AWS is helping vibe-coding startup Superblocks, and the implications are big
AWS now allows vibe coding tool Superblocks to be embedded into the private clouds of AWS customers. It’s another step towards decoupling apps from models.
Startups
Sequoia’s Shaun Maguire leads $1B round for nuclear startup Valar Atomics
Valar Atomics raised $1 billion at a $6 billion valuation after signing a development deal with Nvidia in June.
Horizon3 hits $2 billion valuation with $250M Series E as AI threats escalate
Cybersecurity startup Horizon3 raised $250 million at a $2 billion valuation as companies want continuous, AI-powered security validation instead of annual pentesting.
VC-backed startups commit more fraud, and researchers think they know why
New research from the U.K.’s Imperial College and France’s Emlyon Business School mapped out how Silicon Valley founders commit fraud — and the role investors play.
Sam Altman isn’t the only one who wants to pump the brakes on AI
After years of pushing full speed ahead on AI, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says maybe it’s time for the AI industry to “pace” itself. The comments came just days after one of OpenAI’s own models broke out of its test…
Smallest.ai raises $13M to build ultra-fast voice AI that sounds genuinely human
The startup is building voice models designed to make AI phone calls pass the Turing test.
Repeat founder Ryan Williams raises $10M seed for an AI startup for private credit managers
Ellis AI announced Thursday its emergence from stealth with $10 million in seed funding.
Synthetic-user startup Simile raises $200M at $2B valuation 5 months after $100M Series A
Add another member to the fast-and-furious AI unicorn club: Simile
Okta buys AI security startup Permiso; source says for about $200M
The deal gives Okta identity threat detection capabilities as enterprises seek to secure AI agents and other non-human identities across cloud environments.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026’s biggest stage features leaders from Amazon, Replit, Tether, with much more to come
The Disrupt Stage is where many of the biggest conversations in technology happen, with a legacy that stretches back for more than a decade.