TechCrunch Daily Crunch MrBeast plans to launch a phone company
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Sep 3, 2025 A popular YouTuber is diving into the mobile services sector, launching a new phone company that could shake up the telecommunications industry. Meanwhile, Instagram is rolling out a Picture-in-Picture feature for Reels, promising to enhance user engagement. Plus, a major AI company recently secured a staggering $13 billion in funding, pushing its valuation to $183 billion. Exciting times in tech!
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Anthropic's Rapid Commercial Scale
- Anthropic raised $13B at a $183B post-money valuation as it scales enterprise adoption and safety research.
- The company grew ARR from $1B to $5B and serves over 300,000 business customers, showing rapid commercial traction.
Instagram Tests Reels Picture-In-Picture
- Instagram is testing picture-in-picture for Reels to let users keep videos playing while they multitask across apps.
- This feature could increase retention for longer videos and boost time spent on Instagram if rolled out widely.
MrBeast Plans A Phone Company
- MrBeast is reportedly launching a mobile virtual network operator called MBNO to offer phone service using existing U.S. networks.
- The move joins his other consumer businesses like Feastables and Lunchly as he seeks more profitable revenue streams.