While US stalls, Australia and Anduril move to put XL undersea vehicle into service
Anduril has landed a lucrative contract and is bringing its uncrewed undersea vehicle Ghost Shark to Australian waters next year. Anduril has landed a lucrative contract and is bringing its uncrewed undersea vehicle Ghost Shark to Australian waters next year.
Klarna’s IPO pops, raising $1.4B, with Sequoia as the biggest winner
Of the 34.3 million shares Klarna sold, only 5 million were sold by the company, it said. The rest were sold by existing investors. Of the 34.3 million shares Klarna sold, only 5 million were sold by the company, it said. The rest were sold by existing investors.
Sources: AI training startup Mercor eyes $10B+ valuation on $450 million run rate
The two-year-old startup has been in discussions with investors for a Series C round. The two-year-old startup has been in discussions with investors for a Series C round.
From mixers to pitch-offs — your brand event belongs at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Each Side Event can unlock new opportunities for the hosts: investor deal flow, talent connections, and brand exposure with the startup community. Each Side Event can unlock new opportunities for the hosts: investor deal flow, talent connections, and brand exposure with the startup community.
Help, I have been charmed by the iPhone Air
Apple’s sleek iPhone Air has a powerful processor and large display, but its battery life and camera might be a problem. Apple’s sleek iPhone Air has a powerful processor and large display, but its battery life and camera might be a problem.
Why SpaceX made a $17B bet on the direct-to-cell market
The deal is the most aggressive signal yet that SpaceX wants to rule the satellite-to-phone market. The deal is the most aggressive signal yet that SpaceX wants to rule the satellite-to-phone market.
I want to love Apple’s new iPhone Air, but the iPhone 17 is a better deal
I was within a heartbeat of preordering the new iPhone Air. But a closer looks at the specs changed my mind. I was within a heartbeat of preordering the new iPhone Air. But a closer looks at the specs changed my mind.
Matt: Assorted Links
A few interesting reads or listens: The Next Thing You Smell Could Ruin Your Life, a deep dive into chemical sensitivity and toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, or TILT, by Lexi Pandell (WordPress!) at Wired. IRL Brain Rot and the Lure of the Labubu, by Kyle Chayka at New Yorker. Simon Willison’s Lethal Trifecta talk, on […]
Netskope follows Rubrik as a rare cybersecurity IPO, both backed by Lightspeed
The 13-year-old company could be valued up to $6.5, with Lightspeed’s stake worth $1.1 billion. The 13-year-old company could be valued up to $6.5, with Lightspeed’s stake worth $1.1 billion.
Sam Altman says that bots are making social media feel ‘fake’
After watching Reddit’s OpenAI and Anthropic communities, Sam Altman thinks social media cannot be trusted. And bots are to blame. After watching Reddit’s OpenAI and Anthropic communities, Sam Altman thinks social media cannot be trusted. And bots are to blame.
Nuclear startup Deep Fission goes public in a curious SPAC
Deep Fission had been seeking to raise $15 million in a seed round as recently as April. The reverse merger will raise twice that amount. Deep Fission had been seeking to raise $15 million in a seed round as recently as April. The reverse merger will raise twice that amount.
Bluesky adds private bookmarks
Bluesky adds bookmarks so users can privately save posts they want to reference later. Bluesky adds bookmarks so users can privately save posts they want to reference later.
Microsoft says Azure affected after cables cut in the Red Sea
It’s not clear who cut the cables or why. It’s not clear who cut the cables or why.
Are bad incentives to blame for AI hallucinations?
How can a chatbot be so wrong — and sound so confident in its wrongness? How can a chatbot be so wrong — and sound so confident in its wrongness?
Koah raises $5M to bring ads into AI apps
One investor says Koah is “building the essential monetization layer for consumer AI.” One investor says Koah is “building the essential monetization layer for consumer AI.”
Hyundai’s eVTOL startup Supernal pauses work following CEO and CTO departures
The shakeup comes as the startup was still struggling to get its test vehicle off the ground — literally. The first flight was only in March. The shakeup comes as the startup was still struggling to get its test vehicle off the ground — literally. The first flight was only in March.
Matt: Maker Taker
My sister Charleen sent me this meme with the note “Someone needs to draw you in there with your arm up ” It’s a nice ode to the Dries essay on Maker/Taker problems. Well, thanks to the magic of AI, I asked the Nano Banana AI Studio to “make it so on the bottom one […]
Why is an Amazon-backed AI startup making Orson Welles fan fiction?
This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea.
Matt: Breaking Ribs
Chris Young, who is otherwise famous for being a co-author of the 2,438-page cookbook Modernist Cuisine or centrifuging steaks and drinking them, is one of the friends who, over the years, has told me I have to watch Breaking Bad, the TV show. When I was in Marrakech for a few weeks earlier this year, and it was a […]
EU fines Google $3.5B over adtech ‘abuse’
This is the EU’s largest antitrust penalty ever — and Trump has already threatened to “nullify” it. This is the EU’s largest antitrust penalty ever — and Trump has already threatened to “nullify” it.