Tech Crunch

• Fastino trains AI models on cheap gaming GPUs and just raised $17.5M led by Khosla

  Tech giants like to boast about trillion-parameter AI models that require massive and expensive GPU clusters. But Fastino is taking a different approach. The Palo Alto-based startup says it has invented a new kind of AI model architecture that’s intentionally small and task-specific. The models are so small they’re trained with low-end gaming GPUs worth […]

• Stripe unveils AI foundation model for payments, reveals ‘deeper partnership’ with Nvidia

  Fintech giant Stripe announced Wednesday a slew of new product launches at its annual Stripe Sessions user event. The highlights include: a new AI foundation model for payments; stablecoin-powered accounts; a new Orchestration offering, and a recent migration with chip behemoth Nvidia. Stripe’s payments foundation model has been trained on tens of billions of transactions, […]

• A comprehensive list of 2025 tech layoffs

  A complete list of all the known layoffs in tech, from Big Tech to startups, broken down by month throughout 2024.

• Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ and ‘Cybercab’ trademarks hit roadblocks ahead of June launch

  Tesla’s attempt to trademark the term “Robotaxi” in reference to its vehicles has been refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for being too generic, according to a new filing. Another application by Tesla to trademark the term “Robotaxi” for its upcoming ride-hailing service is still under examination by the office. In addition, applications […]

• OpenAI and the FDA are reportedly discussing AI for drug evaluations

  OpenAI has met with officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss the agency’s use of AI to speed up drug evaluations, Wired reported on Wednesday. According to the report, OpenAI and the FDA have discussed a project called cderGPT, which seems to be an AI tool for the Center for Drug […]

• The Papal ‘conclave cam’ is slow TV

  On YouTube, hundreds of thousands of viewers around the world are staring at an unmoving broadcast of the Sistine Chapel chimney. Occasionally, a seagull will swoop in and perch atop the roof for a few minutes. But for the most part, nothing happens. On Wednesday, the College of Cardinals started the process of picking the […]

• Delta debuts its Patreon-supported gaming app update after US App Store policy change

  A game emulator called Delta is taking advantage of the recent court decision around Apple’s App Store to support its business by linking to its Patreon membership page. The update, approved Wednesday for release on the U.S. App Store, allows Delta users to join the Delta team’s Patreon directly from the mobile app, without giving […]

• Rove, founded by a 22-year-old, is helping Gen Z earn airline miles without credit cards

  During his junior year study abroad, Max Morganroth, traveled to 30 countries, primarily flying in business and first class. His jet-setting was funded almost entirely by airline points he collected through strategic credit card applications and miles redemptions. Morganroth told TechCrunch that just about everyone he knew was “begging” him to teach them how to […]

• Anthropic rolls out an API for AI-powered web search

  Anthropic is launching a new API that allows its Claude AI models to search across the web. Developers using it can build Claude-powered apps that deliver up-to-date info, the company said in a press release published Wednesday. The rollout of the API comes as AI companies look to augment their models in various ways that […]

• Snap Map reaches new milestone of 400M monthly active users

  Snapchat announced on Wednesday that Snap Map now has more than 400 million monthly active users, a new milestone for one of the app’s core features. Launched in 2017, Snap Map was originally a way for users to see their friends’ locations and browse public snaps from around the world. Over time, the feature has […]