As social media becomes increasingly reliant on algorithmic feeds, creators are navigating a new normal: Just because you post something doesn’t mean your followers will see it. “I think that 2025 was the year where the algorithm completely took over, so followings stopped mattering entirely,” LTK CEO Amber Venz Box told TechCrunch. This isn’t news to creators – Patreon CEO Jack Conte has ardently banged this drum for years – but throughout the year, the industry at large has reacted to this phenomenon in different ways, from the influencers to the streamers. According to the executives that TechCrunch spoke to…

There has been a flurry of AI voice recording gadgets like Omi, Bee, and Friend that want to capture your voice and let you converse with an AI chatbot. While Bee was acquired by Amazon, and devices like the Stream ring by Sandbar and a new AI ring from former Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky are set to enter the market next year, the jury is still out on the success of wearable AI devices. Amid all this, Plaud is thriving by targeting professional users with a different approach: a credit card-sized recording device that slips into your wallet. The company…

One of the nicest comments people have made about the electrical grid was … nothing. The grid works best when it fades into the background.  That low-profile status has changed in recent years as fires in California and freezes in Texas raised awareness of the electrical grid. But it was in 2025, when the electrical grid — and concerns about demand, supply, pricing, and the strain on natural resources — moved into the spotlight. And a new batch of startups have emerged with a software-as-a-solution pitch. Electricity rates are up 13% in this U.S. this year driven by an AI…

Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition. Here is the full list of the enterprise tech Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition AI Seer  What it does: Builds…

OpenAI is looking to hire a new executive responsible for studying emerging AI-related risks in areas ranging from computer security to mental health. In a post on X, CEO Sam Altman acknowledged that AI models are “starting to present some real challenges,” including the “potential impact of models on mental health,” as well as models that are “so good at computer security they are beginning to find critical vulnerabilities.” “If you want to help the world figure out how to enable cybersecurity defenders with cutting edge capabilities while ensuring attackers can’t use them for harm, ideally by making all systems…

Every year, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield pitch contest draws thousands of applicants. We whittle those applications down to the top 200 contenders, and of them, the top 20 compete on the big stage to become the winner, taking home the Startup Battlefield Cup and a cash prize of $100,000. But the remaining 180 startups all blew us away as well in their respective categories and compete in their own pitch competition. Here is the full list of the health and wellness Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on why they landed in the competition.  Akara   What it does: Uses AI…

For the last few years, I wore either an analog watch or Xiaomi Band 6 for basic step tracking and time. I didn’t opt for an Apple Watch because I wasn’t constantly active, I didn’t feel the need to check my notifications, and I didn’t want to think about charging the watch every day. This year, I got a chance to test the new Google Pixel Watch 4, which made me feel like I might start wearing smartwatches again. I have always had a soft spot for circular watches. One of the first smartwatches I owned was the Moto 360,…

The mania around data centers has a lot of companies looking to become “picks and shovels” providers, by building profitable businesses that are ancillary to the gold rush gigs of selling server access or training leading AI models. MayimFlow, the Built World stage winner at this year’s TechCrunch Disrupt, is a good example. The startup is focused on essentially one task: preventing damaging water leaks. Data centers use a lot of water, and that water can present a big risk, even if a leak is small. Founder John Khazraee told TechCrunch that many data centers only have reactive solutions for…

One of the founders of WeTransfer — a popular free file-sharing service used by millions worldwide — is publicly criticizing the company’s new direction. Dutch entrepreneur Nalden, who co-founded the platform in 2009, says he’s deeply unhappy with changes made since Bending Spoons — a Milan-based tech firm known for buying and restructuring popular apps — acquired the service last year. “Bending Spoons doesn’t really care about people. Even though I get that it is their private equity strategy, I notice that since I left [WeTransfer] in 2019, there were a lot of updates that were basically killing the product,…

This year, Apple released three new Apple Watch models: the Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Ultra 3. If you received an Apple gift card over the holidays and are exploring the different models, we can help point you in the right direction. With its $799 price tag, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is clearly aimed at a niche, high-end market and athletes. For most consumers, the purchasing decision likely lies between the Apple Watch SE 3 and the Apple Watch Series 11, starting at $249 and $399, respectively. Despite its lower price tag, the…