Founded in 2005 by Michael Arrington and Keith Teare, TechCrunch emerged as a pioneering platform dedicated to covering the tech industry and startups. Arrington, a lawyer and entrepreneur, saw an opportunity to provide in-depth coverage of Silicon Valley's burgeoning startup scene, which he felt was underreported at the time. The site quickly gained traction and became a go-to source for tech news. In 2010, TechCrunch was acquired by AOL, which was later acquired by Verizon Media. Currently, TechCrunch is owned by Yahoo Inc., following Verizon Media's sale to Apollo Global Management in 2021. Today, TechCrunch is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and focuses primarily on technology news, covering startups, emerging and established tech companies, new products, and industry trends. They also report on related business, science, and cultural news that intersects with the tech world. The site is known for breaking news about tech industry developments, funding rounds, and major product launches. One interesting fact: TechCrunch is not just a news site but also organizes major tech events, including the annual Disrupt conference, which has become one of the most anticipated startup and technology events in the industry. These conferences have been launching pads for many successful startups and have featured high-profile speakers from the tech world.