For this week’s episode of Found we’re taking you backstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. Becca Szkutak had the chance to talk with Dan Lorenc, the CEO and co-founder of cybersecurity startup Chainguard, following their conversation onstage with prominent investors, The Chainsmokers.

The pair discuss how the EDM duo’s venture fund MANTIS went from being viewed skeptically by traditional VCs to becoming a highly sought-after investment partner in the B2B space, how Lorenc scaled the company in a difficult time for cybersecurity, and what value celebrity investors can add to a startup.

In this conversation they also discuss:

• Navigating tricky market timing after the SolarWinds attack in 2021
• How luck can play a major role when it comes to fundraising
• Pitching the value of this product to CISOs and CFOs
• The unique value that MANTIS adds to the company as they scale and work to stand out from other security tech companies

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop.

The Mozilla Foundation laid off 30 percent of its workforce and completely eliminated its advocacy and global programs divisions, TechCrunch reports. 

While Mozilla is best known for its Firefox web browser, the Mozilla Foundation — the parent of the Mozilla Corporation — describes itself as standing up “for the health of the internet.” With its advocacy and global programs divisions gone, its impact may be lessened going forward.

“The Mozilla Foundation is reorganizing teams to increase agility and impact as we accelerate our work to ensure a more open and equitable technical future for us all. That unfortunately means ending some of the work we have historically pursued and eliminating associated roles to bring more focus going forward,” Brandon Borrman, the Mozilla Foundation’s communications chief, said in an email to TechCrunch.

This is Mozilla’s second round of layoffs this year. In February, the Mozilla Corporation laid off around 60 workers said it would be making a “strategic correction” that would involve involve cutting back its work on a Mastodon instance. Mozilla shut down its virtual 3D platform and refocused its efforts on Firefox and AI. The Mozilla Foundation had around 120 employees before this more recent round of layoffs, according to TechCrunch.

In an email sent to all employees on October 30th, Nabhia Syed, the foundation’s executive director, said that the advocacy and global programs divisions “are no longer part of our structure.”

“Navigating this topsy-turvy, distracting time requires laser focus — and sometimes saying goodbye to the excellent work that has gotten us this far because it won’t get us to the next peak,” wrote Syed, who previously worked as the chief executive of The Markup, an investigative news site. “Lofty goals demand hard choices.” 

The Mozilla Foundation did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

• Criminals are adding hundreds of malicious packages to npm
• The packages try to fetch a stage-two payload to infect the machines
• The crooks went to lengths to hide where they host the malware

Software developers, especially those working with cryptocurrencies, are once again facing a supply chain attack via open source code repositories.

Cybersecurity researchers from Phylum have warned a threat actor has uploaded hundreds of malicious packages to the open source package repository npm. The packages are typosquatted versions of Puppeteer and Bignum.js. Developers who are in need of these packages for their products, might end up downloading the wrong version by mistake, since they all come with similar names.

When you buy a Google Pixel 9 Pro or iPhone 16 Pro, you know how much you’re paying. Both phones have retail prices of $1,000. They’re expensive, but they’re in line with other flagship smartphones.

But is that the real price of the phones? That’s how much you pay, but how much do Google and Apple pay to make the handsets? Thanks to some new data, we finally have an answer.

Recent data indicates that the production costs for Google’s Pixel 9 Pro are lower than many expected. According to Nikkei, the Google Pixel 9 Pro costs Google approximately $406 to manufacture. This includes $80 for the device’s Tensor G4 chipset, $75 for the Samsung M14 display panel, and $61 for the camera components. Jukanlosreve on X (formerly Twitter) provided this breakdown.

The manufacturing cost of the Pixel 9 Pro is about 11% lower than that of the Pixel 8 Pro. However, the newer model features a smaller display and battery. The Pixel 9 Pro XL, not the Pixel 9 Pro, is more comparable to the Pixel 8 Pro. This year’s lineup includes three models — the standard Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL — marking the first time since the Pixel 4 XL was launched in 2019 that the Pixel series has featured three models.

The same Nikkei report revealed that Apple’s cost to produce the iPhone 16 Pro is $568 per unit. This includes $110 for the M14 display, $91 for the camera components, and $135 for the A18 chipset. The total cost is slightly lower than that of the iPhone 15 Pro.

The Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro feature a 6.3-inch OLED display with a dynamic refresh rate of 120Hz. The Pixel 9 Pro has a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 48MP telephoto lens. In contrast, the iPhone 16 Pro offers a 58MP primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP telephoto lens.

The Pixel 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro start at $1,000 in the U.S. According to the bill of materials, Google appears to profit more per unit than Apple.

The global tablet market saw notable gains in the third quarter of 2024, with Samsung emerging as a top player due to the Galaxy Tab S10 series. According to a recent report by IDC, tablet shipments worldwide grew by 20.4% year-over-year, with Samsung achieving an 18.3% growth, largely attributed to its latest Galaxy Tab S10 lineup. This surge highlights Samsung’s focus on diverse models to meet market demands.

Samsung capitalizes on Galaxy Tab S10 growth

Samsung shipped 7.1 million units in Q3, securing a robust 17.9% market share. The Galaxy Tab S10 series, especially the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and Galaxy Tab S10+, drove much of this growth. The premium features of the Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra and S10+ models, which include advanced AI functions, have helped Samsung attract a wider customer base, particularly in commercial deployments.

IDC analysts note that the Galaxy Tab S10 growth highlights Samsung’s focus on premium offerings alongside its more affordable Galaxy Tab A9 series, which also contributed significantly to sales in various regions. The dual approach has enabled the tech giant to cater to different customer segments, further solidifying its position in the tablet market.

The Galaxy Tab A9 series was another success story for Samsung in Q3 2024. These models, priced for budget-conscious consumers, found strong demand across multiple regions, particularly in emerging markets. This combination of premium and budget models has helped the company capture market share more effectively, especially as consumer demand for cost-effective technology solutions grows.

With the Galaxy Tab S10 growth continuing, Samsung’s diverse lineup allows the company to attract both high-end and entry-level consumers. This strategy not only boosts sales but also helps the company maintain a competitive edge against other Android tablet manufacturers.

Competitors see mixed Growth as Samsung advances

While Samsung experienced significant growth, other Android-based manufacturers reported varied results. Amazon saw a remarkable 111.3% year-over-year increase in tablet shipments, mainly driven by Prime Day deals on its Fire tablet series. Lenovo also recorded moderate gains, though it dropped to fifth place in global rankings. Meanwhile, Apple, despite its 31.7% market share, reported only 1.4% growth, indicating a slower pace compared to Android competitors.

The tablet segment remains competitive, but Samsung’s diverse offerings and focus on innovation solidify its standing as a strong alternative to Apple’s iPad lineup.