Kanye agrees to buy Parler, Elon Musk reportedly plans mass layoffs at Twitter, and Netflix gets into cloud gaming • TechCrunch
Hey, good friends! Welcome back to 7 days in Assessment, the place every single Saturday we recap a handful of the prime TechCrunch stories from the previous seven times. Want it in your inbox? Get it right here!
This week marked the in-person return of TechCrunch Disrupt, with our crew taking the clearly show again into the serious world just after two several years absolutely virtual. It was 1 helluva display, with appearances from people like tennis legend (turned investor) Serena Williams, comedian (also turned trader!) Kevin Hart, Lyft co-founder John Zimmer, and Figma CEO Dylan Subject. Congrats to Minerva Lithium for successful the Startup Battlefield competitiveness!
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Google’s Ping-Pong robot: “As if it weren’t adequate to have AI tanning humanity’s conceal (figuratively for now) at each and every board activity in existence,” writes Devin, “Google AI has obtained one particular doing the job to wipe out us all at Ping-Pong as perfectly.”
Elon expects large Twitter layoffs: Musk reportedly desires to minimize up to 75% of Twitter’s workforce — roughly 5,600 work opportunities — if/when his acquisition of the organization goes by means of. That amount would seem fairly absurd. Even considerably smaller sized layoffs have compounding consequences on points like team morale and efficiency — just picture the volume of know-how/perception that disappears if the vast majority of a corporation is allow go.
Kanye West is buying Parler: Nicely, which is a headline I never ever, at any time, ever would’ve predicted. “Kanye West, the rapper who also goes by the identify Ye, has reached an settlement to purchase ‘uncancelable cost-free speech platform’ Parler,” writes Manish, “in a transfer [the involved parties say] will assist people today express their conservative opinions freely.”
Security AI raises $101 million: The company powering the AI-powered picture generator Secure Diffusion and tunes-creating procedure Dance Diffusion has elevated $101 million at a claimed valuation of $1 billion.
Netflix explores cloud gaming: Just as Google provides up on its cloud gaming endeavours, Netflix is diving in. At Disrupt this week, Netflix’s VP of Gaming said the organization is “seriously checking out a cloud gaming offering,” declaring that Google’s shuttered work was a “technical success” with “issues with the business product.”
audio roundup
Here’s what’s up in TC podcast land this week:
- Equity was dwell and in human being! After years in pandemic method, the Fairness crew (Alex, Natasha, and Mary Ann) kicked off Disrupt by recording a exhibit experience-to-encounter for the initial time.
- On Observed, Darrell and Jordan caught up with Jerrica Kirkley and Matthew Wetschler and uncovered the tale of Plume, their telehealth company that focuses on transgender care.
techcrunch+
What have been TC+ associates looking at most guiding the paywall? Here’s a peek:
2023 VC predictions: After a wild several several years of ups and downs, what will undertaking cash glance like in 2023? Contrary Funds founder Eric Tarczynski weighs in.
Ron explores Celonis and its $13 billion valuation: Celonis may possibly not be a name that anyone recognizes…but the 11-year-old data-processing company has managed to increase billions of pounds in the previous handful of yrs by yourself. What are they carrying out so appropriate? Ron Miller usually takes us on a deep dive.
