Techcrunch blog!: OpenAI rolls out ChatGPT app in 11 countries, says 'more to come soon’

Thursday, May 25, 2023

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If you can't get enough of ChatGPT, today is your lucky day. We also have a look at a new credit card that acts like a pawnshop and a banking executive departure. This is your Daily Crunch for Thursday. — Christine

Boy, that was quick. After unveiling its mobile app for iOS in the U.S., OpenAI announced that it is now available in 11 more countries. We also learned that the new app was something that people were excited about: App downloads soared to over half a million in its first six days since launch. Our audience is pretty savvy when it comes to ChatGPT, but for those of you still scratching your head, we've got everything you need to know about the AI-powered chatbot.

Now let's visit with a Stanford grad who has found a unique approach to extending credit by taking on pawnshops. Dig into the Q&A with Pesto’s founder James Savoldelli.

Meanwhile, security researchers say the government of Azerbaijan used spyware to target many people in Armenia in what was reported to be "the first public cases where commercial spyware was used in the context of a war." Read more about who was targeted.

Got breast milk?: BBy raised a small bit of capital as it "goes commercial" with its laser device that turns breast milk into powder. Read more.

It's now "Tako" Thursday: Speaking of ChatGPT, TikTok is testing an in-app AI chatbot called "Tako" that will provide information on a particular video. Start asking questions.

Know when to say when: "Anne Boden nearly lost a grip on Starling Bank years ago when the neobank was in the middle of a coup effort led by its CTO, but now it looks like Boden is doing the walking away." Find out more.

Losing the crown: The Internet and Mobile Association of India is bucking the trend of naming a Big Tech executive as its chairman…by not doing that. Read about who they appointed.

Here’s a few more:

Nymbus lands $70M to help banks digitally transform

WhatsApp is working on introducing usernames to the app

Google Play Games for PC is now rolling out to Europe and New Zealand

Arc browser's new tool lets you remove some elements from a website

Kapital gets more of its own capital to help LatAm businesses monitor cash flow

Image Credits: sompong_tom / Getty Images

Guess who's back? Back again. MoviePass is back with a new style and a new attitude: "After years of rocky history, the company promised to return to the straight and narrow." Read more about the movie theater subscription company's new approach.

And it looks like Terraform founder Do Kwon is going to spend more time in jail. A Montenegro court reportedly overturned Kwon's bail. Find out what happens now.

"CosmicEnergy" has been discovered. No, it's not the name of a new band; it's new industrial control system malware discovered by security researchers. Read more about which country it's linked to.

The world according to Sam Altman: OpenAI has a new grant program, while our crypto newsletter discusses Altman's Worldcoin crypto project.

Still searching: Google users can easily get up to speed on a new or complicated topic with this update to Search.

Let's give them something to talk about: Korean giants Kakao and Naver are backing NFT avatar enabler GoodGang, which is working on a way to make NFTs talk. Get the scoop.

Gotta get that code: Checkmate brought in additional venture capital for its consumer savings platform. Read about which celebrity investors are backing it.

Another handful:

Generation Prime launches to make fertility services more accessible in Asia

YouTube Stories are shutting down June 26 as company focuses on Shorts

Vinfast recalls EVs sent to U.S. over a software glitch

Twitter technical issues crash Ron DeSantis’s 2024 campaign announcement

Image Credits: MoviePass

KPMG receives 2023 Red Hat Innovator of the Year Award

TechCrunch (virtually) in Atlanta

On June 7, TechCrunch will host City Spotlight: Atlanta. We have a slate of amazing programming planned, including a fireside chat with Ryan Glover, the co-founder of the fintech Greenwood, as well as a panel that examines the venture ecosystem within the Atlanta region and identifies the best ways to raise and meet with local venture capitalists. But that's not all. If you are an early-stage Atlanta-based founder, apply to pitch to our panel of guest investors/judges for our live pitching competition; the winner gets a free booth at TechCrunch Disrupt this year to exhibit their company in our startup alley. Register here.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin

Why aren't venture capitalists flocking to fund cybersecurity startups?

The accelerated shift to digital has been great for mature cybersecurity companies: Palo Alto Networks, Scaler and CrowdStrike are each showing strong revenue multiples.

But there doesn’t appear to be a halo effect for venture-backed cybersecurity startups. According to Crunchbase, funding for startups in this sector fell 58% in Q1 2023 compared to Q1 2022.

“Given that valuations are down across the board, today's cybersecurity equity prices have been dramatically depressed, even if they remain more expensive than other tech subcategories,” writes Alex Wilhelm.

Four more from the TC+ team:

Profitability over growth: 5 investors explain their mantra for South Korean startups

Starling's results are more proof that high interest rates could be a boon for fintech

On the internet, nobody knows you're a bot

Take a look at Wolf's first cohort of Bitcoin-driven startups

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