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Spotify is quietly moves lyrics behind a paywall

Spotify has apparently found a new way to push its free users to a paid subscription: it’s putting lyrics behind a paywall. Following various reports citing frustrated posts from users on Reddit, the company is quietly confirming the change — but without a direct statement. Instead, the company told TechCrunch simply that Spotify’s features can […]

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Google lays off staff from Flutter, Dart and Python teams weeks before its developer conference

Ahead of Google’s annual I/O developer conference in May, the tech giant has laid off staff across key teams like Flutter, Dart, Python and others, according to reports from affected employees shared on social media. Google confirmed the layoffs to TechCrunch, but not the specific teams, roles or how many people were let go. “As

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SafeBase taps AI to automate software security reviews

Entrepreneurs Al Yang and Adar Arnon met at Harvard Business School and quickly realized that they had an interest in common: cybersecurity. “We’ve witnessed an evolving business climate that brought along with it an unprecedented need for improved security processes,” Arnon told TechCrunch. “Security’s importance has increased exponentially … [it’s] non-negotiable for technology buyers.” Yang

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neuroClues wants to put high-speed eye-tracking tech in the doctor’s office

The eyes aren’t just a window into the soul; tracking saccades can help doctors pick up a range of brain health issues. That’s why French-Belgian medtech startup neuroClues is building accessible, high-speed eye-tracking technology that incorporates AI-driven analysis. It wants to make it easier for healthcare service providers to use eye tracking to support the

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Fisker starts new round of layoffs to ‘preserve cash’

EV startup Fisker Inc. is laying off more employees to “preserve cash,” one week after warning investors it would have to make cuts to stave off impending bankruptcy, according to an internal email viewed by TechCrunch. Founder and CEO Henrik Fisker told employees Monday morning in the email that the company is “continuing to evaluate

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After 6-year hiatus, Stripe to start taking crypto payments, starting with USDC stablecoin

Stripe, the fintech giant, continues to inch its way back into the cryptocurrency market. On Thursday the company announced that it would let customers accept cryptocurrency payments, starting with just one currency in particular, USDC stablecoins, initially only on Solana, Ethereum and Polygon. This will be the first time that Stripe has taken crypto payments

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Dripos raises $11M Series A to replace Square, Toast and 8 other pieces of software

Small coffee shops that relied on foot traffic were thrown for a loop when the global pandemic kept people in their homes. That’s when many coffee shop owners turned to technology to help them take online orders and payments. Startups were also eager to help these businesses stay safely in business — and venture capital

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Seed-stage firm Eniac Ventures raises $220M across two funds

Eniac Ventures has closed two funds totaling $220 million, the seed-stage firm shared exclusively with TechCrunch. New York-based Eniac has raised $60 million for Select 1, the firm’s vehicle for follow-on later-stage investments in portfolio companies, and $160 million for Eniac VI. The firm has made 11 investments out of Select 1, which actually closed

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Former Magic Leapers launch a platform for AR experiences

When Trace’s future co-founders Greg Tran, Martin Smith and Sean Couture joined Magic Leap in spring/summer of 2015, it was about as hot as startups come. After years of secrecy, the augmented reality company captured Silicon Valley’s imagination with in-device footage, before capping the year with an $827 million raise. The story of the intervening

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