TechCrunch Startup and Technology News
- X is nudging users to promote their posts with a pointing hand, and people are confusedby Ivan Mehta on October 27, 2026
Whose hand is behind this travesty?
- How OpenAI turned its coding tools into dots, an always-on personal assistantby Tim Fernholz on October 27, 2026
Alexander Embiricos, the OpenAI executive responsible for dots, never wants to have a meeting with someone else's AI agent.
- Cohere says Alibaba’s Qwen model tried to send a file to Beijingby Aditya Mehta on October 27, 2026
An AI model said it wouldn’t use any tools, then tried to send something to a server in Beijing anyway, and while researchers say it’s probably a training quirk and not espionage, the whole thing has people asking how much to trust free Chinese AI.
- Databricks co-founder shares his secrets for winning big enterprise customersby Julie Bort on October 26, 2026
Turns out selling to big companies isn’t about having the shiniest tech: It’s about hitching a ride on a giant’s sales team.
- Watch out, YouTube — Instagram goes from short-form to 90-minute videosby Amanda Silberling on October 26, 2026
After years in which every social platform (even LinkedIn!) aggressively pursued short-form video, this is a notable shift in strategy for Instagram.
- Uh-oh, it sounds like the iPhone Duo keeps cracking and users aren’t happy about itby Lucas Ropek on October 26, 2026
A small number of early adopters of the much-hyped new foldable phone from Apple have complained of screens cracking.
- Fusion startups are giving the government shares in exchange for awards. Is it worth it?by Tim De Chant on October 26, 2026
Fusion startups face a new challenge, one unrelated to plasma physics: Give the government shares in exchange for funding awards or go it alone?
- This startup’s self-driving excavators help dig up $600M in new fundingby Kirsten Korosec on October 26, 2026
Bedrock Robotics, which is now valued at $4.1 billion, is particularly focused on autonomous excavators, in part because of a growing shortage of skilled operators.
- Anthropic’s IPO filing reveals its strategy for keeping enterprise customers hookedby Rebecca Bellan on October 26, 2026
Anthropic’s S-1 shows more than half of its $100,000-plus customers now use both the Claude Platform and a first-party app, a cross-selling playbook reminiscent of Amazon that’s making enterprise customers stickier.
- SpaceX locks in $40B GPU financing deal with Apolloby Aditya Mehta on October 26, 2026
The financing gives SpaceX another way to fund its rapidly expanding AI ambitions without relying solely on traditional debt markets.
- Microsoft offers buyouts to around 60,000 employeesby Aisha Malik on October 26, 2026
The buyout offers mark Microsoft's latest efforts to cut costs and rework its workforce.
- Anthropic officially files for its public debutby Rebecca Bellan on October 26, 2026
Anthropic has officially filed for an IPO, revealing soaring revenue, mounting losses, major enterprise adoption, and an unusual governance structure designed to preserve founder control and its AI safety mission.
- Apple unveils new iPad mini with OLED display and faster A20 Pro chipby Aisha Malik on October 26, 2026
The new iPad mini features a thinner and lighter design than its predecessor.
- Matiks raises $10M to expand its math and puzzle gaming platformby Ivan Mehta on October 26, 2026
Matiks has introduced a new platform for users to create games using AI.
- Tesla turns to Turo to boost adoption of Full Self-Driving (Supervised)by Sean O'Kane on October 26, 2026
Eligible Turo hosts will also get a one-month free trial of Tesla's FSD software.
- The best apps for tracking your reading and discovering new booksby Aisha Malik on October 26, 2026
There are numerous apps on the market that promise to do just that, so we’ve compiled a list of some of the best ones to help you pick the right one for you.
- Grok releases the first seven minutes of its AI-generated ‘Odyssey’by Anthony Ha on October 25, 2026
The footage looks okay, as long as you're not seeking artistry, inspiration, or human interest.
- ‘Cyberselfish’ author takes aim at techno-libertarianism as her book returns from the deadby Anthony Ha on October 25, 2026
"That's a 12-year-old view of the world."
- AI delivers ‘zero financial payoff’ to most companies, Apollo economist saysby Anthony Ha on October 25, 2026
"Despite massive investments and widespread hype around artificial intelligence, the technology has delivered zero financial payoff to corporate America outside of tech."
- TechCrunch Mobility: Blue-green is the color of autonomyby Kirsten Korosec on October 25, 2026
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it.

