Latest startup coverage and AI intelligence for United States.
Cisco Systems Inc. reported a solid earnings and revenue beat for the fourth quarter, driven by increased spending on AI infrastructure, but saw its stock decline after-hours due to a drop in gross margins. The company issued strong guidance for the current quarter, citing continued demand for its products. Despite the positive earnings report, investors were spooked by the margin decline, sending Cisco's stock down in late trading.
Nebius Group NV's shares jumped 34% after the company reported second-quarter earnings that exceeded expectations, driven by strong demand for its AI infrastructure. The Netherlands-based company's revenue surged 454% year-over-year. Nebius operates a cloud platform optimized for AI workloads and has two business units, Avride and TripleTen, focused on autonomous driving software and programming courses.
Cerebras Systems Inc. reported a solid second-quarter earnings beat, but its stock price plummeted over 17% in extended trading. The company boosted its full-year guidance despite the stock downturn. Cerebras posted an adjusted loss of five cents per share, exceeding Wall Street's expectations of a 17-cent loss.
SpaceXAI releases its flagship Grok 4.6 model, boasting advanced reasoning capabilities that surpass Anthropic PBC's Claude Fable 5 in certain areas. The Elon Musk-founded AI provider rebranded from xAI after being acquired by SpaceX Corp. Grok 4.6 is set to revolutionize language processing with its enhanced performance.
Swipe, a new mobile payment app, has been launched. The app aims to simplify transactions and provide a secure payment experience. With its user-friendly interface, Swipe is set to revolutionize the way people make payments.
Amazon's Twitch will use streamers' content for training by default, sparking controversy. Streamers can opt out, but concerns about data usage and ownership arise. Twitch CPO Mike Minton addresses user feedback, citing low opt-in rates as the reason for the default setting.
Northrop's Mission Robotic Vehicle is pioneering a new approach to extend the lifespan of satellites by attaching new thrusters, with the first attempt underway. This innovative technology has the potential to revolutionize satellite maintenance. The success of this mission could significantly impact the satellite industry, enabling longer operational lifetimes and reduced costs.
Fermi, an AI nuclear power firm, appoints Lee McIntire as CEO after a three-month search. McIntire, an independent board member, takes the reins following the departure of co-founder Toby Neugebauer. The move marks a new chapter for the company as it navigates the intersection of artificial intelligence and nuclear energy.
Anthropic's introduction of watermarks on its Claude AI model has sparked outrage among some users, who claim it will expose their use of the tool in professional and academic settings. The move is seen as a bid to curb misuse, but users are crying foul. The controversy highlights the ongoing debate over AI usage and accountability.
Enterprises are moving away from choosing AI models and towards controlling costs, data, and infrastructure for production AI applications. This shift is prompting organizations to reevaluate their reliance on public cloud AI services. As agentic AI infrastructure enters production, companies must balance control with scalability.
AI code-testing startup Blacksmith has seen its valuation jump nearly 10 times in under a year, driven by over 10x revenue growth. The company's rapid expansion underscores the increasing demand for AI-powered testing solutions. Blacksmith's success reflects the growing importance of efficient code testing in the tech industry.
Reservoir has secured $8 million in funding to develop its innovative, ultra-efficient water heaters that predict hot water demand and detect leaks. The investment will drive the company's mission to make water heaters that benefit both homeowners and the grid.
River AI, a startup specializing in customizing open-source AI models for enterprises, has secured $1.1 billion in early-stage funding from a consortium backed by Nvidia and AMD. The funding, led by General Catalyst and AMP PBC, will drive the company's growth and development of personalized AI solutions.
Yulu, an Indian e-bike startup, has secured $93 million in funding amid a quick-commerce boom that is driving demand for electric two-wheelers. The company plans to expand its fleet to 200,000 bikes within the next two years, targeting new logistics use cases.
CoreWeave Inc. reported a second-quarter loss of $1.03 per share, beating Wall Street's projections, and sending its stock higher by over 14% in after-hours trading. The AI data center firm's solid financial results exceeded analyst consensus estimates. CoreWeave's strong performance is a notable development in the AI industry.
Super Micro Computer Inc. reported a significant earnings beat in its fourth quarter, despite missing revenue expectations. Strong guidance for the current quarter and a big bottom-line beat sent the company's stock soaring. The data center server maker's impressive profits have regained Wall Street's favor.
The FBI has issued a warning about a new wave of cybercrime targeting adults and minors, aiming to steal personal and intimate pictures for extortion. Cybercriminals are hacking into online accounts to gain access to sensitive content. The alert highlights the growing threat of digital extortion and the importance of online security.
Uber has sold its entire stake in robotics company Serve, marking a significant divergence in their business strategies. The move comes as the two companies, once closely aligned, have begun to pursue different paths. This development may have implications for the future of robotics and delivery technologies.
Accel, a U.S. venture capital firm, has closed an oversubscribed $550 million India fund, marking a significant milestone in its investment strategy for the region. The fund was closed within weeks, demonstrating strong interest from investors. This development comes 19 months after Accel's last India fund, which had $650 million in commitments.
Phia, a shopping startup co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, faces criticism for alleged 'cookie stuffing' practices. The company's founders reportedly knew about the issue for months. Phia's business practices are under scrutiny, raising questions about the startup's transparency and ethics.
Railway, a cloud platform, has raised $100 million in a Series B funding round, led by TQ Ventures, to challenge AWS with AI-native cloud infrastructure. The company has gained two million developers without spending on marketing. Railway's platform delivers deployments in under one second, fast enough to keep pace with AI-generated code.
OpenAI has reportedly completed a $7 billion employee tender offer, allowing staff to sell their shares. This move comes as San Francisco's housing market faces new challenges. The tender offer highlights OpenAI's continued growth and commitment to its employees.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has spent $100 million to oppose California's Prop 40, a one-time 5% tax on billionaires' net worth. The proposition aims to address wealth inequality. Brin's contribution highlights the high stakes for billionaires in the state.
Aptoide brings its games store back to Google Play after a decade, marking a significant shift in Android's openness to competing app stores. The move follows court-ordered changes aimed at increasing competition. Aptoide's return sets a precedent for other rival app stores to potentially re-enter the Google Play marketplace.
Sila, a battery materials startup, has secured a $1.4 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Defense to scale production. The loan will support the company's factory in Washington State. This move reflects the growing demand for advanced battery technologies from militaries worldwide.
Vogue is bringing its massive 'Vogue World' event to San Francisco next year. This move signals a strategic shift as high fashion attempts to capture the attention of the tech industry.
TechCrunch is opening applications for its 2026 Exhibit Program at Disrupt. Startups can secure floor space at Moscone West to connect with global investors and partners.
TechCrunch has secured exclusive hotel partnerships near Moscone West for the upcoming Disrupt 2026 conference. Attendees can now access discounted lodging for the event running October 13–15.
Outernet is launching a new app designed to bridge the gap between online discovery and physical exploration. The platform nudges users to visit the places and events they save digitally.
Artificial intelligence is lowering the barrier to entry for entrepreneurs, allowing young founders to bypass traditional career paths. This shift is decoupling startup success from Big Tech tenure.
Microsoft is shifting its strategy to prioritize homegrown AI models and tools. This move signals a direct competition with its own major partners, OpenAI and Anthropic.
The rapid rise of Moonshot AI's Kimi model has triggered a wave of concern across US tech hubs and financial markets. Experts are analyzing whether Chinese LLM capabilities have officially closed the gap with Western competitors.
Public libraries are seeing a surge in demand for workshops designed to help citizens navigate a world dominated by Big Tech algorithms. The movement signals growing public fatigue with artificial intelligence integration.
Warner Bros. has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, claiming the tech giant is illegally poaching top executives. The legal battle centers on the enforceability of employment agreements in California.
Defense technology firm Anduril has seen its valuation skyrocket following a massive $5 billion funding injection. The company is now positioning itself for a massive valuation climb toward the $100 billion mark.
AI startup Prentis is reportedly negotiating a $100 million funding round that would value the company at $1 billion. The lab has already secured $50 million in potential contract value tied to client savings.
Electric vehicle maker Rivian has filed a lawsuit against the US government to reclaim millions of dollars in tariffs paid under previous trade policies.
US-based AI powerhouse Midjourney has acquired Co-Star, the popular astrology app known for its AI-driven horoscopes. The move signals a deeper integration of generative AI into lifestyle and personal wellness sectors.
Oracle has signed a massive Enterprise Software Agreement with the U.S. Pentagon. The deal consolidates various software, services, and licensing contracts into a single unified framework.
China's memory chip giant CXMT has completed a massive $8.6 billion share offering. The move signals a major push for domestic semiconductor self-sufficiency.
Spanish AI startup PageMind has closed a €1.2 million funding round to scale its product discovery platform. The capital will drive international growth and team expansion.
After a viral billboard stunt to recruit elite engineers, Listen Labs has raised $69M to scale its AI-driven qualitative research platform. The startup aims to disrupt the $140B market research industry by replacing slow surveys with instant, deep-dive AI interviews.
Financial institutions are beginning to treat Nvidia GPUs as high-value collateral, similar to aircraft. A massive $35 billion syndication is now testing whether credit markets truly value AI hardware as a stable asset.
Costco has entered a strategic partnership with JD.com to expand its digital footprint in China. A recent trial period saw massive consumer engagement, signaling a shift in the retailer's regional strategy.
South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang is pivoting to insurance claims and damage control following a significant fire at one of its logistics centers. The company holds substantial coverage to mitigate potential financial losses.
Ayr Energy has responded to Zetwerk's legal accusations by filing a massive $1 billion counterclaim in US court. The legal battle threatens to complicate Zetwerk's upcoming IPO plans.
Bitcoin has broken the $66,000 resistance level, signaling a major macroeconomic shift in the digital asset space. As Bitcoin dominance nears 60%, the total crypto market capitalization is rapidly approaching the $2.26 trillion mark.
The United States has launched strikes against an Iranian nuclear facility, heightening global security risks. The escalation coincides with shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and increasing US military casualties.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warns that the U.S. may impose sanctions on Chinese open-source AI models. The move aims to curb China's technological progress amid allegations of intellectual property theft.
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