For all their potential, AI agents have been slow to make an impact in the enterprise, and one new startup is betting that the reason they haven’t is a lack of context. Launched as part of Y Combinator’s 2025 summer cohort, Trace is a workflow orchestration startup aimed at filling…
How to avoid bad hires in early-stage startups
This week on TechCrunch’s founder-focused podcast, Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen is joined by Sarah Lucena, the CEO and co-founder of Mappa, a behavioral intelligence platform that uses voice AI to decode human behavior in less than 60 seconds. Lucena got the idea for Mappa after trying to build a marketing team but continually feeling like she had made the wrong hires. “And…
Instagram now alerts parents if their teen searches for suicide or self-harm content
Instagram will start alerting parents if their teen repeatedly tries to search for terms related to suicide or self-harm within a short period of time, the company announced on Thursday. The alerts are launching in the coming weeks to parents who are enrolled in parental supervision on Instagram. The Meta-owned…
Waymo to begin testing in Chicago and Charlotte
Waymo is bringing its robotaxis to Chicago and Charlotte as part of its push to continue scaling autonomous vehicles, the company said Wednesday. Starting today, Waymo will begin manual mapping and early data collection to lay the groundwork for operations in those cities. Waymo usually enters a new city by…
The public opposition to AI infrastructure is heating up
Across the country, discontent has exploded over the ever-growing glut of server farms that have accompanied the AI boom. Anger has grown so loud that it’s begun to shift legislative agendas. Some states and communities are mulling temporary bans on new data center development altogether. Earlier this month, New York…
Kalshi fined a MrBeast editor for insider trading on markets related to the YouTube star
An editor for YouTube’s most popular creator, MrBeast, has been accused by the predictions market Kalshi of insider trading on the platform. After an investigation, Kalshi said it “found reasonable cause” to believe that this editor, Artem Kaptur, had used non-public, insider information about MrBeast videos to inform his betting…
Wearable startup CUDIS launches a new health ring line with an AI-fueled ‘coach’
Wearables startup CUDIS is launching its newest series of health rings this week. The updated ring comes equipped with a number of features, including an AI “agent coach” designed to keep users on track to attain their fitness goals. CUDIS says it differentiates itself from other wearables by not just…
Samsung shows off new display tech that adds a privacy screen to apps and notifications
At Samsung’s Galaxy S26 live event on Wednesday, the company introduced a new display technology that allows users to turn on a privacy mode and prevent so-called “shoulder surfing” on a per-app basis. The display tech will offer a smarter and more flexible alternative to privacy films, which are overlaid…
An accountant won a big jackpot on Kalshi by betting against DOGE
When Alan Cole saw Elon Musk fans eagerly bidding up a contract on the prediction market Kalshi that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) could effectively reduce federal spending in a year, he knew he had to take the bet, according to a story about Cole’s winnings in The Wall…
Snapchat announces ‘The Snappys,’ its first-ever creator awards show
Snapchat announced on Wednesday that it’s hosting its first-ever awards show on March 21. The social media giant says the awards show, called “The Snappys,” is designed to celebrate “the creators shaping culture on Snapchat.” Creators will receive awards like “Spotlight MVP,” “Best Storyteller,” and “Breakout Creator of the Year,”…