YC alum Cercli, an AI-powered Rippling for MENA, raises oversubscribed M Series A

YC alum Cercli, an AI-powered Rippling for MENA, raises oversubscribed $12M Series A

In a region long defined by fragmented enterprise systems, outdated compliance tools, and HR software that rarely talks to finance, Cercli is building a unified alternative for MENA businesses with AI at its core. The Dubai-based startup, founded by ex-Careem operators Akeed Azmi and David Reche, has announced an oversubscribed $12 million Series A round led by…

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Anthropic brings Claude Code to the web

Anthropic brings Claude Code to the web

Anthropic launched a web app on Monday for its viral AI coding assistant, Claude Code, which lets developers create and manage several AI coding agents from their browser. Claude Code for web is now rolling out to subscribers to Anthropic’s $20-per-month Pro plan, as well as its $100 and $200-per-month Max plans. Pro and Max…

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OpenAI’s ‘embarrassing’ math | TechCrunch

OpenAI’s ‘embarrassing’ math | TechCrunch

“Hoisted by their own GPTards.” That’s how Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun described the blowback after OpenAI researchers did a victory lap over GPT-5’s supposed math breakthroughs. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis added, “this is embarrassing.” The Decoder reports that in a since-deleted tweet, OpenAI VP Kevin Weil declared that “GPT-5 found solutions to…

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Thank you to our Disrupt 2025 sponsors

Thank you to our Disrupt 2025 sponsors

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible companies that power the innovation behind the scenes. From headline partners to emerging collaborators, our sponsors help make Disrupt the ultimate destination for founders, investors, and visionaries shaping the future of tech. Their insights, technologies, and support bring each stage, session, and startup moment…

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WhatsApp changes its terms to bar general purpose chatbots from its platform

WhatsApp changes its terms to bar general purpose chatbots from its platform

Meta-owned chat app WhatsApp changed its business API policy this week to ban general-purpose chatbots from its platform. The move will likely affect WhatsApp-based assistants of companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, Khosla Ventures-backed Luzia, and General Catalyst-backed Poke. The company has added a new section to address “AI providers” in its business API terms, focusing on…

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