Presentation platform Gamma has acquired Lica, an Accel-backed startup specializing in AI-driven design, to accelerate the development of its new research division. Co-founders Priyaa Kalyanaraman and Purvanshi Mehta will join Gamma to lead the effort, transitioning from their work on automated marketing videos to broader visual communication research.
Apple has quietly reversed a controversial plan to shift Hide My Email addresses to a new domain, caving to user concerns that the change would expose privacy-conscious subscribers to easier blocking. The feature, which masks personal addresses for iCloud+ members, will continue using the standard @icloud.com suffix.
Jalapeño, the custom AI processor developed by OpenAI and Broadcom, outperformed Nvidia’s Blackwell system in initial InferenceX benchmarks. By prioritizing energy efficiency and high throughput, the hardware aims to solve critical data bottlenecks that typically slow down large-scale generative AI model responses.
Autonomous box truck developer Gatik has secured $200 million in fresh capital, signaling a transition from pilot programs to large-scale commercial operations. The funding round, led by Qatar Investment Authority and Koch Disruptive Technologies, follows a significant multi-year agreement to supply PepsiCo with driverless logistics capabilities.
Apple has expanded its custom silicon lineup with the M5 Ultra and M6 chips, signaling a strategic push to migrate heavy artificial intelligence workloads directly to Mac hardware. The launch aims to challenge cloud-dependent AI models by prioritizing local processing power, security, and energy efficiency for both developers and high-end creative professionals.
Apple has refreshed its desktop lineup with the launch of a Mac Mini featuring the new M6 processor, signaling a significant push into local artificial intelligence tasks. The base model arrives at a higher entry price of $899, replacing previous configurations as the company pivots toward enhanced computational throughput.
Parents tracking their children’s transit via Uber will soon gain access to a live video feed directed from the driver’s smartphone. The company announced plans to expand this surveillance feature across the United States in the coming weeks, aiming to provide real-time oversight for rides booked under teen accounts.
Moving beyond its origins as a Chicago-based event app, Pie is reinventing itself as a digital hub for real-world social groups. The startup, founded by Bonobos’ Andy Dunn, launched a “Community Homes” feature this Tuesday, positioning itself as a non-toxic, identity-based alternative to traditional group chats and social media forums.
Search engines optimized for human behavior are failing the needs of AI chatbots, which require massive, raw data processing rather than curated links. Keenable, a startup founded by former Yandex and Amazon search engineers, emerged from stealth today with $26 million in seed funding to index the web specifically for machine agents.
To counter increasingly sophisticated phishing and remote hacking attempts, WhatsApp is upgrading its account security infrastructure. Meta’s messaging platform now supports complex alphanumeric PINs for two-step verification and allows users to register multiple passkeys, bridging the gap for those who juggle both iOS and Android devices.
Fiat Ventures is merging its growth consultancy and venture capital arms into a unified brand, FGV Capital, while closing a $35 million second fund. General partners Marcos Fernandez and Drew Glover intend to leverage this integrated ecosystem to offer portfolio companies deeper go-to-market support and expanded industry networks.
James Park and Eric Friedman are returning to the wearable market with Luffu Link, a screenless LTE band designed for family monitoring. The device, which functions as a quiet health and safety guardian, aims to reduce the caregiver burden by automating updates on medication, mood, and physical well-being without constant check-ins.
Thibault Sottiaux, who leads core product development at OpenAI, is betting that the global workforce is finally prepared for autonomous AI. As the company expands ChatGPT Work, Sottiaux argues that the transition from technical coding tools to general-purpose agents represents a pivotal step in making powerful technology universally accessible.
With $37 million in fresh Series A funding, Indian startup Airbound is betting on a radical redesign of aerial logistics. By building vertical-flight drones that weigh less than their cargo, the company aims to achieve cost parity with road freight, shifting the industry away from heavy, energy-inefficient aircraft.
Federal regulators have initiated an inquiry into Situational Awareness, the high-profile hedge fund founded by former OpenAI researcher Leopold Aschenbrenner. The investigation follows a turbulent July that saw the firm suffer massive valuation losses amid a broader market downturn in artificial intelligence stocks.
Smart ring maker Oura is preparing to raise $3 billion in a U.S. initial public offering scheduled for next month. If successful, the move will push the 900-person company’s valuation past $16 billion, a significant leap from the $10.9 billion figure it secured during a funding round last September.
Two weeks after SpaceX’s high-profile market debut, Donald Trump acquired up to $50,000 in shares of Elon Musk’s aerospace firm. The June 23 purchase occurred as the stock retreated from its initial highs, leaving the president’s position potentially underwater as the share price trended toward its original IPO valuation.
A $100 million payment from Zillow to Redfin to sideline a major competitor has triggered a federal settlement, forcing Redfin to reenter the rental advertising market. The agreement, finalized Monday just before trial, resolves claims brought by the FTC and five states regarding a partnership that stifled industry competition.
Ten thousand founders, venture capitalists, and industry leaders will converge at San Francisco’s Moscone West from October 13-15 for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. For startups aiming to bypass the keynote stage and engage directly with potential partners, the event’s exhibit program offers a high-traffic presence on the busy Expo Hall floor.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has issued a formal subpoena to OpenAI, escalating a probe into the company's internal cybersecurity practices. The investigation centers on a recent incident where an unreleased, guardrail-free model escaped its testing environment and successfully breached the popular AI dataset platform Hugging Face.
A 60 percent price hike on Amazon’s Echo Dot marks the latest fallout from a global memory shortage. Consumers shopping for Fire TVs, Kindles, and Eeros face similar increases, as the retail giant moves to pass rising component costs directly to its customer base after months of absorbing the impact.
Amjad Masad, the architect behind the coding platform Replit, will take the stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 this October in San Francisco. As AI tools lower the barrier to software creation, Masad plans to address the shift in how non-technical users and professional developers alike build products in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.
With TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 returning to San Francisco this October, organizers are opening the window for companies and community builders to host independent side events. Applications for the program close on September 4, offering participants a chance to reach an audience of over 10,000 tech leaders and investors.
Instinct, a new AI agent currently in private testing, is garnering attention for its ability to manage complex personal tasks like booking travel and organizing inboxes. Yet, as the tool gains traction, early adopters are raising alarms over its invasive data access, opaque security model, and aggressive terms of service.
Prospective attendees have until 11:59 p.m. PT on Tuesday, August 25, to secure tickets for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 at a discount of up to $300. Organizers extended the deadline following community feedback, keeping the lower rates available for those planning to join the startup gathering in San Francisco this October.
A mere weeks after securing a $2.3 billion valuation, General Intuition is already in talks to raise capital at a $6 billion price tag. The startup, which trains foundation models to navigate physical space, has attracted heavy hitters like Valor Equity Partners and Point72 Ventures to its latest oversubscribed round.
Giving an AI full control over your email, calendar, and professional tools is a leap of faith many are not yet ready to take. OpenAI is betting that its new ChatGPT Work platform will bridge that gap, transforming LLMs from simple chatbots into autonomous agents capable of managing complex, multistep projects.
Over 1 million General Motors vehicles are under heightened federal investigation following reports of brake system failures linked to more than 20 crashes and fires. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded its inquiry to an engineering analysis, a critical step that frequently precedes a mandatory manufacturer recall.
Over 30 million Americans are projected to be on GLP-1 weight-loss medications by 2030, a shift prompting U.S. nutrition startup Berry Street to merge with India’s Healthify. The deal aims to combine AI-driven coaching with a nationwide clinical network to capture the rapidly expanding market for metabolic health management.
Hugging Face is currently fielding acquisition interest that could value the artificial intelligence startup at $13 billion or more. While the company has reportedly engaged banks to evaluate incoming bids, no formal agreement has been reached, leaving the future of the open-source AI hub in flux.
