Flox Intelligence uses AI to keep wildlife off tracks, roads and runways
Flox uses cameras and on-device AI to identify wildlife and play tailored deterrent sounds, keeping animals off tracks, roads and runways as it raises $10M.
Rivian Spinoff Mind Robotics Hires Former Ford EV Chief Doug Field
Rivian spinoff Mind Robotics names former Ford EV chief Doug Field president, with Rivian’s factories set to serve as its first customer and AI training ground.
Facebook Gives Users More Control Over Their Algorithm
Facebook’s new AI-powered Your Algorithm feature lets users tell the platform what they want to see more or less often in Feed and Reels.
Laplace Intelligence stress-tests robots and self-driving cars before deployment
Laplace Intelligence uses AI agents to create rare, challenging scenarios and stress-test robots and self-driving cars in simulation before deployment.
Google Play now supports personalized, vibe-coded apps
Google Play now lets Android users privately run apps they create with Google AI Studio—without publishing them or making them searchable.
Pluto Security raises $42M as AI creates new headaches for security teams
Pluto raises $42M to help security teams tackle AI risks, with finance-built “vibe-coded” tools accounting for 60% of risks it detects.
Google-Linked AI Startup Once Valued at $1 Billion Files for Bankruptcy
Character.AI files for Chapter 11, seeking a court-supervised sale. Disney offers $20 million for some assets as the company warns the platform may shut down.
The 2026 Startup Battlefield Top 20: From organs to orbit and beyond
Meet the 2026 Startup Battlefield Top 20: 20 founders pitch at TechCrunch Disrupt for five finalist spots, $100,000 and the Disrupt Cup.
Bumble agrees to $1.3B deal as online dating undergoes a reset
Ithaca Holdings will acquire Bumble for $1.3 billion, taking the dating app private as falling revenue and users fuel pressure to rethink online dating.
SpaceXSI bundles X Premium, Grok and Cursor in one subscription
SpaceXSI bundles X Premium, Grok AI chat and coding tool Cursor in one subscription, aiming to attract subscribers in a competitive AI market.