Uzbekistan’s first unicorn, Uzum, leaps to a $1.5B valuation

At a time when the world feels increasingly divided between East and West, Uzbekistan has emerged as a rare middle ground. The Central Asian nation’s homegrown unicorn, Uzum, has raised $65.5 million in a new funding round co-led by China’s…

Google says its AI-based bug hunter found 20 security vulnerabilities

Google’s AI-powered bug hunter has reported its first batch of security vulnerabilities. Heather Adkins, Google’s vice president of security, announced that its LLM-based vulnerability researcher, Big Sleep, found and reported 20 flaws in popular open-source software. Big Sleep, developed by…

Rivian sues to sell its EVs directly in Ohio

Rivian has filed a lawsuit in Ohio to sell its electric vehicles directly to consumers, marking another chapter in the ongoing battle between new automakers and the powerful dealership lobby. The company sued Ohio’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles registrar in…

Joby Aviation to buy Blade Air Mobility’s rideshare business

Electric air taxi developer Joby Aviation has agreed to acquire Blade Air Mobility’s helicopter rideshare business for up to $125 million. The deal includes the Blade brand and its passenger operations in the United States and Europe, while Blade’s medical…

TechCrunch Mobility: Tesla’s ride-hailing gambit

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Tesla CEO Elon Musk finds himself in a challenging position. He has pushed hard for shareholders to view Tesla as an AI and…