Science

College Students Flex Their Power in A.I. Investment Frenzy
Oct 5, 2026

College Students Flex Their Power in A.I. Investment Frenzy

Dorm Room Fund, a program that lets college students invest in their peers, raised a new $50 million fund as the competition for young founders ramps up.


Oct 5, 2026

Etched fields funding offers at $40B+ valuation, sources say

Just a couple of months after its last big raise, the AI chip startup is already being plied with investment offers at double or more its current value, sources tell TechCrunch.


Oct 5, 2026

After Factory’s public spat with Khosla, Menlo proudly invests

Days after Vinod Khosla called Factory a struggling also-ran, Menlo has shown up with a check and a glowing blog post.


Oct 5, 2026

Reflection debuts Beam, an open-weight AI model to rival Chinese models at lower compute cost

Reflection is aiming Beam and future models at enterprises and sovereign nations. The pitch is to build “AI factories,” a product that would let institutions build their own customized, local AI system by training Reflection’s AI models on their own proprietary data.


Court Tosses ​​Sentence After A.I. Video of Victim ‘Forgiving’ His Killer Is Played
Oct 5, 2026

Court Tosses ​​Sentence After A.I. Video of Victim ‘Forgiving’ His Killer Is Played

An appellate court in Arizona threw out the prison sentence of a man convicted of manslaughter after an A.I.-generated video of his victim was played at a trial.


Oct 5, 2026

Instinct brings its AI agent to group chats, even for friends without an account

Instinct is launching group chats that let friends use its AI agent together for tasks like planning trips, organizing carpools, and coordinating events. The company says personal accounts remain separate, with permission required before personal agents share information or take action.


Oct 5, 2026

TikTok rolls out an AI shopping assistant and one-click checkout

TikTok describes its new Shopping Assistant as a conversational AI agent designed to help users discover and purchase products.


Oct 5, 2026

At 19, founder raises $11M for Ghost, maker of a $3,499 computer for personal AI

Ghost's first product is Core, a personal computer designed specifically for AI agents that can take actions on a person's behalf.


Oct 5, 2026

Hot Girl Hotline is like ‘Dear Abby’ for the AI era

Founded by two sisters, Hot Girl Hotline uses AI to give young women personalized dating and relationship advice, with an emphasis on safety and avoiding emotional dependency.


Oct 5, 2026

5 startups that caught VCs’ attention at the latest PearX demo day

TechCrunch attended Pear’s latest demo day and discovered which startups generated the most buzz, from spatial models to chips for local AI.