Startups & Technology

938 items in section

Google Finance Enters the Mobile Market with Dedicated Android App

Google is shifting its financial tools from the browser to the home screen, launching a standalone Android application that integrates real-time market data with its AI-driven "Key Moments" insights. This move signals a direct challenge to established consumer platforms like Yahoo Finance and trading-focused apps such as Robinhood.

Netris secures $15M from a16z to accelerate AI cloud deployment

Every day a data center’s GPU cluster sits idle while engineers struggle with manual network configuration, the business loses money. Netris, a startup automating the setup and management of these complex environments, has raised $15 million in Series A funding led by Andreessen Horowitz to scale its hardware-accelerated networking platform.

Apple Increases Prices Across Mac and iPad Lines Due to Memory Shortage

A surging demand for AI infrastructure is forcing Apple to raise prices across its Mac, iPad, and smart home portfolios. Driven by a global memory and storage shortage, the company has begun passing these costs to consumers, though the flagship iPhone lineup remains temporarily shielded from the immediate hikes.

US Commerce Department blocks new Polestar EV sales

The Trump administration has denied Polestar authorization to sell new electric vehicles in the United States, citing the "Connected Vehicle Rule" that restricts hardware and software with Chinese origins. While the Swedish brand is owned by the Chinese giant Geely, the decision marks a sharp departure from recent policy regarding its sibling company, Volvo.

DOT Proposal Aims to Eliminate Brake Pedal Mandates for Autonomous Cars

The Department of Transportation has unveiled a regulatory proposal that would permit manufacturers to eliminate brake pedals in vehicles engineered exclusively for automated driving. By removing these manual control requirements, federal regulators intend to clear a significant path for carmakers aiming to deploy fully autonomous fleets without traditional driver interfaces.

TechCrunch Founder Summit Early Bird Rates Set to Expire

With the deadline falling on June 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT, founders have just two days left to secure tickets for the TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 at a discount. Registering now offers savings of up to $190, providing access to a gathering of over 1,000 industry professionals in Boston this November.

Adobe Acquires AI Specialist Topaz Labs to Bolster Creative Suite

Adobe is acquiring Topaz Labs, a two-decade-old startup renowned for its Emmy-winning video and image enhancement technology. The move aims to integrate Topaz’s specialized AI models directly into Adobe’s Firefly platform, effectively locking in professional creatives who increasingly rely on on-device processing for high-end production workflows.

Amazon Deepens India AI Infrastructure Push with $13 Billion Commitment

Following a strategic meeting between CEO Andy Jassy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Amazon has pledged an additional $13 billion to bolster its cloud and artificial intelligence footprint in India. This capital injection brings the company’s total investment commitment in the country to $48 billion through 2030.

Russian Authorities Used Cellebrite Tools After Firm Claimed Exit

Russian investigators bypassed the security of a political dissident’s iPhone using forensic technology from Cellebrite, months after the Israeli firm publicly declared it had severed all ties with Moscow. The breach highlights the persistent danger of surveillance tools remaining functional long after a manufacturer claims to have deactivated them.

Netherlands challenges US semiconductor restrictions

Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma traveled to Washington this week to lobby against the proposed MATCH Act, a bill threatening to sever Chinese access to essential semiconductor equipment. The legislation poses a direct economic risk to ASML, the Netherlands' most valuable company and the world’s sole provider of critical lithography systems.

Vishal Sikka’s Hang Ten Systems Challenges Traditional IT Outsourcing

Vishal Sikka, the former chief executive of Infosys, is betting that artificial intelligence can replace the labor-intensive model of global IT services. His new startup, Hang Ten Systems, has secured $32 million in seed funding to automate the way large enterprises build, maintain, and operate their complex software stacks.

Elon Musk slips back from trillionaire peak

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index reports that Elon Musk has dipped below the trillion-dollar threshold following recent market fluctuations. This retreat occurs just weeks after the public offering of SpaceX briefly vaulted the tech mogul into a financial stratosphere previously untouched by any individual in history.

Cerebras shares slide as margin concerns overshadow revenue growth

A 20% drop in Cerebras Systems shares on Wednesday signaled investor anxiety, despite the AI chipmaker reporting a 94% year-over-year revenue surge to $193 million. The market reaction followed a forecast of thinning gross margins, which management attributes to a strategic decision to rent back equipment to accelerate capacity.

Engineering remains the most resilient sector despite the AI boom

While corporate leaders cite artificial intelligence as a primary justification for mass layoffs, new hiring data suggests software engineering is defying the narrative of automation-driven obsolescence. Research from SignalFire indicates that engineering roles are not only surviving the current contraction but are outpacing other functions in recruitment demand.

Google faces brain drain as top AI talent pivots to rivals

The exodus of high-level researchers from Google has accelerated, with Jonas Adler and Alexander Pritzel the latest to depart for Anthropic. Their exit follows a series of departures by industry heavyweights, signaling a broader shift in the competitive landscape as rival firms aggressively recruit talent with equity-rich compensation packages.

Micron Soars as AI Demand Rewrites Memory Market Economics

A staggering surge in demand for AI-ready hardware has turned the memory chip shortage into a windfall for Micron, with the Idaho-based manufacturer reporting a quarterly profit of $28.2 billion. The results follow a year of intense supply constraints that have already begun pushing consumer electronics prices higher.

New tracker shames major platforms for ignoring passkey security

One in four major online services still refuses to adopt passkeys, leaving millions of users vulnerable to credential theft. A new project, whynopasskeys.com, is now publicly cataloging these holdouts, aiming to pressure industry giants like Netflix, Spotify, and Instagram into abandoning outdated password reliance in favor of biometric authentication.

Accenture pulls the plug on unrestricted AI token usage

After aggressively pushing staff to integrate AI into every workflow, Accenture is now moving to curb employee access to avoid ballooning costs. The firm, which once signaled that promotion paths were tied to AI adoption, now faces an unpredictable surge in spending that has leadership scrambling to justify the return on investment.

Slate pivots to LFP batteries for its budget-friendly EV truck

At a starting price of $24,950, Slate is positioning its new electric pickup truck as the most affordable option in the U.S. market. To hit that target, the startup has overhauled its battery strategy, abandoning high-cost nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry in favor of more economical lithium-iron-phosphate cells.

Meta pivots Creator Studio into AI-driven companion app

Meta is transforming its Creator Studio into a standalone AI-powered companion, aiming to tether content creators to Facebook by automating audience growth strategies. By integrating conversational intelligence, the company hopes to neutralize the influence of rival platforms and third-party generative tools that currently dominate the creator workflow.

Deezer launches artist-approved remix tools to push back against AI

While industry rivals pivot toward AI-generated audio, Deezer is betting on human-led creativity with its new Remix Lab. The feature grants fans in-app tools to alter tempo, genre, and style, but requires explicit consent from rights holders to ensure artists remain at the center of the production process.

Federal investigators examine fatal Tesla crash in Texas

A weekend collision in Katy, Texas, has triggered a federal probe after a driver plowed his Tesla into a private residence, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. The National Transportation Safety Board is now joining the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to scrutinize the circumstances surrounding the vehicle’s performance and the driver’s actions.

Agility Robotics Targets $2.5 Billion Valuation in SPAC Merger

A decade after emerging from Oregon State University, humanoid developer Agility Robotics is moving toward a public listing through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI. The deal positions the company at a $2.5 billion valuation, aiming to inject significant capital into the mass production of its bipedal hardware.

Figma Integrates Code Layers and AI-Driven Animation Tools

Figma is blurring the lines between design and engineering by introducing native code layers, advanced motion support, and AI-powered plugin development. The update enables teams to pull code directly into the collaborative canvas, shifting the focus from production-ready syntax toward rapid, spatial iteration across design and product workflows.

OpenAI Unveils Jalapeño Chip to Curb Nvidia Reliance

OpenAI has debuted its first custom inference processor, Jalapeño, developed in partnership with Broadcom to optimize the execution of its AI models. By moving hardware design in-house, the company aims to slash the high costs of real-time model deployment while reducing its long-standing dependency on Nvidia’s industry-standard GPUs.

Samsara targets cargo theft with disposable Bluetooth tracking labels

Cargo theft is a growing concern for global logistics, where goods frequently go dark between shipping checkpoints. Seeking to close this visibility gap, fleet management firm Samsara is launching a business-card-sized tracking label designed to turn standard shipments into trackable assets using the company's existing sensor network.

Zoox Refines Robotaxi Cabin Ahead of Commercial Rollout

Amazon-owned Zoox is refining the interior and external interface of its steering-wheel-free robotaxi, aiming to bridge the gap between prototype testing and mass-market deployment. As the company prepares for a potential commercial launch, these updates prioritize rider comfort and improved communication with external road users and support staff.

Valor Equity Partners Targets $2.5 Billion for New Fund

Valor Equity Partners is seeking at least $2.5 billion for its seventh flagship fund, signaling a fresh push into growth-stage capital. The firm, led by Antonio Gracias, has already earmarked a significant portion of this new vehicle to bolster its long-standing stake in Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which recently entered public markets.

Early Bird Deadline Approaches for TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026

With just three days remaining until the June 26 cutoff, founders have a final opportunity to secure registration for the TechCrunch Founder Summit at a discount of up to $190. The event, scheduled for November 4 in Boston, aims to convene over 1,000 industry professionals to exchange growth strategies.

The $59 piece of plastic ending your doomscrolling habits

Most screen time limits fail because they rely on willpower, which is easily overridden by a single tap. A new gadget called Brick forces users to physically walk to a different room and tap their phone against an NFC-enabled square to disable app blocks, effectively turning digital distraction into an intentional act.