OpenAI makes its upgraded image generator available to developers

OpenAI on Wednesday brought the tech behind its new and improved image generation feature in ChatGPT to its API, allowing developers to integrate it into their apps and services. OpenAI's new image generator, which launched for most ChatGPT users in late March, went viral for its ability to c

Fluent Ventures backs replicated startup models in emerging markets

A new venture firm aims to prove that the most successful startup ideas don't have to be born or scaled in Silicon Valley. Fluent Ventures, a global early-stage fund, is backing founders replicating proven business models from Western markets in fintech, digital health, and commerce across eme

Meta’s Threads opens up ads to global advertisers

Months after first testing ads in select markets, including the U.S., Meta on Wednesday announced that its Instagram Threads app would now expand ads to all advertisers worldwide. The expansion will allow eligible advertisers to reach Threads’ over 320 million monthly active users, and it w

WhatsApp’s latest feature makes your messages even more private

WhatsApp announced on Wednesday it’s launching a new feature that will allow users to add an extra layer of privacy to chats. The new “Advanced Chat Privacy” setting prevents you and the people you’re chatting with from exporting chats and auto-downloading media to their pho

AI note-taking app Fireflies adds new ways to extract insights from meeting notes

Khosla Ventures-backed Fireflies.ai, an AI-powered note-taking app, on Wednesday released a set of domain-specific “mini apps” to extract insights from meeting transcripts automatically. With the widespread availability of automatic speech recognition models and generative AI, meeting

EU fines Apple, Meta millions for breaching tech competition rules

The European Union has fined Apple €500 million (about $568 million) and Meta €200 million (about $227 million) for allegedly breaching the bloc’s Digital Markets Act, according to The Wall Street Journal. The EU has accused Apple of failing to comply with an obligation to allow app deve

Durin digs up $3.4M to automate drills for critical minerals exploration

Finding new sources of critical minerals is a costly business. Worldwide, companies spent $12 to $13 billion on exploration in 2023. The upshot: Mining is the definition of a hit-or-miss business. Companies today use advanced models of the Earth's crust to pinpoint the best prospects, but even

Blue Shield of California shared the private health data of millions with Google for years

Health insurance giant Blue Shield of California is notifying millions of people of a data breach. The company confirmed on Wednesday that it had been sharing patients’ private health information with tech and advertising giant Google since 2021. The insurer said that the data sharing stoppe

YouTube’s TV app is getting a redesign this summer

YouTube said on Wednesday that it will launch a redesign of its TV app this summer. On the books are easier navigation, playback, and quality tweaks, as well as better access to comments, channel info, and subscribing. The company didn’t provide any further details about the redesign, but we

Endor Labs, which builds tools to scan AI-generated code for vulnerabilities, lands $93M

AI-generated code is no doubt changing how software is built, but it's also introducing new security challenges. More than 50% of organizations encounter security issues with AI-produced code sometimes or frequently, according to a late 2023 survey by developer security platform Synk. For Endo

Linktree rolls out a suite of monetization features for creators

Linktree is launching a set of new features aimed at helping creators earn more money directly from its platform. The new tools include the ability to sell courses, earn from brand-sponsored links, and build shoppable storefronts. The launch of the new monetization features will help Linktree stan

Datadog acquires AI-powered observability startup Metaplane

Cloud monitoring and security platform Datadog on Wednesday said it has acquired Metaplane, an AI-powered data observability startup. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. In a press release, Datadog said that the deal “accelerates” its expansion into data ob

Alpaca raises $52M Series C to take its API brokerage platform to new markets

For all the turmoil these days, the U.S. stock market remains extremely attractive to investors around the world, simply because of its sheer size and liquidity. But it’s still quite difficult for investors in other parts of the globe to trade stocks on U.S. exchanges. A San Mateo-based start

Cynomi cinches $37M for its AI-based ‘virtual CISO’ for SMB cybersecurity

Small and medium businesses are the latest targets for cybersecurity attacks, with one in three small businesses experiencing a data breach last year. SMBs are becoming more proactive in detecting and stopping these threats, and today a startup called Cynomi is announcing $37 million in funding to