Apptopia, a startup that began its life as a marketplace for reselling apps before morphing into the app intelligence provider that’s now used by Google, Facebook, Pinterest, NBCU, and others, has closed on a second seed round of $2.7 million. The round, which was led by Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures, brings Apptopia’s total raise to date to $5 million.… Read More
Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary’s Sound Ventures back Apptopia’s next-gen app intelligence platform
Livestreaming doesn’t have to be a big performance or a one-on-one video call. Just ask the one million people who spend 20 million minutes hanging out each day on group video chat app Houseparty, the latest teen app phenomenon.
Built from the ashes of Meerkat, Houseparty is leading the charge for a new kind of synchronous social networking. It’s the closest thing to being with… Read More
You rarely livestream, but 1M people livechill on Houseparty
Facebook could one day build facial gesture controls for its app thanks to the acquisition of a Carnegie Mellon University spinoff company called FacioMetrics. The startup made an app called Intraface that could detect seven different emotions in people’s faces, but it’s been removed from the app stores. The acquisition aligns with a surprising nugget of information Facebook… Read More
Like by smiling? Facebook acquires emotion detection startup FacioMetrics
A startup that originally launched as an AI-powered virtual assistant, Mezi, has pivoted to focus on travel only. And why not? There’s little to do online that’s more annoying than booking flights, hotels and everything else you need just to take a break, or be somewhere for work. Mezi’s newly designed app allows users to find and book flights and hotels and make… Read More
AI-powered virtual assistant, Mezi, pivots to focus on travel
Does the world need another food ordering app? No? Well, what about an app that’s all about pizza? The startup formerly known as MyPizza has already been working with independent pizzerias by helping them to accept online orders. (It’s also provided pizza at TechCrunch meetups.) Recently, it rebranded as Slice and launched a Slice app for iPhone. The goal is to make it as easy… Read More