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This digest compiles the latest from TechCrunch.
Today’s TechCrunch Roundup
On Me raises $6M to shake up the gift card industry
11 Dec 2025, 3:08 pm by Lauren Forristal
On Me raises $6 million for its digital gift card platform that lets users purchase cards categorized by interests rather than being restricted to specific retailers.
TIME names ‘Architects of AI’ its Person of the Year
11 Dec 2025, 2:38 pm by Rebecca Bellan
TIME Magazine has named the ‘Architects of AI’ its Person of the Year, who include Jensen Huang, Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, Lisa Su, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and Fei-Fei Li
Security flaws in Freedom Chat app exposed users’ phone numbers and PINs
11 Dec 2025, 1:35 pm by Zack Whittaker
The founder of Freedom Chat said the company has reset user PINs and released a new version to app stores.
Opera wants you to pay $20 a month to use its AI-powered browser Neon
11 Dec 2025, 1:00 pm by Ivan Mehta
Following a couple of months’ testing, Opera has finally made its AI-powered browser, Neon, available to the public — though you’ll have to shell out for a $19.90-per-month subscription to use it.
Eclipse Energy’s microbes can turn idle oil wells into hydrogen factories
11 Dec 2025, 1:00 pm by Tim De Chant
The biotech startup is betting that owners of abandoned oil wells will use the tech to squeeze energy out of their wells.
Interest in Spoor’s bird monitoring AI software is soaring
11 Dec 2025, 1:00 pm by Rebecca Szkutak
Spoor’s computer vision software can help wind farms, and other industries, track bird populations and migration patterns.
Runware raises $50M Series A to help make image, video generation easier for developers
11 Dec 2025, 11:00 am by Dominic-Madori Davis
Runware lets developers integrate realtime image generation in their apps, with an affordable pricing model.
Port raises $100M at $800M valuation to take on Spotify’s Backstage
11 Dec 2025, 11:00 am by Julie Bort
Port offers a proprietary alternative to Spotify’s popular devtool catalog Backstage, but with a valuable addition: it can be used to manage AI agents, too.
Harness hits $5.5B valuation with $240M raise to automate AI’s ‘after-code’ gap
11 Dec 2025, 10:30 am by Jagmeet Singh
Goldman Sachs has led Harness’s Series E round, with participation from IVP, Menlo Ventures, and Unusual Ventures.
Baby delivered in Waymo continues proud tradition of not making it to the hospital
11 Dec 2025, 4:46 am by Connie Loizos
Some traditions, it seems, are immune to disruption.
Google’s answer to the AI arms race — promote the guy behind its data center tech
11 Dec 2025, 1:10 am by Connie Loizos
Amin Vahdat has been promoted to chief technologist for AI infrastructure, a newly created position reporting directly to CEO Sundar Pichai.
State attorneys general warn Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, and other AI giants to fix ‘delusional’ outputs
11 Dec 2025, 12:13 am by Lucas Ropek
The letter demanded companies institute new safeguards to keep users safe from harmful psychological impacts.
End of today’s TechCrunch roundup.
