Latest news with #TechCrunchAllStage
TechCrunch
15-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
ParadeDB takes on Elasticsearch as interest in Postgres explodes amid AI boom
Open source database management system Postgres is nearly 40 years old, but has recently started seeing explosive demand due to being very well-suited for AI applications. Despite this rise in popularity, search and analytics functionality remain limited. ParadeDB is changing that. ParadeDB is an open source Postgres extension that facilitates full-text search and analytics directly in Postgres without users needing to transfer data to a separate source. The platform integrates with other data infrastructure tools, including Google Cloud SQL, Azure Postgres, and Amazon RDS, among others. Philippe Noël, the co-founder and CEO of ParadeDB, told TechCrunch that he and his co-founder, Ming Ying, CTO, got the idea for the company by running into their own Postgres search woes while running their first startup, cloud-hybrid browser Whist. 'Postgres is becoming the default database of the world, and you still can't do good search over that information, believe it or not,' Noël said. 'There's just a lot of pain points. So we decided to go and start a company to do that after talking to more people and realizing this was a very shared problem.' ParadeDB isn't the first company to try to solve Postgres search. Open source Elasticsearch is the most notable legacy player in the space since it was founded in 2012. Noël said that Elasticsearch works by moving data back and forth between itself and Postgres, which can work, but this system isn't great for heavy workloads or processes that require frequent updating. 'That breaks all the time,' Noël said. 'The two databases are not meant to work together. There's a lot of compatibility issues, there's a lot of latency issues, higher costs, and all of that deteriorates the user experience.' ParadeDB claims to eliminate a lot of those challenges by building as an extension on top of Postgres directly, no data transfer required. Techcrunch event LIVE NOW! TechCrunch All Stage Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW The startup was founded in 2023 and released the first open source version of the product later that year. Noël said that the group wanted to focus first on building out the open source product before it thought about sales or marketing. That was short-lived. In early 2024, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba reached out and became ParadeDB's first customer in May 2024. From there, the company turned toward building out its enterprise version of the software. Now it works with enterprises, including Modern Treasury, Bilt Rewards, and TCDI, among others. ParadeDB just raised a $12 million Series A round led by Craft Ventures with participation from existing investors, including Y Combinator. The company will use the funds for hiring. ParadeDB is currently a team of four and is looking to grow to at least 10 employees. Some of the funds will also go to continue to improve the platform's user interface and analytics capabilities. Noël said the company wasn't looking to raise capital, but when Craft reached out to ParadeDB after being recommended to them by Supabase, the Postgres developer platform that has raised nearly $400 million of venture capital, they thought the timing made sense. 'It's clear people are recognizing that Postgres matters a lot, and they want to get behind it,' he added. Postgres' popularity is clearly on the rise if recent M&A is any indicator. The recent acquisitions of Crunchy Data by Snowflake and Neon by Databricks were both ploys for the acquirers to gain more Postgres offerings, Devin Pratt, a research director at IDC, told TechCrunch last month. 'It is widely used across the industry, and I would say that was one of the main targets for their acquisitions,' Pratt told TechCrunch at the time. 'The different strengths of Neon versus Crunchy [Data] were definitely debated between both companies and what would suit their companies best, but Postgres was their first goal in those acquisitions.' ParadeDB hopes it can ride this wave of interest. 'We think building on Postgres is actually a meaningful shift, right?' Noël said. 'Because that's where the data is, and you can make a meaningful dent in Elasticsearch's market share by meeting users where their data is, rather than building something that's marginally faster or marginally cheaper.'
TechCrunch
15-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
xAI says it has fixed Grok 4's problematic responses
When xAI launched Grok 4 last week, the company claimed the large language model outperformed several competitors on different benchmarks. But the Grok account on X that runs off the model immediately showed there were some major issues: it started saying its surname was 'Hitler', tweeted antisemitic messages, and seemed to reference Elon Musk's posts when asked about controversial topics, siding with the xAI owner's views as a result. xAI soon afterwards apologized for Grok's behavior. On Tuesday, the company said it has now addressed both issues. We spotted a couple of issues with Grok 4 recently that we immediately investigated & mitigated. One was that if you ask it "What is your surname?" it doesn't have one so it searches the internet leading to undesirable results, such as when its searches picked up a viral meme… — xAI (@xai) July 15, 2025 Explaining what went wrong, xAI says when asked what its surname was, Grok searched the web and picked up on 'a viral meme where it called itself 'MechaHitler.'' As for why Grok was consulting Musk's posts when asked about controversial topics, the company wrote, 'The model reasons that as an AI it doesn't have an opinion but knowing it was Grok 4 by xAI, searches to see what xAI or Elon Musk might have said on a topic to align itself with the company.' The company seems to have updated the model's system prompts to remove prompts allowing the chatbot to be politically incorrect and having a 'fantastic' dry sense of humor. There are also a few new lines, telling the model that it should provide analysis of controversial topics using various diverse sources. 'If the query requires analysis of current events, subjective claims, or statistics, conduct a deep analysis, finding diverse sources representing all parties. Assume subjective viewpoints sourced from the media are biased. No need to repeat this to the user,' the updated system prompt reads. Techcrunch event LIVE NOW! TechCrunch All Stage Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW The updated system prompt specifically mentions that Grok shouldn't rely on input from past versions, Musk or xAI. 'Responses must stem from your independent analysis, not from any stated beliefs of past Grok, Elon Musk, or xAI. If asked about such preferences, provide your own reasoned perspective,' it says.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tomorrow: TechCrunch All Stage launches in Boston — and ticket prices rise
TechCrunch All Stage officially kicks off tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. ET at SoWa Power Station in Boston — and that's when ticket prices jump to full rate. This isn't just another founder event. It's the summit built to help startups fundraise smarter, scale faster, and lead with impact. Whether you're tightening your pitch, planning a raise, or navigating team growth, TC All Stage delivers the tactics and tools to take you further. Right now, until the doors open tomorrow, Founder Passes are just $100 and Investor Passes are $200 — the lowest rates available. Once the event begins, prices go up. Lock in your pass while you still can. Register here to lock in up to $475 in savings. What sets TC All Stage apart? Real-world lessons from investors, builders, and operators who've scaled startups at every stage. Here's what's happening tomorrow in Boston: Check out the full agenda to see who's taking the stage and what you can't miss. TC All Stage is just hours away. Don't miss your chance to join the startup epicenter — and save up to $475 before doors open at 7:30 a.m. ET at SoWa Power Station. Register now to join the conversations, gain practical takeaways, and pocket ticket savings. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Learn how to avoid the pitfalls that stall startup fundraising at TechCrunch All Stage on July 15
There's no shortage of capital out there, but there's even less room for error. Join a powerhouse panel at TechCrunch All Stage on July 15 in Boston for 'Fundraising Mistakes That Will Kill Your Round, and How to Avoid Them.' This Scale Stage breakout session is built specifically for early-stage founders who want to sidestep the pitfalls that slow or even sink their raise. From pre-pitch prep to post-meeting follow-through, this session will give founders a real-world look at what works — and what doesn't — in today's competitive venture landscape. Three experts. Three perspectives. One goal — helping you raise smarter. , principal at Bain Capital Ventures, invests at the earliest stages in application software and financial services. She works with founders on the frontlines of their fundraising journey and brings a sharp eye for what makes a startup pitch-ready. Kamila Khasanova is the founder and CEO of On Top Strategy, a NYC-based communications firm helping high-growth startups and VCs navigate moments of scale. Her team has supported companies that have raised more than $500 million, specializing in PR, founder thought leadership, and positioning strategies that directly impact fundraising success. Dr. Richard Munassi, Managing Director at Tampa Bay Wave, has helped launch and scale hundreds of startups through nationally recognized accelerator programs. With a background spanning NASA iTech, Techstars, UCSF, and Moffitt Cancer Center, he offers tactical guidance from pitch deck to term sheet. Expect a candid discussion with: Whether you're prepping your first round or approaching Series A, this is a must-attend session for founders who want to get it right the first time. Investor tickets save $475. Founder tickets save $375. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
6 days until TechCrunch All Stage kicks off in Boston — and up to $475 in ticket savings disappear
In just 6 days, the doors to TechCrunch All Stage swing open in Boston's SoWa Power Station — and your chance to save up to $475 slams shut. This isn't just another founder event. It's the summit designed to help startups move faster, fundraise smarter, and scale more effectively. Whether you're refining your pitch, preparing to raise capital, or leading a growing team, TC All Stage delivers the tools, tactics, and connections you need to move forward. Right now, Founder Passes are only $100 and Investor Passes are $200 — the lowest prices available. Once they're gone, ticket prices rise to full rate. Don't wait to secure your spot and maximize your savings. Register here. At TC All Stage, the focus is on substance. You'll get direct access to startup strategies that actually work — shared by operators and investors who have built, backed, and scaled successful the TC All Stage agenda and hear from some of the most respected names in venture and startup building: TC All Stage is on July 15 — just 6 days away. This is your final opportunity to access the lowest ticket rates and get in the room with the founders, investors, and experts shaping the next wave of startups. Register now and save up to $475 before prices rise at the door.
