TechCrunch Startup News

How Mill closed the deal with Amazon and Whole Foods

How a headphone site operator built loyalty startup Lantern to solve his own problems; plus, Deel hits $17.3B valuation after raising $300M from big-name VCs

The tooth fairy just got reimagined for the tech-savvy generation; also, Lemon Slice nabs $10.5M from YC and Matrix to build out its digital avatar tech

As EU waters down 2035 EV goals, electric startups express concern

Yann LeCun confirms his new ‘world model’ startup, reportedly seeks $5B+ valuation

OpenAI is reportedly trying to raise $100B at an $830B valuation; also, Krafton hikes India bet with new $670M fund

Vibe-coding startup Lovable raises $330M at a $6.6B valuation

Weeks after raising $100M, investors pump another $180M into hot Indian startup MoEngage

Radiant Nuclear raises $300M for its semi-sized 1 MW reactor

Nuclear startup Last Energy raises $100M for its steel-encased micro reactor

VCs discuss why most consumer AI startups still lack staying power; plus, Whole Foods to install smart food waste bins from Mill

Consumer generative AI applications currently occupy an "awkward teenage" middle ground, mirroring the early smartphone era when basic utilities preceded transformative platforms like Uber. Investors Chi-Hua Chien and Elizabeth Weil suggest that while specialized tools like AI financial advisors and ubiquitous tutors a...

Mirelo raises $41M from Index and a16z to solve AI video’s silent problem; First Voyage raises $2.5M for its AI companion that helps you build habits

Thea Energy previews Helios, its pixel-inspired fusion power plant

Eclipse Energy’s microbes can turn idle oil wells into hydrogen factories; plus, India’s Spinny lines up funding to acquire GoMechanic

Harness hits $5.5B valuation with $240M raise to automate AI’s ‘after-code’ gap

Interest in Spoor’s bird-monitoring AI software is soaring

On Me raises $6M to shake up the gift card industry; plus, Port raises $100M at $800M valuation to take on Spotify’s Backstage

AI startup Tavus founder says users talk to its AI Santa ‘for hours’ per day; Oboe raises $16 million from a16z for its AI-powered course generation platform

Boom Supersonic raises $300M to build natural gas turbines for Crusoe data centers

Empromptu raises $2M pre-seed to help enterprises build AI apps; Pebble’s founder introduces a $75 AI smart ring for recording brief notes