Techcrunch blog!: 'I just couldn’t sit through classes anymore,' says 19-year-old defense tech founder

Thursday, July 13, 2023

Today's top story introduces us to Ethan Thornton, a 19-year old MIT dropout who is taking the defense industry by storm with Mach Industries, his startup that is "replacing gunpowder." The company is taking a techy, though low-key, approach to weaponry, and venture capitalists are on board to see where it's going.

We also have a lot of Apple news, so grab an…apple and get comfortable as we discuss some new features. First, Siri has been brushing up on her foreign language skills because she is now bilingual. Next, the company removed its AI-powered content generator from the App Store because the name is very similar to that really popular Meta app that just came out. And Apple's password manager is now compatible with third-party browsers.

Meanwhile, if any of you have ever played Jackbox Games’ Drawful and wished some of your good drawings could come to life, Stability AI's Stable Doodle a sketch-to-image tool will be your new best friend.

And Ford is on a quest to ensure that its drivers keep their hands off the wheel for as long as possible. Well, BlueCruise-equipped car drivers, anyway.

Image Credits: Jeremy Christensen / Getty Images

More top reads

All right, let's kick off this section with Google's Bard chatbot, which has now launched in the European Union. But wait, there's more! Just because it's launched doesn't mean there is a permanent green light. Google, the EU has its I on U.

Token security: Federal court rules Ripple's XRP token can be treated as a security…sometimes.

Tell me something I don't know: Cruise, Waymo say humans are bad drivers amid robotaxi permit delays.

Order up!: Indian food delivery giant Swiggy acquires retail logistics startup LYNK.

Know your rules, you better know your rules: China unveils provisional rules for generative AI, including a licensing regime.

You get the picture: Spline, a no-code design tool for creating 3D assets, raises $15 million.

A boost of vitamin AI: Causaly, an AI platform for drug discovery and biomedical research, raises $60 million.

Things are heating up: Security flaws in Honeywell devices could be used to disrupt critical industries.

A desperate plea: Can Amazon please show mercy to the brands and products we love? (TC+)

Giddy up!: Cowboy rides to the rescue of VanMoof owners with an app to unlock threatened bikes.

Better way to learn your 1, 2, 3s: Mexico-based payment processor Mattilda grabs another $19 million, this time to expand beyond Mexico's private schools.

People indeed shopped till they dropped: Amazon boasts record sales for Prime Day as U.S. shoppers spent $12.7 billion during the sales event.

Bankrupt and now on trial: Several U.S. government agencies have sued crypto lending firm Celsius Network and its former CEO.

There's even more to the story:

Simbe's inventory robots score $28 million in funding

QED leads $7M round into startup that offers financing to SaaS businesses across US-South Asia corridor

Welcome to the new venture normal (TC+)

Azolla Ventures hopes its new $239M climate fund will help founders take bigger risks (TC+)

Nothing Phone (2) review

Image Credits: Smith Collection/Gado / Getty Images

TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

Want your sales team to be more productive? Take a closer look at your 'watermelons'

Key performance indicators are like tall weeds — they’re a great place to hide something unpleasant.

“When you synthesize data at a high level, you risk creating metrics I call ‘watermelons,'” writes Robert Wahbe, CEO and co-founder of Highspot.

“Watermelons hide underlying execution issues — and if left on the vine for too long, they can rot your business from the inside out.”

TechCrunch+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams get ahead of the pack. You can sign up here. Use code "DC" for a 15% discount on an annual subscription.