VCs deploy ‘kingmaking’ strategy to crown AI winners in their infancy
While VCs have long used big investments to spur category winners, they are taking this strategy to new extremes.
Startups
Company backed by Donald Trump Jr.’s firm nabs $620M government contract
Vulcan Elements, a rare-earth magnets startup, has secured a $620 million contract from the U.S. defense department.
Kalshi raises $1B at $11B valuation, doubling value in under two months
The latest funding comes less than two months after Kalshi announced that it raised $300 million at a $5 billion valuation.
Simular’s AI agent wants to run your Mac, Windows PC for you
Simular, a startup building AI agents for Mac OS and Windows, has solved the AI hallucination problem in a compelling way.
Paris-based AI voice startup Gradium nabs $70M seed
Gradium, a startup spawned out of French AI lab Kyutai (backed by French telecom billionaire Xavier Niel), launched out of stealth on Tuesday.
How AI PR startup Clipbook won Mark Cuban’s investment from a cold email
Adam Joseph was shocked when Mark Cuban replied to his email with an inquisition full of questions.
ChatGPT launched three years ago today
It’s no hyperbole to suggest that ChatGPT subsequently transformed the worlds of business and tech.
Behind the scenes of drone food delivery in Finland
TechCrunch went behind the scenes of a three-party partnership between Irish drone delivery company Manna, Doordash-owned food delivery platform Wolt, and food startup Huuva.
Supabase hit $5B by turning down million-dollar contracts. Here’s why.
Vibe coding has taken the tech industry by storm, and it’s not just the Lovables and Replits of the world that are winning. The startups building the infrastructure behind them are cashing in too. Sup…
SoftBank stays in as Meesho $606M IPO becomes India’s first major e-commerce listing
Meesho heads for India’s first big e-commerce IPO next week.