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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.

Pinterest is upgrading its visual search feature with a handful of new capabilities. On Monday, the company announced it’s rolling out new functionality to improve its feature that allows users to search using an image instead of text. This includes new tools to more precisely narrow and refine searches, as well as those that make visual search more accessible across Pinterest’s website. The company believes the new additions will help Pinterest stand out as a search engine for things users may otherwise have trouble describing with words — like a vibe, style, or aesthetic. One new enhancement will help users to better understand what it is they like about a certain Pin, initially in the women’s fashion category in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Image Credits:PinterestHere, when users tap on a Pin, they’ll see an animated glow, and Pinterest will then generate words that help people determine why they like the Pin in the first place. This feature is powered by Visual Language Models (VLMs), a form of generative AI, the company says. The addition is also similar to Google’s multimodal search, which combines text and images into a single query. Except in this case, Pinterest is helping users by generating the words that could be used to augment and narrow their search query. (The company notes it’s using “industry-leading” multimode embedding models, but didn’t specify which ones.) Another update will allow users to refine their fashion searches by seeking out alternatives to the item shown in a different color, style, or fabric. For instance, Pinterest suggests you could use this to find a similar style that had more of a “Y2K” aesthetic, or find something similar to a blazer you liked, but that works better for a formal occasion. 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 Image Credits:PinterestPinterest also says it will expand its visual search across more areas in its app, including by allowing users to long-press on any Pin on their Home Feed to kick off a visual search. The update comes on the heels of an announcement that Pinterest will begin to label AI-generated images and soon allow users to limit the number of AI images they’re shown, after numerous user complaints. People had begun to worry that AI would ruin Pinterest, as it would be even harder to find genuine images that could inspire their future shopping. Combined with the AI-focused update and the improved visual search, Pinterest hopes to re-establish its use as a visual shopping tool that leverages AI, as opposed to one that’s being destroyed by it.

Tesla’s new car sales in Spain fell 36% in April to just 571 vehicles year-over-year, Reuters reports. That slump comes as sales of electric cars made by other brands rose in the Iberian country. Tesla sales in Spain mirror those in Europe generally, which plunged in the first four months of the year by 37.2%, even as sales of fully-electric vehicles rose 28% on the continent. Some countries saw steeper losses than others. For example, Sweden’s Tesla sales dropped 81% to their lowest level in nearly three years. Tesla’s poor sales outcome in Europe comes as some buyers protest CEO Elon Musk’s swing into right-wing politics and closeness with President Donald Trump, whose tariffs have resulted in global economic instability. Europeans are also increasingly buying more Chinese EVs, including those from Tesla rival BYD. Tesla sales have also dropped in the U.S., resulting in soft demand for the automaker’s new Model Y, according to Electrek. Tesla has begun offering discounts on the new model that was meant to re-spark weakening demand. In a search for new markets, the automaker has recently pushed into Saudi Arabia and began testing the waters in India, despite the challenge a lack of charging infrastructure in the two countries.