Can this privacy-first photo storage app take on Google Photos?

Also: Construct Capital raises $300M to back defense, manufacturing

View this email online in your browser By Rebecca Bellan Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Welcome to TechCrunch AM! This morning, we've got disruption in the photo storage arena, chatbots gaining ground on OpenAi, and fresh VC funds for defense and manufacturing. We've also got updates on OpenAI's new models, Intel's new strategy, capital for chipmaking upstarts, China's challenge to SpaceX, the latest politician to join Bluesky, and more. TechCrunch Top 3 Image Credits: Ente 1. A disruptor emerges: If you're starting to rethink backing up all the pictures chronicling your life with big tech companies like Google, you might want to consider Ente. The open-source project offers end-to-end encrypted photo storage, which means it cannot access users' photos at all. Read More 2. The world outside ChatGPT: While OpenAI's chatbot may be the favorite today, rival services are gaining steam. Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot are leading the charge, followed by Anthropic's Claude and Chinese AI Lab DeepSeek. Read More 3. Defense on fire: Early-stage VC firm Construct Capital is taking advantage of the influx of money in defense and manufacturing. The Washington, D.C.-based firm just closed its third fund at $300 million to invest in defese and manufacturing startups. Read More   A Message from Persona Onboard new users faster while deterring fraud Verify users at onboarding to prevent fraud, stay compliant, and build customer trust. Persona's low-code identity verification platform dynamically responds to risk signals — adding friction for fraudsters while delivering a painless experience for good users so you can maximize conversion and minimize risk. Sign Up Now   Morning Must-Reads Image Credits: Silas Stein / picture alliance / Getty Images 🎨 Come one, come all: OpenAI's new image generator is now available to all users, not just paying customers. Because how else is OpenAI going to advertise the bounty of being able to rip off Studio Ghibli or create fraudulent receipts without a free taste? Read More  🏭 Side of chips: U.S. chipmaker Retym is the latest startup to benefit from AI's glow-up — it just raised a fresh $75 million. Its chips don't process AI workloads directly, but rather serve to help the "innards of data centers" communicate faster internally and externally. Read More 🙊 Amazon talked big game when it showcased the agentic capabilities of Alexa+, like being able to order takeout or generate bedtime stories. But at launch, the service doesn't have many of the promised features. Read More 👐 Open up: OpenAI says it will release its first "open" language model since GPT-2. The company is inviting developers and researchers to weigh in on what they'd like to see in an open-weight model and which open models they have used in the past. Read More 🌪️ Coming in hot: Intel's new CEO Lip-Bu Tan isn't wasting any time. Without providing specifics, he said at the Intel Vision conference that the company will spin off assets that aren't core to its mission. Intel will also launch new products like custom semiconductors. Read More Success? OpenAI finally closed its much anticipated $40 billion round, valuing the company at $300 billion post-money. It's one of the largest private funding rounds in history and comes as experts question whether all that money is really necessary for AI breakthroughs. Read More   A Message from TechCrunch Events Shaping AI's future? Be at TechCrunch Sessions: AI on June 5! Stay ahead in AI. TC Sessions: AI unites 1,200+ AI leaders, VCs & experts on June 5 in Berkeley, CA. Gain insights from top minds like Logan Kilpatrick (Google DeepMind), Oliver Cameron (Odyssey), Sara Ittelson (Accel), & more. Join main stage talks, roundtable discussions, & elite networking. Don't miss this all-AI deep dive — register now & save $210! Register Now   Around the Web 📽️ Lights, camera, action: Amazon MGM Studios has a new strategy. The New York Times reports the company will release about 14 big commercial films per year to theaters around the world. The question is, will we see more incredible indie movies get the light they deserve, or more computer generated drivel like "Red One"? Read More ✈️ Travel safely: The start of Trump's second term has correlated with an uptick in foreign visitors, and even legal residents, being denied entry to the U.S. and detained at the border. Wired has a rundown of the situation as well as tips on how to get past customs with your privacy intact. Read More 🛰️ Race to the skies: Rest of World has a look at a Chinese satellite internet startup called SpaceSail that appears to be taking aim at Starlink. Shanghai-backed SpaceSail has launched 90 satellites since last year, and hopes to scale quickly by tapping into markets where Elon Musk has created friction. Read More Before You Go 💙 After Obama, Hilary Clinton has now joined Bluesky. Her first post on the platform sought to raise awareness about the Wisconsin Supreme Court election taking place today. Elon Musk has spent $20 million backing a Republican candidate for the election, and another $2 million to buy a couple of votes. Read More Note: Yesterday's edition misstated the name of Thrive Capital's owner. We regret the error. Featured jobs from CrunchBoard Head of Strategic Finance, GITAI USA (Torrance, CA) Senior Software Engineer, Source (Remote) Engineering & Support Senior Director, AAOS (Rosemont, IL) Research Systems Engineer - Computing Services, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) Machine Control Technician, Sinacola (Dallas, TX) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $349 per month.   Check out some of our other newsletters: Startups Weekly TechCrunch AI TechCrunch Mobility Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Update your preferences here at any time Copyright © 2024 TechCrunch, All rights reserved.Yahoo Inc. 680 Folsom Street,San Francisco,CA Privacy Policy

Runway releases a new video-generating model

Plus: Plex has a new mobile app

View this email online in your browser By Rebecca Szkutak Monday, March 31, 2025 Welcome to TC PM! Today we are looking into AI news, including more models and new AI agent subscriptions; we learn of multiple cybersecurity incidents; and we meet the woman who voices your Bluetooth speaker. Press play! TechCrunch Top 3 Image Credits: Industry Stages. M. Reinertson/The Photo Group 🎬 More models: AI startup Runway released a new video-generating model, Gen-4, to add to its suite of AI video tools. Kyle Wiggers notes that while there is a lot of competition in the video-generating space, Runway has differentiated itself by inking deals with Hollywood studios.  🤑 Pay up: Manus AI, the viral AI agent platform out of China, has launched two subscription plans that start at $39 a month. These subscriptions are priced by the number of credits offered and how many tasks the AI agents can run simultaneously.  📀 New features: Media software maker and streaming app Plex has launched an updated version of its mobile app. The updates include a new user experience, like a reorganized navigation that includes giving its Watchlist a dedicated spot.   A Message from Silicon Valley Bank Grow from Seed to Series A with SVB With 40+ years of industry experience, Silicon Valley Bank gives your seed funding the support it needs to bloom. Learn More   Afternoon must-reads Image Credits: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images 🤨 Are you sure about that? ByteDance's extended Saturday deadline to divest from TikTok is quickly approaching. While anecdotally it seems unlikely that a deal will get done by then, Donald Trump said that a deal will in fact be done by the deadline. I'll believe it when I see it.  🤺 Uh-oh, the EVs are fighting: EV truck maker Harbinger has filed an objection regarding the sale of Canoo's assets to its CEO as part of the latter's bankruptcy proceedings. Harbinger is accusing Canoo of hiding certain assets in the sales process. Spicy! 😬 Oops! API testing firm APIsec confirmed that it secured an exposed internal database filled with customer data that had been connected to the internet with no password. Security research firm UpGuard spotted the exposed database back on March 5.  🕶️ Speaking of security incidents: Tech giant Oracle is coming under fire for how it has handled two recent security breaches. The two incidents in question involve Oracle Health and Oracle Cloud. In both incidents, it seems Oracle was purposefully opaque on what happened.  🍎 AI for Apple Vision Pro: Apple announced today that it is rolling out visionOS 2.4, which will bring Apple Intelligence-powered features to Apple Vision Pro. This update also includes new spatial experiences and the Apple Vision Pro app for iPhone.    A Message from TechCrunch Events Final hours to save $320 on TC All Stage founder + investor passes TechCrunch All Stage is where founders and VCs scale smarter. Join us in Boston on July 15 for two stages packed with insights on early growth and post-Series A success. Breakouts, roundtables, and elite networking await. Speakers include Charles Hudson (Precursor Ventures), Jahanvi Sardana (Index Ventures), and more. Save $320 — last chance before 11:59 p.m. PT tonight! Save Now   Around the web 📦 Getting into Gel: Have you ever wondered why so many items come with a pack of silica gel beads in them? Even if you haven't, you can learn why that is the case and what these beads are and do to begin with. This may not be a tech story, but it is fascinating.  🙋‍♀️ The Bluetooth lady: Meet Kristen DiMercurio, the woman whose voice is behind your Bluetooth speaker. DiMercurio talked to Wired about how she got into this type of voice-over work and how it is all drying up now thanks to AI.  Before you go Image Credits: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto / Getty Images 🌝 Capacity chokehold: OpenAI's capacity struggles continue. This morning the company disabled video generation for new users of Sora, the company's suite of AI media tools. Sora users can still generate images, however. Featured jobs from CrunchBoard Head of Strategic Finance, GITAI USA (Torrance, CA) Senior Software Engineer, Source (Remote) Engineering & Support Senior Director, AAOS (Rosemont, IL) Research Systems Engineer - Computing Services, Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) Machine Control Technician, Sinacola (Dallas, TX) See more jobs on CrunchBoard Post your tech jobs and reach millions of TechCrunch readers for only $349 per month.   Check out some of our other newsletters: Startups Weekly TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Update your preferences here at any time Copyright © 2024 TechCrunch, All rights reserved.Yahoo Inc. 680 Folsom Street,San Francisco,CA Privacy Policy