Startups · Top stories
Silkroad Innovation Hub's Road to Battlefield competition sees increased applications
The second annual Road to Battlefield competition, organized by Silkroad Innovation Hub, has concluded its national rounds, with 22 startups advancing to the regional final. This competition provides founders from Central Eurasia a direct path to TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200, and this year saw a nearly 50% increase in applications from 39 countries, indicating growing startup activity in the region.
Entrepreneur launches Gamgee startup for personalized mRNA cancer vaccines for dogs
Paul Conyngham, an Australian entrepreneur, has launched Gamgee, a startup focused on personalized mRNA cancer vaccines for dogs, expanding on his previous claims of using AI to create a vaccine for his own dog. The company, backed by Y Combinator, aims to develop personalized treatments for various species, including humans, despite previous reports questioning the scientific claims behind its origin story.
ClearJet Raises $25M Series B for AI-Enabled Cargo Logistics
ClearJet, an AI-enabled logistics technology startup, secured $25 million in Series B funding, led by Edison Partners, bringing its total funding to $40 million. The company connects shippers with unused cargo capacity on commercial flights to transport e-commerce packages, aiming to reduce shipping costs and delivery times.
Reservoir raises $8M seed funding for smart, grid-stabilizing water heaters
Reservoir, a startup co-founded by Luke Winston-Almanzar, Gabriel Parisi-Amon, and Jake Felser, announced it has raised $8 million in a seed funding round. The company develops intelligent water heaters designed to reduce energy consumption and stabilize the electrical grid by optimizing heating times.
Norway's Sovereign Wealth Fund Reports Record Profit and Discloses SpaceX Stake
Norway's $2.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund reported a record half-year profit of over $184 billion, driven by strong performance in Asian technology stocks. The fund also disclosed a 0.05% stake in SpaceX, valued at over $1.2 billion, making it a significant investor in Elon Musk's companies despite past disagreements.
Phia Co-Founders Knew of 'Cookie Stuffing' Practice Months Before Public Disclosure
New reports indicate that Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni were aware of the startup's "cookie stuffing" practices as early as December, contradicting previous statements that the company learned of the issue only when contacted by Bloomberg. This practice, which involves taking commission for affiliate purchases not generated by the platform, led to a significant portion of Phia's sales and a drop in revenue once stopped, impacting retailers like Nike and Nordstrom.
Uber Sells Entire Stake in Serve Robotics, Surprising the Spun-Out Company
Uber has sold its full stake in Serve Robotics, an autonomous delivery robot company that originated from Uber's Postmates acquisition. This divestment occurred as the two companies developed differing views on scaling their shared autonomous fleet, leading to a reversal in delivery volume growth through Uber for Serve Robotics.
Eden GeoPower tests electrical reservoir stimulation for underground hydrogen generation
Eden GeoPower, a Massachusetts-based startup, is field-testing a new technology called electrical reservoir stimulation to fracture subterranean rock. This method uses high-voltage electrical pulses to create fractures, with potential applications including underground hydrogen generation, mineral mining, and geothermal heat tapping.
Monashees, a Latin American VC firm, expands into Silicon Valley with a San Francisco office
Monashees, a venture capital firm established in São Paulo, opened a San Francisco office in September 2025 to connect Latin American startups with funding and AI research in the Bay Area. This expansion aims to support the growth of the Latin American startup ecosystem by facilitating access to Silicon Valley resources.
Trump Media Reports $238 Million Q2 Loss, Primarily Due to Crypto Declines
Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) reported a net loss of over $238 million in its fiscal second quarter, largely attributed to declines in non-cash digital assets. The company's revenue of $1.7 million primarily came from Truth Social ad services, while operating expenses increased significantly.
Stoa Markets Launches as a Marketplace for GPUs and AI Servers
Stoa Markets, a Y Combinator S26 startup, has launched a marketplace designed to centralize the buying and selling of GPUs and AI servers. The platform aims to address the fragmented supply, variable pricing, and incomplete market signals currently present in the GPU market by providing a structured venue for transactions.
Discovered Materials raises $9M seed to use AI for cooler chip materials
Discovered Materials, a startup, secured $9 million in seed funding to develop new materials for more efficient integrated circuits using AI agents. The company focuses on addressing the thermal problems of semiconductors to reduce data center electricity consumption and cooling needs.
VR exercise app Supernatural relaunches as independent company after Meta cuts
The VR exercise platform Supernatural is relaunching as an independent company after Meta previously cut staff and paused content for the app. The reboot will bring back existing content and coaches, with new content planned, and will see a price increase to $20 a month or $200 a year.
Ornithological Artist Keith Hansen Illustrates 1,000 Birds for Flock App
Artist Keith Hansen is creating 1,000 hand-painted illustrations of North American birds for a new app called Flock. The app, developed by tech industry veterans Adam Donkin and Bob Stevenson, aims to encourage birding and conservation.
Walmart-sponsored gaming site Restart lays off entire editorial staff
Restart, a gaming media website launched in late 2024 and sponsored by Walmart, has laid off its entire editorial team. This development raises questions about the future operation and content strategy of the site, which was presented as editorially independent despite its corporate backing.
Ditto AI dating app uses chatbot for matchmaking, bypassing traditional swiping
Ditto, a new dating app founded by former UC Berkeley students, uses an AI chatbot to match college students without traditional swiping. Users onboard via text message, providing personal details and preferences, and receive a weekly match with a set time and location for a date. This approach aims to address Gen Z's dissatisfaction with existing swipe-based dating apps by focusing on deeper compatibility and real-life interactions.
Applovin stock drops 17% after Q2 revenue misses analyst expectations
Applovin's stock fell 17% after its second-quarter revenue of $1.92 billion missed analyst expectations of $1.94 billion. The company attributed the miss to slower-than-expected improvements in its advertising models, impacting its expansion into e-commerce with AI-powered adtech.
Atoms, Travis Kalanick's Robotics Startup, Hires Former Uber CFO Gautam Gupta
Gautam Gupta, former Uber finance chief, has joined Travis Kalanick's robotics and industrial AI startup Atoms as Chief Financial Officer. This appointment follows Atoms' recent $1.7 billion funding round and continues a trend of former Uber executives joining Kalanick's new venture.
Etsy lays off 12% of workforce to streamline operations and accelerate innovation
Etsy is laying off approximately 220 employees, or 12% of its workforce, primarily from product and engineering teams. This restructuring aims to simplify the company's organizational structure and enable faster innovation in the competitive e-commerce market.
Indian EV Startup River Raises $120M Series C to Scale Production and Expand Models
Indian electric vehicle startup River secured $120 million in Series C funding to increase manufacturing capacity and introduce new models. This funding will support River's growth in India's competitive electric two-wheeler market, where it currently sells its Indie moped.
Oxide Computer Co. raises $445 million, according to SEC Form D filing
Oxide Computer Co. has filed an SEC Form D indicating a capital raise of $445 million. This funding suggests significant investment in the company, which operates in the technology industry.
Outernet App Launches to Organize Saved Social Media Posts for Offline Activities
Outernet, a new app founded by Danielle Egan and Athena Leong, has launched to help users save and organize online content like events or places to visit, facilitating real-world exploration. The app aims to convert saved social media posts into actionable to-do lists for offline activities, addressing the common issue of forgetting saved content.
Trump Media Launches Paid Data Service for Faster Access to Truth Social Posts
Trump Media and Technology Group launched "Truth API," a paid data service providing real-time access to Truth Social posts, including those from Donald Trump. This service aims to monetize proprietary assets through a recurring revenue stream, but has drawn scrutiny from Democratic Senators regarding potential abuse of office.
June AI startup raises $20M pre-seed to automate AI deployment for large businesses
June, a new AI startup founded by former Salesforce executives, emerged from stealth with $20 million in pre-seed funding to address the challenges of deploying AI tools in large enterprises. The company's platform scans existing systems to optimize business processes and integrate AI agents, aiming to simplify AI implementation by dealing with fragmented data and complex workflows.
Malaysian Government Orders Shutdown of Balaji Srinivasan's Network School
The Malaysian government has ordered the shutdown of the Network School, a startup community founded by Balaji Srinivasan, due to licensing issues. This development follows attendee complaints about conditions and Srinivasan's public statements regarding his citizenship and the school's purpose.
Balance Theory Raises $19 Million in Series A Funding for Cybersecurity Investment Platform
Balance Theory, a cybersecurity investment management startup, secured $19 million in Series A funding. This funding will expand its platform, which helps CISOs manage security spending by integrating planning, market intelligence, and execution into a single system.
Temporal Increases AI Spending Fivefold, Doubles Revenue, Mandates AI Adoption for Employees
Temporal, a company providing durable execution software, increased its AI spending by 500% and doubled its revenue. CEO Samar Abbas stated that all 500+ employees are expected to adopt AI tools in their workflows, with non-compliance potentially leading to job loss.
AI Startup LemonLime Faces Backlash for Tattoo-for-Interview Gimmick and 7-Day Work Week
AI startup LemonLime offered job interviews to individuals who got a permanent tattoo of its logo, leading to public backlash. CEO Jordan Zietz admitted to "poor judgment" regarding the tattoo stunt, which seven people participated in. The company also promotes a "7 days a week" work culture, causing some applicants to withdraw.
CipherX develops pain-free permanent tattoos using disposable microneedle patches
London-based biotech company CipherX has developed "Microdot" patches that apply permanent tattoos using microscopic, biodegradable needles, offering a pain-free and quick application process. This technology aims to make permanent tattooing more accessible by eliminating traditional needles and noise.
Atomarine proposes nuclear-powered data centers on ocean barges to address land-based issues
Startup Atomarine plans to develop nuclear-powered data centers on modular ocean barges to circumvent land-based challenges like power connection delays, noise, and pollution concerns. This approach aims to simplify permitting and allow for future upgrades to small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) for power generation. The concept faces engineering challenges related to extreme weather, internet connectivity, and server durability in a marine environment.
Dili raises $21.7M to apply AI to compliance for US infrastructure projects
Dili, an AI compliance company, secured $15 million in Series A funding, bringing its total capital raised to $21.7 million. The company uses AI to manage complex compliance rules for US infrastructure projects, particularly those receiving federal funding, to prevent costly non-compliance issues.
Hop Aero unveils 'Rook' cargo rocket concept for rapid 550-pound deliveries
Hop Aero, a Y Combinator startup, has publicly detailed its 'Rook' autonomous rocket concept, designed to deliver 550 pounds of cargo up to 750 km in 15 minutes from a shipping container. The concept has not yet flown and is supported by a $1.25 million Air Force contract expiring in October. This development highlights ongoing efforts in rapid point-to-point cargo delivery, though Rook's operational status and funding are still nascent.
Martha Stewart co-founds Hint, an AI app for home maintenance and management
Martha Stewart has co-founded Hint, an AI-powered application designed to assist homeowners with maintenance schedules, energy management, and property-related information. The app aims to provide a centralized platform for managing home upkeep and related data, leveraging AI to process public and user-uploaded information.
Centralize Raises $15M Series A to Develop Enterprise Sales Platform
Centralize, a startup founded by former Meta and Slack engineers, announced a $15 million Series A funding round led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) to build an enterprise sales platform. The company aims to provide revenue teams with a "deal GPS" to track and manage complex enterprise sales relationships and decision-makers.
Fast Metals Raises $4.3M Pre-Seed to Extract Critical Minerals from Red Mud Waste
Fast Metals, a startup, secured $4.3 million in pre-seed funding to develop a chemical process that extracts critical minerals like titanium and rare earth elements from red mud, a waste product of aluminum refining. This technology aims to make mineral recovery from red mud economically viable by using another waste stream in its process.
Freehand Raises $75M Series B for AI-Powered Supply Chain Automation
Enterprise AI startup Freehand secured $75 million in Series B funding to expand its autonomous AI agents, which manage complex supply chain spend and back-office operations for large companies. This funding round brings Freehand's total capital raised to $100 million and aims to address the challenges in traditional supply chain outsourcing models.
iyO and OpenAI pause trademark lawsuit for seven days to finalize settlement
A judge has granted a seven-day pause in iyO's trademark lawsuit against OpenAI and Jony Ive's io Products, as the parties have reached an agreement in principle and are working to finalize settlement details. This pause indicates a potential resolution to the legal dispute involving trademark infringement and trade secret claims.
Saudi Prince Al Waleed bin Talal acquires 5% stake in Lucid Motors
Prince Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud has purchased a 5% stake in Lucid Motors, increasing Saudi Arabia's overall ownership in the electric vehicle company. This investment follows a period of restructuring at Lucid and continued financial support from Saudi entities.
Throne Science Raises $10M Series A for AI-Powered Gut Health Tracking Toilet Camera
Throne Science, a startup co-founded by former Whoop CTO John Capodilupo, secured $10 million in Series A funding to develop its AI-powered toilet camera for tracking gut health and hydration. This funding brings their total to nearly $18 million and supports the development of their computer vision and LLM-based health monitoring system.
Rise Reforming Converts Waste Biogas into Chemicals, Secures Funding and Agreements
Rise Reforming, a Y Combinator S26 startup, converts waste biogas from sources like wastewater plants and farms into chemicals such as dimethyl ether (DME), methanol, and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). The company has secured $650,000 in pre-seed funding, completed proof-of-concept, and signed a binding supply agreement and a conditional DME offtake agreement.