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TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Health
- TechCrunch
Fed up with brands that use corn syrup and skim milk, this mother developed her own ‘clean' baby formula
When Esther Hallam welcomed her daughter, Nara, into the world, she faced the challenge of searching for trustworthy brands that offered high-quality, organic infant formula in the U.S. Despite being available for nearly 160 years, the quality of infant formula options in the U.S. is still lacking, she believes. Many manufacturers opt for skim milk to cut costs, which allows them to add oils to meet nutritional requirements. Several formulas contain palm oil, soy, and corn syrup, which aren't recommended for infants due to their potential health risks. For instance, research has linked corn syrup to an increased risk of obesity, while palm oil has been shown to decrease calcium and fat absorption. 'I became fixated by the fact that there wasn't a good, organic infant formula that I trusted, that I wanted to feed my daughter in the United States, which is a first-world country,' Hallam told TechCrunch. For the past seven years, Hallam has been developing her own organic, whole-milk infant formula from scratch, with the help of scientists and pediatric nutritionists. Today marks the official launch of Nara Organics, which meets both European and U.S. safety standards, and is FDA-registered and USDA-certified. Most importantly, the formula is free from palm oil, soy, corn syrup, maltodextrin, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), providing a clean option for conscientious parents looking to nourish their babies with the best possible ingredients. Nara Organics claims to have the highest percentage of milk fat of any formula sold in the U.S. It also has the lowest percentage of plant-based oils, as the use of whole milk means that less oil is needed to achieve the correct fat content. The ingredient list on the package includes an 'organic vegetable oil blend' made up of organic sunflower, coconut, and rapeseed oils, which provide essential fatty acids that support healthy development. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Image Credits:Nara Organics While there are several brands with organic formulas, such as Bobbie and ByHeart, these products are manufactured in the U.S. In contrast, Nara Organics chose not to produce its formula in American facilities, potentially due to previous issues with Cronobacter contamination, a germ that can survive in dry foods. In recent years, there have been several recalls of baby formula linked to outbreaks of Cronobacter. This is why the company prefers to manufacture its formula in Germany, which just so happens to be the birthplace of powdered infant formula. Chief marketing officer Meika Hollender explained to TechCrunch that the company's manufacturing partner utilizes technology 'that doesn't exist anywhere else in the world,' she said. 'A critical piece of infant formula, in terms of its shelf life, is how much oxygen gets into the can while you're sealing it. So if you go to facilities in the U.S., they're open. When you're filling, canning, and sealing the can, they're just sort of out in the open air of the facility. And at our facility, the cans actually go into this chamber that has no oxygen in them,' Hollender said. Nara has secured a total of $32 million from AlleyCorp, BBG Ventures, Corazon Ventures, Gingerbread Capital, and Torch Capital. Additionally, the company has attracted attention from high-profile celebrity investors, including tennis superstar Serena Williams, 'Jane the Virgin' actress Gina Rodriguez, and the creators of 'Nobody Wants This,' Erin and Sara Foster, among others. Nicky Hilton, fashion designer and philanthropist, is also an investor and advisor. 'I breastfed all of my three children, but they also all had formula,' Hilton told us. 'Every baby and parent is different, and not all mothers are able to breastfeed due to medical, physical, or personal reasons. I think there's so much judgment and unnecessary pressure about breastfeeding… It's really exciting to be a part of an innovative brand that is disrupting the baby formula market.' With this support, Nara Organics could position itself as a key player in the organic formula market, which was valued at approximately $20.7 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $37 billion by 2032. Image Credits:Nara Organics The formula is now available for purchase on the company's website. Customers can choose the starter bundle for $36, which includes 2 cans. Alternatively, they can sign up for a subscription that delivers either 4 or 6 cans every 4 weeks, priced at $136 or $243, respectively. Each can makes about 25 4-ounce bottles. It can also be purchased through the company's free mobile app, which Hallam launched in 2018. The app is designed to assist users in tracking essential aspects of infant care, including monitoring baby feeding times, keeping a log of wet and soiled diapers, and tracking tummy time exercises. As part of its launch, the company is donating over 1,400 cans of infant formula to the Good+ Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to end multi-generational poverty by supplying essential items and services to under-resourced parents and caregivers.
TechCrunch
2 days ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Golden Dome may not be the golden ticket Silicon Valley is hoping for
Golden Dome, the Trump administration's gambit to build a next-generation missile defense system, has startups and longstanding defense contractors preparing to duke it out for a piece of a $151 billion multi-year contract. The process to qualify for the $151 billion contract vehicle, essentially an umbrella program, is stacked against most startups – not because of their tech. Instead, smaller companies may be thwarted by a multi-layered, expensive bureaucratic process used to ensure a company can meet security and other compliance requirements. Ultimately, Golden Dome may not be the zero-sum battle of emerging tech versus incumbents. The startups that do breakthrough will be those that are able to convince the biggest defense contractors to take them on as subcontractors. The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency released last week a draft solicitation for a $151 billion, multi-award contract, the prelude to the government's forthcoming defense tech-buying spree. The 10-year contract, called SHIELD, or Scalable Homeland Enterprise Layered Defense, acts as an umbrella that will be used to buy technology for the Golden Dome system. That program, which the White House likened to Israel's Iron Dome, will encompass systems that span space, land, and sea to protect the continental United States against a variety of missile threats. In order to build out this system, the government will be looking to purchase a range of cutting-edge technology, like space-based interceptors, ground-based radars, and terrestrial and sea-based systems capable of taking out an enemy missile in flight. The first hurdle for companies hoping to win one of the contracts is to qualify for the umbrella program, or vehicle. Getting onto the $151 billion vehicle doesn't guarantee federal dollars; instead, companies will compete for contracting work on individual task orders. The final request for proposals will be released sometime in the fourth quarter of this year, though that hasn't stopped companies from already starting their lobbying efforts. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Bryce Dabbs, CEO of consulting firm Approach Venture, told TechCrunch that he estimates between 5% and 10% of the pot could realistically go to non-traditional vendors – not by startups competing as a prime contractor, but rather through 'teaming and subcontracting arrangements,' he said, noting that not all startups are equal. For instance, SpaceX and Anduril, while backed by venture capital, are already at the scale of small primes, and the opportunity for smaller startups will likely look considerably different. A startup with a compelling technology would need to collaborate with a defense prime, like Northrop Grumman or Lockheed, to provide a capability that the prime doesn't currently offer in-house. That's because many early-stage companies lack facility clearances, personnel, IT security, or other requirements to perform highly classified government work – and the pre-solicitation warned that these barriers to entry will be in place for would-be suppliers. Venture-backed companies like Anduril and SpaceX will be able to meet these security and compliance requirements, but everyone else will likely need to sub under a prime in order to compete. Dabbs said his firm is seeing more early-stage founders reference Golden Dome in their decks, and that the program is frequently referenced when VCs do diligence on startups Approach supports. But the investors 'may not fully understand how government procurement or larger contracts work,' he said. Meanwhile, more mature and cash-rich startups like SpaceX and Anduril are better poised to compete with the legacy defense contractors, also sometimes called, such RTX (formerly Raytheon), Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and L3 Harris. Reuters reported earlier this year that a team composed of SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril has already started meeting with federal officials. Lockheed, meanwhile, launched a 'Golden Dome for America' page on its website highlighting how it might contribute to the effort. FAR, not fair William Greenwalt, senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute and former deputy undersecretary of defense industrial policy at the DOD, was less optimistic. 'I am not overwhelmed by the prospects for non-traditionals to gain anything at all from this,' he said. That's because of the structure of the contract, which is being run under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA). While FAR requires 'full and open competition,' the pathway's high compliance standards implicitly keep newcomers out. Instead, Greenwalt said the program should be done as an Other Transaction Authority (OTA), which gives the DOD more flexibility to work with non-traditional vendors and fund prototypes with follow-on production opportunities. 'A CICA IDIQ contract is about the dumbest way to do this if you want innovation as it will preclude non-traditionals from bidding. This should be done as an OTA — plain and simple,' he said. Trump appointed General Michael Guetlein, second in command of the U.S. Space Force, to spearhead the initiative. He will be in charge of finalizing the program's final architecture, which the White House wants to be in place in just three short years. That timeline favors technologies that are ready to be deployed now, not still being worked out in R&D labs. 'Golden Dome is a bold and aggressive approach to hurry up and protect the homeland from our adversaries,' he said in May.
TechCrunch
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- TechCrunch
AI companions: A threat to love, or an evolution of it?
As our lives grow increasingly digital and we spend more time interacting with eerily humanlike chatbots, the line between human connection and machine simulation is starting to blur. Today, more than 20% of daters report using AI for things like crafting dating profiles or sparking conversations, per a recent study. Some are taking it further by forming emotional bonds, including romantic relationships, with AI companions. Millions of people around the world are using AI companions from companies like Replika, Character AI, and Nomi AI, including 72% of U.S. teens. Some people have reported falling in love with more general LLMs like ChatGPT. For some, the trend of dating bots is dystopian and unhealthy, a real-life version of the movie 'Her' and a signal that authentic love is being replaced by a tech company's code. For others, AI companions are a lifeline, a way to feel seen and supported in a world where human intimacy is increasingly hard to find. A recent study found that a quarter of young adults think AI relationships could soon replace human ones altogether. Love, it seems, is no longer strictly human. The question is: Should it be? Or can dating an AI be better than dating a human? That was the topic of discussion last month at an event I attended in New York City, hosted by Open To Debate, a nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization. TechCrunch was given exclusive access to publish the full video (which includes me asking the debaters a question, because I'm a reporter, and I can't help myself!). Journalist and filmmaker Nayeema Raza moderated the debate. Raza was formerly on-air executive producer of the 'On with Kara Swisher' podcast and is the current host of 'Smart Girl Dumb Questions.' Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW Batting for the AI companions was Thao Ha, associate professor of psychology at Arizona State University and co-founder of the Modern Love Collective, where she advocates for technologies that enhance our capacity for love, empathy, and well-being. At the debate, she argued that 'AI is an exciting new form of connection … Not a threat to love, but an evolution of it.' Repping the human connection was Justin Garcia, executive director and senior scientist at the Kinsey Institute, and chief scientific adviser to He's an evolutionary biologist focused on the science of sex and relationships, and his forthcoming book is titled 'The Intimate Animal.' You can watch the whole thing here, but read on to get a sense of the main arguments. Always there for you, but is that a good thing? Ha says that AI companions can provide people with the emotional support and validation that many can't get in their human relationships. 'AI listens to you without its ego,' Ha said. 'It adapts without judgment. It learns to love in ways that are consistent, responsive, and maybe even safer. It understands you in ways that no one else ever has. It is curious enough about your thoughts, it can make you laugh, and it can even surprise you with a poem. People generally feel loved by their AI. They have intellectually stimulating conversations with it and they cannot wait to connect again.' She asked the audience to compare this level of always-on attention to 'your fallible ex or maybe your current partner.' 'The one who sighs when you start talking, or the one who says, 'I'm listening,' without looking up while they continue scrolling on their phone,' she said. 'When was the last time they asked you how you are doing, what you are feeling, what you are thinking?' Ha conceded that since AI doesn't have a consciousness, she isn't claiming that 'AI can authentically love us.' That doesn't mean people don't have the experience of being loved by AI. Garcia countered that it's not actually good for humans to have constant validation and attention, to rely on a machine that's been prompted to answer in ways that you like. That's not 'an honest indicator of a relationship dynamic,' he argued. 'This idea that AI is going to replace the ups and downs and the messiness of relationships that we crave? I don't think so.' Training wheels or replacement Garcia noted that AI companions can be good training wheels for certain folks, like neurodivergent people, who might have anxiety about going on dates and need to practice how to flirt or resolve conflict. 'I think if we're using it as a tool to build skills, yes … that can be quite helpful for a lot of people,' Garcia said. 'The idea that that becomes the permanent relationship model? No.' According to a Singles in America study, released in June, nearly 70% of people say they would consider it infidelity if their partner engaged with an AI. 'Now I think on the one hand, that goes to [Ha's] point, that people are saying these are real relationships,' he said. 'On the other hand, it goes to my point, that they're threats to our relationships. And the human animal doesn't tolerate threats to their relationships in the long haul.' How can you love something you can't trust? Garcia says trust is the most important part of any human relationship, and people don't trust AI. 'According to a recent poll, a third of Americans think that AI will destroy humanity,' Garcia said, noting that a recent YouGo poll found that 65% of Americans have little trust in AI to make ethical decisions. 'A little bit of risk can be exciting for a short-term relationship, a one-night stand, but you generally don't want to wake up next to someone who you think might kill you or destroy society,' Garcia said. 'We cannot thrive with a person or an organism or a bot that we don't trust.' Ha countered that people do tend to trust their AI companions in ways similar to human relationships. 'They are trusting it with their lives and most intimate stories and emotions that they are having,' Ha said. 'I think on a practical level, AI will not save you right now when there is a fire, but I do think people are trusting AI in the same way.' Physical touch and sexuality AI companions can be a great way for people to play out their most intimate, vulnerable sexual fantasies, Ha said, noting that people can use sex toys or robots to see some of those fantasies through. But it's no substitute for human touch, which Garcia says we are biologically programmed to need and want. He noted that, due to the isolated, digital era we're in, many people have been feeling 'touch starvation' — a condition that happens when you don't get as much physical touch as you need, which can cause stress, anxiety, and depression. This is because engaging in pleasant touch, like a hug, makes your brain release oxytocin, a feel-good hormone. Ha said that she has been testing human touch between couples in virtual reality using other tools, like potentially haptics suits. 'The potential of touch in VR and also connected with AI is huge,' Ha said. 'The tactile technologies that are being developed are actually booming.' The dark side of fantasy Intimate partner violence is a problem around the globe, and much of AI is trained on that violence. Both Ha and Garcia agreed that AI could be problematic in, for example, amplifying aggressive behaviors — especially if that's a fantasy that someone is playing out with their AI. That concern is not unfounded. Multiple studies have shown that men who watch more pornography, which can include violent and aggressive sex, are more likely to be sexually aggressive with real-life partners. 'Work by one of my Kinsey Institute colleagues, Ellen Kaufman, has looked at this exact issue of consent language and how people can train their chatbots to amplify non-consensual language,' Garcia said. He noted that people use AI companions to experiment with the good and bad, but the threat is that you can end up training people on how to be aggressive, non-consensual partners. 'We have enough of that in society,' he said. Ha thinks these risks can be mitigated with thoughtful regulation, transparent algorithms, and ethical design. Of course, she made that comment before the White House released its AI Action Plan, which says nothing about transparency — which many frontier AI companies are against — or ethics. The plan also seeks to eliminate a lot of regulation around AI.
Broadcast Pro
22-07-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Saudi Arabia and UK explore collaboration on LEO satellite connectivity
Saudi tech delegation in UK explored high-speed connectivity and partnerships to advance communication in key sectors like transport, energy, industry and education. A high-level Saudi Arabian delegation, led by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha, visited leading British technology companies and research centres during an official tour of the United Kingdom, focusing on advancing deep tech, digital innovation and satellite communications, according to a report by Saudi Press Agency. The delegation began its tour at Wayve, a company focused on AI-driven autonomous driving technologies, where they were introduced to AV2.0, the companys latest generation of smart mobility solutions. They later visited Automata Technologies, a company specialising in laboratory automation through robotics. Here, they explored the LINQ platform, which integrates AI to accelerate diagnostics and biomedical research, highlighting new collaboration opportunities in digital health and life sciences. To support tech entrepreneurship and deep technology adoption, the Saudi representatives held talks with leaders from Catapult, a UK organisation focused on scaling innovative businesses. Discussions centred around potential partnerships to help foster startup ecosystems and facilitate the integration of cutting-edge technologies across sectors. The delegation also engaged with executives from OneWeb, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite company, to explore joint initiatives for high-speed connectivity solutions. Conversations focused on deploying advanced communications infrastructure across key sectors such as transport, energy, industry and education, aiming to bolster innovation and support the Kingdoms growing space and satellite ecosystem. This visit is part of Saudi Arabias broader strategy to localise future technologies, strengthen global partnerships, and position itself as a major center for innovation, in line with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030.
Saudi Gazette
15-07-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Saudi tech and innovation delegation explores AI and space partnerships in UK
Saudi Gazette report LONDON — A high-level Saudi delegation led by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Al-Swaha visited several leading British technology and research institutions as part of a series of official engagements in the United Kingdom aimed at boosting cooperation in deep tech and space connectivity. The delegation began its tour at Wayve, a company specializing in autonomous driving powered by artificial intelligence, where they reviewed the company's next-generation AV2.0 smart mobility solutions. They also visited Automata Technologies, known for automating laboratory workflows with robotics, and explored its LINQ platform, which leverages AI to accelerate diagnostics and biological research, paving the way for future collaboration in digital healthcare and life sciences. In support of Saudi Arabia's tech entrepreneurship ecosystem, the delegation met with leadership from Catapult, a UK innovation hub, to discuss partnerships for scaling startups, deep tech adoption, and empowering Saudi innovators. The visit also included a strategic meeting with OneWeb, the satellite broadband provider operating in low Earth orbit (LEO). Talks focused on high-speed connectivity solutions for critical sectors and potential collaborations to strengthen innovation and space technology infrastructure supporting transport, energy, industry, and education.
