations in

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Formlabs acquires 3D printing startup Micronics mid-Kickstarter campaign

Startups /

Formlabs on Thursday announced its acquisition of 3D printing firm Micronics. The Wisconsin-based startup is as plucky as they come, with a headcount of exactly two. Co-founders Henry Chan and Luke Boppart will be joining the more established firm, as Formlabs works to incorporate Micronics’ accessible SLS approach to 3D printing. There are plenty of

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Uzbekistan mobile bank TBC raises $38.2M to expand its financial products

Fintech /

Uzbekistan’s only mobile-exclusive bank, TBC Bank Uzbekistan, owned by London Stock Exchange-listed TBC Bank Group, has raised $38.2 million in a fresh equity investment. It plans to expand its local presence in the country and introduce new financial products, as well. TBC Bank Group has led the latest funding in TBC Bank Uzbekistan by infusing

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NovoNutrients tweaks its bugs to turn CO2 into protein for people and pets

Fundraising /

The easiest way for a person to eat carbon dioxide is by consuming vegetables. David Tze wants his startup’s protein to be a close second. Tze’s company, NovoNutrients, has been working on a way to use microbes to turn carbon dioxide into protein that can be used in food for humans and feed for animals.

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