Tech
TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 Side Events schedule: Women in Tech, SignalFire, Llama Lounge, and more to host
With TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 right around the corner, we’re thrilled to introduce the companies hosting Side Events that will extend the buzz and excitement to the thousands of attendees and Silicon Valley locals alike.
Whether it’s a fun happy hour, insightful panels, or energizing morning runs, Disrupt Week — happening from October 26 to November 1 — offers an exciting array of Side Events organized by a diverse group of participating companies.
Side Event guidelines and disclaimers
- Registering/RSVPing to a Side Event does not grant you access/ticket/badge to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, taking place October 28-30.
- Each event is organized and operated solely by a host (not Yahoo or any of its affiliates or brands, including TechCrunch).
- Attendance is 18+ minimum and some venues are 21+ only.
- Side Events are open to the public unless specified.
- Please register/RSVP for any of the Side Events you want to attend.
Disrupt 2024 Side Events schedule
Mixer for AI Startup Founders and Investors, 10 AI Startups on Demo Floor
Hosted By: Llama Lounge: The AI Startup Event Series
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Llama Lounge is one of the longest-running AI startup event series in San Francisco. Ten AI startups will be on the demo floor, where you’ll hear remarks from the hosts. Hundreds of AI founders and VCs will be present. Come network with the long-running SF AI community at this exclusive event partnered with Disrupt. Organized by Jeremiah Owyang, speaker at Disrupt.
Accelerate Product Delivery Using Generative AI and Smart Contracts
Hosted By: Rezoomex
Time: October 28, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: What’s one of the biggest hurdles for visionary organizations aiming to bring their ideas to market? It’s turning those big ideas into something INVEST’able — Independent, Valuable, Estimable, Small, and Testable. Successful organizations delight users, clients, and stakeholders by embracing Agile values, principles, and practices. They align their teams to transform visions into reality. This innovative workshop is designed for anyone eager to turn their ideas into reality. Attendees will engage in hands-on exercises with Rezoomex’s AI assistants. Learn to break down big ideas into smaller, manageable pieces for your teams to understand, deliver, and validate.
Happy Hour with Women Founders Bay!
Hosted By: Women Founders Bay
Time: October 30, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Description: Join us for Women Founders Bay Happy Hour at Novela! We will have a selection of food and drinks as well as activities for the group! Some fun surprises and giveaways as well.
Women Tech Meetup + Panel Discussion
Hosted By: Women in Tech
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Description: San Francisco! Calling all women in tech, allies, friends, and partners!
Join our Women Tech Meetup + Panel — an incredible gathering of women in technology, female founders, entrepreneurs, community builders, and other professionals! Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, engaging conversations, networking, and a beautiful venue. Additionally, we will host a panel discussion on fundraising, venture capital, and the challenges that founders face on their journey to building successful companies, along with strategies to overcome them. We highly encourage you to bring a friend, co-worker, or ally with you!
USF Downtown TechCrunch Tech Brunch
Hosted By: USF Startup Club
Time: October 26, 2024, 3:30 – 6:30 pm
Description: USF Startup Club + MS Entrepreneurship & Innovation program will be hosting a brunch on campus, including our graduate students, alumni, Silicon Valley operators, and investors.
Opening Disrupt with Sweat & Sparks: BeActive SF
Hosted By: Flamme AI — The Couples App
Time: October 27, 2024, 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Description: Kick off TechCrunch Disrupt with a healthy start — a fun social workout! Come connect with some of the best founders and investors while sweating out the weekend’s indulgences. Hosted by Ankit Nayal (ex-bodybuilder, founder of Flamme.app). Difficulty level: Beginner/Intermediate
Hack the Climate with Climate Quest
Hosted By: Climate Quest
Time: October 27, 2024, 12:00–6:00 p.m.
Description: An afternoon of collaborative climate action — addressing carbon capture storage, circular economy, clean energy transition, and climate finance. Hosted by a climate founder and angel investor.
Founders & Investors Run
Hosted By: AQ22
Time: October 29, 2024, 7:30–8:30 a.m.
Description: Start your morning off right with a fun networking run designed for founders, investors, and innovators. Whether you’re looking to talk about your next big idea, secure an investment, or simply get some fresh air with like-minded professionals, this is your sign to register. Expect a casual, friendly atmosphere — no pitch decks required! But have your elevator pitch ready (in case of an interested investor).
Making Money in the Energy Transition
Hosted By: DNV Ventures
Time: October 28, 2024, 4:00–7:30 p.m.
Description: Join us for the launch of DNV Ventures’ Energy Transition Outlook, an invite-only networking event tailored to corporate venture capitalists and VCs. This event will showcase DNV ventures and its portfolio companies around a dynamic panel on the business opportunity that the energy transition represents. Connect with industry leaders and gain insights into the future of the energy transition.
HardTech After Party @Studio 55
Hosted By: Andrews Cooper
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Come connect with other attendees from TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 at the HardTech After Party hosted by Studio 45, Andrews Cooper, and informal! We will have food, drinks, and music.
Speak Easy Happy Hour
Hosted By: BrainCloud
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Description: Speak Easy with BrainCloud at our Hosted Happy Hour. In addition to talent services, BrainCloud supports startups with all kinds of free resources and the free resources of the day are bar bites and drinks! The Pawn Shop is — wait for it — a pawnshop up front, but it’s a swanky speakeasy and tapas bar in the back. So come speak easy with fellow startup folks on Tuesday — just down the street from where Disrupt 2024 will be at Moscone West!
Pop Up Bubbl Lounge — The Future of Smart Startup Travel. Connecting Entrepreneurs to Build Authentic Networks on the Road
Hosted By: Bubbl
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Description: Shared Travel, Shared Success: Connecting Entrepreneurs Through Smart Accommodation! Join us for a Happy Hour and short panel discussion on how shared travel experiences foster connections, optimize costs, and create business opportunities. Hear from travel tech innovators and entrepreneurs on leveraging platforms like Bubbl to simplify group travel, reduce expenses, and enhance networking at events. Expect insightful stories, practical tips, an audience Q&A, and exclusive offers for group stays at future conferences. Plus, one attendee will win a free Bubbl experience for a future tech conference within our portfolio! Transform how you travel and connect.
Semiconductors and AI for Climate Startup Cup — Finalists Announcement and Reception
Hosted By: Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC)
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Description: Join us for an exclusive gathering as we propel climate tech innovation forward. This event is dedicated to promoting technologies that reduce emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and minimize waste, all while fostering clean energy and sustainable practices. The event will feature remarks from XTC co-founders Young Sohn and Bill Tai, rapid pitches from the Top 30 XTC Startup Cup Semifinalist, and a networking reception with 200+ corporates, VCs, founders, ecosystem builders, and public sector stakeholders.
Gaming, Film & Interactive Media Tech Terrace Investors & Networking Party Overlooking San Francisco Bay
Hosted By: Love Soul AI
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Gaming, Film & Interactive Media Tech Terrace Investors & Networking Party Overlooking San Francisco Bay
Happy Hour with McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Hosted By: McDermott Will & Emery
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Description: Join us for an exclusive cocktail reception designed to bring together dynamic startup players, venture capitalists, and lawyers from McDermott’s capital markets, mergers & acquisitions, and venture capital practices. You’ll enjoy a relaxed atmosphere and invaluable networking opportunities against the beautiful backdrop of San Francisco Bay.
『MELT』150+ Founders x Investors Dynamic Network
Hosted By: MELT
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Description: We’re bringing together 150 top 1% of founders, from pre-seed to Series D, along with active VCs and angel investors.
Pitch&Drink with P2S.VC
Hosted By: Pre-seed to Succeed (AltaIR Capital, Yellow Rocks!, Smart Partnership Capital, I2BF Global Ventures)
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Calling all founders looking for investment opportunities to Pitch&Drink with P2S.vc! Connect with a community of like-minded individuals and VCs and gain insights into your next fundraising venture in a relaxed and fun environment.
Event Format: Venture (founders and investors) speed dating. Founders will have 2 to 3 minutes to present their elevator pitch (no presentation) directly to the investors, followed by a 6- to 7-minute Q&A session. After 10 minutes, the gong sounds and the founders change their places.
Startup Grind Happy Hour with Microsoft for Startups & DuploCloud
Hosted By: Startup Grind
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Description: Startup Grind understands how exciting the first day of a big startup conference is. Just a breezy 5-minute walk from TechCrunch in the heart of SF, our stunning happy hour venue awaits. Unwind, mingle with fellow founders, and enjoy a well-earned beer or glass of wine, plus some tasty finger food. See you there!
Meetup with『Shinhan Square Bridge』(S²Bridge) Startups
Hosted By: SWITH
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Description: Beyond the main stage of TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, join us for a night of pitching and networking with deep tech Korean startups. Connect and discover where ideas spark! Meet and mingle with 8 startups of the event. Food and drinks on SWITH. RSVP only.
Investor Talks by w.tech
Hosted By: w.tech
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Description: We are planning to dive deep into the world of tech funding, featuring leading voices in the industry. Hosted by the dynamic Wtech team, this is more than just a meetup — it’s a rare opportunity to connect with top women in tech. Expect insightful panel discussions, inspiring success stories, and invaluable networking opportunities with key players in the tech world.
A Well Tech Terrace Party! Hosted by Well Now! & Love Soul AI
Hosted By: Well Now! & Love Soul AI
Time: October 28, 2024, 5:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Health tech and wellness tech, investors, and networking party on the terrace overlooking the San Francisco Bay.
Operationalizing Success: A Panel on Scaling Startups + Happy Hour
Hosted By: Presence
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Description: Join us for Operationalizing Success: A Panel on Scaling Startups + Happy Hour, where you’ll gain actionable insights for turning strategy and big ideas into market capture and growth. Top women executives will share real stories of how they turned startup challenges into scalable solutions. Enjoy an open bar and hors d’oeuvres, and mingle with an exclusive guest list of approved tech executives. It’s an evening of high-level learning, strategic networking, and connecting with industry peers — all in a relaxed, collaborative setting.
Happy Hour Launch Party with Vently
Hosted By: Vently
Time: October 29, 2024, 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Description: Wine tasting happy hour with the Vently team! Join us as we gear up to launch our social network for events app for an evening full of networking, socializing, and getting exclusive previews of our app! Raffles and giveaways are included.
Immigrant Founders Networking
Hosted By: OpenSphere
Time: October 29, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Get ready to network and meet vetted immigrant founders, investors, and operators at Immigrant Founders Networking hosted by Young Entrepreneurs Hub, OpenSphere, and Qlay. Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a fellow founder, or just curious about the future of the Immigrant Founder ecosystem, this is the place to be. Immigrant Founder? Apply to pitch.
SF Founders-Investors Social
Hosted By: Pilot
Time: October 29, 2024, 6:00–9:30 p.m.
Description: Come socialize with fellow founders and investors for a casual event to bring tech founders and investors together. No overt pitching or selling allowed — just fun conversation and genuine connection. Why come? Find your next investment or investor, make friends and future referrers or partners, and have fun and enjoy a night off.
Meet the Media
Hosted By: Zebra Public Relations
Time: October 29, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Begin your evening with a private networking session for reporters and VIP guests. Enjoy the intimate atmosphere and make meaningful connections. Engage in our interactive “Business Card Bingo” during the general networking session, making it fun and easy to meet potential collaborators. Panel discussion — “What the Media Wants”: Gain insider knowledge from our esteemed panel of journalists, including a leading business magazine journalist, a top online tech publication reporter, a prominent lifestyle editor, and a freelance writer specializing in entrepreneurial stories.
Speed Networking with Germ Network x Citizens
Hosted By: Germ Network
Time: October 28, 2024, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Description: Conferences get packed, but connecting stays hard. Meet other founders, funders, and conference attendees at Germ Network x Citizens’ evening of mingling, including an hour of speed networking to help you find your people. We’ll have pitchers ready at 6:30, speed networking kicks off at 7! Come join us if you’re working on privacy, security, the future of communications, or healthier social media.
SignalFire’s Disrupt Penthouse After-Party
Hosted By: SignalFire
Time: October 29, 2024, 8:00–11:00 p.m.
Description: After TechCrunch Disrupt 2024, join top-ranked founders and builders for a private, official after-party at one of San Francisco’s premier penthouses. Hosted by former TechCrunch editor-at-large and current SignalFire VC, Josh Constine. Come meet fellow founders, AI researchers, and investors while enjoying live musical performances, craft cocktails, delicious food, and special activations in a multistory penthouse and heated rooftop decorated by Restoration Hardware.
Construction Tech Happy Hour
Hosted By: Brick & Mortar Ventures
Time: October 30, 2024, 5:30–7:00 p.m.
Description: Calling all founders, investors, operators, and individuals interested in construction tech! Join us for a happy hour to mingle with peers in the construction tech space. This event is hosted by Brick & Mortar Ventures, the first sector-focused venture capital firm focusing on the construction industry. Our portfolio exits include PlanGrid, Building Connected, Fieldwire and Levelset.
Founder Friends SF
Hosted By: Hustle Fund
Time: October 30, 2024, 6:00–8:30 p.m.
Description: Founder Friends is a fireside chat and networking event where we gather 100-400 founders to connect over pizza and non-alcoholic beverages to hear from a notable founder who has been through the wringer and come out the other side. This event will feature Eric Bahn, GP and co-founder at Hustle Fund, and Yin Wu, CEO and founder of Pulley. Founder Friends does a great job of promoting an intimate gathering focused on honest conversations, with a mainly founder and VC audience, including enthusiasts and experienced entrepreneurs.
Slovak PRO Happy Hour
Hosted By: Slovak PRO
Time: October 30, 2024, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Description: Silicon Valley meeting the most interesting startups from Slovakia and Europe.
Founders Fright Fest
Hosted By: Fondo
Time: October 31, 2024, 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Description: Calling all brave founders and startups! Join Fondo for a ghoulishly good time at TechCrunch Disrupt’s spookiest side event — Founders Fright Fest. Sip, snack, and swap “frightening” stories that will send shivers down your spine: from the terror of missing tax deadlines to haunting missed tax credits, and the bone-chilling horror of inaccurate books. No need to face these nightmares alone! The Fondo team will be there to share how to turn those fears into distant memories. Costumes are optional, but getting your financials in order? Absolutely necessary! Don’t miss this chance to mix, mingle, and banish your startup’s accounting and bookkeeping nightmares!
AI & Robotics Beekeeping Class + Sustainability Mixer with Beewise
Hosted By: Beewise
Time: October 31, 2024, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
Description: Join Beewise for an in-person beekeeping class featuring our AI and robotics-powered beehive, the BeeHome™. Attendees will meet the bees up close in an urban garden and learn how technology can help reduce colony losses by more than 70%. Connect with other sustainability and green tech leaders over light refreshments and a tasting featuring BeeHome™ honey.
Bootstrappers Breakfast: TechCrunch Disrupt Special Edition
Hosted By: Bootstrappers Breakfast
Time: October 31, 2024, 9:00–11:00 a.m.
Description: Come join entrepreneurs who eat problems for breakfast®. At a Bootstrappers Breakfast®, we have serious conversations about growing a business based on internal cashflow and organic profit. This is for founders who are actively bootstrapping a startup. The other attendees will all be in startups. It will be a chance to compare notes on operational, development, and business issues with peers. Now in our 14th year in Silicon Valley.
Creative Tech for Future Products: Panel & Happy Hour
Hosted By: JETRO, in collaboration with Japan Innovation Campus, AlchemistX, and Digital Garage
Time: October 30, 2024, 5:00–8:00 p.m.
Description: Explore the intersection of technology, art, and innovation with industry leaders. Meet our panel of experts in design thinking, food engineering, space tech, sustainable materials, museum tech, AI, and more.
Key discussion topics:
- Emerging technologies driving future products
- The role of creativity in tech-driven innovation
- How companies are leveraging tech to create more sustainable, user-centric products
Tech
Volkswagen’s cheapest EV ever is the first to use Rivian software
Volkswagen’s ultra-cheap EV called the ID EVERY1 — a small four-door hatchback revealed Wednesday — will be the first to roll out with software and architecture from Rivian, according to a source familiar with the new model.
The EV is expected to go into production in 2027 with a starting price of 20,000 euros ($21,500). A second EV called the ID.2all, which will be priced in the 25,000 euro price category, will be available in 2026. Both vehicles are part of the automaker’s new of category electric urban front-wheel drive cars that are being developing under the so-called “Brand Group Core” that makes up the volume brands in the VW Group. And both vehicles are for the European market.
The EVERY1 will be the first to ship with Rivian’s vehicle architecture and software as part of a $5.8 billion joint venture struck last year between the German automaker and U.S. EV maker. The ID.2all is based on the E3 1.1 architecture and software developed by VW’s software unit Cariad.
VW didn’t name Rivian in its reveal Wednesday, although there were numerous nods to next-generation software. Kai Grünitz, member of the Volkswagen Brand Board of Management responsible for Technical Development, noted it would be the first model in the entire VW Group to use a “fundamentally new, particularly powerful software architecture.”
“This means the future entry-level Volkswagen can be equipped with new functions throughout its entire life cycle,” he said. “Even after purchase of a new car, the small Volkswagen can still be individually adapted to customer needs.”
Sources who didn’t want to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly, confirmed to TechCrunch that Rivian’s software will be in the ID EVERY1 EV. TechCrunch has reached out to Rivian and VW and will update the article if the companies respond.
The new joint venture provides Rivian with a needed influx of cash and the opportunity to diversify its business. Meanwhile, VW Group gains a next-generation electrical architecture and software for EVs that will help it better compete. Both companies have said that the joint venture, called Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies, will reduce development costs and help scale new technologies more quickly.
The joint venture is a 50-50 partnership with co-CEOs. Rivian’s head of software, Wassym Bensaid, and Volkswagen Group’s chief technical engineer, Carsten Helbing, will lead the joint venture. The team will be based initially in Palo Alto, California. Three other sites are in development in North America and Europe, the companies have previously said.
“The ID. EVERY1 represents the last piece of the puzzle on our way to the widest model selection in the volume segment,” Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand and Head of the Brand Group Core, said in a statement. “We will then offer every customer the right car with the right drive system–including affordable all-electric entry-level mobility. Our goal is to be the world’s technologically leading high-volume manufacturer by 2030. And as a brand for everyone–just as you would expect from Volkswagen.”
The Volkswagen ID EVERY1 is just a concept for now — and with only a few details attached to the unveiling. The concept vehicle reaches a top speed of 130 km/h (80 miles per hour) and is powered by a newly developed electric drive motor with 70 kW, according to Volkswagen. The German automaker said the range on the EVERY1 will be at least 250 kilometers (150 miles). The vehicle is small but larger than VW’s former UP! vehicle. The company said it will have enough space for four people and a luggage compartment volume of 305 liters.
Tech
The hottest AI models, what they do, and how to use them
AI models are being cranked out at a dizzying pace, by everyone from Big Tech companies like Google to startups like OpenAI and Anthropic. Keeping track of the latest ones can be overwhelming.
Adding to the confusion is that AI models are often promoted based on industry benchmarks. But these technical metrics often reveal little about how real people and companies actually use them.
To cut through the noise, TechCrunch has compiled an overview of the most advanced AI models released since 2024, with details on how to use them and what they’re best for. We’ll keep this list updated with the latest launches, too.
There are literally over a million AI models out there: Hugging Face, for example, hosts over 1.4 million. So this list might miss some models that perform better, in one way or another.
AI models released in 2025
Cohere’s Aya Vision
Cohere released a multimodal model called Aya Vision that it claims is best in class at doing things like captioning images and answering questions about photos. It also excels in languages other than English, unlike other models, Cohere claims. It is available for free on WhatsApp.
OpenAI’s GPT 4.5 ‘Orion’
OpenAI calls Orion their largest model to date, touting its strong “world knowledge” and “emotional intelligence.” However, it underperforms on certain benchmarks compared to newer reasoning models. Orion is available to subscribers of OpenAI’s $200 a month plan.
Claude Sonnet 3.7
Anthropic says this is the industry’s first ‘hybrid’ reasoning model, because it can both fire off quick answers and really think things through when needed. It also gives users control over how long the model can think for, per Anthropic. Sonnet 3.7 is available to all Claude users, but heavier users will need a $20 a month Pro plan.
xAI’s Grok 3
Grok 3 is the latest flagship model from Elon Musk-founded startup xAI. It’s claimed to outperform other leading models on math, science, and coding. The model requires X Premium (which is $50 a month.) After one study found Grok 2 leaned left, Musk pledged to shift Grok more “politically neutral” but it’s not yet clear if that’s been achieved.
OpenAI o3-mini
This is OpenAI’s latest reasoning model and is optimized for STEM-related tasks like coding, math, and science. It’s not OpenAI’s most powerful model but because it’s smaller, the company says it’s significantly lower cost. It is available for free but requires a subscription for heavy users.
OpenAI Deep Research
OpenAI’s Deep Research is designed for doing in-depth research on a topic with clear citations. This service is only available with ChatGPT’s $200 per month Pro subscription. OpenAI recommends it for everything from science to shopping research, but beware that hallucinations remain a problem for AI.
Mistral Le Chat
Mistral has launched app versions of Le Chat, a multimodal AI personal assistant. Mistral claims Le Chat responds faster than any other chatbot. It also has a paid version with up-to-date journalism from the AFP. Tests from Le Monde found Le Chat’s performance impressive, although it made more errors than ChatGPT.
OpenAI Operator
OpenAI’s Operator is meant to be a personal intern that can do things independently, like help you buy groceries. It requires a $200 a month ChatGPT Pro subscription. AI agents hold a lot of promise, but they’re still experimental: a Washington Post reviewer says Operator decided on its own to order a dozen eggs for $31, paid with the reviewer’s credit card.
Google Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental
Google Gemini’s much-awaited flagship model says it excels at coding and understanding general knowledge. It also has a super-long context window of 2 million tokens, helping users who need to quickly process massive chunks of text. The service requires (at minimum) a Google One AI Premium subscription of $19.99 a month.
AI models released in 2024
DeepSeek R1
This Chinese AI model took Silicon Valley by storm. DeepSeek’s R1 performs well on coding and math, while its open source nature means anyone can run it locally. Plus, it’s free. However, R1 integrates Chinese government censorship and faces rising bans for potentially sending user data back to China.
Gemini Deep Research
Deep Research summarizes Google’s search results in a simple and well-cited document. The service is helpful for students and anyone else who needs a quick research summary. However, its quality isn’t nearly as good as an actual peer-reviewed paper. Deep Research requires a $19.99 Google One AI Premium subscription.
Meta Llama 3.3 70B
This is the newest and most advanced version of Meta’s open source Llama AI models. Meta has touted this version as its cheapest and most efficient yet, especially for math, general knowledge, and instruction following. It is free and open source.
OpenAI Sora
Sora is a model that creates realistic videos based on text. While it can generate entire scenes rather than just clips, OpenAI admits that it often generates “unrealistic physics.” It’s currently only available on paid versions of ChatGPT, starting with Plus, which is $20 a month.
Alibaba Qwen QwQ-32B-Preview
This model is one of the few to rival OpenAI’s o1 on certain industry benchmarks, excelling in math and coding. Ironically for a “reasoning model,” it has “room for improvement in common sense reasoning,” Alibaba says. It also incorporates Chinese government censorship, TechCrunch testing shows. It’s free and open source.
Anthropic’s Computer Use
Claude’s Computer Use is meant to take control of your computer to complete tasks like coding or booking a plane ticket, making it a predecessor of OpenAI’s Operator. Computer use, however, remains in beta. Pricing is via API: $0.80 per million tokens of input and $4 per million tokens of output.
x.AI’s Grok 2
Elon Musk’s AI company, x.AI, has launched an enhanced version of its flagship Grok 2 chatbot it claims is “three times faster.” Free users are limited to 10 questions every two hours on Grok, while subscribers to X’s Premium and Premium+ plans enjoy higher usage limits. x.AI also launched an image generator, Aurora, that produces highly photorealistic images, including some graphic or violent content.
OpenAI o1
OpenAI’s o1 family is meant to produce better answers by “thinking” through responses through a hidden reasoning feature. The model excels at coding, math, and safety, OpenAI claims, but has issues deceiving humans, too. Using o1 requires subscribing to ChatGPT Plus, which is $20 a month.
Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 3.5
Claude Sonnet 3.5 is a model Anthropic claims as being best in class. It’s become known for its coding capabilities and is considered a tech insider’s chatbot of choice. The model can be accessed for free on Claude although heavy users will need a $20 monthly Pro subscription. While it can understand images, it can’t generate them.
OpenAI GPT 4o-mini
OpenAI has touted GPT 4o-mini as its most affordable and fastest model yet thanks to its small size. It’s meant to enable a broad range of tasks like powering customer service chatbots. The model is available on ChatGPT’s free tier. It’s better suited for high-volume simple tasks compared to more complex ones.
Cohere Command R+
Cohere’s Command R+ model excels at complex Retrieval-Augmented Generation (or RAG) applications for enterprises. That means it can find and cite specific pieces of information really well. (The inventor of RAG actually works at Cohere.) Still, RAG doesn’t fully solve AI’s hallucination problem.
Tech
Not all cancer patients need chemo. Ataraxis AI raised $20M to fix that.
Artificial intelligence is a big trend in cancer care, and it’s mostly focused detecting cancer at the earliest possible stage. That makes a lot of sense, given that cancer is less deadly the earlier it’s detected.
But fewer are asking another fundamental question: if someone does have cancer, is an aggressive treatment like chemotherapy necessary? That’s the problem Ataraxis AI is trying to solve.
The New York-based startup is focused on using AI to accurately predict not only if a patient has cancer, but also what their cancer outcome looks like in 5 to 10 years. If there’s only a small chance of the cancer coming back, chemo can be avoided altogether – saving a lot of money, while avoiding the treatment’s notorious side effects.
Ataraxis AI now plans to launch their first commercial test, for breast cancer, to U.S. oncologists in the coming months, its co-founder Jan Witowski tells TechCrunch. To bolster the launch and expand into other types of cancer, the startup has raised a $20.4 million Series A, it told TechCrunch exclusively.
The round was led by AIX Ventures with participation from Thiel Bio, Founders Fund, Floating Point, Bertelsmann, and existing investors Giant Ventures and Obvious Ventures. Ataraxis emerged from stealth last year with a $4 million seed round.
Ataraxis was co-founded by Witowski and Krzysztof Geras, an assistant professor at NYU’s medical school who focuses on AI.
Ataraxis’ tech is powered by an AI model that extracts information from high-resolution images of cancer cells. The model is trained on hundreds of millions of real images from thousands of patients, Witowski said. A recent study showed Ataraxis’ tech was 30% more accurate than the current standard of care for breast cancer, per Ataraxis.
Long term, Ataraxis has big ambitions. It wants its tests to impact at least half of new cancer cases by 2030. It also views itself as a frontier AI company that builds its own models, touting Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun as an AI advisor.
“I think at Ataraxis we are trying to build what is essentially an AI frontier lab, but for healthcare applications,” Witowski said. “Because so many of those problems require a very novel technology.”
The AI boom has led to a rush of fundraises for cancer care startups. Valar Labs raised $22 million to help patients figure out their treatment plan in May 2024, for example. There’s also a bevvy of AI-powered drug discovery firms in the cancer space, like Manas AI which raised $24.6 million in January 2025 and was co-founded by Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder.
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