🚀 Medial Secures Investment on Shark Tank India - Fueling the Future of Professional Social Networking. 🔥
✕
Login
Home
News
Messages
Startup Showcase
Trackers
Premium
Premium Content
Jobs
Notifications
Settings
Try our Valuation Calculator →
Log In
News on Medial
Airbnb acquires AI startup GamePlanner
Economic Times
·
1y ago
Medial
Airbnb has acquired GamePlanner.AI, a 12-person startup founded by Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Apple's Siri voice assistant. The deal, reportedly valued at just under $200 million, expands Airbnb's AI capabilities with GamePlanner.AI's technology. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky highlighted the transformative impact of AI, and the acquisition aligns with the trend among travel companies, including Booking and Expedia, to integrate AI for enhanced customer experiences and itinerary suggestions. Airbnb did not disclose specific details of the acquisition.
View Source
Related News
Airbnb plans to use AI, including its GamePlanner acquisition, to create the ‘ultimate concierge’
TechCrunch
·
1y ago
Medial
Airbnb plans to use AI, including its recent acquisition of GamePlanner.AI, to create a highly innovative AI interface. CEO Brian Chesky explained that Airbnb aims to leverage AI models to create a more personalized and adaptive user experience. The company doesn't intend to build its own AI infrastructure but will rely on AI technologies from OpenAI, Meta, and Google. Chesky believes that AI represents a platform shift similar to the internet's creation and the rise of mobile technology, and it will fundamentally change the way people interact with Airbnb's platform.
View Source
AI Startup Anthropic Hires Airbnb Veteran Krishna Rao
deepnewz
·
1y ago
Medial
Anthropic, an AI startup, has appointed Krishna Rao, a former executive at Fanatics and Airbnb, as its first Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The hiring of Rao, known for his expertise in guiding innovative organizations, is expected to enhance Anthropic's financial leadership as the company grows and expands.
View Source
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky plans to fix ‘fundamentally broken’ company. Here's how
Livemint
·
1y ago
Medial
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is working on fixing the core issues of the company in response to recent challenges. The improvements are focused on addressing pain points for guests, including affordability, customer service, and listing verification. Chesky acknowledges that Airbnb needs to prioritize fixing its foundation before creating new features. The company is using AI for quality control, such as verifying listings and preventing unauthorized house parties. Chesky hints at upcoming developments, including a loyalty program, and discusses the future of Airbnb in New York. The CEO believes that the company is nearing a turnaround and promises more updates in the future.
View Source
How Airbnb uses AI to weed out people trying to use its rental properties for New Year's parties
Business Insider
·
1y ago
Medial
Airbnb is employing AI technology to prevent individuals from using their properties for wild New Year's Eve parties. The company instituted a temporary ban on parties in 2020 and has since introduced various measures to curb such activities. They made the ban permanent in 2022 and strictly enforce it during holidays like Memorial Day, Halloween, and New Year's Eve. By using proprietary AI and machine learning technology, Airbnb assesses several factors to block booking attempts for full homes that could potentially host disruptive and unauthorized parties.
View Source
Meta acquires voice startup Play AI | TechCrunch
TechCrunch
·
1m ago
Medial
Meta has acquired Play AI, a startup specializing in AI-generated human-sounding voices, with the entire Play AI team joining Meta. This acquisition aligns with Meta’s focus on AI-driven technologies, enhancing their capabilities in AI Characters, Meta AI, Wearables, and audio content creation. Meta has been heavily investing in AI, including talent acquisition from OpenAI and partnering with Scale AI. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
View Source
Adobe acquires Indian generative AI startup Rephrase.ai
Economic Times
·
1y ago
Medial
Adobe has acquired Bengaluru-based startup Rephrase.ai, which specializes in AI-powered video creation. The acquisition will enable Adobe to integrate Rephrase's generative AI video capabilities into its Creative Cloud platform, offering enhanced video content tools to its customers. This marks Adobe's first entry into the generative AI and video-tooling space and the first acquisition of an Indian startup by the company. The deal includes a complete cash exit for Rephrase's investors and the majority of the team joining Adobe. The exact deal size has not been disclosed.
View Source
The opaque investment empire making OpenAI’s Sam Altman rich
Livemint
·
1y ago
Medial
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, leads an AI startup valued at $86 billion but earns a salary of just $65,000 to ensure the safe development of AI. Meanwhile, Altman is a prolific individual investor, managing an investment empire valued at least $2.8 billion, with holdings in over 400 companies including Stripe, Airbnb, and Reddit. Altman's personal investments benefit from OpenAI's success, and some of his startups do business with OpenAI. Altman's arrangement raises concerns about conflicts of interest, though he has recused himself in certain deal talks.
View Source
Airbnb agrees to pay $621 million to settle a tax dispute in Italy
Economic Times
·
1y ago
Medial
Short-term rental platform Airbnb has agreed to pay 576 million euros ($621 million) to settle a tax dispute in Italy. The settlement comes after Italian prosecutors claimed that Airbnb owed approximately 779 million euros ($840 million) in unpaid short-term rental taxes. However, Airbnb has stated that it will not seek to recover the money from its hosts. The company is also working on implementing tools for hosts to have their taxes automatically withheld and paid to the Italian tax authorities. Italy is an important market for Airbnb, with many hosts using the platform to rent their properties.
View Source
OpenAI acquires a New York Startup Global Illumination
Startup News FYI
·
2y ago
Medial
OpenAI, the AI company renowned for its AI-powered chatbot ChatGPT, has announced its acquisition of Global Illumination, a New York-based startup specializing in AI-driven creative tools, infrastructure, and digital experiences. This marks OpenAI's first public acquisition in its approximately seven-year history. The specifics of the deal remain undisclosed.
View Source
10 Indian Startups Which Made Into WEF's Tech Pioneers Lis
Inc42
·
1y ago
Medial
The list of top technology companies includes nine Indian companies, such as Pixxel, Sarvam AI, and Cropin. These companies join notable names like Airbnb, Google, and Spotify. Interestingly, one-third of the companies on the list are led by women CEOs.
View Source
Trackers
Active Indian VC’s
OG Capital
Email
With a hands-on approach, OG Capital aims to invest in over 20 promising...
Accel Partners
Email
Early and growth-stage investments in disruptive technology companies with...
Blume
Email
Early-stage venture capital firm investing in technology startups in India. Focus on...
Access All Trackers
Startup Showcase Winners
June 2025
Buddy
Helping your parents when you are miles away
BiteStop
The Pit Stop Your Cravings Deserve
Bloomer
The next generation E-commerce platform
Enter Ongoing Startup Showcase
Top Users
Trending News on Medial
Download the medial app to read full posts, comements and news.
Go to Medial App
Not Now
Know everything that’s happening in the startup ecosystem, first.
Enable Notifications?
No, thanks
Count me in
