timef 10/02/2025

AI search startup Perplexity is making its new Comet browser available to everyone in the world for free as it works to position the product against big browsers and search engines. For certain paid subscribers, the startup has also launched a new ‘background assistant’ to handle multiple tasks via Comet.  

Amazon's new "Add to Delivery" button makes it easier for Prime members to buy more and tack on items to existing orders.

The company will likely sell fewer EVs this year than in both 2024 and 2023, making next year's launch of the R2 SUV even more important.

Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni are redefining how Gen Z shops with AI. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, they’ll share how they’re scaling one of the year’s hottest startups into a lasting consumer brand. Register to join.

a16z releases its first AI spending report that shows which AI-native application layer companies startups are actually spending money on .

Google says hackers associated with the Clop ransomware gang are emailing executives at multiple organizations claiming to have stolen their personal information from a suite of Oracle E-Business apps.

OpenAI employees sold $6.6B in shares, leading company's valuation to jump to $500B.

Bloomberg reports that the tech giant is developing at least two types of smart glasses.

Founder and Investor Bundle savings for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 end tomorrow, October 3. Groups of 4–9 founders save 15% and investors save 20%. Access top VCs, pitch-ready startups, and hands-on sessions.

Spacecoin envisions a decentralized rival to SpaceX's Starlink.

Perplexity has acquired Visual Electric, an AI Design tool. Its team is going to lead a new agents experience group at Perplexity

Of the 25 offshore crypto exchanges targeted by India, 14 hold more than $9 billion in assets.

The tax credit's expiration on September 30 motivated buyers to take advantage of the $7,500 incentive, giving Tesla a shot to return to sales growth in 2025.

Founder Bryan Onel says too many companies are doing the bare minimum to meet their security compliance obligations, and raised $33 million to help his customers get both compliant and secure.

Leverage Edu places over 10,000 students annually into universities across 11 countries.

Instagram leader Adam Mosseri says the company is not secretly listening to your conversations. At least, not through the microphone.

Einride raised the funds five months after founder Robert Falck left the CEO role and took over as executive chairman of the board.

Current and former OpenAI researchers seem torn over how the company's Sora app fits in with its broader mission.

The six-year-old firm's third fund is nearly the size of it previous fund raised during the fintech boom in early 2022.

Hundreds of Eufy customers have donated hundreds of thousands of videos to train the company’s AI systems.

“Are bills like SB 53 the thing that will stop us from beating China? No,” said Adam Billen, vice president of public policy at youth-led advocacy group Encode AI. “I think it is just genuinely intellectually dishonest to say that that is the thing that will stop us in the race.”

Tilly Norwood is not real, but the company that created her hopes that she's the first of many AI-generated stars.

The SPAC King's newest, dubbed "American Exceptionalism," went public with $345 million. But Chamath doesn't want people to buy shares.

"Character.ai is freeriding off the goodwill of Disney’s famous marks and brands, and blatantly infringing Disney’s copyrights," a Disney lawyer wrote.

Whizz has seen e-bike rentals drop by about 8% since National Guard troops arrived in the city.

California just made history as the first state to require AI safety transparency from the biggest labs in the industry. Governor Newsom signed SB 53 into law this week, mandating that AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic disclose, and stick to, their safety protocols. The decision is already sparking debate about whether other states will […]

OpenAI's Sora app makes it too easy for people to create misleading AI content.

Hear from Jai Das, Sapphire Ventures, and Roseanne Wincek, Renegade Partners, on how founders can prep for an exit at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Register here.

Waymo's permit to test autonomous vehicles in New York City has been extended to the end of the year, giving the company a few more months to make it big in the Big Apple.

Eazewell helps families navigate end-of-life planning, from coordinating a funeral to cancelling someone's mail, with the help of AI.

While the HR Tech Guideline was last valued at $1.15 billion, the sale will likely yield a profit for most investors.

Prickly Pear Health provides medical support for women’s brain health, a voice-first, AI-powered companion that helps women in their 30s to 50s navigate the hormonal changes that affect brain health.

Google redesigns its Home app for better usability and adds Gemini-powered features.