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Deel officially agrees to be served legal papers in Rippling’s lawsuit
HR tech giant Deel says it has formally accepted to be served legal documents in its ongoing court battle with rival Rippling in Ireland. This ends weeks of suspense afterRippling’s bailiffs couldn’t find Deel’s execsto serve them — only for Deel’s CEO and top lawyerto turn up in Dubai. Deel CEO Alex Bouaziz, along with Deel lawyers Asif Malik and Andrea David Mieli, all agreed to accept service through Deel’s Irish law firm today, Deel confirmed to TechCrunch. Deel Inc., which is Deel’s U.S. entity, was already served on April 16, an affidavit filed by Rippling this morning in Irish court shows. “Today in court in Dublin Hayes Solicitors agreed to accept service on behalf of all four parties,” a Deel spokesperson told TechCrunch. In the affidavit filed this morning, Rippling repeated that it hadn’t been able to serve Bouaziz, Malik, and Mieli, detailing its efforts to do so in France and Italy. For example, Rippling hired French bailiffs to serve Bouaziz at a listed address in Paris on April 10, but only stumbled upon a relative who told them Bouaziz was in Dubai. On April 15, TechCrunch reported Bouaziz was in Dubai, with Deel not responding to requests for comment at the time. However, 10 days later,Deel told TechCrunchthat Bouaziz “lives in Israel” and was only in Dubai for a few days to celebrate Passover. TechCrunch asked Deel if it can clarify where Bouaziz is currently located, but Deel declined, citing privacy reasons. Deel slammed the idea that its executives have been avoiding getting served, despite Rippling’s failed attempts to do so through various process servers. “It’s a misrepresentation that anyone was avoiding service and that narrative was clearly being used as a public smear tactic,” Deel’s spokesperson said. Deel told TechCrunch that Malik’s move to Dubai had been planned for over a year, well before Rippling’s lawsuit. Regarding Andrea David Mieli, whom Rippling said in their affidavit they had been unable to serve in Italy, Deel said he lives and works from home in Italy and was available. The lawsuit centers on Rippling’s claims that Deel bribed one of its employees in Ireland, Keith O’Brien, to spy on its internal affairs on behalf of Deel. And O’Brien himself testified that he had been spyingin a lengthy affidavit. After weeks of silence, Deel is very publicly fighting back, filing a countersuit in the U.S. last week, making various accusations against Rippling, including that it cultivated its own insider inside Deel. In response, Rippling CEO Parker Conradtook to Xto post, “Nowhere does Deel dispute our central allegation — that@Bouazizalexpersonally recruited a spy to steal rippling’s trade secrets, and personally directed the theft.” Rippling did not respond to a request for comment.
Vote for the session you want to see at TechCrunch All Stage on July 15
We’ve been blown away by the overwhelming response to speak atTechCrunch All Stageon July 15 at SoWa Power Station in Boston. After thorough consideration, we’ve selected six standout finalists. The power to choose who will take the stage and share their startup scaling expertise is now in your hands! This Audience Choice voting will be open until May 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT. You get one vote, one speaker — make it count! Meet the finalists Get to know the six exceptional Audience Choice finalists and their proposed sessions, and vote for the speaker you think should take the lead in their own roundtable session. Building team intelligence: How product-led innovation transforms collaborative problem-solvingJeff Chow, Chief Product and Technology Officer, MiroWhat venture investors are looking for in AI investment targets in enterprise startups in 2025Darrell Etherington, Head of Network and Sourcing, OMERS VenturesHow I created a $40 million business from my kitchenMike Kurtz, Founder, Mike’s Hot HoneyFrom fundraising to IPO: How to build a PR & marketing engine that drives growthNikki Parker, EVP, Marketing and Communications, Insight PartnersThriving with anxiety: How startup founders can turn fear, pressure, and self-doubt into their greatest advantageDr. David H. Rosmarin, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical SchoolMistakes startups make and hacks when raising money from VCsHyuk-Jeen Suh, General Partner, SkyRiver Ventures Building team intelligence: How product-led innovation transforms collaborative problem-solvingJeff Chow, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Miro What venture investors are looking for in AI investment targets in enterprise startups in 2025Darrell Etherington, Head of Network and Sourcing, OMERS Ventures How I created a $40 million business from my kitchenMike Kurtz, Founder, Mike’s Hot Honey From fundraising to IPO: How to build a PR & marketing engine that drives growthNikki Parker, EVP, Marketing and Communications, Insight Partners Thriving with anxiety: How startup founders can turn fear, pressure, and self-doubt into their greatest advantageDr. David H. Rosmarin, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School Mistakes startups make and hacks when raising money from VCsHyuk-Jeen Suh, General Partner, SkyRiver Ventures
StrictlyVC heads to London and Athens this May: Featuring prime minister of Greece and Europe’s leading tech and VC voices
It’s been a busy year for TechCrunch events — and it’s about to get even bigger. StrictlyVC, our boutique, highly exclusive event series for VCs and startups, is crossing the Atlantic this May with stops inLondonandAthens! We’re bringing StrictlyVC’s insider conversations to Europe. On May 8, we’ll dive into Athens’ booming tech momentum with a special appearance by the prime minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Then, on May 13, we’ll head to London to explore the investment and financial strategies shaping Europe’s tech ecosystem. If you’re thinking about expanding globally — or wondering how to start — these StrictlyVC events in Europe are ones you won’t want to miss. StrictlyVC Athens on May 8 Venue:Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center We’re thrilled to welcome theprime minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to the stageas he shares how Greece is positioning itself as a rising hub for innovation and investment. From policy reforms to global partnerships, hear firsthand what’s fueling Greece’s tech momentum — and what’s ahead for startups scaling within and beyond its borders. We’ll also sit down with other leading voices across the tech and startup ecosystem to dive deeper into Europe’s evolving innovation landscape. Get all the details and reserve your spot —visit the StrictlyVC Greece event page. Myrto PapathanouPartner, Metavallon VC Apostolos ApostolakisFounding Partner, Venture Friends Panos PapadopoulosPartner, Marathon Venture Capital Dimitrios KottasCo-founder and CEO, Delian Alliance Industries Konstantina PsomaFounder and CEO, Kaedim Haris PylarinosCo-founder and CEO, Hack the Box Simon SchaeferFounder / Co-initiator, Factory / EU Inc. petition Coen JonkerCo-founder of Tyme John TsiorisFounder and CEO, Revotech StrictlyVC London on May 13 Venue:MidCity Place From cybersecurity and AI to global banking innovation, hear how top leaders are scaling companies that define their categories.Nazo Moosaof Paladin Capital Group shares how she’s investing in a resilient digital future;Sonali De Ryckerof Accel reveals how to spot tomorrow’s global winners; andTS Anilof Monzo dives into how bold strategy fueled one of fintech’s biggest success stories. Lean in for a dynamic evening on VC’s and Europe’s startup scene —find out more about these sessions and save your spot on the StrictlyVC London event page. Nazo Moosa, Managing Director, Paladin Capital Group Sonali De Rycker, Partner, Accel TS Anil, Global CEO, Monzo Join us before seats run out Join us in Europe! It’s a once-in-a-blue-moon chance to access exclusive VC and startup conversations with some of Europe’s top tech and VC voices. Dive into Athens’ tech boom at StrictlyVC— May 8 Explore Europe’s investment future at StrictlyVC London— May 13
Amazon-backed Glacier gets $16M to expand its robot recycling fleet
The world has a trash problem. The amount of stuff we throw away is expected to nearly double, to3.8 billion metric tons, by 2050. Reducing what we use would go a long way to addressing the issue, but let’s face it, we’re not very good at buying less either. That leaves recycling, which has its own problems. People routinely try to recycle dirty yogurt cups or toss plastic in the aluminum bin. It all makes recycling more expensive because, ultimately, someone has to manually pick out the unwanted stuff. In response, several companies have been building automated systems to sort recyclables, includingGlacier, a 6-year-old company that has developedinexpensive robotic armscontrolled by computer vision to identify over 30 different types of materials. The startup has deployed its robots in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Phoenix, and now Seattle. As Glacier looks to expand its robot fleet to more municipalities, it recently raised a $16 million Series A, the company exclusively told TechCrunch. The round was led by Ecosystem Integrity Fund with participation from AlleyCorp, Alumni Ventures, Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, Cox Exponential, Elysium, New Enterprise Associates, One Small Planet, Overlap Holdings, Overture, VSC Ventures, and Working Capital Fund. Materials recovery facilities — or MRFs, as sorting facilities are called — are getting squeezed on both ends, Rebecca Hu-Thrams, Glacier’s co-founder and CEO, told TechCrunch. Governments want more waste to be recycled, but MRFs are having a hard time finding enough people to staff the sorting line. Industry-wide, turnover is extremely high. A typical MRF will have to hire five times per year for a single sorting position. The job is so undesirable that one MRF operator told Hu-Thrams that, even though his wages were higher, he was concerned about losing workers to a new warehouse set to open nearby. “Would you rather stand at a conveyor belt and sort through people’s trash, or would you rather be lifting boxes in an air-conditioned warehouse?” Hu-Thrams said. “That kind of underscores the dilemma that a lot of our customers are facing.” Glacier offers its robots to customers as outright purchases or on a lease-to-own model. It encourages MRFs to make repairs they feel comfortable with, supplying them with training and spare parts. For those that would rather not, the startup offers maintenance packages. Glacier is also offering a data product, in which MRFs and other stakeholders like consumer products companies and government agencies can pay for access to insights about the waste stream. For an MRF, that might mean identifying where on a line it’s losing valuable aluminum cans to the landfill. For a company or regulator, it might mean auditing the waste stream to determine whether packaging that’s designed to be recycled is actually getting recycled. With enough robots, recycling rates should improve, if only because robots are faster and better at distinguishing between recyclables and trash. “Every time we send people to audit our AI systems, the people just do so much worse,” said Areeb Malik, Glacier’s CTO and second co-founder. “AI is getting really powerful, being able to distinguish beyond what people can even notice.”
Lately’s new gamified app helps people arrive on time
A new app calledLatelylaunched on the App Store a few weeks ago, targeting people with ADHD to help them arrive on time and rewarding them for doing so. The service is designed to help users manage their travel plans by notifying them when it’s time to leave for a trip, sending reminders 30 minutes, 10 minutes, and 5 minutes before departure. It also features Live Activities on iPhone and Apple Watch that display a countdown to leave. To encourage timely departures, Lately employs a point reward system with four difficulty levels. The easiest level, “Goldfish,” awards users 3 points for being early, 2 points for being on time, and 0 for being late, while the other levels — “Coffee,” “Grown Up,” and “Yoda” — become progressively less forgiving. Yoda, for instance, deducts 2 points for being late. As users accumulate points, they level up and unlock various virtual characters within the app that serve as achievement badges. While the reward may appear simple, it may provide users with a sense of progress and accomplishment. Lately was created by indie developer Erik MacInnis to address challenges faced by individuals with ADHD, particularly related to time management. “I’ve always been the ‘late one’ in my friend group,” MacInnis told TechCrunch. “For many of us, our toughest challenges to leaving on time are time blindness and poor time estimation. Lately addresses both of these problems by keeping the user constantly aware of when to leave, and it’s gamified, so you get points when you arrive on time, which honestly feels good.” While other similar apps exist — such as an Android app calledTime to Leave— MacInnis believes they’re outdated. ADHD apps likeStructuredandTickTickare mainly for task management and don’t specifically address time blindness for commuting. During our testing, we found Lately to be helpful, but we wish it could provide time estimations for commuters in large cities who use public transportation or biking. Currently, the app only offers options for driving or walking. Despite this small limitation, we believe the app can be successful among its target demographic. Individuals with ADHD frequently feel unmotivated, and specialists often suggest utilizing a reward system to help with self-discipline. Another gamified app,Finch, has gained attention for its point system. The self-care app encourages users to complete daily chores at home or engage in other healthy habits by rewarding them with points that can be used to customize their virtual pet. MacInnis revealed future plans for Lately, which include a social feature that automatically notifies friends when users leave, when they are five minutes away, and when they arrive. An Android version is also part of the long-term roadmap. Lately is available for free, but there is also a premium subscription ($3 per month or $10 per year) that offers features like customizing difficulty levels and scheduling recurring trips.
Astro Teller is joining us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in October
We are thrilled to announce that Astro Teller, the head honcho of Alphabet’s X, the Moonshot Factory, will be joining us as a featured speaker atTechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27-29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. The whole affair promises to be fun filled and rife with intel and insights that you won’t want to miss. Astro Teller — whose official title is Captain of Moonshots — has been heading up X since 2010, where he oversees the company’s ambitious projects aimed at solving some of the world’s most challenging problems. On his watch, X has developed such initiatives as self-driving cars (Waymo), delivery drones (Wing), internet-beaming balloons (Loon, which was latershut downbecause not everything works out), and other cutting-edge tech. With a PhD from Carnegie Mellon and an undergraduate degree from Stanford, Teller has long been recognized for his ability to combine technical expertise with entrepreneurial acumen. He’s also much more than an executive. Teller is an author offiction and nonfiction; he’s an entrepreneur (hefounded and solda startup that developed a body-monitoring wearable); and he spent several years running a hedge fund before getting pulled into Alphabet. For our community of founders, investors, students, and other startup enthusiasts, Teller’s appearance couldn’t come at a more pivotal moment. As AI reshapes industries and as the boundaries between science fiction and reality continue to blur, his insights on moonshot thinking and fostering innovation are more relevant than ever. In fact, Teller’s stance on failure — which is that it should be rewarded and quickly, making it safer to move on and succeed — has perhaps never been truer for founders navigating uncertainty. Don’t miss Astro Teller’s insights at Disrupt 2025 We’re certainly looking forward to sitting down with Teller and hearing his perspective on how founders can think bigger about the problems they’re solving and the impact they aspire to create. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear from one of the world’s foremost innovation leaders. Tickets for Disrupt are available with savings of up to $900 on select tickets.Register for yours nowbefore Early Bird prices fly away.
Report: Adam Neumann’s Flow raises $100M+, more than doubles valuation to $2.5B
Former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann has raised over $100 million in capital for his proptech startup,Flow, in a round that values that company at about $2.5 billion, Bloombergreportedon Thursday. Citing anonymous sources familiar with the deal, Bloomberg reported that existing backer Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) participated in the financing. Neumann told Bloomberg that he was “sure” Flow was a company that could go public “one day.” Flow — a residential real estate company focused on rentals and co-living — raised$350 million from Andreessen Horowitzat a valuation of $1 billion in 2022. The funding raised eyebrows given the problematic history of Neumann’s previous startup, WeWork. Once valued at $47 billion, WeWork filed forbankruptcy protectionin 2023 and was ultimately acquired by Yardi, a real estate group, for $450 million. TechCrunch has reached out to Andreessen Horowitz and Flow for comment.
Speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Applications now open
TechCrunch Disruptreturns October 27-29 to Moscone West in San Francisco — and we’re inviting thought leaders, founders, VCs, and tech experts to apply for a chance to take the stage at one of the most anticipated tech events of the year. Applications are now open to speak atDisrupt 2025, where over 10,000+ tech leaders, investors, and startup experts come together to shape the future of innovation. The application deadline is May 16 —Apply hereand don’t miss your chance to lead the conversation. Pick your session format We’re looking for high-impact speakers to lead one of two session types: Breakout Sessions— A 30-minute talk (up to four speakers, including a moderator) with a 20-minute audience Q&A. Capacity: 100 attendees. Roundtables— A 30-minute speaker-led group discussion, designed for up to 40 participants. No slides or AV — just insight and conversation. How the application process works Each application will be carefully reviewed by our editorial team. Finalists will be selected for the Audience Choice vote — where TechCrunch readers choose which sessions make it to the Disrupt stage. Learn more about speaking onDisrupt’s Call for Content page. Lead the conversation at Disrupt 2025 If you have actionable insights, real-world experience, and a desire to contribute meaningfully to the tech ecosystem — we want to hear from you. Submit your application today before the May 16 deadline.