Bluesky will comply with age-verification laws in South Dakota and Wyoming after exiting Mississippi
Bluesky says the age-verification laws strike “the right balance,” so it won’t have to exit the states as it did in Mississippi.
Startups
Perfect your pitch: Investors share what really makes founders stand out at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
What makes a startup pitch stand out? At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, October 27–29 in San Francisco, hear candid insights from Defy.vc’s Medha Agarwal, Harness CEO Jyoti Bansal, and January Ventures’ Jennifer Neundorfer.
Exploring the future of voice AI with Mati Staniszewski at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
From audiobooks and dubbing to gaming and avatars, AI-generated voice is breaking into the mainstream — and Mati Staniszewski, CEO and co-founder of ElevenLabs, is helping lead the charge. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, he’ll take the stage to talk about what it takes to make voice AI truly human.
This app just raised $14M to take on the loneliness epidemic
Clyx is social platform that helps users find IRL community events to join.
AI gaming startup Born raises $15M to build ‘social’ AI companions that combat loneliness
Born, maker of cute virtual pet Pengu, believes the current chatbot landscape isn’t the final form factor for AI friends. The Berlin-based startup raised $15M on the idea that AI companions should have a social component.
Ex-Google X trio wants their AI to be your second brain — and they just raised $6M to make it happen
TwinMind, available on Android and iOS, passively captures background audio to gain context and deliver on-the-go summaries.
Sources: AI training startup Mercor eyes $10B+ valuation on $450 million run rate
The two-year-old startup has been in discussions with investors for a Series C round.
From mixers to pitch-offs — your brand event belongs at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Each Side Event can unlock new opportunities for the hosts: investor deal flow, talent connections, and brand exposure with the startup community.