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Mistral AI, the French company behind AI assistant Le Chat and several foundational models, is officially regarded as one of France’s most promising tech startups and is arguably the only European company that could compete with OpenAI. But compared to its $6 billion valuation, its global market share is still relatively low. However, the recent launch of its chat assistant on mobile app stores was met with some hype, particularly in its home country. “Go and download Le Chat, which is made by Mistral, rather than ChatGPT by OpenAI — or something else,” French president Emmanuel Macron said in a TV interview ahead of the AI Action Summit in Paris. While this wave of attention may be encouraging, Mistral AI still faces challenges in competing with the likes of OpenAI — and in doing so while keeping up with its self-definition as “the world’s greenest and leading independent AI lab.” What is Mistral AI? Mistral AI has raised significant amounts of funding since its creation in 2023 with the ambition to “put frontier AI in the hands of everyone.” While this isn’t a direct jab at OpenAI, the slogan is meant to highlight the company’s advocacy for openness in AI. Its alternative to ChatGPT, chat assistant Le Chat, is now also available on iOS and Android. It reached 1 million downloads in the two weeks following its mobile release, even grabbing France’s top spot for free downloads on the iOS App Store. This comes in addition to Mistral AI’s suite of models, which includes: Mistral Large 2, the primary large language model replacing Mistral Large. Pixtral Large, unveiled in 2024 as a new addition to the Pixtral family of multimodal models. Codestral, a generative AI model for code. “Les Ministraux,” a family of models optimized for edge devices such as phones. Mistral Saba, focused on Arabic language. In March 2025, the company introduced Mistral OCR, an optical character recognition (OCR) API that can turn any PDF into a text file to make it easier for AI models to ingest. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW Who are Mistral AI’s founders? Mistral AI’s three founders share a background in AI research at major U.S. tech companies with significant operations in Paris. CEO Arthur Mensch used to work at Google’s DeepMind, while CTO Timothée Lacroix and chief scientist officer Guillaume Lample are former Meta staffers. Co-founding advisers also include Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve (also a board member) and Charles Gorintin from health insurance startup Alan, as well as former digital minister Cédric O, which caused controversy due to his previous role. Are Mistral AI’s models open source? Not all of them. Mistral AI differentiates its premier models, whose weights are not available for commercial purposes, from its free models, for which it provides weight access under the Apache 2.0 license. Free models include research models such as Mistral NeMo, which was built in collaboration with Nvidia that the startup open-sourced in July 2024. How does Mistral AI make money? While many of Mistral AI’s offerings are free or now have free tiers, Mistral AI plans to drive some revenue from Le Chat’s paid tiers. Introduced in February 2025, Le Chat’s Pro plan is priced at $14.99 a month. On the purely B2B side, Mistral AI monetizes its premier models through APIs with usage-based pricing. Enterprises can also license these models, and the company likely also generates a significant share of its revenue from its strategic partnerships, some of which it highlighted during the Paris AI Summit. Overall, however, Mistral AI’s revenue is reportedly still in the eight-digit range, according to multiple sources. What partnerships has Mistral AI closed? In 2024, Mistral AI entered a deal with Microsoft that included a strategic partnership for distributing its AI models through Microsoft’s Azure platform and a €15 million investment. The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) swiftly concluded that the deal didn’t qualify for investigation due to its small size. However, it also sparked some criticism in the EU. In January 2025, Mistral AI signed a deal with press agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) to let Chat query the AFP’s entire text archive dating back to 1983. Mistral AI also secured strategic partnerships with France’s army and job agency, shipping giant CMA, German defense tech startup Helsing, IBM, Orange, and Stellantis. How much funding has Mistral AI raised to date? As of February 2025, Mistral AI raised around €1 billion in capital to date, approximately $1.04 billion at the current exchange rate. This includes some debt financing, as well as several equity financing rounds raised in close succession. In June 2023, and before it even released its first models, Mistral AI raised a record $112 million seed round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Sources at the time said the seed round — Europe’s largest ever — valued the then-one-month-old startup at $260 million. Other investors in this seed round included Bpifrance, Eric Schmidt, Exor Ventures, First Minute Capital, Headline, JCDecaux Holding, La Famiglia, LocalGlobe, Motier Ventures, Rodolphe Saadé, Sofina, and Xavier Niel. Only six months later, it closed a Series A of €385 million ($415 million at the time), at a reported valuation of $2 billion. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from existing backer Lightspeed, as well as BNP Paribas, CMA-CGM, Conviction, Elad Gil, General Catalyst, and Salesforce. The $16.3 million convertible investment that Microsoft made in Mistral AI as part of their partnership announced in February 2024 was presented as a Series A extension, implying an unchanged valuation. In June 2024, Mistral AI then raised €600 million in a mix of equity and debt (around $640 million at the exchange rate at the time). The long-rumored round was led by General Catalyst at a $6 billion valuation, with notable investors, including Cisco, IBM, Nvidia, Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, and others. What could a Mistral AI exit look like? Mistral is “not for sale,” Mensch said in January 2025 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “Of course, [an IPO is] the plan.” This makes sense, given how much the startup has raised so far: Even a large sale may not provide high enough multiples for its investors, not to mention sovereignty concerns depending on the acquirer. However, the only way to definitely squash persistent acquisition rumors is to scale its revenue to levels that could even remotely justify its nearly $6 billion valuation. Either way, stay tuned. This story was originally published on February 28, 2025 and will be regularly updated.

Elon Musk has long been credited with turning Tesla into a beacon of innovation, the visionary who pushed the world into an era of electrification. But his slide into politics — specifically his alignment with President Trump and activities within the federal government — has dragged Tesla into uncertainty. For many would-be Tesla buyers, the brand has lost its progressive luster. And while Musk has long been the face of Tesla, that link has taken a negative turn as the billionaire oversees mass layoffs and the elimination of federal programs via the Department of Government Efficiency. Tesla’s disappointing first-quarter earnings, which saw profits drop 71% amid weakened sales and anti-Musk sentiment, demonstrate just how much the brand has fallen out of favor. The company reported 336,681 deliveries in the first three months of 2025, down from 495,570 in Q4 2024 and 386,810 in the first quarter of last year. That’s off the back of an unimpressive 2024, which saw fewer deliveries than the year prior amid production delays and increased EV competition. For many, Musk’s political activities have turned Tesla into a symbolic pariah. Tesla trade-ins have hit record highs, while sales in Europe have dropped. Foreign leaders are calling for boycotts and the automaker’s stock price has lost about half its value since December. All the while, protesters continue to assemble outside Tesla showrooms, dealerships, and even charging stations in an effort to accelerate the automaker’s brand devaluation and with it, they hope, Musk’s wealth. “They have a certain significant public image problem that’s really something we haven’t seen before in this industry,” Sean Tucker, lead editor at Kelley Blue Book, told TechCrunch. Even one of Tesla’s most unwavering bulls, Dan Ives, has begged Musk to focus less on politics and more on his business “or else unfortunately darker times are ahead for Tesla.” And even though Musk said last month that he’d take a step back from DOGE, he’s not giving up on it either. To combat the effect this might have on Tesla, Musk has and likely will continue to lean on his sales pitch that Tesla isn’t an automaker, it’s an AI company, one that will someday commercialize autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots. The question now is whether or not the Tesla brand can recover. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW Below are the moments, which TechCrunch will continue to update, that are shaping perception of the Tesla brand and may have a lasting effect on its future. Drop in European sales Elon Musk Speaks at election campaign launch of AfD, Germany’s far-right party.Image Credits:Hendrik Schmidt/picture alliance / Getty ImagesTesla’s new car sales have plunged across Europe, even as sales of electric cars made by other brands rose on the continent. In the first four months of 2025, Tesla says dropped 37.2% in Europe, and in Sweden, they dropped 81% year-over-year. Germany, traditionally one of Tesla’s largest markets and home to one of its gigafactories, has turned against Musk in a big way. A recent survey of 100,000 Germans found 94% would never purchase a Tesla, and sales data backs that up. In March 2025, Tesla’s Germany sales were down 42.5%. A slight increase from the 75% sales slump in February. Succession The Wall Street Journal reported in May that Tesla’s board began searching for Musk’s potential successor sometime around early April as Musk waded further into Washington to slash government spending. When the report came out, Tesla chair Robyn Denholm declared the WSJ’s reporting to be “absolutely false.” Either way, the report does raise questions about succession planning if Musk-associated brand devaluation continues. Musk said during Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call that he would take a step back from DOGE, but, importantly, he also said he’d continue working for the agency for the remainder of Trump’s presidency. Protests are officially a risk Image Credits:Rebecca Bellan“Tesla Takedown” protests have been spreading around the world with the goal of encouraging people to stop buying Tesla’s and to sell their Tesla stock, which protesters say will hurt Musk where he holds most of his power — in his wallet (more on those below). As of the first-quarter of this year, those protests have officially become an official risk in Tesla’s regulatory filings. The new risk factor in Tesla’s latest SEC filings warns that certain criticism “has incited protests, some escalating to violence targeting our operations, products and personnel.” Tesla’s lawyers also expanded what’s at risk, saying negative perceptions resulting from the protests, along with the broader criticism of the company, “may harm our brand and our business (including sales) and make it more difficult to raise additional funds if needed.” Tariff exposure While Tesla is the automaker best positioned to parry the blow of Trump’s automotive tariffs in the U.S., the company is still exposed due to Musk’s alliance with the president. In April, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives cut Tesla’s price target to $315 from $550, once again citing Musk’s politics creating a brand crisis for the automaker. He also noted that Musk’s association with Trump, and therefore his tariff policies, are not only affecting sales in the U.S. and Europe, but also threatening Tesla’s popularity in China, “further driv[ing] Chinese consumers to buy domestic such as BYD.” A MAGA hat on wheels A sticker reading “I bought this before Elon went crazy” is pictured on a Tesla in Berlin on February 10, 2025Image Credits:obias Schwarz / AFPWhile recent studies found that Musk’s political leanings have lost him customers in what has historically been Tesla’s base — Democrats — the shift has garnered him street cred with Republicans. One study from researchers at Northeastern University, Columbia University, and the University of Iowa found that Republicans’ likelihood to purchase a Tesla moved up from 7% before Musk’s Trump endorsement to 10.2% after. That sentiment might only increase amidst Trump’s reciprocal endorsement of Musk and Tesla, including his free commercial at the White House on March 11. “Hang onto your stock“ A Tesla Cybercab prototypeImage Credits:Getty ImagesAt an impromptu, glitchy, livestreamed Tesla all-hands presentation on the evening of March 20, Musk told his employees and investors to “hang onto [their] stock” despite it feeling “like Armageddon.” “It’s very difficult for people in the stock market, especially those that look in the rearview mirror, which is most people, to imagine a future where suddenly a 10 million vehicle fleet has five to 10 times the usefulness,” Musk said, referring to the now-defunct claim that all existing Teslas have the hardware necessary to turn into fully self-driving cars with a mere software update. He advised employees to tune out the noise and focus on building the Cybercab, which would be the new priority. The Cybercab is a two-seater robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals. Current federal regulations don’t allow for the mass production of such vehicles because they don’t have human controls, but Musk has signaled an intent to amend those rules. He noted that the Cybercab manufacturing process would be a feat of engineering, a “high-speed consumer electronics line” that “will move so fast that…it’ll be able to produce a car, ultimately, in less than five seconds.” During the call, Musk also promised to produce about 5,000 Optimus robots this year, which he believes will be Tesla’s most valuable asset. “Moment of truth“ On the same day as the sudden all-hands, Tesla bull Dan Ives wrote in a note that Musk’s involvement in DOGE has led to a “brand tornado crisis moment for Musk and Tesla.” “If you agree or disagree with DOGE it misses the point that by Musk spending 110% of his time with DOGE (and not as Tesla CEO) since President Trump got back into the White House this has essentially turned Tesla into a political symbol…. and this is a bad thing,” Ives wrote. Molotov cocktails and vandalism A Tesla Supercharger is vandalized on January 31, 2025 in San Diego, CaliforniaImage Credits:Getty ImagesTesla showrooms, charging stations, facilities, and even privately owned vehicles have been hit with attacks. In some cases, the damage is minimal — some spray paint and a keyed car. In others, violence has ensued. Dealerships have been hit with bullets and Molotov cocktails, and charging stations have been set on fire. Musk has responded by questioning why anyone would want to hurt Tesla. Trump’s response has been more pointed. He has declared that any acts of violence — which could include spray-painting — would be treated by the federal government as domestic terrorism. “I look forward to watching the sick terrorist thugs get 20-year jail sentences for what they are doing to Elon Musk and Tesla. Perhaps they could serve them in the prisons of El Salvador, which have become so recently famous for such lovely conditions!” Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social. As of the time of this writing, the Department of Justice has brought charges against three individuals who are allegedly responsible for violent destruction of Tesla properties. Tesla Takedowns NYPD officers stand guard as protesters demonstrate during a Tesla Takedown rally on March 29, 2025Image Credits:Getty ImagesPeaceful protests have also erupted across the country as part of the so-called Tesla Takedown movement. Protesters have been showing up at Tesla dealerships and showrooms to try to discourage people from buying Tesla cars. They also aim to encourage Tesla owners to trade in their vehicles and Tesla stockholders to sell their shares. Despite these protests being peaceful, we’re beginning to see the start of violent counter-protests — like the Florida man who drove his SUV into a crowd of protestors outside a Palm Beach Tesla dealership in March. Associating with the Proud Boys Thousands of people joined in Tesla Takedown protests the last weekend in March at showrooms across the country. The crowds drew small numbers of counter-protests in some regions that Wired reports were peopled mainly by MAGA supporters. Among them were far-right extremists, including members of the Proud Boys and armed militias. The “Roman“ salute Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025Image Credits:ANGELA WEISS / AFP / Getty ImagesWhile speaking at a rally celebrating Trump’s inauguration in January, Musk did what many have perceived to be not one, but two, Nazi salutes. The damage has only been amplified amidst Musk’s vocal support for the far-right German political party AfD, as well as his history of sharing anti-semitic posts. Shortly after the salute incident, activists projected an image of Musk doing the salute, along with the word “Heil,” onto Tesla’s Berlin gigafactory. BYD breakthroughs One of Tesla’s biggest competitors, China’s BYD, has been touting significant breakthroughs in charging. The automaker said this week that its new cars can be charged in five minutes, which would give it a huge competitive edge over Tesla and indeed any other EV maker. China is one of Tesla’s largest markets, but BYD is continuing to bully the automaker on its home turf. BYD recently unveiled its “God’s Eye” advanced driver assistance system — akin to Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD — that will be installed at no additional cost on its entire EV lineup, including its ultra-cheap $9,600 Seagull hatchback. BYD continues to impress consumers with its high-tech range of EVs and hybrids and has once again surpassed Tesla on revenue. In 2024, BYD reported $107 billion in revenue compared to Tesla’s $97.7 billion. An aging lineup and Cybertruck recalls A Tesla Cybertruck on display in a Tesla showroomImage Credits:Michael M. Santiago / Getty ImagesTesla has languished with an aging lineup for years. The Cybertruck was meant to be the automaker’s next big bet that would prove it’s still capable of delivering innovative new models. And indeed, the truck has been popular among American buyers. Still, Tesla has issued eight recalls on the Cybertruck since launching the vehicle in November 2023. Most recently, Tesla had to recall 46,000 Cybertrucks because of an exterior steel trim panel on the side of the windshield that looks like it was stuck on with super glue and can just peel off.

YouTube is testing a new two-person Premium subscription plan in select countries, the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Monday. The tier is being piloted in India, France, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The news was first reported by Money Control. “We’re experimenting with new ways to provide greater flexibility and value to our YouTube Premium subscribers, including offering a two-person Premium plan option in some countries, allowing two people to share a subscription at a reduced cost,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement to TechCrunch. Similar to Spotify’s Duo subscription tier, YouTube’s new plan allows two people who live together to access Premium for a discounted price. The plan is aimed at people who want the benefits of YouTube Premium, such as ad-free viewing and background play, without committing to a full family plan. As for YouTube, the new plan would allow it to increase its subscriber numbers and potentially earn more revenue. For instance, people who may have cancelled their Premium plans after price hikes in recent years may decide to sign up for the discounted two-person plan. The launch of the test comes as Google-owned YouTube has been working to diversify its subscription offerings. In March, YouTube rolled out a new premium subscription tier called Premium Lite that lets users watch “most” videos ad-free for $7.99 per month. The plan is currently available in the United States, Australia, Germany, and Thailand. At the time, the company said YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscriptions combined reach over 125 million users worldwide, including trials. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW As with any other test launch, it’s unknown when or if YouTube plans to roll out the two-person Premium plan more widely or in additional countries.

GlobalX, an airline used by the Trump administration as part of its massive deportation campaign, has reportedly been hacked. On Monday, 404 Media first reported news of the breach, based on a defacement message on the airline’s official website and stolen data that the hackers shared with the news website. “Anonymous has decided to enforce the Judge’s order since you and your sycophant staff ignore lawful orders that go against your fascist plans,” wrote the hackers, who claimed to be affiliated with the amorphous hacktivist group Anonymous. The hackers were referring to rulings by several judges ordering the Trump administration to return people who were wrongfully deported to El Salvador. GlobalX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hasan Sukkar, the founder of AI startup 11x, is stepping down from his role as CEO, Sukkar announced on LinkedIn this morning. Prabhav Jain, 11x’s CTO, has been named the company’s new CEO. Sukkar will move into a “non-executive chairman” position, where he will work with Jain on “strategic direction, product vision, industry relationships, and opening new market opportunities,” Sukkar wrote on LinkedIn, helping 11x in any way he can “into the future.” “I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it takes to go from a fast growing startup to an enduring enterprise grade scale-up, and I have realised that I love building from the ground up. It’s in my bones,” Sukkar wrote on LinkedIn. “I love 11x and believe in our mission deeply. We have a massive opportunity ahead. But sometimes, loving your company means knowing when to pass the CEO baton for the next leg of the race.” As TechCrunch previously reported in March, 11x at that time had been showing off customer logos on its website of companies that were not active customers, and one of those companies was threatening to sue over the matter. Other sources also told TechCrunch that the 11x product had issues and the company had struggled with customer retention. Some employees also described the startup as a grueling place to work. 11x has raised more than $70 million from investors, including a $24 million Series A led by Sarah Travel, a general partner at Benchmark, and a $50 million Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz. Joe Schmidt, the a16z partner part of the 11x deal, publicly doubled down on his support for the company and its CEO, posting on X in Mach that the firm loved “Hasan and the entire team at 11x,” and that the “team, product, and metrics are world class.” Tavel also posted on X saying, “As a board member, I’ve seen the progress up close, and our conviction in the team and the opportunity is stronger than ever.” Last week, Tavel also announced she would be taking on the position of venture partner at Benchmark, a more limited role at the storied firm. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW A spokesperson for 11x sent a lengthy email explaining that the change was intended to put the right person in the CEO role for a new growth phase of the company. “Current CTO, fmr. Brex exec and 3-time founder Prabhav Jain is stepping into the CEO role, with Hasan Sukkar transitioning into a new role as Non-Executive Chairman,” the 11x spokesperson wrote. “The move reflects 11x’s growth: Over the last year, the company has evolved from a single product, single use-case company to a platform that powers hundreds of the world’s leading GTM teams.” Benchmark and a16z did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment. Charles Rollet contributed reporting.

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OpenAI has decided that its nonprofit division will retain control over its for-profit org, after the company initially announced that it planned to convert to a for-profit organization. According to the company, OpenAI’s business wing, which has been under the nonprofit since 2019, will transaction to a public benefit corporation (PBC). The nonprofit will control and also be a large shareholder of the PBC. “OpenAI was founded as a non-profit, and is today overseen and controlled by that nonprofit,” OpenAI Board Chairman Bret Taylor wrote in a statement on the company’s blog. “Going forward, it will continue to be overseen and controlled by that nonprofit.” OpenAI says that it made the decision “after hearing from civic leaders and engaging in constructive dialogue with the offices of the Attorney General of Delaware and the Attorney General of California.” “We thank both offices and we look forward to continuing these important conversations to make sure OpenAI can continue to effectively pursue its mission of ensuring AGI benefits all of humanity,” Taylor continued. OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015, but it converted to a “capped-profit” in 2019, and was trying to restructure once more into a for-profit. When it transitioned to a capped-profit, OpenAI retained its nonprofit wing, which currently has a controlling stake in the organization’s corporate arm. OpenAI had said that its conversion would preserve its nonprofit arm and infuse it with resources to be spent on “charitable initiatives” in sectors such as healthcare, education, and science. In exchange for its controlling stake in OpenAI’s enterprise, the nonprofit would reportedly stand to reap billions of dollars. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW The stakes were high for OpenAI, which needs to complete its for-profit conversion by the end of this year or next, or it will risk relinquishing some of the capital it has raised in recent months, according to reports. It’s unclear what consequences may befall OpenAI now that the company has changed course. This story is developing. Check back for updates.

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More than 250 CEOs signed an open letter published in The New York Times on Monday calling for AI and computer science to be “core components” of K-12 curricula. The signatories, which include Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, argue that computer science and AI education are essential to “keeping America competitive.” “Countries like Brazil, China, [South] Korea, and Singapore have already made computer science or AI mandatory for every student,” the letter reads. “The United States is falling behind. In the age of AI, we must prepare our children for the future — to be AI creators, not just consumers.” The letter arrives as President Donald Trump’s administration works to shape a new U.S. AI policy — and as deep cuts to federal programs risk harming fundamental AI research. Last week, Trump issued an executive order to promote the integration of AI in K-12, higher education, and workplaces through partnerships between industry and academia.

As promised, Apple has now filed its appeal to the recent court ruling that required it to open up its App Store to external payment mechanisms. Last week, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers took the tech giant to task for defying the court’s orders in its battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games by not freely allowing apps to link to alternative payment options outside its U.S. App Store. The decision upends Apple’s profitable App Store business in the U.S., which relies on taking commissions on in-app purchases for virtual items, subscriptions, premium upgrades and more. In her ruling, Rogers reminded Apple that “this is an injunction, not a negotiation,” while calling out Apple for attempting to route around the court’s order with its excessive requirements and rules. In addition, the court accused Apple VP of Finance Alex Roman of lying under oath and referred the matter to a U.S. Attorney’s office to determine if criminal contempt proceedings were now needed. Following the judge’s decision, Apple immediately complied with the ruling, changing its App Store rules for U.S. developers and accepting app updates, like Spotify’s, which referenced other means of making in-app purchases. However, Apple also said it strongly disagreed with the court’s decision and noted it would appeal. That notice of appeal was filed by Apple on Monday, according to court documents, indicating that Apple’s threat to fight the ruling stands firm. Apple believed it had followed the letter of the law by allowing app developers to request an entitlement (an exception to its App Store rules), while also requiring a 27% commission on purchases made outside its App Store. It also required the use of “scare screens,” or full-screen pop-up messages warning consumers of the dangers of making in-app purchases from the app developer’s own website. As the appeals process plays out, Apple will continue to comply with the court’s decision. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW However, if Apple knows this battle is lost, it may come up with another way to entice developers to continue to use its own in-app purchases mechanism. For example, Apple could announce a discounted commission at its upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference in June for all developers, instead of only those in its Small Business Program.

A hacker has exploited a vulnerability in TeleMessage, which provides modded versions of encrypted messaging apps such as Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp, to extract archived messages and other data relating to U.S. government officials and companies who used the tool, 404 Media reported. TeleMessage came into the spotlight last week after it was reported that former U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was using TeleMessage’s modified version of Signal. Israel-based TeleMessage, owned by Smarsh, offers its clients a way to archive messages, including voice notes, from encrypted apps. The messages of cabinet members and Waltz were not compromised, 404 Media said, but the hacked data contained contents of messages; contact information of government officials; backend login credentials for TeleMessage, and more. Data pertaining to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, crypto exchange Coinbase, and financial service providers like Scotiabank were extracted by the hacker, the report said. The hack revealed that the archived chat logs are not end-to-end encrypted between the modded version of Signal that TeleMessage offers and the ultimate location where it stores the messages, 404 Media reported. Smarsh, Signal, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Coinbase, and Scotiabank did not immediately return requests for comment.

Google is reportedly spinning up a film and TV production project called 100 Zeroes. According to a report from Business Insider, this initiative is intended to make young audiences feel more positively about Google’s products, as well as tech at large. Like Apple’s TV shows, where actors will use MacBooks and iPhones with clearly visible Apple logos, these projects might show characters using Android phones and other Google products. The project also hopes to encourage the creative community to adopt Google’s tools in other areas. TechCrunch has reached out to Google for comment. Google isn’t intending to share these projects via YouTube, which it owns, or through an in-house streaming service like Apple TV. Instead, Google wants to work with existing studios for distribution.

Anthropic is launching an AI for Science program to support researchers working on “high-impact” scientific projects, with a focus on biology and life sciences applications. The program, announced Monday, will offer up to $20,000 in Anthropic API credits over a six-month period to “qualified” researchers who’ll be selected based on their “contributions to science, the potential impact of their proposed research, and AI’s ability to meaningfully accelerate their work.” Recipients will gain access to Anthropic’s standard AI model suite, including all of the company’s publicly available Claude family of models. “Advanced AI reasoning and language capabilities can help researchers analyze complex scientific data, generate hypotheses, design experiments, and communicate findings more effectively,” Anthropic wrote in a blog post. “We’re particularly interested in supporting applications where AI can assist in accelerating processes related to understanding complex biological systems, analyzing genetic data, accelerating drug discovery especially for some of the largest global disease burdens, increasing agricultural productivity, and more.” Anthropic is one among many AI companies bullish on AI for science. Earlier this year, Google unveiled an “AI co-scientist,” which the tech giant said could help scientists in creating hypotheses and research plans. Anthropic and its chief rival, OpenAI, along with outfits like FutureHouse and Lilia Sciences, have asserted that AI tools could massively accelerate scientific discovery, particularly in medicine. But many researchers don’t consider AI today to be especially useful in guiding the scientific process, largely due to its unreliability. Part of the challenge in developing an “AI scientist” is anticipating an untold number of confounding factors. AI might come in handy in areas where broad exploration is needed, like narrowing down a vast list of possibilities, but it’s less clear whether it can do the kind of out-of-the-box problem-solving that leads to bonafide breakthroughs. Results from AI systems designed for science have so far been mostly underwhelming. In 2023, Google said around 40 new materials had been synthesized with the help of one of its AIs, called GNoME. But an outside analysis found not even one of those materials was, in fact, net new. Anthropic no doubt hopes its effort will fare better than those that’ve come before it. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW The company says that it’ll make selections for its AI for Science program on the first Monday of each month based on scientific merit, potential impact, technical feasibility, and biosecurity screening criteria (i.e. ensuring proposed research couldn’t enable harmful applications). Researchers can apply through a form on the company’s website, with applications to be reviewed by Anthropic “including subject matter experts in relevant fields.”

As promised, Apple has now filed its appeal to the recent court ruling that required it to open up its App Store to external payment mechanisms. Last week, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers took the tech giant to task for defying the court’s orders in its battle with Fortnite maker Epic Games by not freely allowing apps to link to alternative payment options outside its U.S. App Store. Apple thought it had followed the letter of the law by allowing app developers to request an entitlement (an exception to its App Store rules), while also requiring a 27% commission on purchases made outside its App Store. It also required the use of “scare screens,” or full-screen pop-up messages warning consumers of the dangers of making in-app purchases from the app developer’s own website. In her ruling, Rogers reminded Apple that “this is an injunction, not a negotiation,” while calling out Apple for attempting to route around the court’s order with its excessive requirements and rules. In addition, the court accused Apple VP of Finance Alex Roman of lying under oath and referred the matter to a U.S. Attorney’s office to determine if criminal contempt proceedings were now needed. Following the judge’s decision, Apple immediately complied with the ruling, changing its App Store rules for U.S. developers and accepting app updates, like Spotify’s, which referenced other means of making in-app purchases. However, Apple also said it strongly disagreed with the court’s decision and noted it would appeal. That notice of appeal was filed by Apple on Monday, according to court documents, indicating that Apple’s threat to fight the ruling stands firm. As the appeals process plays out, Apple will continue to comply with the court’s decision. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW However, if Apple knows this battle is lost, it may come up with another way to entice developers to continue to use its own in-app purchases mechanism. For example, Apple could announce a discounted commission at its upcoming Worldwide Developer Conference in June for all developers, instead of only those in its Small Business Program.

After 23 years of connecting people around the world, Skype, the popular video-calling service, is shutting down on Monday. Microsoft, the parent company, confirmed that the official sunset date for the service is today, May 5, 2025. Skype users can either migrate all their contacts and chat data to Microsoft Teams, or they can choose to download their Skype data and transition to another video-calling service. To assist users in the switch, we’ve created a guide on how to migrate to Teams or download Skype data. Additionally, we’ve curated a list of alternative video-calling apps that can replace Skype. How to move from Skype to Microsoft Teams Skype users can sign in to Teams for free using their Skype credentials. Once logged in, all their chats and contacts will automatically transfer to the app. Teams offers features similar to Skype, including one-on-one and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. While Skype was primarily designed for smaller groups (up to 20 participants) and casual use, Teams is more business-focused, accommodating up to 10,000 participants in a single video call. It also comes with advanced security features and various integrations, such as Evernote, OneDrive, Office 365, Salesforce, SharePoint, Trello, and more. Teams is available on Android, iOS, Mac, PC, and the web. How to export Skype data For users who aren’t interested in making the transition to Microsoft Teams, we still recommend exporting account data. This ensures that valuable information — such as messages, files, and contact details — is backed up and can be accessed in the future. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW Open Skype and log in. Click on the three horizontal dots under the account name in the top left corner. Go to Settings > Account & Profile > Your Account. After being redirected to Skype’s web portal, choose from either Export contacts (.csv), Export Caller ID numbers (.csv), or Export files and chat history. The “Export files and chat history” option lets users download Conversations and Files. Click Submit Request and Continue. When the export process is complete, click Download. Here are the best Skype alternatives Google Meet Image Credits:GoogleAn obvious benefit of using Google Meet is that it’s available for free with a Google account. Since a lot of people are already using Google and have existing accounts, transitioning to this platform would be fairly easy. Google Meet allows users to hold meetings with up to 100 participants, record meetings, share screens, and more. A drawback with the free plan is that if a meeting has more than three participants, there’s a 60-minute time limit. Large companies may want to purchase a Google Workspace plan for features like having up to 25 co-hosts, dividing participants into smaller breakout rooms during meetings, creating polls, setting up a Q&A session, livestreaming to YouTube, and more. Workspace — which has plans for $7/month, $14/month, $22/month, and up — also offers AI-powered tools through its Gemini assistant, which helps Meet users take notes and create custom background images. Zoom Zoom is another popular web-conferencing tool. It offers several helpful features, including the ability to host up to 100 participants and chat in both private and public groups, and has tools such as notes, a whiteboard, and screen-sharing capabilities. Users can also record meetings and access transcripts. However, one downside is the 40-minute time limit per meeting for users on the free plan. To avoid having meetings cut off, users will need to purchase a subscription, which ranges from $13/month to $18/month. Paid subscribers have access to Zoom’s AI Companion, which includes the ability to summarize meetings and ask questions about transcribed meetings. Webex Image Credits:WebexWebex, the Cisco-owned video conferencing tool, offers a similar plan to its competitors. For instance, it has features such as screen sharing, the ability to record sessions, a whiteboard capability, and more. The free plan includes up to 100 attendees per meeting, as well as an unfortunate 40-minute time limit. Webex also offers plans from $12/month, $22/month, and up, depending on team size. The paid tiers come with an AI assistant, live polling, Q&A, and the ability to add up to 1,000 attendees. Discord Discord was initially designed as a chat platform for gamers, but it can also serve as an alternative to Skype for personal use or for smaller teams. However, it’s not recommended for larger businesses, as it limits calls to 25 participants. On the positive side, Discord offers unlimited meeting lengths and features such as screen sharing, the ability to record meetings, and breakout rooms. The platform has a free plan in addition to two paid options priced at $5/month and $10/month, making it one of the more affordable choices available, depending on users’ needs. Slack Image Credits:SlackWhile Slack may not be ideal for formally scheduled meetings with large groups, it can be effective for spontaneous meetings within team chats. The Huddle feature in Slack enables users to easily transition from a chat thread to an informal audio or video call with colleagues. On the free plan, Huddles can accommodate only two people, whereas paid plans (priced at $7/month or $12/month) allow for up to 50. Signal Signal, the encrypted messaging app, has provided group video-calling features since 2020 and can accommodate up to 50 participants in a single call. Although it’s not a direct competitor to Skype, it allows users to share links for calls, enabling them to simply send the link to others rather than creating a group, much like Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams do. Notably, Signal is free to use. Other similar apps for mobile users looking to video call with smaller groups include WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple FaceTime.

Rork founders Levan Kvirkvelia and Daniel Dhawan are living a life that sounds like a plot for a movie. But it really happened. They went from broke, life savings spent, and in debt $15,000 apiece on credit cards — Kvirkvelia was even sleeping on a mattress at a friend’s apartment — to $100,000 of revenue in five days. And that led to a $2.8 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s new Speedrun program, with other backers piling in like Hustle Fund’s Elizabeth Yin, ChapterOne, Founders Inc., Austen Allred, Expo’s Charlie Cheever, and Evan Bacon, Runway’s Siqi Chen, and more. All because one person tweeted about their mobile app vibe coder product, and the tweet went viral. Rork lets people with limited technical backgrounds build mobile apps with a simple text prompt. On February 12, after months of work and one pivot, Kvirkvelia and Dhawan launched Rork with a tweet. “We were complete underdogs. We were really running out of money really soon,” Dhawan told TechCrunch. They had gotten a small check from one angel investor, Matt Shumer, the co-founder CEO of OthersideAI, which makes AI writing tool Hyperwrite. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW Their first tweet got passed around a bit, but it wasn’t until February 24, when people were tweeting about a competing product from a company called Bolt, that Shumer posted on X that he thought Rork was better than Bolt. “My jaw just DROPPED,” Shumer wrote in his X post. “Rork lets you create entire iOS apps just by describing them! Zero. Code. Required. This changes everything for app development. Rork blows Bolt out of the water (and yes, I invested immediately after trying it).” Shumer also included a video of Rork. And the post blew up, viewed more than 1 million times. Usage of Rork instantly skyrocketed, too, but the founders were trapped. Each of them ran up $15,000 of debt on their credit cards to keep the app running. “We were paying for AI out of our own pockets, basically, because we didn’t raise much funding,” Dhawan said. “We’re, like, almost, out of money. And then 15 minutes after this post, Austen Allred invested $100,000.” By the end of the day of Shumer’s tweet, Founder’s Inc. and Hustle Fund’s Yin were already ready to invest, while warm intros to other investors and angels were flying. “So basically it was like, $350,000 that first day. And that was really, really crazy.” Out of money Although this sounds like an instant success — and by some measure, it is — it was more like rescue from a near-death experience for the founders. This was their third bootstrapped startup each; they had previously developed hit mobile apps beginning when they were teens. They are now ages 25 (Kvirkvelia) and 27 (Dhawan). But they had run through much of the cash earned by those other apps working on a Rork’s predecessor, a Cursor-like vibe coder geared toward nontechnical users. Dhawan had been in San Francisco since December to attend Founders Inc. and fundraise, working through Christmas and sleeping on a mattress at a YC founder friend’s apartment, while Kvirkvelia stayed home in Georgia to build the new product. Fundraising wasn’t going well. Then competitor Lovable launched and went instantly viral. But their product wasn’t ready to compete with Lovable. “We had the prototype finished already, and then they launched,” Dhawan recalls. “We were really disappointed.” So Kvirkvelia convinced Dhawan that they should change course. Rather than building another Lovable, which tackles AI web coding, they should go back to their roots and build a Lovable for mobile apps. No one had done this before — at least not well — because as hard as web development is, building native mobile apps is “like 10 times more complicated,” Kvirkvelia told TechCrunch.. So “we are the Lovable for Expo. The Lovable for React,” Kvirkvelia said, mentioning two popular mobile app development frameworks. Then rival startup Bolt launched a mobile vibe coding product, and the founders had deja vu, fearing they were going to be beaten out of the market again. So they launched the same day as Bolt, Dhawan said. After Shumer’s tweet went viral and angels began pouring in, one of their new angels introduced the founders to Andrew Chen, the general partner running Andreessen Horowitz’s new Speedrun program. Speedrun is a16z’s 12-week mentorship program for early-stage startups. It includes things like $5 million worth credits from the firm’s partners like AWS, Google Cloud, OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, Stripe, Deel, and others. It typically invests up to $1 million, as well. Chen reached out, but Dhawan didn’t jump immediately. He explained to Chen that he already had a pre-seed term sheet in hand from another firm. Chen, determined not to miss out, did his own speed run at his firm and quickly delivered a competing offer. The Rork founders accepted, nabbed their seed money, and will attend the cohort scheduled to begin on July 28. “Daniel and Levan are highly technical polymaths who deeply understand mobile development and distribution, which has allowed them to build a fantastic platform quickly,” Chen told TechCrunch over email. “They’re exactly the type of founders we’re excited to back with a16z Speedrun.” Even better than the funding, paying users are pouring in. Two months after Shumer’s viral tweet, this team of two hit $550,000 ARR, Dhawan says. And he’s off the floor and living in his own apartment, now, too.

Every year, donors contribute billions of dollars to charities, yet the donation process still feels outdated and cumbersome. Founders Dan Eblagon and Ron Levy believe there is an easier way to donate, leading to the creation of Bono, a platform designed to facilitate a more modern and streamlined approach to giving. The platform (named after the phrase “pro bono,” not the singer of the same name) focuses on connecting users with a selection of vetted charities based on which causes they care about, such as the climate crisis, LGBTQ+ rights, ending animal suffering, and more. Users set a monthly plan, starting at $5 per month, and Bono automatically distributes funds across the chosen charities. The company announced its official launch on Monday, coinciding with a $1.6 million pre-seed funding round. This new capital will be used to enhance the user experience, including an AI-powered chatbot that matches donors with suitable charities. This feature is currently in a pilot phase and is expected to launch to the public by September. Image Credits:BonoThe concept for Bono originated from a phone call Eblagon received from a telemarketer soliciting donations for a charity that they claimed he had previously contributed to. “On the one hand, I felt good that I donated and they remembered my donation, but on the other hand, I didn’t remember this charity or what impact it made,” Eblagon told TechCrunch. “It sent me down the path of wanting to build a modern platform that disrupts the old way of giving. I knew that making phone calls based on old donation records with no details on things like impact or interests wasn’t effective.” To keep users engaged and informed, Bono provides a weekly impact report, detailing how and where their donations are making a difference. For instance, it shows how many meals or mental health sessions their donations paid for. There’s also a mobile app (available on iOS and Android devices) to see their annual impact. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 BOOK NOW Another way Bono is modernizing the experience is by forming partnerships with content creators to help increase awareness, paying them for their efforts. Image Credits:BonoBono has three types of models: flat-fee campaigns, where influencers are paid upfront for promoting; affiliate-style revenue sharing, where creators earn based on performance; and donated commissions, which allow creators to donate their share of the earnings back to the cause promoted. Some people may view these arrangements as an ethical gray area. However, according to Eblagon, “most creators” prefer the third option, opting to contribute their earnings to the causes they care about. He said, “It’s not just about promoting another product, it’s about standing for something they believe in, while showing a deeper side of their personality.” Currently, Bono has more than a dozen creator partnerships. Bono soft-launched in December to respond to the demand from donors wanting to support victims affected by the Los Angeles wildfires. Since then, Bono has expanded its reach from just 100 charities to all 1.5 million charities in the U.S., with the average donation around $20 per month. Some donors even contribute over $1,000 per month. All nonprofits featured on Bono are registered in the U.S. and must meet specific standards. The company says it requires a rating above 8.5 on websites like Charity Navigator and GuideStar. A strong social media presence is also important. The funding round was led by Progression.Fund, with participation from several angel investors who are senior executives at major companies, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Intuit, and X/Twitter.