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.
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.
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 Re…
Command-line tool quickly removes Apple Intelligence from macOS 27

The tool can free up over 12GB of storage.
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 permissio…
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.
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.
Controlling the brain with light earns a physiology Nobel

The entire field of optogenetics traces back to light-seeking algae.
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.
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.