United StatesOwnership & classification
Founded: 2005
Ownership
TechCrunch is a US technology-news site founded in 2005 by Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. It passed through AOL (2010), then Verizon/Oath, then Yahoo (under Apollo Global Management after 2021), and in March 2025 was sold by Yahoo to Regent, a Los Angeles private-equity media investment firm founded by Michael Reinstein. Regent, which also bought Foundry (PCWorld, Macworld, etc.), is the current owner.
Funding
Financed commercially through online advertising and sponsorship, plus its Disrupt conferences and events. It now operates as a portfolio holding of a private-equity firm.
Affiliation & stance
TechCrunch has no party, state or church ties and is a commercial trade-press outlet covering startups and technology. Because it is privately owned (by PE firm Regent) and commercially financed with no party or government control, it is classified INDEPENDENT.
Editorial lean
- Our estimate
- Center
- Measured from coverage
- Centerbased on 111
75/100
Factual
73/100
Objective
327
Articles
327
reports
Top stories
Most covered right now
UK Govt to Pressure Social Media Firms to Boost 'Trusted' Legacy Media Outlets Like the BBC: Report
AOC calls to 'break up' big tech companies amid price hikes
In Big Win for Fourth Amendment Advocates, the Supreme Court Says 'Geofence Warrants' Count as a 'Search'
Fox enters new era with Roku deal
French president urges U.S. to share cutting-edge AI and democracies to cooperate on regulation
SpaceX to buy AI coding assistant Cursor for $60 billion
Blue Origin still doesn’t know why its New Glenn rocket blew up last month
DOJ Takes Elon Musk's Side in NAACP Lawsuit Against xAI for Polluting Black Neighborhoods
STAT+: Cadence raises $100 million to automate chronic disease care with regulated AI
Recent coverage
Chamath Palihapitiya raises $135M Series A for his AI coding startup, takes CEO role
Chamath Palihapitiya, founder of Social Capital and host of the All-In podcast, has launched an AI coding startup called 8090 Labs. The company recently secured a $135 million Series A funding round led by Salesforce Ventures, with additional backing from notable firms including WndrCo, Craft Ventures, The Production Board, Launch, and individual investors like Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora and Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo. Founded in January 2024, 8090 Labs aims to provide corporate programming teams with an AI-driven coding solution called Software Factory, which enables developers to create production-ready software with enterprise-level controls such as audit trails. Palihapitiya has taken on the role of CEO, marking his return to a full-time operational position after previously focusing on venture capital and media. He compared the current AI development wave to the early days of social media, expressing confidence in the significance of the technology being developed.
A warning sign about AI’s real cost, courtesy of Google and Amazon
TechCrunch highlights concerns about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence (AI), using recent sustainability reports from Google and Amazon as evidence. Both companies have seen significant increases in carbon emissions—25% for Google and 16% for Amazon—since last year, largely attributed to the growing energy demands of AI technologies. While neither explicitly blames AI for these rises, the reports indicate that increased energy consumption linked to AI development and deployment is a major factor. Much of the emissions increase stems from 'Scope 3' emissions, which encompass indirect sources such as purchased goods and services, including data centers and GPUs. Both firms emphasize their efforts toward renewable energy and net-zero goals, but the challenge remains substantial.
Big Tech is all in on AI. Now all they need is customers.
This article discusses growing investor concerns about the sustainability of Big Tech's massive investments in artificial intelligence. The Nasdaq Composite Index has dropped nearly 5% as Wall Street questions whether the trillions of dollars spent on AI infrastructure will yield sufficient returns. Goldman Sachs estimates tech companies will invest $7.6 trillion through 2031 to build new data centers, but recent data suggests limited consumer and business willingness to pay for AI services. Experts like Kate Brennan from AI Now highlight skepticism about AI's promised benefits, noting that while usage is increasing, public perception remains largely negative, with 40% of Americans believing AI will harm society over the next two decades. Additionally, companies are laying off workers while investing in AI, raising concerns about job impacts. A Gartner study warns that replacing human workers with AI often fails to deliver expected returns.
Three things to watch amid Anthropic’s latest feud with the government
Anthropic, an AI company based in the United States, developed an advanced AI model called Mythos, which demonstrated exceptional capabilities in handling code. Concerned about potential cybersecurity risks, Anthropic shared limited access with cybersecurity experts before releasing a modified version called Fable to the public. However, the U.S. government quickly intervened, citing national security concerns and imposing export restrictions on Fable. Anthropic subsequently revoked access to both models. This incident has sparked discussions about the broader implications of AI regulation, with some arguing that the government's response was overly reactive rather than well-planned. Additionally, the event has raised questions about the reliability of American AI companies, prompting European leaders to consider accelerating their own AI development efforts. Meanwhile, open-source AI models from China have gained attention due to their affordability and accessibility, potentially influencing global AI strategies.
The AI Squeeze Is Showing Up in Jobs Figures
The article discusses the increasing impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the U.S. labor market, as evidenced by recent employment figures and layoff reports. In June, the U.S. economy added fewer jobs than expected, with declines observed in sectors heavily adopting AI, such as finance and information technology. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that these two sectors combined lost approximately 150,000 jobs in 2026, though overall employment growth remained stable due to a surge in construction activity. A report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas noted that AI remains the top reason for layoffs, accounting for 31% of June’s layoff announcements. Analysts warn that while AI adoption has risen to 20.6% among U.S. firms, its broader effects on employment remain debated, with some experts cautioning against overestimating its immediate impact.
How the world's top AI models were revived
This article discusses the controversy surrounding the United States' attempt to restrict access to Anthropic's advanced AI models, Mythos and Fable, due to alleged security risks. The conflict began when Amazon, Anthropic's partner and investor, raised concerns about a 'jailbreaking' vulnerability that could compromise the AI's safety mechanisms. These concerns were escalated to the Trump administration, leading to the imposition of export controls. However, cybersecurity experts later pointed out that similar vulnerabilities exist in other major AI models. After a prolonged negotiation involving multiple government agencies, Anthropic managed to have its models reinstated on June 12, following additional safety measures. The situation involved high-level political engagement, including interactions between Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, as well as efforts by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to facilitate resolution.
Signal’s Meredith Whittaker wants you to remember that AI chatbots ‘are not your friends’
Signal President Meredith Whittaker warned against treating AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude as if they were friends or conscious entities during an interview with Bloomberg. She emphasized that these systems are not sentient and cautioned against relying on them for critical tasks such as decision-making or communication. While acknowledging her personal use of AI tools for minor formatting tasks, Whittaker stressed the importance of maintaining independent thought and avoiding reliance on AI-generated responses. She criticized scenarios where AI assistants like Microsoft Copilot might have extensive access to personal data, including financial information, messaging apps, and calendars, calling such access a 'backdoor' in the context of Signal.
Why Wall Street thinks US memory maker Micron is the next Nvidia
Micron Technology, a leading U.S.-based memory chip manufacturer, has seen a dramatic surge in its stock value due to increased demand for memory chips driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Micron's market capitalization temporarily surpassed those of Meta and Tesla, reaching nearly $1.27 trillion, although it later dropped slightly. This growth is attributed to a global shortage of high-bandwidth memory (HBM), essential for AI servers, which has persisted since 2026 and is expected to continue through 2027. Micron's recent financial performance includes a significant increase in revenue and profit, supported by long-term contracts with major players like Nvidia and Anthropic. However, challenges remain, as expanding production capacity is costly and time-intensive, and there is a risk of oversupply if demand decreases.
Politician who investigated spyware abuses had his phone hacked with Pegasus spyware
A European politician and former journalist, Stelios Kouloglou, had his phone hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on an investigatory committee examining the misuse of surveillance tools by European governments. Researchers from the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab confirmed the hacking occurred in 2022 and 2023, marking the first known case of a member of the European Parliament's PEGA committee being identified as a victim of spyware. Kouloglou described the incident as 'reckless,' and some lawmakers called it a direct attack on the rule of law, urging stricter regulations on spyware use. The hackers used a zero-click exploit targeting a vulnerability in Apple's iOS, which had already been patched but not applied to Kouloglou's device. While the perpetrators were not explicitly named, the use of a previously linked email address suggests potential ties to NSO Group, the Israeli firm behind Pegasus.
Last chance to apply — Startup Battlefield Australia applications close July 6
This article announces the final deadline for Startup Battlefield Australia applications, which close on July 6. The program aims to identify high-potential early-stage startups from Australia and New Zealand, offering them exposure to investors, media, and the startup community. Selected startups will present at an event in Sydney in August 2026, with the top three receiving financial incentives and the winner gaining entry to a major global competition in San Francisco. The article emphasizes the exclusivity and urgency of the opportunity, encouraging eligible founders to apply before the deadline.
Mark Zuckerberg tells staff that AI agents haven’t progressed as quickly as he’d hoped
At an internal town hall, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated that the development of AI agents has not progressed as rapidly as anticipated. This comes after Meta laid off around 8,000 employees and restructured another 7,000 into AI-related groups earlier this year. Zuckerberg noted that these layoffs were not as straightforward as intended, as executives feared the company was adapting too slowly to changes in the tech industry. He acknowledged that the benefits of the new AI-focused structure had not yet materialized but expressed optimism about seeing improvements within the next three to six months. Reports describe Meta's AI unit as challenging for engineers working there.
FTC gives Musk the OK to acquire SpaceX alumni startup Mesh
Elon Musk has received approval from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to acquire Mesh Optical Technologies, a startup founded by three former SpaceX engineers. Mesh develops optical communication hardware for high-speed data center operations. The FTC expedited its antitrust review of the deal, as noted in a filing and first reported by Bloomberg. Mesh emerged from stealth mode earlier this year after raising $50 million in a Series A funding round led by Thrive Capital. The startup's founders previously worked on optical links connecting SpaceX's Starlink satellites. Their goal now is to apply similar technology to terrestrial data centers, where light-based systems offer greater speed and energy efficiency compared to traditional electrical systems. SpaceX has recently signed agreements with companies like Anthropic, Google, and Reflection AI to provide computing resources at its data centers, creating a new revenue stream. Acquiring Mesh could enhance the efficiency of these data centers, both on Earth and potentially in space.
Private space pilots are flying orbital missions for the US Space Force
Two private space companies, True Anomaly and Rocket Lab, conducted a high-stakes orbital rendezvous mission for the U.S. Space Force, demonstrating advanced satellite inspection capabilities. The mission, named Victus Haze, involved Rocket Lab launching a spacecraft called Puma within 16 hours of being notified, while True Anomaly's Jackal satellite identified and closely approached Puma from 2,000 kilometers away to capture imagery. This exercise highlights growing concerns over emerging space threats from nations like China and Russia, prompting the U.S. military to rely more on private-sector innovation. The mission showcased unprecedented precision in orbital maneuvering, surpassing previous private-sector achievements, and signals future tests with increased complexity, including evasion scenarios.
Overlooked
Under-reported & one-sided
