Founder

Unleashing Power: AddGlow’s Community-Building Software for Brands Rivals Reddit and Facebook

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Ina Herlihy believes e-commerce brands are losing out on organic traffic and potential revenue by relying on third-party community sites, like Reddit and Facebook Groups. By building an onsite community, brands are able to increase that retention and drive more organic traffic because the community is on their own domain. In addition, AddGlow integrates with a brand’s catalog so community members can tag products when mentioning them. “We started partnering with smaller brands, and now we’re building additional functionality to support larger brands, too,” Herlihy said. Our goal is to foster a safe space for community members to seek personal advice and build meaningful connections.”

Southeast Asia’s Vertical AI Bet: Insights from Antler’s Founder

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A growing roster of vertical AI startups is emerging in Southeast Asia to serve sectors ranging from seafood to finance. Within verticalized AI, different trends are emerging in each country. Since funding structures are different in Southeast Asia than the rest of the world, BorderDollar used their own training data to build a credit scoring system. Building a vertical AI startup comes with its own challenges. But once a vertical AI startup comes together, Salovaara says they can build a very deep competitive moat.

Innovative Online Music Academy Employs AI for Customized Learning Programs

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Masterclass rival Studio launched today its first AI-powered online school for musicians, songwriters and producers to learn from top artists in the industry, create new songs, get feedback from like-minded peers and access Studio’s AI coach that keeps them on track with personalized schedules and deadlines. Studio’s Music School provides thousands of exclusive lessons taught by over 110 popular artists and instructors, including Charlie Puth, Kygo, H.E.R., Idina Menzel, Pentatonix, Ryan Tedder (frontman for OneRepublic), Alexander 23, Tainy, Chelsea Cutler, Jonas Blue, Shane McAnally and Louis Bell, among others. There are over 100 topics to choose from, such as vocal production, songwriting, music business, sound design, music theory, cover songs, and musical theater, as well as genres like alternative, classical, country, EDM, folk, hip-hop, indie pop, lo-fi, metal, R&B and more. The online accelerator features an AI-powered coach that leverages OpenAI’s GPT-4 to deliver personalized curriculums every month based on someone’s interests, specific goals, learning style and level of experience. It should be noted that Studio’s Music School isn’t designed for beginners looking to start a career in the music industry but for creatives who already know the basics and want to enhance their skills.

“Race Against Time and Save $300 on TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 Passes”

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Beat the clock to save $300 on passes to TechCrunch Early Stage 2024Tick tock, it’s now o’clock. You have less than one day left to get your ticket to TechCrunch Early Stage — April 25 in Boston — at the lowest price. At TechCrunch Early Stage you’ll walk away with a deeper working understanding of topics and skills that are essential to startup success. Founders and investors save $300 if you book your pass before the clock strikes 11:59 p.m. PT on January 26. Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TC Early Stage 2024?

Achieving $1M in ARR: The Secrets Revealed by Glasswing’s Rudina Seseri at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024

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Interactive TC Early Stage sessions provide plenty of time to engage and ask questions. She has 19 years of investing and operational experience in high-growth companies in IT software, cloud and enterprise SaaS. TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 takes place on April 25, 2024, in Boston. Buy a TC Early Stage pass now, save up to $300* — and join us in Boston! Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TC Early Stage 2024?

“Defending the Use of AI: Selkie Founder’s Bold Stance on Cutting-Edge Dress Collection Sparks Controversy”

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An extra toe is like a representation of where we are beginning.”But when the brand announced that the collection was designed using generative AI, backlash was immediate. In the year since she finalized designs for this drop, public opinion of AI art has shifted significantly. As generative AI tools become more sophisticated, the use of AI in art has also become increasingly polarizing. Of course, not all generative AI is exploitative; as a VFX tool, it’s immensely useful to enhance animations, from creating more realistic flames in Pixar’s “Elemental” to visualizing complex scenes in HBO’s “The Last Of Us.” There are plenty of examples of morally bankrupt applications of generative AI. But most of the generative AI debate settles into a morally gray area, where the parameters of exploitation are less defined.

“Discover the Exciting Launch of a Cutting-Edge EV Venture by Lordstown Motors’ Founder, Featuring Familiar and Powerful Trucks”

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The ousted founder of bankrupt EV startup Lordstown Motors has launched a new company called LandX Motors, that prominently displays the same electric pickup truck he once promised would beat Tesla, Ford and General Motors to market. While LandX Motors doesn’t explicitly refer to the trucks as the Endurance, a video on the website shows EV trucks that have the Lordstown badge. A LandX Motors spokesperson responded to an email, but didn’t provide any further information and declined to answer questions. He founded Lordstown Motors in 2019 after leaving a different struggling EV startup, Workhorse. Of the 16 employees who list LandX Motors as their employer on LinkedIn, 13 of them used to work at Lordstown Motors.

Uncovering the Magical Creatures Within Humanity

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Ten years ago, Cowboy Ventures founder Aileen Lee coined the term “unicorn” to describe startups that reached $1 billion valuation. At the time, there were only 39 startups on the list, but cut to today, where more than 500 companies now live on the list. Not only did the number of unicorns boom, but also what they’re focused on shifted: The pendulum swung hard in the direction of B2B startups over the last decade — but the thing with pendulums is that eventually they swing back. Dear Sophie,I’m a founder of a startup in Estonia. — Eager in EstoniaGet the TechCrunch+ Roundup newsletter in your inbox!

Only 7 Days Left to Save $300 on TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 Passes

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We have only seven days left of launch pricing to TechCrunch Early Stage 2024, taking place in Boston on April 25. Buy a $149 Founder pass or a $349 Investor pass and save $300 before prices increase on January 27. At TechCrunch Early Stage you’ll walk away with a deeper working understanding of topics and skills that are essential to startup success. Founders and investors save $300 if you book your pass before January 27. Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TC Early Stage 2024?

“Nikola CEO Trevor Milton Receives 4-Year Sentence for Securities Fraud”

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Trevor Milton, the disgraced founder and former CEO of electric truck startup Nikola, was sentenced Monday to four years in prison for securities fraud. The sentencing hearing comes after four separate delays, during which Milton has remained free under a $100 million bond. Milton sobbed as he pled with Judge Ramos for leniency in a long and often confusing statement ahead of the sentencing. At one point, Milton said he stepped down from the CEO post at Nikola not because of fraud allegations, but to support his wife. That video sparked investigations from third parties, and after a report by Hindenburg Research called the company a fraud, Milton stepped down in September 2020.