Welcome to Week in Review (WiR), TechCrunch’s newsletter summarizing noteworthy events in the tech world over the past few days.
This week, leaked documents from SpaceX revealed questionable practices related to employee stock options.
X CEO Elon Musk announced the open-sourcing of Grok, X’s AI chatbot developed by Musk’s AI startup, xAI, to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
In an interview, Ron spoke with Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack, about her efforts to stabilize the Salesforce business.
For more detailed updates, read on in this edition of WiR, and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
News
Leaked SpaceX docs: Leaked documents from SpaceX detail unusual terms for stock awards that employees must agree to, including restrictions on participating in tender offers.
Phantom Auto: Remote driving startup Phantom Auto is shutting down after failing to secure funding.
Meme stock: Reddit announces plans to allow community members to sell shares immediately post-IPO.
Funding
Griffin Bank: U.K.-based Griffin Bank, a banking-as-a-service platform, raises $24 million and obtains a license to operate as a bank.
EU data breach: An investigation reveals the EU breached data protection rules using Microsoft 365.
Analysis
Deepfakes: Amanda discusses the implications of AI deepfaking tools with a photo edited using AI possibly involving Kate Middleton and her children.
Relaxation device: Haje reviews Moonbird’s relaxation device designed to aid sleep and reduce stress through breathing exercises.
Podcasts
Check out the latest episodes of Equity, Found, and Chain Reaction for insights on startup compensation, AI robotics, blockchain and AI integrations, and more.
Bonus round
Metaverse royale: Readyverse Studios debuts Open, a third-person battle royale experience created in collaboration with Ernest Cline of Ready Player One fame.
