## OpenAI Levels Up Codex in Its Battle Against Anthropic

The rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic over AI-powered coding tools is intensifying, and OpenAI is making its boldest move yet. The company has announced a comprehensive overhaul of Codex, its automated coding assistant, loading it with a range of powerful new capabilities designed to make it a serious contender in the enterprise AI space.

### Codex Can Now Work in the Background on Your Mac

Perhaps the most significant addition is Codex's newfound ability to operate silently in the background on a user's Mac. The tool can now open desktop applications, move a cursor, click buttons, and type — essentially mimicking the actions of a human user.

What makes this particularly useful is that multiple Codex agents can run simultaneously on your machine without disrupting whatever you happen to be working on at the same time. OpenAI describes it as having a dedicated coding assistant handling secondary tasks while you focus on higher-priority work. Practical use cases cited by the company include iterating on frontend design changes, testing applications, and working within software that doesn't offer an API.

This development is notable for another reason: it closely mirrors functionality that Anthropic introduced for Claude Code last month, when it announced the ability to remotely control a Mac desktop on behalf of users who step away from their keyboards. The timing suggests OpenAI is actively tracking and responding to its rival's feature rollouts.

### Built-In Browser and Expanded Web Capabilities

Codex also now comes equipped with an integrated in-app browser, enabling users to issue commands that the tool will carry out directly within specific web applications. OpenAI sees this as particularly valuable for front-end development and game creation. The company has also indicated plans to extend this functionality further, eventually allowing Codex to take full control of the browser beyond locally hosted web applications.

### Memory, Image Generation, and 111 New Integrations

Several other updates round out this release. A new preview feature called **Memory** enables Codex to retain information from past work sessions, building contextual awareness of how individual users prefer to operate. This could significantly improve the tool's usefulness over time as it adapts to specific workflows.

Codex has also gained image generation capabilities, which OpenAI says can be used to produce product concept visuals, presentation graphics, UI mockups, and placeholder assets — making it a more versatile tool for teams working across design and development.

To further extend its reach, OpenAI has introduced 111 third-party plug-in integrations, including connections with platforms like CodeRabbit and GitLab Issues. These integrations allow Codex to interact with external tools and handle routine organizational tasks. For instance, users can now ask Codex to scan their Slack channels and Google Calendar and generate a personalized daily to-do list — a small but meaningful step toward functioning as a genuine digital assistant.

### Flexible Pricing for Enterprise Users

Alongside these feature updates, OpenAI has introduced a pay-as-you-go pricing model for Codex, available to ChatGPT Enterprise and Business subscribers. This move gives corporate customers greater flexibility in how they access and pay for the tool, potentially lowering the barrier to adoption for teams evaluating AI coding solutions.

## OpenAI Sharpens Its Enterprise Focus

For much of its history, OpenAI has been viewed as the dominant force in the AI industry. However, Anthropic has steadily gained ground, particularly in the enterprise coding segment, where Claude Code has earned a strong reputation among businesses. OpenAI appears to be recalibrating its strategy — pulling back from some consumer-facing projects and doubling down on tools designed for professional and corporate environments.

The Codex upgrades reflect a clear intent: to position the tool not just as a coding assistant, but as a fully integrated productivity platform capable of handling a wide range of tasks within modern business workflows. Whether these enhancements are enough to shift enterprise preference away from Claude Code remains to be seen, but OpenAI has made a compelling case that it is not ready to concede that ground.

OpenAI has overhauled its Codex AI coding tool with desktop automation, browser control, memory features, and 111 app integrations to compete with Anthropic's C

OpenAI Upgrades Codex with Desktop Control to Rival Anthropi

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OpenAI Supercharges Codex with Desktop Control and New AI Features to Challenge Anthropic

## AI Study App Gizmo Reaches 13 Million Users and Closes $22M Series A

Gizmo, the AI-driven learning platform that converts student notes into interactive study materials, has reached a remarkable milestone — surpassing 13 million registered users across more than 120 countries. To put that growth in perspective, the platform had just over 300,000 users as recently as 2023, making its rise one of the more striking success stories in the edtech space.

Alongside this surge in adoption, the company has announced a $22 million Series A funding round, signaling strong investor confidence in its model and long-term potential.

## What the Funding Means for Gizmo

The newly secured capital will be directed toward two primary goals: strengthening Gizmo's engineering and artificial intelligence capabilities, and deepening its foothold in the competitive U.S. college market. The company, which operated with a lean team of just seven employees before the raise, is now planning to scale up to approximately 30 staff members, according to CEO Petros Christodoulou.

The Series A round was led by Shine Capital, with additional backing from Ada Ventures, Seek Investments, GSV, and NFX — the same firm that led Gizmo's earlier $3.5 million seed round.

## Why Gamified Learning Is Having a Moment

Gizmo's growth isn't happening in a vacuum. It comes at a time when student academic performance in the United States has reached historic lows, as reported by the 2025 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Researchers have previously pointed to excessive screen time and shrinking attention spans as contributing factors to this decline.

Yet paradoxically, the very platforms competing for students' attention — TikTok, YouTube, and social media at large — offer a blueprint for engagement that traditional education tools have struggled to replicate. Gizmo is betting that game mechanics are the bridge between entertainment and meaningful learning.

### How Gizmo Keeps Students Coming Back

Designed primarily for teenagers and young adults, Gizmo integrates features borrowed from the world of gaming to create a more compelling study experience. These include:

- **Leaderboards** that introduce a competitive element among peers
- **Streaks** that reward consistent daily study habits
- **Limited daily lives** that penalize incorrect answers, adding stakes to each session
- **Friend challenges** that turn studying into a social activity

This approach taps into the same psychological triggers that keep users scrolling on social platforms, redirecting that impulse toward academic progress.

## A Crowded but Promising Market

Gizmo is not alone in this space. Established micro-learning platforms such as Anki and Quizlet have built loyal user bases over the years, while newer players including Yuno and Knowt are also carving out their share of the market. Yuno currently boasts around 1 million app downloads, and Knowt has accumulated more than 7 million users.

However, Gizmo's trajectory stands out. Reaching 13 million users within just a few years of launching in 2021 places it well ahead of many of its peers and underscores the growing appetite for AI-enhanced, engagement-driven study tools.

## Looking Ahead

With fresh funding, a rapidly expanding user base, and a product that speaks directly to how younger generations consume content, Gizmo appears well-positioned for its next phase of growth. As the edtech sector continues to evolve, the platform's blend of artificial intelligence and gamification could prove to be a defining formula for the future of digital learning.

AI learning app Gizmo hits 13 million users across 120 countries and secures $22M in Series A funding to expand its gamified study platform.

Gizmo Raises $22M and Reaches 13 Million Users

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Gizmo Hits 13 Million Users and Raises $22M to Gamify the Future of Learning

## Caterpillar Steps In as Monarch Tractor's Story Comes to a Close

Construction and equipment giant Caterpillar has quietly acquired the assets of Monarch Tractor, an agricultural technology startup that spent years trying — and ultimately failing — to build a viable business around electric, autonomous farming equipment. The deal was revealed through filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and was first brought to public attention by Bloomberg.

The acquisition brings a turbulent chapter to an end for a company that once seemed poised to transform modern agriculture but instead became a cautionary tale about the challenges of hardware startups, broken manufacturing partnerships, and internal division.

## A Promising Start That Slowly Unraveled

Monarch Tractor was founded in 2018 by Carlo Mondavi — heir to the iconic Mondavi wine dynasty — alongside CEO Praveen Penmetsa and former Tesla executive Mark Schwager. The trio shared an ambitious vision: develop electric tractors capable of operating autonomously across vineyards, fruit orchards, and dairy farms, all while reducing the need for human operators.

Over the following eight years, the company attracted more than $200 million in funding and generated considerable excitement within the agri-tech space. Initially, Monarch planned to manufacture its tractors at a dedicated facility in Livermore, California. That plan eventually gave way to a partnership with Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics manufacturing giant, which had purchased a former General Motors plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

## The Foxconn Partnership That Never Delivered

Foxconn's Lordstown facility was intended to serve as a hub for several EV startups simultaneously, including Fisker, Lordstown Motors, IndiEV, and Monarch. In practice, however, the arrangement proved disastrous for nearly everyone involved. Lordstown Motors went bankrupt after Foxconn produced only a small number of its electric trucks. Both Fisker and IndiEV collapsed before a single vehicle rolled off the line for them.

Monarch fared slightly better — Foxconn did manufacture a few hundred of its tractors at the Ohio plant. But when Foxconn sold the facility to SoftBank in August 2025, Monarch was left without a manufacturing partner, compounding problems that were already mounting.

## Layoffs, Lawsuits, and a Strategic Pivot That Backfired

By early 2024, Monarch had already begun cutting staff. The layoffs came just before the company closed a substantial $133 million funding round — an unusual sequence that raised eyebrows across the industry. A second round of cuts followed months later, accompanied by an announcement that Monarch was pivoting away from hardware entirely and would instead focus on software licensing and autonomous technology services.

That pivot never gained traction. Dealers who had purchased Monarch tractors began speaking out, claiming the autonomous technology at the heart of the company's value proposition never functioned reliably. One dealer filed a lawsuit in September 2025 alleging the tractors were defective and incapable of true autonomous operation. Monarch disputed those claims in court filings, but two additional dealers subsequently filed their own federal lawsuits raising similar concerns.

Legal documents filed in January 2026 revealed that Monarch had entered into an assignment for the benefit of creditors — a structured process often used as an alternative to formal bankruptcy proceedings.

## Co-Founder Speaks Out After Being Pushed Aside

Adding a personal dimension to the company's difficulties, co-founder Carlo Mondavi publicly addressed his departure from Monarch in a comment on a farmer's Instagram post criticizing the company's products. Mondavi stated that he had left more than a year prior due to deep disagreements over the company's direction.

According to Mondavi, he had observed reliability problems with the tractors firsthand — both on his own farm and on those belonging to colleagues. He believed the solution lay in hardware improvements, while CEO Penmetsa was convinced that software refinements alone could resolve the issues. When Mondavi pushed for a different path, he says he was blocked and ultimately forced out of the company, along with at least one other co-founder.

Mondavi was not immediately available for comment following news of the Caterpillar acquisition. Penmetsa declined to offer details beyond a statement Monarch had released the prior week, in which the company described its technology as having been acquired by a "large global equipment manufacturer" without naming Caterpillar directly. Caterpillar itself did not respond to media requests for comment.

## What Remains After the Dust Settles

In the months leading up to the acquisition, Monarch auctioned off the majority of its remaining tractor inventory. The company that once raised over $200 million and aimed to redefine autonomous agriculture has been reduced to a portfolio of intellectual property now held by one of the world's largest equipment manufacturers.

Whether Caterpillar intends to integrate Monarch's autonomous farming technology into its own product lineup or simply hold the assets remains to be seen. For now, the acquisition marks a definitive end to one of the more turbulent stories in recent agri-tech history — a reminder that even well-funded startups with compelling visions can stumble when hardware, manufacturing, and internal alignment all fail at once.

Caterpillar has acquired Monarch Tractor's assets after the ag-tech startup collapsed amid lawsuits, layoffs, a failed Foxconn partnership, and internal conflic

Caterpillar Acquires Monarch Tractor After Startup Collapse

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Caterpillar Acquires Monarch Tractor After Startup's High-Profile Collapse

## LinkedIn Says AI Isn't Killing Jobs — At Least Not Yet

A significant drop in global hiring has sparked widespread concern that artificial intelligence is quietly displacing workers across industries. However, according to data from one of the world's most powerful labor market tracking tools, that narrative may be premature.

LinkedIn has confirmed that hiring activity has fallen by approximately 20% since 2022 — but the platform's leadership is pointing the finger at rising interest rates, not AI-driven automation.

## What LinkedIn's Economic Data Actually Shows

Blake Lawit, LinkedIn's Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer, addressed the issue directly during an interview at Semafor's World Economy Summit. He referenced the platform's proprietary "economic graph" — a real-time data model spanning more than one billion members, including companies, job listings, and in-demand skills — as the foundation for this assessment.

"We've looked — because everyone wants to know the answer to this question: Is AI impacting jobs right now? We've looked and, honestly, we haven't seen it," Lawit stated.

He went further, explaining that the sectors most commonly associated with AI-driven disruption — including customer support, administrative roles, and marketing — have not shown the kind of outsized decline in hiring that would be expected if AI were actively replacing workers in those fields.

### Interest Rates, Not Algorithms, Are the Real Culprit

Lawit was clear in attributing the hiring slowdown to macroeconomic pressures, particularly the sharp rise in interest rates seen over the past few years. This aligns with broader economic trends, as higher borrowing costs have caused many businesses to tighten budgets and slow expansion — including workforce growth.

"Yes, hiring's down, but not down more," he noted, suggesting the decline is consistent with what would be expected during a period of economic tightening rather than technological displacement.

Notably, LinkedIn's data also showed no disproportionate impact on entry-level job seekers. Young adults entering the workforce for the first time have not experienced steeper declines than mid-career or senior professionals — another indicator that AI is not yet systematically targeting lower-skilled or early-career positions.

## A Word of Caution About the Future

While Lawit's current assessment offers some reassurance, he was careful not to dismiss the long-term implications of AI on the workforce entirely.

"Doesn't mean it's not going to happen in the future, but not yet," he acknowledged.

Perhaps more telling was a data point he shared about the pace of skill transformation. Over the past several years, the skills required to perform the average job have already shifted by 25%. With AI adoption accelerating, LinkedIn projects that figure will climb to a staggering **70% by 2030**.

### Your Job May Be Changing Even If You're Not

This is arguably the most important takeaway for today's workforce. Even for professionals who remain in the same role, the nature of that role is evolving rapidly beneath them.

"So, even if you're not changing jobs, your job's changing on you," Lawit warned.

This underscores the growing urgency for workers at every career stage to invest in continuous learning and skill development — particularly in areas that complement emerging AI capabilities rather than compete with them.

## The Bottom Line

LinkedIn's data offers a nuanced and data-backed perspective on a topic that often generates more heat than light. While AI has not yet emerged as a measurable driver of job losses, the structural transformation of the workplace is already well underway. The window to adapt may be narrowing faster than most people realize.

LinkedIn data shows hiring is down 20% since 2022, but rising interest rates — not AI — are to blame. Here's what the labor market trends really reveal.

LinkedIn Data: AI Not Behind 20% Hiring Decline Yet

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LinkedIn Data Reveals AI Is Not Yet Responsible for the Global Hiring Slowdown

## OpenAI's Sky-High Valuation Draws Scrutiny as Anthropic Surges

OpenAI's staggering $852 billion valuation is coming under increasing scrutiny — not just from outside critics, but from some of the company's own investors. As OpenAI races to pivot toward enterprise clients and defend its market position, a formidable rival is quietly stealing the spotlight.

According to reporting by the Financial Times, growing confidence in Anthropic is prompting a handful of investors to reassess just how much OpenAI is truly worth.

## Anthropic's Revenue Growth Is Turning Heads

The numbers behind Anthropic's ascent are difficult to ignore. The company's annualized revenue surged from $9 billion at the close of 2025 to an impressive $30 billion by March's end — a meteoric rise fueled largely by soaring demand for its AI-powered coding tools.

The contrast with OpenAI has not gone unnoticed. One investor with stakes in both companies told the Financial Times that validating OpenAI's most recent funding round required projecting an IPO valuation of $1.2 trillion or more. Against that backdrop, Anthropic's current $380 billion valuation begins to look like a compelling deal.

## Secondary Markets Signal a Shift in Sentiment

Beyond the headlines, the secondary market is offering its own verdict. Demand for Anthropic shares has become nearly insatiable among private market participants, while OpenAI shares are reportedly trading at a discount — a telling sign of where investor enthusiasm is gravitating.

This kind of sentiment shift in secondary markets often foreshadows broader changes in how a company is perceived ahead of any potential public offering.

## OpenAI Pushes Back — But Questions Persist

OpenAI's leadership has not taken the criticism sitting down. CFO Sarah Friar pointed to the company's $122 billion fundraising round — the largest private capital raise in history — as proof that institutional confidence in OpenAI remains strong.

However, not everyone is buying that argument. Jai Das, president of Sapphire Ventures and a neutral observer with no financial stake in either company, offered a more sobering perspective. Speaking to the Financial Times, Das likened OpenAI to "the Netscape of AI" — invoking the cautionary tale of the once-dominant web browser that was ultimately overtaken by Microsoft and absorbed into AOL.

## A Pattern Sam Altman Knows Well

For OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, navigating inflated expectations is familiar territory. During his time at the helm of Y Combinator, aggressive valuation growth sometimes left portfolio companies financially exposed, even as others went on to justify — and exceed — their lofty price tags.

Whether OpenAI follows a similar arc remains to be seen. But with Anthropic gaining ground on multiple fronts, the pressure on OpenAI to deliver on its enormous valuation has never been greater.

## The Bigger Picture

The rivalry between OpenAI and Anthropic is shaping up to be one of the defining competitive battles in the AI industry. For investors, the central question is no longer simply who is leading the race — but whether the current price of admission accurately reflects where each company is headed.

Anthropic's revenue hits $30B as OpenAI's $852B valuation faces doubt. Are investors rethinking where the real AI value lies? Here's what's happening.

Anthropic's Rise Makes OpenAI Investors Question Valuation

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Anthropic's Rapid Growth Is Making Some OpenAI Investors Rethink Their Bets

## Anthropic Opens Dialogue With Trump Administration Over Powerful Mythos AI Model

Anthopic co-founder and Head of Public Benefit Jack Clark has publicly confirmed that the company briefed members of the Trump administration on its newly unveiled Mythos AI model — a system so advanced and potentially dangerous that Anthropic has decided against releasing it to the general public.

The disclosure came during Clark's appearance at the Semafor World Economy Summit, where he addressed the seemingly contradictory nature of engaging with a government that Anthropic is currently suing.

## A Lawsuit Overshadowed by National Security Priorities

Earlier this year, Anthropic filed a lawsuit against Trump's Department of Defense after the Pentagon classified the company as a supply-chain risk. The dispute stemmed from a fundamental disagreement over military access to Anthropic's AI systems — specifically, whether those systems could be deployed for mass surveillance of American citizens and fully autonomous weapons programs. Ultimately, OpenAI secured the contract that Anthropic had been competing for.

Despite the ongoing litigation, Clark was quick to reframe the conflict, describing it as a "narrow contracting dispute" that should not overshadow the company's broader commitment to national security. He made clear that Anthropic views government engagement not as optional, but as essential.

"Our position is the government has to know about this stuff, and we have to find new ways for the government to partner with a private sector that is making things that are truly revolutionizing the economy," Clark stated. "So absolutely, we talked to them about Mythos, and we'll talk to them about the next models as well."

## Why Mythos Is Too Dangerous for Public Release

Announced just last week, the Mythos model has drawn significant attention due to its reportedly formidable cybersecurity capabilities. Those capabilities are precisely why Anthropic has opted to keep the model out of public hands for the time being. The company's decision to brief government officials before any broader deployment reflects a growing trend among AI developers of proactively engaging regulators and policymakers on high-risk technologies.

Adding another layer to the story, reports emerged last week that Trump administration officials were actively encouraging major financial institutions — including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Bank of America, and Morgan Stanley — to begin testing Mythos internally.

## AI's Economic Impact: Jobs, Education, and the Future Workforce

Beyond the Mythos discussion, Clark used the Semafor summit as an opportunity to weigh in on some of the broader societal questions surrounding artificial intelligence.

### Will AI Trigger a Jobs Crisis?

Anthopic CEO Dario Amodei has previously sounded the alarm on AI-driven unemployment, warning that job losses could reach levels reminiscent of the Great Depression. Clark, who oversees a team of economists at Anthropic, offered a more measured perspective. He explained that Amodei's stark projections are rooted in his belief that AI capabilities will advance far more rapidly than most people anticipate.

For now, Clark noted that Anthropic's economic research is only identifying "some potential weakness in early graduate employment" within certain sectors. He was careful to add, however, that the company is actively preparing contingency strategies should large-scale employment disruption materialize.

### What Should Students Be Studying?

When pressed on which college majors will hold the most value in an AI-driven world, Clark steered clear of naming specific fields. Instead, he advocated for interdisciplinary, analytical thinking as the most future-proof educational foundation.

"What AI allows us to do is give you access to an arbitrary amount of subject matter experts across different domains," he explained. "But the really important thing is knowing the right questions to ask and having intuitions about what would be interesting if you collided different insights from many different disciplines."

His advice underscores a broader shift in how educators and industry leaders are rethinking the value of traditional degree programs in the age of artificial intelligence — favoring adaptability and critical thinking over domain-specific technical knowledge alone.

Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark confirms the company briefed the Trump administration on its powerful, unreleased Mythos AI model amid ongoing legal disputes.

Anthropic Briefed Trump Administration on Mythos AI Model

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Anthropic Briefed Trump Administration on Secretive Mythos AI Model, Co-Founder Confirms

## Waymo Brings Self-Driving Technology to London Streets

Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division, Waymo, has officially launched autonomous vehicle testing on public roads across London — a significant milestone in the company's ambition to establish its first commercial robotaxi operation outside the United States. If regulatory approvals fall into place, Londoners could be hailing driverless taxis as early as 2026.

## How Testing Is Being Conducted

The road to autonomous testing didn't happen overnight. Waymo employees spent months manually driving the vehicles through London's streets to build detailed maps of the city before any self-driving technology was activated. Currently, a fleet of approximately 100 all-electric Jaguar I-Pace vehicles — each fitted with Waymo's advanced self-driving system — are operating across a 100-square-mile zone within the city. A trained human safety operator remains behind the wheel throughout this phase of testing.

Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov highlighted the progress on LinkedIn, noting that the company's "core driving AI is generalizing very well" and that autonomous testing is now actively underway. He described the current phase as focused on mastering local road nuances and validating system performance on UK roads — steps he called essential before moving toward rider-only deployment.

## Regulatory Approval Holds the Key

Despite the momentum, a full commercial launch depends heavily on government action. The UK government must finalize its trial program regulations before Waymo can operate its vehicles without human oversight. The company has stated it is working closely with regulators to ensure its service can reach as broad an audience of Londoners as possible.

Following its established playbook from US markets, Waymo is expected to progress through several stages: completing driverless testing, offering internal employee rides, and ultimately opening the service to the general public. A commercial launch remains on track for 2026, contingent on regulatory clearance.

## Waymo's Existing Ties to the United Kingdom

This isn't Waymo's first involvement with the UK. Back in 2019, the company acquired Latent Logic, an Oxford University spinout specializing in imitation learning — a machine learning technique used to enhance the realism of self-driving car simulations. That acquisition led to the creation of a Waymo engineering hub in Oxford, which continues to support the company's broader technical development.

Now, Waymo is deepening its UK investment further by hiring local talent and establishing multiple autonomous vehicle service centers across London. The company has also confirmed it is actively engaging with emergency services as part of building a solid operational foundation ahead of its planned European expansion.

## A Competitive Landscape in London and Beyond

Waymo won't be navigating London's streets alone. UK-based autonomous driving startup Wayve, backed by significant investment and technological expertise, along with ride-hailing giant Uber, are also working toward launching fully driverless robotaxi services in the British capital. The race to become London's dominant autonomous ride provider is well and truly on.

Internationally, Waymo is also conducting tests in Tokyo, where it faces a similar competitive dynamic. Wayve, Uber, and Nissan have jointly signed an agreement to launch an autonomous vehicle pilot program in Tokyo by late 2026, putting pressure on Waymo to accelerate its own timeline in that market.

## Waymo's Growing Global Fleet

With more than 3,000 robotaxis already deployed commercially across 11 US cities — including Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area — Waymo brings considerable operational experience to its international expansion. The company's fleet may grow even further with the anticipated addition of a new minivan-style vehicle manufactured by Zeekr.

London represents a landmark opportunity: the chance to become the world's first city outside the United States to host a fully operational Waymo commercial robotaxi service. Whether the company can deliver on that promise will depend as much on regulatory timelines as on the technology itself.

Waymo begins autonomous vehicle testing on London roads with 100 Jaguar I-Pace cars, aiming for a commercial robotaxi launch in 2026 pending UK regulatory appro

Waymo Starts Robotaxi Testing in London Ahead of 2026 Launch

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Waymo Kicks Off Autonomous Vehicle Testing in London, Eyeing First International Robotaxi Launch

Freecash was removed from Apple's App Store after TechCrunch reached out for comment.

A data harvesting app called Freecash appears to have tricked users as it quickly rose to the top charts on the App Store and Google Play, where it sat for months until a recent ban.

If you&#8217;ve been on TikTok this year, you&#8217;ve more than likely encountered ads for Freecash. The app has been marketed as a way to make money just by scrolling TikTok — and jumped to the top of the app stores in recent months, peaking at the No. 2 position in the U.S. App Store.

In truth, Freecash pays users to play mobile games — all the while collecting a heaping amount of sensitive data, according to cybersecurity company Malwarebytes .

A Malwarebytes report notes that the app may collect information about users&#8217; race, religion, sex life, sexual orientation, health, and other biometrics, adding that the app is essentially a data broker looking to match game developers with users who are willing to install and spend money on mobile games. Games promoted on Freecash include Monopoly Go and Disney Solitaire, among others.

In response to a January report from Wired that found Freecash used deceptive marketing techniques and nudged users to spend money in games, TikTok pulled some of Freecash&#8217;s ads, saying the company broke its rules around financial misrepresentation. At the time, Freecash denied involvement, saying the ads were generated by third-party affiliates, not itself.

On Monday, after being contacted by TechCrunch for comment, Apple pulled Freecash from its App Store. As of Monday afternoon, the app was still listed in the Google Play store.

When reached for comment, Almedia, the Germany-based company that owns Freecash, denied allegations of driving artificial traffic to its platform or using deceptive marketing techniques.

Techcrunch event San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW &#8220;Our apps are fully compliant with the Apple App Store and Google Play Store policies, as demonstrated by the fact that they are live and regularly pass platform reviews,&#8221; an email from Almedia PR manager James Law, signed &#8220;Almedia Press Office,&#8221; noted. &#8220;We do not comment on internal product strategy regarding specific app listings.&#8221;

Decided to make a video bc I’m sure they would have taken my comment down lol. BUYER BEWARE! #foryoupage #xyzbca #pyramidscheme

The question remains how an app like Freecash was able to game social media ads and other partnerships to rise to the top of the app store. The app&#8217;s downloads shot up in January 2026 to reach 5.5 million across global app stores, up from 876,000 in October 2025, according to data from market intelligence firm Appfigures .

The growth sent the app into the No. 2 position on the U.S. App Store. Thanks to organic discovery and other marketing efforts, it continued to hold a top 5 spot nearly every day since January 8. On Google Play, it reached No. 7 overall, Appfigures said.

Appfigures told TechCrunch that Freecash&#8217;s downloads peaked in February, reaching nearly 6 million, but have since been declining. Current estimates had put the app on track for around 3 million installs in April.

However, Freecash&#8217;s game extends beyond misleading TikToks, possible fake ratings, suspiciously favorable Google backlinks , and the apparent use of bots to drive traffic to the app.

Before Freecash rocketed to the top of the Apple and Google app stores, it was created under two different developer accounts.

Third-party data from market intelligence provider Appfigures shows that Almedia GmbH , the German company behind the Freecash app, first submitted Freecash to the Apple App Store on March 24, 2024, but it was removed after around two months on June 13, 2024. ( Appmagic sees its removal on June 12 &#8212; see below.)

This version of the app was downloaded an estimated 69.5K times before removal, Appfigures said.

Months later, a second app that already existed on the store, developed by the Cyprus-based company 256 Rewards Ltd , was rebranded as &#8220; Freecash ,&#8221; and an update was submitted under that app&#8217;s ID, according to the third-party data.

It&#8217;s unclear if Almedia acquired the Cyprus-based developer, which was originally called Rewards , or if it simply acquired the developer account. Rewards no longer appears to have a functioning website or social media presence , and the team behind the company has since moved on to a new company , Pushed . (Rewards&#8217; co-founders didn&#8217;t respond to a request for comment about their prior company sent via their new company&#8217;s email.)

Almedia&#8217;s re-entry into the App Store through another developer account may have been a way of circumventing a ban on the initial Freecash app. Using another developer to re-enter the App Store after a ban is a common, though rule-breaking, tactic. (Almedia&#8217;s spokesperson declined to comment about its earlier app takedown.)

A Washington Post report about the scam app ecosystem noted this trend, highlighting several fraudulent apps that would disappear from the App Store and then reappear under a different developer account. Other independent investigations have documented this tactic as well, and often, scam apps&#8217; owners operate a portfolio of accounts, it&#8217;s been reported.

It’s unclear if Almedia employed similar practices in approving its Freecash app, but what is clear is that the Rewards app was renamed to Freecash only five months ago before quickly rocketing to the top of the Apple and Google stores. The company&#8217;s spokesperson did not say whether its original apps were banned for policy violations.

Apple&#8217;s App Store guidelines prohibit apps that try to trick its App Review system by doing things like circumventing bans.

After TechCrunch reached out to Apple for comment, the company removed Freecash from the App Store for violations of its rules on Monday, citing the misleading marketing. Apple pointed TechCrunch to two App Store Review Guidelines , 3.1.2(a) and 2.3.1, which forbid scamming users, engaging in bait-and-switch tactics, and marketing apps in a misleading way.

In addition, Apple&#8217;s Developer Program License Agreement also says developers cannot engage in unlawful, unfair, misleading, fraudulent, improper, or dishonest acts or business practices relating to their app. This includes engaging in bait-and-switch pricing, consumer misrepresentation, deceptive business practices, or unfair competition against other developers, Apple noted.

Almedia may have done something similar on the Google Play Store. The company&#8217;s original app (developer ID com.freecash.twa &#8212; see above) was removed in January 2024, per Appfigures. The current Freecash app is listed under a different developer ID ( com.freecash.app2 ). Google tells us it&#8217;s looking into the matter.

As of Friday, April 10, Freecash was No. 7 on the U.S. App Store and No. 13 on Google Play.

Despite the reports of its deceptive marketing tactics, Freecash had a very high review score of 4.7 stars. It&#8217;s not uncommon or particularly difficult for brands to falsify reviews online, but it’s possible the high rating meant it wasn&#8217;t flagged by Apple for removal.

In its statement, Apple told TechCrunch that users should report apps they believe are engaging in scams or fraud via the reportaproblem.apple.com website.

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Freecash was removed from Apple's App Store after TechCrunch reached out for comment.

How the rewards app Freecash scammed its way to the top of t

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How the rewards app Freecash scammed its way to the top of the app stores

## The Ceasefire Didn't Reach the Ocean Floor

When the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire following weeks of escalating military tensions, the world exhaled. Shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz—one of the most strategically critical waterways on Earth—began to reopen. With roughly 800 vessels stranded behind a month-long blockade, the focus quickly turned to oil flows and global trade.

But beneath those congested waters, another crisis was quietly unfolding. Naval mines still litter the seabed. Residual military operations continue to generate noise and pressure waves. And the unique marine ecosystems that call the Arabian Gulf home have no ceasefire of their own.

## A Living Blueprint for Climate Survival

The species inhabiting the Arabian Gulf are not ordinary. They are extremophiles—organisms that have evolved to thrive in conditions of intense heat and extreme salinity. Scientists regard them as a rare natural laboratory, offering insight into how ocean life might adapt as global temperatures rise. Some researchers believe these creatures represent a living preview of what much of the world's marine life will face by 2050.

If they survive long enough to be studied, that is.

## Sound Is Life for Gulf Whales

For the Arabian humpback whale, the Strait of Hormuz is not a migration route—it is a permanent home. Unlike their Atlantic relatives, these whales do not travel between feeding and breeding grounds. The Gulf is all they have.

This makes them extraordinarily vulnerable to the one form of damage that rarely makes headlines: underwater noise pollution.

Olivier Adam, a marine researcher at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, explains that Gulf cetaceans—the broader family of marine mammals that includes whales and dolphins—face an impossible choice: flee their only habitat or endure prolonged acoustic trauma.

"These baleen whales have no way to escape," Adam says.

### How Noise Disrupts Everything

Whales use sound for virtually every critical life function. Navigation, feeding, reproduction, and social bonding all depend on their ability to emit and receive acoustic signals. When that system is overwhelmed by human-generated noise, the consequences are immediate and far-reaching.

Humpback whales communicate in low-frequency ranges—the same frequencies produced by ship engines and military sonar. According to Adam, this overlap masks the vocalizations that hold whale social groups together and guide their behavior.

"The radiated underwater noise generated by maritime traffic disrupts the feeding of humpback whales," he says.

As noise intensifies, whales reduce their diving activity, effectively forcing themselves into extended fasting periods that steadily erode their physical condition.

Underwater explosions add a more acute layer of harm. The pressure waves generated by detonations can kill fish outright and permanently damage the hearing of larger marine mammals. Adam cautions that even non-fatal acoustic injuries can compromise a whale's long-term survival in an environment already under stress.

## Dolphins, Displacement, and the Cost of Moving

Aaron Bartholomew, a professor of biology, chemistry, and environmental sciences at the American University of Sharjah, notes that dolphins and whales may temporarily vacate zones where sonar activity is most intense. But in a waterway as narrow as the Strait of Hormuz—spanning just 21 miles at its tightest point—there is very little room to relocate.

"Their short-term behavior in the region may be negatively affected," Bartholomew says. "The most likely outcome is temporary displacement from areas with extensive sonar use."

Even that limited displacement carries consequences. Interruptions to feeding territories and habitat patterns, even brief ones, can compound into longer-term ecological damage in a system already operating under strain.

## The Gulf's Slow-Flush Problem

What makes the Arabian Gulf particularly susceptible to lasting harm is its geography. Scientists classify it as a "slow-flush" sea—meaning it takes between two and five years for the water to fully cycle and renew itself. Contaminants introduced through oil spills, fuel discharge, or military debris do not simply wash away. They linger, spreading through both surface waters and the seabed.

Bartholomew warns that a single major oil spill in the strait could cause damage extending far beyond the immediate event. Turtle nesting beaches, including those on islands like Sir Bu Nair, could be contaminated for years. Seabirds, sea snakes, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins in the Musandam waters near the strait would all face acute risk from surface oil exposure.

### Whale Sharks and the Surface Feeding Trap

Whale sharks that migrate seasonally into the Gulf between May and September are particularly exposed. Because they feed near the water's surface, floating oil slicks pose a direct threat during their most active months in the region.

Bartholomew also highlights a less obvious danger: oil slicks cast shadows that mimic the effect of fish-aggregating devices, naturally drawing small fish—and in turn, turtles, sharks, and seabirds—into contaminated zones. Animals that enter these areas risk ingesting toxins or becoming coated in oil.

In shallow coastal zones where biodiversity is most concentrated, even small-scale pollution events can trigger cascading ecological collapses. Recovery, when it comes at all, is measured in decades.

## Dugongs Losing the Light

For dugongs, the damage arrives in a form that is harder to see. These slow-moving herbivores depend entirely on seagrass meadows for sustenance—and seagrass requires sunlight to survive.

Oil slicks on the surface block that sunlight, halting photosynthesis and effectively starving the meadows from above. Adam notes that vessel traffic also introduces physical disruption to the seabed, compounding the pressure on already fragile shallow-water habitats.

If oil-laden currents push toward coastlines, mangrove systems face similar risks. What begins as a surface-level event can quietly destroy the foundation of an entire ecosystem below.

## Science Goes Dark During Conflict

Perhaps the most insidious consequence of ongoing military activity in the region is one that rarely features in environmental reporting: the collapse of scientific monitoring.

When access to coastlines and open water becomes impossible, researchers lose their ability to track what is happening to the species they study. Adam describes this as a critical gap that outlasts the conflict itself.

"Fieldwork becomes impossible," he says. "This constitutes a major obstacle to conducting medium-term scientific studies, particularly for understanding ecosystem variations over several months or years."

Even passive acoustic monitoring—a technique that tracks marine mammals by detecting their vocalizations—becomes unreliable when military and commercial noise floods the same frequency bands.

"The addition of human-generated noise, especially when continuous like that of boat engines, poses a real problem because it masks the sounds emitted by these large cetaceans," Adam explains.

## A Global Scientific Loss in the Making

The Arabian Gulf represents something genuinely rare in marine science: an ocean environment where species have already adapted to extreme heat, low oxygen levels, and wide seasonal temperature swings. Adam describes the Gulf as a critical case study for understanding how marine life might respond to a warming planet.

Losing these populations—or losing the ability to study them—would set back climate-related marine research by years, perhaps decades.

As vessels begin moving through the strait again under the ceasefire window, the risks do not disappear. They shift. Higher traffic volumes in waters that may still contain mines, combined with sustained noise and potential pollution events, could intensify the very pressures that Gulf species are struggling to endure.

For the whales, dugongs, dolphins, turtles, and whale sharks of the Arabian Gulf, the threat was never limited to the conflict itself. It lives in what the conflict leaves behind.

The US-Iran ceasefire didn't protect Arabian Gulf marine life. Explore how noise, oil spills, and naval mines threaten unique ocean species in the Strait of Hor

How Military Conflict Is Destroying Arabian Gulf Marine Life

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The Silent Victims of the Strait of Hormuz: How Military Conflict Is Devastating Marine Life

## The Painful Truth About Shingles That Nobody Warns You About

Most people hear the word "shingles" and picture a brief, uncomfortable rash that clears up within a few weeks. What they don't picture is lying awake begging for relief from pain described as hundreds of burning needles stabbing the skin around the clock. Yet for a significant number of sufferers, that is precisely the reality.

Shingles — medically known as herpes zoster — is a viral infection that produces an intensely painful skin rash. It is caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, the same pathogen responsible for chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus doesn't disappear. Instead, it retreats silently into the nervous system, lying dormant for decades, sometimes for an entire lifetime. Under certain conditions — aging, chronic stress, immunosuppressant medications, or a weakened immune system — it can wake up and strike again in the form of shingles.

The name itself comes from the Latin word for "girdle," a nod to the way the rash typically wraps around the torso. However, shingles can also affect the face, scalp, and eyes, where it carries the risk of permanent vision damage or even blindness.

## One in Three People Will Develop Shingles

Statistics alone should be enough to prompt concern. Roughly one in three people will experience shingles at some point in their lives. That risk increases substantially after the age of 50, making it one of the more common health threats facing older adults.

For many, the condition progresses well beyond the initial rash. A serious complication called post-herpetic neuralgia (PHN) can develop, leaving patients with chronic nerve pain that persists for months or even years after the rash has healed. The pain is notoriously difficult to treat and can be completely debilitating.

Despite how widespread the condition is, public awareness of its true severity remains dangerously low. A 2025 study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol highlighted a significant gap between public perception and clinical reality, concluding that most people tend to regard shingles as a minor inconvenience — until they experience it themselves.

## A First-Hand Account: "Like Electrical Wires Fizzing and Sparking"

Pat Garner, a 73-year-old retired pharmacy administrator from Wales, is among those who had no idea what she was dealing with when shingles first appeared. She had been under considerable financial stress when she noticed a strange tingling sensation running along one side of her hairline.

Within hours, that tingling had escalated into severe pain spreading down toward her eye. "It was like hundreds of invisible, tiny hot needles pricking my scalp and face," she recalls. The sensation, she explains, felt as though her nerves were live electrical wires that had been severed and were sparking uncontrollably.

Doctors prescribed acyclovir, an antiviral medication that can reduce shingles symptoms when taken within a 72-hour window of onset, along with a topical eye cream to protect her eyesight. Even so, her face and eyelid became covered in a fierce red rash with blistering. Pain relief was minimal. A nerve suppressant medication called pregabalin offered only modest improvement. Sleeping pills became necessary just to rest.

Garner describes the experience as worse than when she previously broke her back — not because the intensity was necessarily greater, but because "there was no respite at all." Recovery took six weeks, and the effects lingered far longer.

## The Impact on Quality of Life Is Staggering

Martin Sollie, a consultant plastic surgeon at Oslo University Hospital in Norway who researches surgical approaches to chronic pain management, led a systematic review in 2022 examining how shingles affects patients' overall wellbeing.

His meta-analysis drew on five studies involving 2,519 patients across the United States, Europe, and China. The findings were striking: patients suffering from an acute shingles episode scored 15 percent below average on physical health quality-of-life measures and 13 percent below average on mental health measures.

"We were quite surprised that it did affect quality of life so much," Sollie says. "We know that chronic pain impacts wellbeing, but it is very uncommon for a disease that is temporary and not directly deadly to have such a profound effect."

His concern extends beyond the immediate episode. Many patients and policymakers assume shingles means a month of discomfort followed by a full recovery. "If it turns into a lifetime of chronic pain," he warns, "that's something entirely different."

## Rare But Serious Complications You May Not Know About

Beyond PHN, shingles carries a number of additional risks that rarely make it into casual conversation.

In rare cases, the virus can penetrate the eyes or central nervous system, potentially causing encephalitis — a serious and potentially life-threatening inflammation of the brain. Research has also shown that people who develop shingles face a significantly elevated risk of stroke in the 12 months following their illness.

Another uncommon but notable complication is pseudohernia, which occurs when nerve damage causes the loss of muscle control, leading to tissues sagging or bulging in a manner resembling a hernia.

Marian Nicholson, director of the UK's Shingles Support Society, paints a sobering picture of what severe, untreated PHN can look like. "PHN can leave patients in unendurable misery in the final years of their lives," she says, adding that she has encountered cases where patients in persistent, unrelenting pain have ended their lives. The situation is especially difficult for elderly patients with cognitive impairment or dementia, who may be unable to properly process or communicate their suffering.

## Vaccination: The Most Effective Line of Defense

Given the limited treatment options available once shingles takes hold, prevention is by far the most powerful tool at a patient's disposal. A vaccine against shingles exists and is widely available — yet uptake remains disappointingly low.

In the United States, the shingles vaccine is recommended for all adults aged 50 and older, as well as for those aged 19 and above with compromised immune systems. As of 2022, however, only around 34 percent of eligible American adults had received at least one dose. In the United Kingdom, where the vaccine is routinely offered at age 65 or between the ages of 70 and 79, coverage ranged from just 33 to 45 percent as of late 2024.

Garner, who had chickenpox as a child and developed shingles at age 70, admits she never thought to ask about the vaccine. "I completely dismissed it because shingles didn't seem to me like a serious illness. I thought it was just a mild rash," she says. "I would have done anything to avoid going through this."

For a full year after her illness, she carried a visible red mark across her face. She still lives with PHN today — her forehead and eyelid remain hypersensitive, tingling and raw to the touch.

## The Bottom Line: Take Shingles Seriously Before It's Too Late

Shingles is not simply an older person's inconvenience. It is a condition capable of derailing daily life, destroying sleep, and condemning sufferers to years of chronic pain. The virus that causes it already lives inside anyone who has had chickenpox — which is to say, the vast majority of adults.

The medical community is urging both individuals and public health institutions to treat shingles prevention with the same urgency afforded to other serious conditions. Vaccination is safe, effective, and widely accessible. The only barrier, in most cases, is awareness.

Don't wait until the burning needles arrive to take it seriously.

Shingles causes severe nerve pain and long-term complications millions don't expect. Learn the real risks and why vaccination is so critically important.

Why Shingles Is More Dangerous Than You Think

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Why Shingles Is Far More Dangerous Than Most People Realize

## Slate Auto Lands $650 Million in Fresh Funding for Its Affordable Electric Truck

Electric vehicle startup Slate Auto has successfully closed a $650 million Series C funding round, pushing the company closer to its ambitious goal of delivering an affordable electric pickup truck to American consumers before the end of 2026.

### Who Led the Investment?

The latest round was spearheaded by TWG Global, an existing investor and firm helmed by Mark Walter — the chief executive of Guggenheim Partners and owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers — alongside investor Thomas Tull. While Slate Auto's official announcement expressed gratitude toward its "visionary investors," the company stopped short of disclosing the names of additional participants in the round.

With this new injection of capital, Slate Auto has now accumulated approximately $1.4 billion in total funding. Earlier backers include prominent names such as General Catalyst, Jeff Bezos' personal family office, venture capital firm Slauson & Co., and former Amazon executive Diego Piacentini.

### A Company Built on Amazon's DNA

Slate Auto carries a remarkably strong connection to Amazon beyond its investor roster. The company was co-founded by Jeff Wilke, who previously served as Amazon's Consumer CEO. Leadership across several key departments — including mobility, user experience, e-commerce, fleet sales, and human resources — is largely composed of former Amazon employees.

More recently, the company appointed Peter Faricy, formerly a Vice President at Amazon Marketplace, as its new Chief Executive Officer. The previous CEO, Chris Barman, a veteran of Chrysler, has transitioned into a newly created role as President of Vehicles.

## Navigating a Turbulent EV Market

Slate Auto's funding announcement arrives at a particularly challenging time for the U.S. electric vehicle industry. Established automakers have been scaling back their EV rollout plans, largely in response to the elimination of the $7,500 federal tax credit. Tesla has seen its sales decline for two consecutive years, and emerging players like Rivian and Lucid Motors continue to face significant hurdles in reaching profitable production volumes — though both companies are introducing more competitively priced models this year.

Despite this difficult backdrop, Slate Auto appears to be gaining genuine traction with consumers.

## A Stripped-Down Truck Built for the Masses

Founded in 2022, Slate Auto is pursuing a distinctly contrarian strategy in the automotive space. Rather than targeting the premium end of the market — a common approach among EV startups — the company is focused squarely on affordability. Its debut electric pickup truck is expected to carry a starting price in the mid-$20,000 range, with a range of customization options available for additional cost. Among those upgrades is an SUV conversion kit priced at approximately $5,000.

The company had originally floated a price point of around $27,000, and briefly promoted a starting figure of "under $20,000" when factoring in the now-defunct federal tax credit. Official final pricing is expected to be announced in June.

### Strong Consumer Demand Already Building

Even amid pricing uncertainty and the loss of the federal incentive, Slate Auto has managed to accumulate more than 160,000 refundable reservations for its electric truck. A key part of Faricy's mandate as the incoming CEO is converting that significant pool of reservations into confirmed, paid orders.

To support production, the company is investing several hundred million dollars in the renovation of a former printing facility in Indiana, which will serve as the manufacturing home for its EVs.

With substantial capital now secured, a growing reservation list, and a clear production timeline on the horizon, Slate Auto is positioning itself as a serious disruptor in the electric vehicle space — one that bets the future of EVs lies not in luxury, but in accessibility.

Slate Auto secures $650M in Series C funding, bringing total raised to $1.4B as it prepares to launch an affordable EV pickup truck by late 2026.

Slate Auto Raises $650M for Affordable Electric Pickup Truck

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Slate Auto Secures $650 Million to Push Forward Its Budget-Friendly Electric Pickup Truck

## Slate Auto: The Bezos-Backed EV Startup Changing the Game

When Slate Auto stepped out of the shadows in April 2025, it sent shockwaves through an automotive industry already reeling from EV startup failures, bankruptcies, and stalled launches. Operating quietly for three years in Troy, Michigan — right in the heart of American auto manufacturing territory — this well-funded newcomer arrived with a bold mission: build the most affordable and customizable electric pickup truck on the market.

Backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter, Slate wasn't just another Silicon Valley EV dream. It was a carefully constructed operation with deep ties to veterans from Harley-Davidson and Chrysler, companies long known for their robust accessories and aftermarket ecosystems.

Below is a comprehensive timeline charting the rise of Slate Auto — from its secret origins to its production ambitions and leadership changes.

---

## The Origins: Three Years in Stealth Mode

Slate Auto spent roughly three years developing its product behind closed doors before any public attention came its way. The company quietly assembled a team of experienced automotive engineers and designers, drawing heavily from brands with strong customization cultures. Its base of operations in Troy, Michigan placed it squarely among legacy automakers, yet it managed to stay completely off the radar until investigative reporting finally pulled back the curtain.

---

## April 8 — The Story Breaks

The first major revelation came when TechCrunch published an in-depth investigation exposing Slate Auto's existence. The report confirmed that the startup had been operating in secret for three years, supported financially by Jeff Bezos and Mark Walter. What set Slate apart from other EV ventures was its laser focus on affordability — targeting a starting price of around $25,000 for an electric pickup truck. The startup's deep customization philosophy, influenced by former Harley-Davidson and Chrysler employees, also immediately caught the industry's attention.

---

## April 10 — A Prototype Surfaces Online

Just two days after the initial exposé, a photograph of an unidentified electric truck began circulating on Reddit's r/whatisthiscar community. Redditors quickly speculated it might be the mysterious Slate vehicle, and their instincts proved correct. The image was subsequently confirmed to show a Slate prototype parked outside the company's design center in Long Beach, California.

---

## April 21 — Teasers on Public Streets

With its official launch event just days away, Slate began deploying concept versions of its electric truck on public roads throughout California. Interestingly, several of these vehicles appeared to be configured as SUVs or hatchbacks rather than traditional pickup trucks, sparking considerable curiosity. This was later confirmed to be a deliberate teaser of the truck's "Transformer-like" modular design capabilities — a core feature that would allow buyers to dramatically alter the vehicle's form and function.

---

## April 24 — Official Launch in Long Beach

Slate made its grand public debut at a launch event held in Long Beach, California. The company officially unveiled its customizable electric pickup truck and announced a jaw-dropping starting price of under $20,000 after factoring in the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

The base model was intentionally stripped down: it offered 150 miles of range, no power windows, no built-in infotainment display, and came without paint. Rather than viewing these omissions as drawbacks, Slate positioned them as a blank canvas. The company promised that virtually every element of the truck — from seating configuration to the vehicle's overall silhouette — could be personalized by the owner.

---

## April 25 — A Factory Location Identified

One day after the launch, Slate revealed plans to convert a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana into its manufacturing facility. The sprawling 1.4-million-square-foot building, originally constructed in 1958, had sat idle for approximately two years before Slate identified it as the ideal home for its production operations.

---

## May 12 — Reservations Surpass 100,000

In a sign that Slate's vision had resonated far beyond automotive enthusiasts, the company confirmed it had already collected over 100,000 refundable reservations — each requiring a $50 deposit. The achievement was especially remarkable given that virtually no one had heard of Slate Auto just weeks earlier.

---

## July 3 — Federal Tax Credit Eliminated

A significant obstacle emerged when the Trump administration passed sweeping tax-cut legislation that included an end date of September for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. This change directly undercut Slate's flagship marketing claim of a sub-$20,000 price point, which had always depended on that credit. Slate promptly removed the "under $20,000" language from its website even before the bill received a presidential signature.

---

## July 8 — Early Investor Details Emerge

More details about Slate's financial backing came to light when it was revealed that the company's 2023 funding round included at least 16 investors, with Jeff Bezos confirmed as one of them. Among those willing to speak publicly was Los Angeles-based venture firm Slauson & Co., which explained its rationale for backing Slate in both the initial round and the subsequent Series B funding.

---

## October 30 — CEO Takes the Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt

Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman appeared at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, addressing key topics including Jeff Bezos' role in the company, the immense challenges of building an automaker from the ground up, and the startup's vision for creating a thriving marketplace centered around vehicle customization.

---

## December 16 — Reservations Cross 150,000

Despite the loss of the federal EV incentive and a general cooling of EV enthusiasm across the United States, Slate Auto announced that reservations for its truck and SUV had surpassed 150,000. The milestone signaled enduring consumer interest in the brand and suggested that, with fewer affordable EVs entering the U.S. market, Slate would face minimal competition at the budget end of the spectrum.

---

## March 9 — A Leadership Shake-Up

Slate surprised the industry with an unexpected executive change: former Amazon Marketplace Vice President Peter Faricy was appointed as the new CEO. Founding CEO Chris Barman, who had been Slate's very first hire, transitioned into a newly created role as President of Vehicles. The leadership shift was framed as a strategic move to prepare the company for its commercial launch — with the immediate priority being the conversion of existing reservations into confirmed purchase orders ahead of a planned end-of-year rollout.

---

## What Lies Ahead for Slate Auto

Slate Auto's story is one of the most compelling in the modern EV landscape. It has managed to generate massive consumer interest, secure high-profile investment, and build an identifiable brand — all while navigating policy changes, manufacturing challenges, and leadership transitions. With production targeted for late 2026 and over 150,000 reservations already in hand, the startup has laid a credible foundation.

However, the road ahead is far from smooth. Converting reservations into actual sales, ramping up a dormant factory, and delivering on the promise of broad customization at a genuinely low price point are all formidable tasks. Whether Slate Auto can follow through where so many EV startups have stumbled remains the defining question — and one the entire automotive world is watching closely.

Discover the full story of Slate Auto, the Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup building an ultra-affordable, customizable electric pickup truck launching in 2026.