TechCrunch Startup News

The family-focused AI assistant wants access to the details of your everyday life, but says it won’t use that data to train AI models or share it with others. Ultrahuman is targeting a $200 million annual revenue run rate by January 2027 as it builds a new Qualcomm-powered smart ring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our rebranded Boston event, TechCrunch Founder Summit (formerly All Stage), is back on November 4th! And we are looking for some incredible volunteers to help us make this event happen. If you are interested in finding out what goes into building tech events, apply to volunteer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our rebranded Boston event, ⁠TechCrunch Founder Summit⁠ (formerly All Stage), is back on November 4th! And we are looking for some incredible volunteers to help us make this event happen. If you are interested in finding out what goes into building tech events, ⁠apply to volunteer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wonderful's $550M Series C was led by Insight Partners, with Salesforce, Index Ventures, IVP, Vine Ventures, 9Yards and Bessemer participating. Also, Our rebranded Boston event, TechCrunch Founder Summit (formerly All Stage), is back on November 4th! And we are looking for some incredible volunteers to help us make this event happen. If you are interested in finding out what goes into bu...

HiddenLayer has raised a $100M Series B from Delta-v Capital, Ten Eleven Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft's M12, Booz Allen Hamilton, and others. Also, AI model-training startup AfterQuery has reportedly raised a round that valued it at $3.2 billion, just five months after announcing its $30 million Series A at a $300 million valuation in April. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastch...

Fambot is building an AI “chief of staff” to help families manage the emails, calendars, school updates, sports schedules, and other logistics of raising kids. Also, Newlight has raised a $9 million seed round and completed an 8,500-nautical-mile test run from Singapore to Ghana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The seed round for the app that provides real-time legal and policy guidance to officers was led by SignalFire and Las Olas VC. Clipto is a three-year-old startup and reached $15 million in ARR and profitability before raising its latest $15 million round. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Launched by Belgian startup Any, LUV1 is a modular electric motorcycle with 120 liters of cargo space that can be used to carry bags, work equipment, or even pets. Also, the Liux Big microcar is made in Spain. The startup thinks it can compete in a crowded market with its tiny electric car built around sustainability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The startup just raised a $26 million Series A to grow its customer base and help reduce red tape for utility and construction work. Also, Instinct is only a year old but it has already generated a massive amount of hype (and money) while also spurring privacy concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Wednesday, the company introduced Radar, a podcast search engine that not only transcribes podcast audio but also understands what it means, enabling it to pull out key quotes and highlights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fusion startup Pacific Fusion broke ground on a demonstration facility in New Mexico that it says will generate enough energy to power itself. Also, Stability AI's new fundraising total now stands at $232 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Surging demand for AI training data is driving rapid growth for the startup and its rivals. Also, Japanese space startup Letara is betting its hybrid rocket technology can move beyond small satellite thrusters into a broader market for space, defense and security, after raising ¥2.6 billion ($16 million). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Y Combinator alumnus Apollo Atomics is shrinking a key nuclear reactor part, which promises to slash the cost of electricity below natural gas. Also, Grounded has shifted from making van-life builds to custom outfitting vehicles for small businesses, all while the EV landscape in the US changed dramatically. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A handful of AI-designed drugs have proceeded into human trials — one as far as Phase III, widespread human testing — but the reality is that the roadblocks aren’t necessarily ones that AI can solve today. Also, TerraPower's nuclear power plant possesses a strategic advantage over competitors, especially when chasing after data center deals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.c...

Since portfolio companies often pivot and expand into competing markets, investors view occasional conflicts of interest as unavoidable for large VC firms. Also, Jane Street has installed Etched's first shipped AI cluster system, and was so impressed, it led another massive round, the startup says. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sonic Fire Protection raised its new funding to help get its sound-powered fire protection system into everything from commercial kitchens to apartment buildings. Also, Wispr’s total funding is now over $361 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI coding startup Cursor is now officially a part of SpaceX. Also, OpenRouter's CEO recently described the startup as Stripe for AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Investors are still waiting for their share of the $250 million windfall, and VideoVerse co-founder Vinayak Shrivastav is now at the center of multiple legal cases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reservoir has built an ultra-efficient water heater that can predict hot water demand, store energy, and detect plumbing leaks throughout a home. Also, Blacksmith says revenue has grown more than tenfold over the past year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An OpenClaw agent hacked into a gym's reservation system to bump its human boss higher on a class's waitlist. And the tech industry took notice. Also, fusion power startups are turning to Kyoto Fusioneering to supply components for future power plants. The Japan-based startup just received a grant to build a part of the fuel system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoi...

Discovered Materials raised $9 million to fund the hunt for more novel materials to build more efficient chips. Plus, embattled hedge fund Situational Awareness invests $400M in chip startup Source Foundry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than 20 years ago, King's Cross was one of the seediest area's in London. Now it's sprouting something new. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

-Taking vibe-coding a step further, Naive claims its infra can automate most of the work in setting up and running a business. -Defense tech Hadrian raises $1.37B at $8B valuation -Athens-based Omilia, which has been working on automating voice calls and customer support since 2002, throwing AI at every process can be wasteful.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/...

-WindBorne Systems has raised a $37 million Series B round to scale its weather balloons and AI forecasts. -Hark claims that its browser use agent is faster and cheaper than competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has paused new data center development until an audit has been completed. Also, on Tuesday, AI infrastructure company Runware announced the launch of its own modular data center called Sonic Inference Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices