TechCrunch Startup News

In this episode, Mohamed Al-Zabin, Co-founder and CEO of ClearGrid, discusses his vision for revolutionizing debt collection in the MENA region. He highlights the outdated methods currently in use and how ClearGrid’s AI solutions aim to enhance recovery rates while building borrower trust. With consumer lending on the rise, Al-Zabin emphasizes the importance of adapting to modern practices and regulatory demands. Tune in to discover how technology can reshape the financial landscape in emerging markets.

Matthias Ostrom, CEO and founder of Evroc, discusses his Swedish startup’s ambitious mission to create a hyperscale cloud in Europe. They recently secured €50.6 million in funding to establish a digital infrastructure that promises to be secure, sovereign, and sustainable. Ostrom emphasizes the importance of reducing reliance on U.S. tech firms and the need for digital sovereignty in light of geopolitical tensions. The conversation delves into the exciting future of European tech innovation, highlighting Evroc's role in reshaping the digital landscape.

While Rippling and Deel duke it out in the field and in the courtroom alleging illegal sales and marketing tactics, here’s another way to boost business growth: pick up a massive sum of cash to expand your operations in those areas. Factorial, the Barcelona-based “unicorn” startup that provides an all-in-one HR platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arcade, an AI agent infrastructure startup founded by former Okta exec Alex Salazar and former Redis engineer Sam Partee, has raised $12 million from Laude Ventures. Laude is the new fund launched in 2024 by Perplexity co-founder Andy Konwinski, the UC Berkeley computer scientist who also co-founded Databricks. This isn’t the only check Laude has cut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s gloves off in one of the more tense rivalries in the world of startups. HR company Rippling Monday morning announced a lawsuit against Deel, another big player in the same space. The dramatic 50-page complaint alleges racketeering, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, unfair competition, and aiding & abetting breach of fiduciary duty. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Flexport accuses Freightmate of being the product of "theft, not ingenuity" in its lawsuit against the startup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cal AI has generated over 5 million downloads in 8 months, it says. Founders Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack are just 18. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve all experienced that moment of frustration when the GPS glitches and you miss an exit on the highway. The team at Tern AI, which is building a low-cost GPS alternative, says that’s because the current technology is limited by its reliance on satellite positioning.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI-powered image generators, which are at the center of a number of copyright lawsuits against AI companies, are frequently trained on massive amounts of data from public websites. Most of these companies argue that fair use doctrine shields their data scraping and training practices. But many copyright holders disagree.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kerry Washington is expanding her angel investment portfolio, serving as lead investor in the pre-seed round of the wedding marketplace Cheersy.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices