WindBorne wins a hefty US Air Force contract for its balloon data

A Silicon Valley startup that uses weather balloons and AI to predict the weather won a U.S. military contract worth almost $50 million.

We can’t help treating AI like it’s human. But should we?

“When we are drawn into even the most primitive exchanges with a relational artifact, we believe it cares for us,” Dr. Sherry Turkle writes. “And we are wired to care for it in return.”

A16z’s Olivia Moore on the state of consumer AI

Moore sees a huge opportunity in consumer AI, particularly if the industry can tap into revenue streams beyond just subscriptions and API charges.

Automattic loses its interim CFO just weeks after boardroom shakeup

Automattic’s interim chief financial officer Jeremy Klaperman has left the company less than a month after taking the role, TechCrunch has learned. Sources say his departure followed a demotion back to his previous position, marking another executive e…

Cal AI’s 19-year-old founder just raised $10M for his new AI startup

Zach Yadegari, the teen co-founder of popular Cal AI calorie tracking app, has launched a new personal AI agent startup that competes with Instinct, Muse, and Bee.

Bloom raises $3.6M to become the ‘Alibaba’ of American manufacturing

The Detroit startup has widened its scope beyond mobility to help drone and robotics companies find U.S. based manufacturers, shippers, and more.

Xbox has secured GTA 6 streaming rights
Xbox has secured GTA 6 streaming rights

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told employees that Microsoft is getting ready to do something around Grand Theft Auto VI that “no other platform holder is doing” during an employee all-hands this morning. According to sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, Sharma’s brief teaser was actually about Xbox managing to land a deal for game streaming rights […]

Glimpse wants to give hardware companies an X-ray view of every critical part

Called Explore, Glimpse’s new image processing software lets hardware makers speed up quality control checks using CT scanners.

Flai’s AI dealership software is booking 50,000 appointments per month

Flai’s revenue has grown 20x in a year, and the company just closed a $27 million Series A funding round.

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.