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Microsoft is rolling out significant changes to Windows 11 24H2 as part of the Windows Resilience Initiative, designed to reduce downtime and help devices recover from serious failures, as well as an overhaul of the all-too-familiar BSOD crash screens. Microsoft’s Windows Resiliency Initiative is a new effort by Microsoft to make Windows more stable, self-healing, and faster to recover from critical failures. This initiative is in direct response to recent incidents that caused widespread disruptions and crashes due to flawed updates, like the global CrowdStrike content update outage. Microsoft has now announced that it has replaced the Windows Blue Screen of Death with a new Black Screen of Death, featuring a revamped interface.  “The new UI is simpler, and more aligned with Windows 11’s design language,” explains Microsoft. “It removes the frowny face and QR code, and instead presents a short, readable message with the stop code and faulty driver information. We’ve also added a hex version of the stop code to make it easier to search for help – a common user request.” Regardless of its color, it is still a BSOD crash screenSource: Microsoft Microsoft also announced the new Quick Machine Recovery feature, which aims to resolve boot failures without requiring manual intervention.  When a system is unable to boot and enters the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), it can now automatically connect to a network, check for applicable fixes from Windows Update, and apply them if available.  This new feature can be used to automatically disable known faulty drivers or remove software that is preventing Windows from starting, all without human intervention and with a fix pushed from Microsoft’s servers. “Once enabled, the feature activates during critical boot failures,” explains Microsoft. “It uses the secure and connected Windows recovery environment to scan Windows Update for applicable fixes published by Microsoft. If a matching remediation for a widespread issue is available, it is applied automatically, restoring the device without requiring manual intervention.” Quick Machine Recovery flowSource: Microsoft This feature aims to prevent massive Windows outages, such as the one we saw when CrowdStrike pushed out a faulty content update that crashed over 8.5 million Windows devices and could only be fixed with manual intervention. This new feature is available in Windows 11 Home, Pro, Education, and Enterprise editions starting with the 24H2 update build 26100.4770 after installing the KB5062660 update, released today. Quick Machine Recovery is enabled by default on Home devices and can be manually configured or disabled by IT admins on managed devices using Intune, ReAgentC.exe, or other supported policy tools. Microsoft says it will further enhance the tool in the future by including advanced IT admin tools for remediation management, monitoring, additional policy and rollout controls. As part of the Windows Resiliency Initiative, Microsoft is also working with antivirus and EDR vendors to move their drivers outside of the Windows Kernel to prevent crashes from faulty drivers. Microsoft is currently testing this new Windows endpoint security platform with a set of partners. Update 7/22/25: Updated story to reflect it was a faulty CrowdStrike content update, not driver. Cloud Detection & Response for Dummies Contain emerging threats in real time – before they impact your business. Learn how cloud detection and response (CDR) gives security teams the edge they need in this practical, no-nonsense guide. Read More

A new variant of the banking trojan ‘Coyote’ has begun abusing a Windows accessibility feature, Microsoft’s UI Automation framework, to identify which banking and cryptocurrency exchange sites are accessed on the device for potential credential theft. Microsoft UIA is a Windows accessibility framework designed to allow assistive technologies to interact with, inspect, and control user interface (UI) elements in applications. Windows apps expose their UI elements through a UI Automation tree, and the UIA API provides a way to traverse it, query the properties of each element, and interact with it. Akamai researchers had warned about the possibility of Windows UIA being abused to steal credentials in December 2024, highlighting that the technique evades endpoint detection and response (EDR) protections. Now, the same researchers report that they have seen attacks leveraging the technique in the wild since February 2025, marking the first real-world case of malware abusing Microsoft UIA for data theft. Coyote evolution and UIA abuse Coyote is a banking trojan that attempts to steal credentials for 75 banking and cryptocurrency exchange apps, primarily targeting Brazilian users. The malware was first documented in February 2024, utilizing tactics such as keylogging and phishing overlays, and has undergone significant development since then. Akamai reports that, while the latest Coyote variant continues to steal data using traditional methods for hardcoded apps, it has added UIA abuse when the user opens web-based banking or cryptocurrency services in a browser. If Coyote cannot identify a target via the window title, it uses UIA to extract the web address from within the browser’s UI elements (tabs or address bars). Finally, it compares it against a hardcoded list of 75 targeted services.  “If no match is found, Coyote will then use UIA to parse through the UI child elements of the window in an attempt to identify browser tabs or address bars,” explains Akamai in the report. “The content of these UI elements will then be cross-referenced with the same list of addresses from the first comparison.” Some of the banks and exchanges that are identified using this method are Banco do Brasil, CaixaBank, Banco Bradesco, Santander, Original bank, Sicredi, Banco do Nordeste, Expanse apps, and Cryptocurrency (Binance, Electrum, Bitcoin, Foxbit, and others). Although the abuse of this Windows accessibility feature stops at the reconnaissance phase, Akamai shared a proof-of-concept demonstration of how UIA can also be abused to steal inputted credentials for these sites. Demonstrating how Microsoft’s UIA can be abused for credential theftSource: Akamai BleepingComputer has contacted Microsoft to ask about the potential introduction of safeguards to stop the abuse of UIA on Windows, but a comment wasn’t immediately available. Accessibility systems are designed to be powerful, allowing people with disabilities to fully utilize the capabilities of their devices. However, this power also invites malicious use. In Android, this problem has taken massive proportions, with malware abusing Accessibility Services extensively. Over the years, Google has implemented multiple measures to address this issue. Cloud Detection & Response for Dummies Contain emerging threats in real time – before they impact your business. Learn how cloud detection and response (CDR) gives security teams the edge they need in this practical, no-nonsense guide. Read More

CISA and the FBI warned on Tuesday of increased Interlock ransomware activity targeting businesses and critical infrastructure organizations in double extortion attacks. Today’s advisory was jointly authored with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and it provides network defenders with indicators of compromise (IOCs) collected during investigations of incidents as recent as June 2025, along with mitigation measures to protect their networks against this ransomware gang’s attacks. Interlock is a relatively new ransomware operation that emerged in September 2024 and has since targeted victims worldwide across various industry sectors, with a particular focus on the healthcare sector. The threat actors were also previously linked to ClickFix attacks, where they impersonate IT tools for initial network access, as well as malware attacks in which they deployed a remote access trojan called NodeSnake on the networks of U.K. universities. Recently, the cybercrime group claimed responsibility for breaching DaVita, a Fortune 500 company specializing in kidney care, resulting in the theft and leak of 1.5 terabytes of data from their systems, as well as for hacking Kettering Health, a healthcare giant that operates over 120 outpatient facilities and employs more than 15,000 people. ​While investigating their attacks, the FBI has observed the Interlock gang using some unusual tactics and pressuring their victims in double extortion attacks. “FBI observed actors obtaining initial access via drive-by download from compromised legitimate websites, which is an uncommon method among ransomware groups,” the advisory reads. “Interlock actors employ a double extortion model in which actors encrypt systems after exfiltrating data, which increases pressure on victims to pay the ransom to both get their data decrypted and prevent it from being leaked.” Earlier this month, the ransomware group was also observed adopting the new FileFix technique to drop remote access trojan (RAT) malware. FileFix is a social engineering attack in which the attackers weaponize trusted Windows UI elements, including the Windows File Explorer and HTML Applications (.HTA), to trick their targets into executing malicious PowerShell or JavaScript code without displaying any security warnings. To defend their networks against Interlock ransomware attacks, security teams are advised to implement Domain Name System (DNS) filtering, web access firewalls, and train users to recognize social engineering attempts. Defenders are also urged to keep systems, software, and firmware up to date and segment networks to limit access from compromised devices. Additionally, organizations need to establish identity, credential, and access management (ICAM) policies and require multifactor authentication (MFA) for all services when possible. Cloud Detection & Response for Dummies Contain emerging threats in real time – before they impact your business. Learn how cloud detection and response (CDR) gives security teams the edge they need in this practical, no-nonsense guide. Read More

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images It’s ironic that while North Carolina is considered the spiritual home of NASCAR, the motorsport is neither headquartered in the state nor was it originally founded there. Both of those distinctions belong to Florida, where in December of 1947, William “Bill” France Sr. gathered like-minded racing enthusiasts at the Streamline Hotel in Daytona Beach and outlined the rules, sanctions, and governing body of what would become the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The first official NASCAR race was held on February 15, 1948, on the road course at that very same beach. But if you know anything about NASCAR, you know its origins didn’t start on some sandy strip of coastline in Florida, but on the dirt backroads of the south, where during Prohibition, moonshiners routinely ran their homemade liquor far and wide in automobiles souped up with more powerful engines so they could outrun the local constabulary. Back in the day, Wilkes County (just north of Charlotte) was regarded as the moonshine capital of the United States. Of the 52 races run during that first NASCAR-sanctioned season, 30 were held in North Carolina, with all manner of brands most fans probably had no idea even competed in NASCAR. Then, in June 1949, the Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway became home to the first NASCAR “Strictly Stock” race, which is now the NASCAR Cup Series. Many of the race teams are headquartered in the greater Charlotte area, and the NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Uptown Charlotte. Basically, you wouldn’t have NASCAR without North Carolina, making it the spiritual home of the venerable motorsport. Race day warriors consider the Tar Heel state home of NASCAR Nation Marcus E Jones/Shutterstock North Carolina remains home to four tracks (none of which fans consider the worst track in NASCAR). The North Wilkesboro Speedway was one of the sport’s original tracks, holding its first race in 1949. The quarter-mile oval at Bowman Gray Stadium (aka “The Madhouse”) in Winston-Salem is NASCAR’s oldest weekly track, also operating since 1949. Dating back to 1965, Rockingham Speedway (the “Rock”) isn’t as old as those two, but it’s famous for its uniquely rough surface that requires extreme tire management. Last but not least, the crown jewel – Charlotte Motor Speedway, the 1.5-mile intermediate track that not only hosts the 600-mile marathon that is the Coca-Cola 600 each Memorial Day, but also converts into the 2.32-mile Roval road course. After NASCAR entered its “modern era” in 1972, it dropped many of the short tracks throughout the Carolinas. Those still operating in North Wilkesboro, Rockingham, and Charlotte each hosted two races per year, giving North Carolina a total of six races every season. Meanwhile, surrounding states like Tennessee (with tracks in Bristol and Nashville), Virginia (Richmond and Martinsville), Georgia (Atlanta), and South Carolina (Darlington) were only privy to two races.  As the sport progressed into the 1990s, the relatively small region (by West Coast standards) still hosted almost half of each season’s races (16 to 18), so it made sense for teams to set up their facilities locally. With North Carolina situated firmly in the middle, and Charlotte being the largest city in that area, it became the “Home of NASCAR” to both the sport and its legion of fans alike. Read More

While the 20th century brought humanity some of its most significant innovations across numerous fields, such as our most impactful modern invention, the internet, it was also marked by one of the darkest periods in modern human history: the Second World War. Each side in this terrible conflict was eager to gain the upper hand, which meant having the best weapons, gear, and troops, as well as topographical advantages. On the American side, the military had gathered some of the most talented minds of the century, from seasoned veterans to scientists eager to make an impact in the war.  However, it’s common knowledge that war is usually an insatiable machine, with an appetite for new gear and troops at every turn. While those with blessed minds and hands worked on vehicles and weapons, refining war tactics, a part of the U.S. Navy was busy training new carrier pilots in the Great Lakes. But how did things get to this point, and why couldn’t the military utilize the vast ocean waters surrounding the country’s outer borders? It only took one hour and fifteen minutes Let’s go back to one of the most devastating moments of World War II — one of the most devastating one hour and 15 minutes, to be exact. While the war itself involved many countries, the situation between the U.S. and Japan had been simmering for a while. Over the few decades prior to the war, Japan had been attempting to expand its empire into the rest of Asia and the Pacific by establishing colonies. Expansion equaled colonies, which would, in turn, bring resources to the country. As you would expect, Japan’s efforts, especially when it came to Asian natural resources and Chinese markets, pitted it against the U.S.  Japan had established a prominent presence in the northern Chinese province of Manchuria, even influencing its governance and changing its name. These events, along with many others such as sanctions from the U.S., were fuel to the fire that ultimately resulted in the chaos that engulfed the island of Oahu on December 7, 1941. It had been a calm morning before the skies darkened with 353 Japanese aircraft in what would be known as the attack on Pearl Harbor.  The USS Sable and USS Wolverine The attack was devastating, as you already know, with casualties reaching well over the 3,300 mark. American war gear and vehicles also saw significant damage, from several battleships being lost or destroyed to dozens of planes being taken out by the Japanese fleet. Following the attack, and with the U.S. officially entering World War II, the U.S. Navy found the need to increase the number of its carrier-qualified pilots. Enemy vessels patrolled the ocean waters, making the waters unsafe for training. So, the Navy chose the next best bet: the Great Lakes.  Captain R.F. Whitehead was at the forefront of choosing the Great Lakes as suitable training waters. Since the pilots undergoing the training program were to be carrier-qualified, actual carriers were required for the program. However, all the Navy’s carriers were already out for the war. To solve this issue, two passenger steamships were converted and commissioned with the names USS Sable and USS Wolverine. Wolverine, which might be the strangest warship ever used by the U.S. Navy, was the first to enter service, while Sable joined some months later. The Navy named these two carriers the Cornbelt Fleet and saw an impressive 15,000-plus aviators successfully train and graduate into carrier-qualified pilots, all within the safety of the United States of America.  Read More

grandbrothers/Shutterstock We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. It’s the dream of countless DIYers to have walls, cabinets, and drawers chock full of power tools from their favorite major brands for every occasion. But in reality, such a situation represents a significant investment in terms of time and money, with each piece in a collection having its purpose in suiting the needs of its owner. As a result, it can be helpful to perform a trial run of a power tool before fully committing to purchasing one — an act as easy to do as visiting your local Home Depot.  While many are well-aware of the Georgia-born chain as a top spot to purchase home improvement and construction products, fewer know that they can rent out an array of items from the retailer, including various handheld power tools. The biggest perk is the money being saved through the process. The amount spent on renting is far less than what you’d otherwise be paying to purchase the tool outright. This is especially important if the tool is only intended for one-time use or if you want to see how it fits your needs before buying. And as opposed to borrowing a used tool of questionable condition from a friend or family member, renting from Home Depot provides security in knowing you’re getting high-quality, functioning items and knowledgeable staff to turn to should problems arise. Deciding to rent a power tool from The Home Depot may be easy, but is the process itself as seamless? In short, Home Depot power tool renting is a straightforward process, although there are some important things to keep in mind before moving forward. What does the general rental process entail? Adam McCullough/Shutterstock The Home Depot’s tool selection is well-known for its variety in both functionality and price, with many surprisingly low-cost options worth buying. Its rental offerings are no exception. From impact drivers and power drills to circular saws and sanders, you’re likely to find something that suits your needs and experience level. The rental process itself is the same no matter the product you pick, with minor variations depending on your specific tool and location. You can search for available tools by visiting the rental page on Home Depot’s website. When you find the tool you want, you can select Check Availability, where you can read more about the specific product, your nearest rental location, and rental rates. The rate varies depending on the specific tool and the rental period, with Home Depot offering separate rates for a four-hour, daily, weekly, and monthly window.  Once everything seems in order, you can select Reserve for Store Pickup. You will be allowed to choose your pick-up and drop-off dates and times, pick your store location, and agree to the terms and conditions. A deposit will be taken at the time of pick up through credit card, while the rental fees paid during drop-off can be through either credit or debit card. A valid ID is also needed at the time of pick up for verification purposes.  What happens if damage or malfunction occurs? Renting out a power tool from The Home Depot can have plenty of benefits and is a pretty simple process to boot. But even then, there’s always the chance for things to go awry. If problems arise with your rented tool, Home Depot has procedures in place to assess and alleviate the situation.  It’s important to note that Home Depot isn’t sending you home with sub-par tools, even for renting. Home Depot’s staff ensures that any products being put up for rent are in functioning order before being lent out. However, there’s still always the potential of it breaking or malfunctioning during the rental period. To give customers peace of mind, the chain offers an optional Damage Protection fee, which costs 15% of the rental fee and covers any damage that occurs during the rental while using the tool for its intended purpose. While not the equivalent of full-on insurance coverage, it can still offer sufficient protection, especially for those who may be less familiar with the tool and are worried that it may sustain damage during their task.  It’s important to remember that this plan only covers tools being employed during normal use. Neglect, misuse, or instances where the tool receives damage while going against its intent are not granted this protection, and such costs are to be covered by the renter. Likewise, lost, missing, or unreturned tools are also not covered by this plan. Read More

Harbor Freight has become a one-stop shop for many in need of power and hand tools. Its catalogue features brands from Predator to Bauer, all featuring their own wide range of tools fit for any job. Many of the store’s offerings keep budget in mind, too, with Harbor Freight having several finds that are no-brainers at their price. With that said, not every Harbor Freight item has been a guaranteed hit for the store. In fact, this is even the case for tools and the brands behind them that are exclusive to Harbor Freight. Look no further than the uproar around a recent Icon drop. Icon has occupied Harbor Freight shelves for some time, providing customers with decent storage options, diagnostic tools, and hand tools at competitive prices. A recent addition to its lineup is a 52-piece 1/4-inch drive compact socket and bit set. Retailing for $79.99, this set includes a slim, locking flex-head ratchet, a spinner handle, a universal joint, 21 shallow sockets, and 24 steel insert bits, to name a few of the highlights. On top of all of that, the set comes in a solid reusable tool box. While this doesn’t seem like an out-of-the-ordinary offering from Icon or Harbor Freight, buyers aren’t loving it. Since this Icon set released, the Internet has become occupied with negative assessments of it. For more reasons than one, Harbor Freight customers aren’t happy. Many feel the main elements of this Icon set are lacking Of the many issues customers have taken with Icon’s new socket set, some of the biggest concern the main elements of the set. Redditor u/itbesandrodoe discussed the socket wrench in their post, noting that it’s not a pass-through model like in previous Icon sets. To use the new elements with the older pass-through version, it requires a 1/4-inch adapter bit and an extender. Many in the comments voiced their frustration over this, such as u/BucsLegend_TomBrady, who wrote, “people literally wanted the original plus sockets. It was the easiest gameplan possible. Instead they redesigned the whole thing and made it worse in multiple places.” ThingsMen on YouTube covered the socket swap in their review of the new Icon set. Their demonstration showed just how inconvenient and unnecessary all the extra hardware is just to use bits, which the old pass-through style socket could’ve avoided entirely. In a separate Reddit thread, u/PerryTheAlligator addressed the socket switch, also covering another big issue with the set: “The screw driver handle doesn’t go on the ratchet without using a socket and a hex bit.” Commenter u/Coltron_Actual went as far as to say that they’re just gonna pass on this set entirely, even if it means having to mix Makita sockets with their current Icon hardware. While plenty of Harbor Freight’s Icon tools are worth a buy, some should be avoided. Already, this socket set seems to lean in the latter direction with customers, and that’s before even discussing the price controversy. Debate has arisen regarding price and value, too The latest Icon socket set comes with a $79.99 price tag. In most contexts, that’s a good chunk of change to spend, and in this case, many customers believe it’s far too much for what the kit includes. u/bestwoodinthewest commented, “The offerings for this price point + no pass through on the ratchet was a huge let down after all the hype for this kit,” while u/TJBurkeSalad feels it lacks in terms of usefulness and new tools at such a cost. The Den of Tools broke the set down in their YouTube review, adding their belief that a price between $69.99 and $55 would be much more reasonable. Some even think the price of this kit makes it worth looking into similar sets from other brands. “If you do a quick search on Amazon you’ll see a lot of good competition with better value. Not a bargain for sure,” wrote u/Crooked_crosses. Meanwhile, there are those out there that can somewhat justify the $80 asking price. For instance, u/pson7 broke down the contents of the kit, figuring that it should be around $115 given individual tool prices. It’s just to bad that Harbor Freight appears to have discontinued its 20% off coupons, as one could’ve gone a long way in softening the financial blow when buying this set. Evidently, this Icon set is far from a winner. One can only hope that the brand’s future socket kits will have more folks rushing through the doors of their local Harbor Freight to buy it, rather than return it. Read More

Cars can almost feel like another family member. Cars take us to key moments in our lives, ferry us back and forth to work, protect our families during long journeys. Heck, if the back seat was spacious enough, some of us were even conceived in a car. Sadly, nothing lasts forever, and most cars are ultimately destined for the scrapyard as their final destination. But if you’re smart and know your way around your vehicle, your car can be of service, even as scrap. Cars are complex machines made up of hundreds of parts, many of which are quite valuable, even if the car itself is a jalopy. Before dropping your car off at the junkyard and calling it a day, check and see if your car has individual parts that could be sold for cash, which could go into the purchase of your next car. Think about how good hunters are supposed to use every piece of the animal’s corpse. Even in death, a good car has plenty of pieces that are worth money to pawn shops, junk dealers, and scrap collectors. These are 13 of the most valuable parts from your junk car.  Hubcaps Watch any old gangster movie, and chances are, the criminal subject of the film got his start stealing hubcaps. It’s the classic gateway crime. It’s a quick and easy way to steal something and show the world that you’re a “bad boy” with no respect for authority. That being said, juvenile delinquents don’t steal hubcaps just for the fun of it. They do it to get some money in their pocket. But also for the fun of it. (SlashGear does not condone stealing hubcaps, no matter how fun or profitable it may or may not be) These days, most hubcaps are made of plastic and aren’t very valuable. But older cars had metal hubcaps that were just about worth their weight in scrap metal. They’re not going to make you rich or anything, but if your car has metal hubcaps, be sure to sell them off before sending your old junker off to that great junkyard in the sky. They’re easy to remove and scrap metal is always in demand somewhere or another… which is probably why they switched to cheap, plastic hubcaps in the first place. Car Seats When we think of car parts that suffer from wear and tear, we think of under-the-hood components like the engine or undercarriage parts like catalytic converters and exhaust pipes, but one overlooked car component is the seat. Unless you’re some kind of Cirque du Soleil enthusiast, whenever you’re driving the car, you’re sitting in the driver’s seat. Likewise, passenger seats are always seeing action, either from human butts or grocery bags. Thus, there’s always a market for automobile seat replacements. You can get more than $25 or so for a car seat in reasonable condition, so the more seats you have, the more money you can earn. Though for a part like this, you might be better off finding someone who could benefit from your own used parts and go together to a mechanic who can swap the seats, cutting out the junkyard middleman entirely. However, if that’s not an option, a junkyard will still have you ending the day with more cash in your pocket than when you woke up, and that’s always a good thing. Catalytic Converter Catalytic converters were mandated in all American vehicles as part of the 1970s crackdown on unregulated harmful automobile emissions. This one part significantly improves the carbon footprint of any automobile to which it’s attached. Getting into just how a catalytic converter works is beyond the scope of this story, but rest assured, it’s a fancy piece of hardware, and if it’s fancy, it’s expensive. Catalytic converters contain precious metals like platinum and palladium, which are worth more than gold. On an old, broken-down car, the catalytic converter alone could be worth more than the entire vehicle combined. When a car is at the end of its lifespan, selling off the catalytic converter can put a few hundred bucks in your pocket, or more if it’s a particularly old model that contains more platinum and other rare metals. Catalytic converters are also a common target for thieves, so be careful where you park, especially if you’re driving a vintage vehicle. Windshield Wiper Arms Every part of a scrapped car is worth something. Even something as seemingly insignificant as the windshield wiper arm can be worth a few bucks if it’s in reasonably fresh condition. If you haven’t changed windshield wiper blades in a while, it’s probably not worth much more than garbage, but if they’re specialized models that have suffered minimal wear and tear, you might be able to get a maximum of $65 for each one, but that’s at the very high end. You’re more likely to get less than $5 per arm on most models. Still, better than just throwing it in the trash, right? Windshield wiper blades are something of a wildcard. They might be worth virtually nothing, or they might, surprisingly, be worth more than you thought. When selling parts to junkyards or pawn shops, it might be worth checking multiple outlets, like getting a second opinion from a doctor. Some buyers might not be aware of the true value of a particular item. Or, equally likely, they might try to maximize their profits by hoping you won’t realize the value of your own junked car. That being said, don’t be surprised if your junker isn’t worth as much as you’d like. It’s called “junk” for a reason. Glass (Windows & Windshield) If you ding your bumper, it’s annoying, but survivable. Even if you get sideswiped, you might lose some paint or get a nasty dent, but it won’t destroy your vehicle. However, if a rock, chunk of ice, or other piece of debris cracks your windshield, now you’re in real trouble. Driving with a significant windshield crack is illegal, so if your windshield

Gupshup, a business messaging startup that began its journey in India over two decades ago and became a unicorn four years ago, has raised a new over $60 million round — but is keeping its new valuation under wraps. In 2021, Gupshup raised two funding rounds within four months, securing $340 million from prominent investors including Tiger Global, Fidelity Management, Think Investments, and Malabar Investments. These rounds — the startup’s first in roughly a decade — valued Gupshup at $1.4 billion. However, Fidelity, which led the round following its unicorn milestone, slashed its internal valuation of the startup at least three times between 2023 and 2024, bringing it down to as low as $486 million. The new funding round, which combines equity and debt financing from Globespan Capital Partners and EvolutionX Debt Capital, aims to help the San Francisco-headquartered startup expand its presence across its high-growth markets, including India, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. The startup would not reveal the exact debt portion although its founder and CEO Beerud Seth told TechCrunch that the equity part is “a little more than half.” In 2004, Gupshup — derived from Indian slang meaning “conversations” — started as a platform to help businesses connect with their customers through text messages. It gained popularity as text messages were not free at the time, and people were seeking ways to send messages to their friends and community groups. However, as communication shifted from short messaging service (SMS) to WhatsApp and Rich Communication Services (RCS), the startup moved to these avenues with its chatbot services. Now, as AI has become a catchall term, and AI agents — software that can perform specific tasks on behalf of users — have emerged everywhere, Gupshup has started enabling businesses to deploy agents. “There’s a lot of demand coming from enterprises. Everybody needs to build these AI agents, which work through messaging like RCS and WhatsApp or through voice. So, building out these agents, there’s huge demand, and we need to support it,” Seth said. Globally, AI agents are gaining traction, with startups building them drawing strong investor interest. Tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are also exploring how to bring more of these agents to users through their own platforms. The result: competition is heating up. Techcrunch event San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025 Gupshup does not view the rising competition as a threat. Seth pointed to the startup’s substantial install base — which exceeds 50,000 customers across more than 100 countries — and its track record of product innovation, driven by years of experience in business messaging, strategic acquisitions, and internal R&D. “Businesses cannot use simple foundation models off the shelf and just put them in front of customers. They need a lot of customization to be done, and that’s where Gupshup comes in. That’s what we provide,” he noted. Since its last round in July 2021, the startup “tripled” its revenue and grew its profitability, Sheth said. However, it is unclear whether that resulted in an increased valuation, as, he said, this latest round was not priced. “As a founder, you focus on value, and the valuation will follow,” Seth said when asked whether he still considers the startup a unicorn. “We operate ourselves like we are going to be a big company.” Alongside expanding geographically, the startup aims to utilize its fresh funding to enhance its products, which are used in industries including automotive, banking, e-commerce, fintech, media, payments, retail, and travel. Its products also include click-to-chat ads, an AI campaign copilot, agent assist, and campaign manager. Gupshup claims to power over 120 billion messages annually for thousands of enterprises. Looking ahead, the startup sees an IPO as its next major milestone. “We’re talking to all our advisors, lawyers, bankers, accountants, and so on, to figure this out,” Seth said. The startup has no specific timeline for its public listing, although Seth told TechCrunch that it could happen in 18–24 months. Gupshup is exploring whether it should list on Indian stock exchanges — a move that makes strategic sense, as the startup views India, where WhatsApp dominates, as a more favorable market. Among the reasons: it’s easier to communicate its story to local retail investors, who are more familiar with WhatsApp and understand how Gupshup’s products, including its AI agents, operate within the platform. However, since Gupshup is domiciled in the U.S., a flip to India would trigger tax liabilities, which could require additional funding. The IPO “is the one thing that we don’t control entirely. The calendar depends as much on external factors as it does on the company,” Seth said. Read More

PayPal announced Wednesday it has partnered with global wallet companies to create a platform called PayPal World that is designed to make cross-border commerce easier. The platform will allow users to pay others using their local wallets and payment systems. The company said the launch partners include India’s NPCI International Payments Limited, which operates mobile payments framework UPI (Unified Payment Interface), China’s Tenpay Global (Tencent’s Payment arm), which operates Weixin (WeChat) payment ecosystem in the country, along with PayPal and Venmo. The company has also signed an memorandum of understanding with Latin America’s Mercado Pago, a fintech company that enables card and mobile payments, while the final details of the deals are being ironed out. With these partnerships, PayPal wants to cover more than two billion users across the world. “PayPal World is a first-of-its-kind payments ecosystem that will bring together many of the world’s largest payment systems and digital wallets on a single platform,” Alex Chriss, President and CEO of PayPal said in a statement. “The challenge of moving money across borders is incredibly complex, and yet this platform will make it so simple for nearly two billion consumers and businesses. We believe the changes we are announcing today have the potential to be a real game changer over time.” The fintech company said that through PayPal World, PayPal and Venmo users will be able to send money to anyone in the world, even if they aren’t a PayPal user. For instance, when they are traveling in China, they can use PayPal on the Wexin payment network to pay to local businesses. On the flip side, if a customer from India is buying from a site in the U.S., they can use PayPal to check out and pay through their UPI wallet. Techcrunch event San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025 Total user base and transaction volume of these wallet systems are massive. For instance, Mercado Pago’s total payment volume was $58.3 billion in the first quarter of 2025. In India, UPI transactions hit more than $238 billion just for the month of June, according to NPCI data. China’s Tenpay is also working on creating a better remittance framework along with enabling cross-border peer-to-peer payments. “We are glad that Tenpay Global, Tencent’s cross-border payment platform, will support users of PayPal and Venmo in making payments by scanning Weixin Pay1 QR codes, further expanding access for global digital wallets to transact in the mainland of China. In addition to payments, Tenpay Global will deepen its collaboration with PayPal World in remittances,” Wenhui Yang, CEO of Tenpay Global, said. PayPal World is set to kick off the platform this fall with its launch partners. The company said that in 2026, Venmo users will be able to pay for shopping both online and offline for merchants that support PayPal’s payments. Ivan covers global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web. You can reach out to him at im[at]ivanmehta[dot]com View Bio Read More