TechCrunch

Navi, Sachin Bansal’s Fintech Startup, Targets $2B Valuation in Inaugural External Fundraising Round

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Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal is in talks to raise capital for his new startup, Indian fintech Navi. Bansal is talking to investors to raise at a valuation of around $2 billion, three sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup Navi has been largely self-funded up to now — Bansal owns 97% of the company — and this would be its first large outside fundraise since it was founded in 2018. After a particularly rough 2023 in which overall startup funding fell 73% in the country, this could be a signal that growth stage funding rounds are back on the table. Even if this might become Navi’s first external raise, that doesn’t mean Bansal has not been talking to interested parties.

“TechCrunch Early Stage 2024: Amplifying Hard Tech Entrepreneurs”

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Discover the forefront of hard tech innovation in an exclusive session sponsored by HAX at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024. Duncan and Susan will share insights into HAX’s investment philosophy and the exciting opportunities they see in hard tech sectors. TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 is your opportunity to engage with the leaders shaping the future of hard tech. Join HAX at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 and be part of the movement driving meaningful change in hard tech innovation — buy your tickets now before prices go up at the door. Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024?

“Yahoo Acquires Artifact: The Latest News App by Instagram’s Co-Founders – A TechCrunch Minute Story”

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News that Yahoo is buying Artifact stirred the technology watercooler yesterday. Artifact was an interesting app, employing AI to help its users find and consume more, and more targeted news. It had some devoted fans, but never reached the sort of scale that would have made it an attractive long-term project. Regardless of whether or not you were an Artifact user — I was for a time — that Yahoo is still feeling acquisitive under its current ownership structure matters. Artifact is hardly the only startup project in the market today that might be looking for a new home, after all.

Years of personal data leaks: Indian government’s cloud

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The Indian government has finally resolved a years-long cybersecurity issue that exposed reams of sensitive data about its citizens. At fault was the Indian government’s cloud service, dubbed S3WaaS, which is billed as a “secure and scalable” system for building and hosting Indian government websites. With evidence of ongoing exposures of private data, Majumder asked TechCrunch for help getting the remaining data secured. Majumder said that some citizens’ sensitive data began spilling online long after he first disclosed the misconfiguration in 2022. The exposed data, Majumder said, potentially puts citizens at risk of identity thefts and scams.

Observe: AT&T responds to data breach by resetting millions of passcodes

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Death, taxes, and regular, terrifying cybersecurity leaks. Those are the facts of life, as the latest AT&T data breach is teaching us yet again. A TechCrunch investigation into leaked customer data from the American telco giant has led to AT&T resetting certain customer account passcodes to prevent them from being at risk. The root of the security weakness is a massive, and AT&T’s data breach included a leaked dataset concerning more than seventy million former and current AT&T account holders. Only a fraction are still current, but the scale of the leaked dataset that TechCrunch dug into makes it plain that despite huge amounts of work and investment, there are still regular, exploitable, and dangerous for consumers.

“Unveiling the Effect of AI on Founders: Women’s Breakfast at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024”

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But amid the buzz, one crucial question emerges: How is AI shaping the journey of founders? TechCrunch’s Early Stage conference is set to delve deep into this inquiry, and we’re thrilled to announce a special Women’s Breakfast event on April 25 in Boston. This exclusive gathering will focus on exploring the intricate ways in which AI is reshaping the entrepreneurial path for women in tech. TechCrunch Early Stage 2024 promises to be a landmark event, and the Women’s Breakfast is your gateway to unlocking the full potential of AI in your entrepreneurial journey. Is your company interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024?

“Revolutionizing Space Technology: Reusable Rockets and Satellites by TechCrunch”

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Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch Space. “SpaceX has made rockets reusable, Orbit Fab makes satellites reusable,” he said. “In this world today, if you’re running a rocket company, and you’re not working towards reusable rockets, you’re working to a dead end. The same is true of satellites: If you’re not making your satellites reusable, you’re just putting preordained junk into orbit.”I learned a lot from this deep dive into China’s struggles to bring on international partners to its International Lunar Research Station initiative. On April 1, 1960, THE VERY FIRST weather satellite was launched by NASA.

“Gain Insights on Startup Success from Fidelity and More at Early Stage 2024”

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At Early Stage in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 25, 2024, TechCrunch will gather some of the startup world’s leading companies — but our partners provide more than just financial support. Their presence at Early Stage gives new and prospective founders the tools, knowledge and community they need to build a successful startup. More passionate partners at TechCrunch Early Stage 2024Head to the Expo floor and get your meet-and-greet on with these four partners. We could not be happier to also welcome Startup Station, PowerUp, Visible Hands, and 500 Global — and the expertise they bring — to Early Stage. Thank you to all our sponsors for their support of Early Stage and the startup community.

“Firestorm: Fisker’s Explosive Entry into the Mobility Market and Tesla’s Pursuit of FSD Profit”

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Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Remember in the last edition of TechCrunch Mobility, when I wrote that the wheels were starting to come off the Fisker bus? Deal of the weekIt ain’t easy being an executive at an EV startup these days. Amid all of the EV startup bankruptcies and other bleak goings-on, there was a bit of positive news. It seems that Tesla is turning to FSD as another financial lever to pull as profits on automotive sales shrink.