gshc2020.com

Rebecca Liu-Doyle, managing director at Insight Partners, said Passionfroot is placed well at a time when creators are specializing as AI companies look for more visibility.

“Passionfroot has the perfect dynamics on both sides to warrant a true marketplace for B2B creators. On the demand side, there is increasing consumerization of the way B2B brands go to market. That’s a product of, in part, AI technology requiring evangelism, narrative building, and education. On the supply side, there are people who have real expertise, understand a market deeply, and want to create quality content,” she told TechCrunch over a call.

With the funding, the Berlin-based startup’s co-founder and CEO, Jen Phan, is moving to New York, where Passionfroot is opening an office to expand its U.S. operations. The company is also opening an office in São Paulo, and expanding its current headcount of 15 employees.

As AI makes it easier to build products, companies are focusing on using creators to improve brand recall and recognition, Phan said.

“Every head of marketing or growth leader I’m talking to is saying really the same thing: AI is commoditizing software and flooding every category with new products, features, and launches. It’s incredibly crowded and noisy. That is why B2B buyers are going to channels like LinkedIn, a creator’s Substack, or a podcast on YouTube to discover new products and tools,” she said.

Phan said over the last year, the company increased its revenue by 13 times, and onboarded clients such as ElevenLabs, Figma, Replit, Framer, and Gamma.

Since its last fundraise in 2024, the company has released an AI agent called Zest, which helps brands create, execute and monitor the performance of campaigns. Passionfruit claims Zest can also help companies find suitable creators both inside and outside the platform that are suited to its marketing strategy.

The startup says it uses a proprietary creator graph based on data about reach and performance from thousands of campaigns. There’s also a wallet that companies can use to pay creators across the globe, and measure their expenditure.

Passionfroot claims it has paid at least $10 million to creators on its platform in the last 18 months.

The company says it is working on helping its clients measure how a campaign is impacting AI citations, and how their brand appears in AI-powered answers. The startup is also planning to build AI features for creators, such as helping them with monetization tips and content ideas.

The funding comes as creator platforms like Substack and Beehiiv move to help creators find better monetization opportunities. Beehiiv launched a new community and ad marketplace last week, and Substack has introduced subscriber-only perks within newsletters.

Passionfroot’s Series A also saw participation from existing investors Creandum, Supernode Global, and s16vc. The company has raised more than $21 million so far.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

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 contact or verify outreach from Ivan by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at ivan.42 on Signal.

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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 was my favorite phone of 2025. It put the versatility of a bendy, tablet-sized display in a chassis that was just as thin and light as a traditional handset without any major compromises to its performance, camera quality or durability. But now for 2026, even with the appearance of a cheaper base model packing a wider design, Samsung is basically running it back by slapping a new Ultra tag on its flagship foldable while providing a handful of smaller tweaks and improvements.

Design

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

For those familiar with the previous model, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra looks like a carbon copy, aside from a handful of new color options that include violet shadow, cream, graphite and green shadow (the latter of which is an online exclusive on Samsung.com). You still get a super thin aluminum frame with IP48 dust and water resistance and a side-mounted fingerprint reader built into its lock button. Even its dimensions are essentially unchanged, with it measuring 8.9mm thick and weighing 215 grams. However, after picking it up and playing around with it, I did notice some subtle but significant changes.

In order to address complaints about last year's phone being hard to open, Samsung added more rounded corners and tapered edges to the Z Fold 8 Ultra. This does the trick while also making the phone feel a tiny bit thinner than it actually is. And in some ways it is, because when unfolded, due to changes on the inside of its frame, Samsung managed to shave off 0.1mm, which technically makes this the skinniest Z Fold Ever at 4.1mm. The Ultra's 6.5-inch exterior and 8-inch interior displays are also pretty much the same, as they feature rich AMOLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates. But now, peak brightness is a touch higher at 3,000 nits (up from 2,600 nits).

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Perhaps the biggest change is on the inside of the phone, where Samsung's Flex Titanium tech adds a new titanium alloy layer beneath the phone's flexible OLED display. This works in combination with the existing rigid titanium plate to ensure that the phone's display is better supported while reducing potential air pockets and minimizing the appearance of a crease. That said, there is still a very faint indent that runs down the middle of the screen, but it's so minor now that it's basically an afterthought.

Performance, charging and cameras

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

As expected, the Z Fold 8 Ultra is getting a speed bump thanks to the inclusion of a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip. This is certainly welcome, but it's not like the previous model was hurting for horsepower. Memory options are also staying the same with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB onboard storage. This is nice because with the current global memory shortage, there was a concern that Samsung might have to make some cuts, but thankfully that's not the case.

Samsung is giving both the base Z Fold 8 and the Ultra a big boost to their charging speeds, which now stands at 45 watts when using a wire (up from 25W) or up to 20 watts wirelessly (up from 15W). The downside is that with Samsung so focused on thinness, the company skipped adding a magnetic ring inside the phone, which means out of the box, it's merely "Qi 2 ready." That said, Samsung says that most of its first-party cases will come with built-in magnets. As long as you don't mind a bit of added bulk, there's still an easy way to make the phone compatible with Qi 2-based accessories like battery packs and grips.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Speaking of batteries, by adding a bit of silicon carbon chemistry to the Z Fold 8's traditional lithium ion cells for the first time, Samsung has also delivered a big jump in capacity to 5,000mAh (up from 4,400mAh).

Meanwhile for its camera, there's a new 50-megapixel sensor for the ultra-wide lens, which joins the existing 200MP main cam and 10MP telephoto cam with a 3x zoom. Furthermore, the Z Fold 8 line also supports 8K video recording across both models alongside a new Fan Cam feature that allows you to track subjects and adjust your final clip's aspect ratio for easier post-shot editing. Both of these additions are nice, but to me, they're a bit too niche to be truly exciting.

New software features and updates

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

Some other additions include an expanded role for Samsung's Now Nudge, which is getting a dedicated button and notification support. It's now easier for the phone to surface helpful info without being limited strictly to the Samsung keyboard. And by collaborating with Google, Samsung is including some of the intelligent automation tools we first saw previewed on the S26 Ultra. These allow you to do things like order food or buy concert tickets using voice controls, without manually doing all the little steps in between.

Early thoughts

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

After using the Z Fold 8 Ultra for around two hours, I'm kind of conflicted. Barring something like a recall, I'm confident it will be a great device, mainly because it's so similar to last year's phone — which I love. It's hard to complain about getting a bigger battery, a new ultra-wide cam, a faster processor and much speedier charging. It also feels nicer thanks to little design tweaks like Samsung's new tapered edges.

My main issue is that the base Z Fold 8 now exists, which offers a wider chassis that makes watching movies and shows much more enjoyable. And while the standard model is missing a telephoto camera and has a slightly smaller battery and displays, you still get the same processor, charging capabilities, software and brightness as the Ultra for $200 less. That's a big factor on a phone that starts at over $2,000.

Sam Rutherford for Engadget

I still want to use both phones more before making a final decision. But what I think I really want from the Ultra is for Samsung to use the same basic design as its cheaper sibling while increasing the size of its main display to 8.4 inches or so, and adding back that zoom camera (and S Pen support for that matter). As it is, this phone feels more like a second-gen Galaxy Z Fold 7 instead of being a proper Ultra version of the base Z Fold 8. But if you're the kind of person who cares more about productivity and multitasking than consuming content, the Ultra may still be a welcome option for demanding power users.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is available for pre-order now starting at $2,100, with official sales beginning on August 7. %!s()

Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra foldable smartphone, the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the new flagship in the company's expanded foldable lineup. The model brings improvements across the board over its predecessor, with a higher-resolution display, a sharper ultrawide camera, a bigger battery and a faster processor. It's not to be confused with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, an all-new (slightly cheaper) model with a smaller but much wider display. 

Before diving into the specs, it's worth a look at the dimensions and displays of both new Z Fold 8 phones to understand the difference. The new Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has nearly identical dimensions to the Z Fold 7 but is 0.1 mm thinner at 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.1 mm unfolded. However, the Z Fold 8 is actually wider than the Z Fold 8 Ultra is tall, at 123.9 x 161.4 x 4.5 mm unfolded. 

That's reflected in the unfolded screen resolution as well: 2,504 x 2,256 for the Z Fold 8 Ultra and 1,848 x 2,448 for the Z Fold 8. The cover screens, meanwhile, are 1,080 x 2,520 for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and 1,248 x 1,972 for the Z Fold 8. All displays on both devices use Samsung's AMOLED 2X tech with 120Hz adaptive refresh rates and Vision Booster.

Weight is always a concern with foldable phones, but the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is among the lightest out there at 215 grams (7.58 oz), more than 40 grams less than the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and the same as the Z Fold 7. Samsung didn't tout any big changes in the hinge design, which shouldn't be an issue because the previous model "glides open and closed like a dream," we wrote in our Engadget review, while offering IP48 dust and water resistance.

Though the design is largely unchanged, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has a number of spec upgrades. The 200-megapixel main camera has the same resolution as before but has been upgraded with high dynamic range (HDR) for richer, brighter images. It now offers a new 50MP ultrawide camera, up from 12MP, offering more detail in both wide and close-up shots, though the 10MP telephoto camera is unchanged. Another key update is the addition of an APV codec and Cine LUT that allows for higher-quality and more flexible 8K video.

Naturally, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has the latest (but now slightly old) Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy chip, promising smoother app switching and better support for the large display. It also comes with a larger 5,000 mAh battery, up from 4,400 mAh before. Samsung also introduced a new dual-path charging architecture with 45-watt fast charging, which it says helps distribute power more efficiently across the battery system for more stable and reliable charging. 

Other key specs are unchanged, and as mentioned, the Galaxy Z Fold 8's design is largely unchanged from the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with the same dimensions and weight. It's now on pre-order at major carriers and retailers, including Amazon, AT&T and Best Buy. The price starts at an eye-watering $2,100, $100 more than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with shipping set to start on August 8. For more, see our hands-on look.  %!s()

As part of its Galaxy Unpacked 2026 event, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 8, one of three new foldable phones along with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra. The new device largely retains the design of the previous model (including the cameras, unfortunately), but it's slimmer and there's now more to activity happening on the cover display.

The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is the smallest, and some may argue the most fun of all the Samsung foldables. It weighs just 180 grams and when folded is a very pocketable 85.7 x 75.4 x 13.1 mm (3.37 x 2.97 x 0.51 inches). Unfolded, it's the size of a regular smartphone at 166.9 x 75.4 x 6.1 mm (6.57 x 2.97 x 0.24 inches). That's slightly lighter, smaller and slimmer than the last model. 

The main screen is a 6.9-inch AMOLED 2X (1,080 x 2,520) display with 120Hz adapative refresh rate and Vision Booster. The cover, or what Samsung also calls the Flex Window, is a 4.1-inch 948 x 1,048 AMOLED screen with a 60/120Hz refresh rate. Those display sizes and resolutions are the same as the Galaxy Z Flip 7. 

The new Flex Window is where most of the new features lie. It brings "apps, insights and actions" directly to the cover screen, along with a feature called Now Brief that offers "next steps and timely insights" to give you glanceable information. It also makes automation through Gemini Intelligence easier to access from the Flex Window, "allowing users to complete connected actions through side-key activation or natural voice requests." 

In our Engadget review, we weren't fond of the dated cameras in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and unfortunately, Samsung hasn't changed those. You still get a 50MP f/1.8 main (wide) camera, 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP selfie camera. Of course, you can use the main camera for selfies with the cover display and employ features like the "Camcorder Grip" mode that lets you shoot horizontally while holding the bottom part of the phone. Video shooting at up to 4K 60 fps now features a new horizontal lock option that keeps the horizon steady, a feature found on action cameras like the GoPro Hero 13. 

Like the other foldable models, the Z Flip 8 comes with Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor, which should offer a boost in performance and battery life. However, the battery itself is unchanged from last year's 4,300 mAh dual battery and charging speeds remain the same with 25W max wired and 15W wireless charging rates. 

Despite being a minor refresh, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 costs $100 more than before with a $1,200 starting price. It's now on preorder at Samsung, Best Buy, Amazon and other retailers, with shipping starting on August 7.  %!s()

Based on the couple of hours I’ve put into the very early preview build of Wreckreation 2, I can, for now, at least optimistically say, “Maybe.” I don’t say that to hype this game up too much or judge it too harshly. Rather, studio head Fiona Sperry (herself a veteran of the Burnout days at Criterion Games) wanted to emphasize that this is an extremely early version of what they’re building.

With that in mind, I loaded up the demo and its dozen-plus events and a couple of upgradeable cars, expecting a rough, buggy mess that might have a kernel of greatness at its core that the team at When Tides Turn just needed time to build and polish into a pearl. And to my pleasant surprise, I instead found the section of the fictional Heartbreak City on offer to be pretty solid on my 5080-powered PC – completely devoid of the framerate hitches and bugs cited by Luke in his review of the first Wreckreation. Does that guarantee that the final version of Wreckreation 2 will also be polished and free of bugs? Certainly not; again, by Sperry’s own admission, this sequel is still early in development. But it’s making a really strong first impression on me.

Road Rage events are ripped straight from Burnout.“

Why? Just as with the first Wreckreation, which I confess I somehow completely missed when it came out, Wreckreation 2 is quite proudly trying to build what is essentially Burnout Paradise 2 in all but name. The shiny visual style is very similar, as is the pop-punk soundtrack. Heck, the flaming turbo meter in the bottom left corner is identical to the one found in Burnout. Even Heartbreak City itself feels reminiscent of Paradise City.

But of course, the play’s the thing, as Shakespeare once wrote, and the team at When Tides Turn recommended I leave the difficulty at its default setting: Hard. I did, and they were right: as I flew around the tracks staked out within the downtown area of the city at blindingly high speeds, I was met by equally aggressive AI drivers who could dish out shunts and takedowns admirably well. Meanwhile, the arcade-y handling of the cars felt instantly familiar and pretty dang good; the handbrake (on the Xbox gamepad’s X button) can get your car around a 90-degree turn pretty quickly if you feather it just right, while stomping on it too hard will slow your car down to a crawl. And slamming into other cars feels weighty, as it should. And if you do get wrecked, you’ve got aftertouch, just like in Burnout, meaning you can nudge your slow-motion-crashing car in any direction to try and take out any approaching opponents along with you.

The events in my preview – aside from free-driving around the city to smash barriers and gates marked on the mini-map – were instantly recognizable to any Burnout fan. My favorite of what was on offer were the two Road Rage events. These are ripped straight from Burnout, so you already know what you’ll be doing: takedowns of rival cars. Each takedown adds time to the clock and gets you closer to the next milestone. For instance, you might need three takedowns for a bronze medal, 7 for a silver, and a dozen for gold.

Everything else in my early build were races of some variety, be they lap-based circuits, single-lap sprints, or one-on-one matchups that would win you a new or upgraded car. Both cars available in the demo – the supercar-styled Dearborn & Schaeffer Nightranger and the ‘57 Chevy-like Huntsville Nebraska – have superior versions you can unlock for your garage. And they do indeed handle quite differently, with the Nightranger being quicker, faster, and lighter (and thus weaker against attempted takedowns) and the Nebraska being the opposite: tankier.

Admittedly, there wasn’t much to do just driving around the open world after I’d completed every event in this early version, but that’s just it: it’s early. And so I’m trying to give When Tides Turn the benefit of the doubt while also keeping my own excitement in check. There’s a long way to go here, by the team’s own admission, but what I’ve already spent a couple hours with is really fun. If Wreckreation 2 can clean up the mistakes the first one made while focusing on being a modern-day Burnout Paradise – with the reasonable caveat that this attempt probably won’t have nearly the manpower or budget behind it that Burnout did in its heyday at EA – then we might have the closest thing we’ve seen yet to a proper Burnout Paradise sequel. That’s the ceiling here. The floor is, unfortunately, another flawed and underbaked attempt like the last one was. But I’m genuinely optimistic that we’re heading for the better outcome here – particularly after the early preview version already addresses some of the criticisms of the first Wreckreation.

Wreckreation 2 will be developed “out in the open” for fans to see, so seek out When Tides Turn’s Discord to follow along. A PC release will happen first, with console versions planned to follow. Fingers crossed that the fourth time is the charm to finally, fully recapture the magic of Burnout.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's executive editor of previews and host of both IGN's weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our semi-retired interview show, IGN Unfiltered. His favorite Burnout is Burnout 3: Takedown, because Burnout Revenge's traffic-checking just didn't work as well in his opinion. Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan. %!s()