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On the latest episode of Equity, we discuss OpenAI's latest acquisitions and whether they address wo big existential problems for the company.
A lot of AI startups exist partly because the foundation models haven't expanded into their category yet. As many jokingly acknowledge, that won't last forever.
Blue Origins New Glenn put a customer satellite in the wrong orbit during its third launch
The first major failure of Blue Origin's new heavy-launch system could create delays to its ambition to help NASA and the Trump administration return to the Moon.
Robots beat human records at Beijing half-marathon
The winning time is a massive improvement over last years race, when the fastest robot finished in two hours and 40 minutes.
Cracks are starting to form on fusion energys funding boom
Fusion startups and investors risk deepening fissures if some key disagreements aren't settled amicably.
Blue Origin successfully re-uses a New Glenn rocket for the first time ever
It's a major milestone for the company's new mega-rocket system, putting it in position to challenge SpaceX's dominance of the global launch market.
VC Ron Conway says he has a rare form of cancer
Conway wrote that he will be stepping back from some of my usual activities, but he will continue to support founders backed by his firm SV Angel.
AI chip startup Cerebras files for IPO
In recent months, the company announced an agreement with Amazon Web Services to use Cerebras chips in Amazon data centers, as well as a deal with OpenAI reportedly worth more than $10 billion.
Anthropics relationship with the Trump administration seems to be thawing
Despite recently being designated a supply-chain risk by the Pentagon, Anthropic is still talking to high-level members of the Trump administration.
The App Store is booming again, and AI may be why
New data from Appfigures shows a swell of new app launches in 2026, suggesting AI tools could be fueling a mobile software boom.
Once close enough for an acquisition, Stripe and Airwallex are now going after each other
For most of its life, Airwallex and Stripe have mostly operated in different geographies, selling to different buyers. That's changing.
Sam Altmans project World looks to scale its human verification empire. First stop: Tinder.
World, which has raised eyebrows (but also a lot of interest) with its Orb-centered anonymous verification project, is looking to expand its influence via a bevy of new partnerships.
Man who hacked US Supreme Court filing system sentenced to probation
Nicholas Moore hacked into three U.S. government networks using stolen credentials, and then bragged about it and posted victims' personal data on Instagram under the handle @ihackedthegovernment.
Sources: Cursor in talks to raise $2B+ at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges
Returning backers a16z and Thrive are expected to lead the round.
Chef Robotics escaped the robot cooking graveyard and says its thriving heres why
The company, which deploys AI-guided robot arms for food production, says it is looking to expand its services to provide for a broader array of customers.
Uber will now pick up your returns from your doorstep
The new returns feature is the company's latest effort to become an everything app.
Anthropic launches Claude Design, a new product for creating quick visuals
The company says Claude Design is intended to help people like founders and product managers without a design background share their ideas more easily.
Googles AI Mode can now help you find products in stock nearby
Although you can already track hotel prices at the city level, the new update lets you do so for a specific hotel that you're interested in.
Some lawmakers are calling for widespread reforms following years of surveillance scandals and abuses across successive U.S. administrations. But even if the spy law known as Section 702 expires in April, the government's spy powers will not automatically lapse.
Bluesky confirms DDoS attack is cause of continued app outages
Bluesky has been experiencing ongoing service disruptions since just before 3 a.m. ET. on April 15.
Netflix plans to add a vertical video feed, use AI for recommendations
Netflix is going to launch a TikTok-like vertical video feed within its apps this month, and plans to use AI broadly for content creation and recommendations.
Loop raises $95M to build supply chain AI that predicts disruptions
The San Francisco startup closed a Series C funding round led by Antonio Gracias' firm Valor, which is a major backer of xAI.
New leaders, new fund: Sequoia has raised $7B to expand its AI bets
The fundraise is the first major capital raise under Sequoia's new leadership, with Alfred Lin and Pat Grady now serving as co-stewards of the 54-year-old firm.
Factory hits $1.5B valuation to build AI coding for enterprises
The three-year-old startup raised $150 million led by Khosla Ventures.
The new model, called 0.7, represents what the company describes as an early but meaningful step toward the long-sought goal of a general-purpose robot brain.
This week on Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen speaks with Capella Kerst, founder and CEO of geCKo Materials.
Slash, a Ramp competitor founded by teenagers, raises $100M at $1.4B valuation
Five years later the founders, now 24 years old, say their startup has achieved $300 million in annualized revenue.
OpenAI takes aim at Anthropic with beefed-up Codex that gives it more power over your desktop
OpenAI's agentic coding tool has gotten a major makeover, with a variety of new powers and abilities.
European police email 75,000 people asking them to stop DDoS attacks
Europol coordinated an operation against for-hire distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) services, including the arrest of four people and the takedown of 53 domains.
Anthropic CPO leaves Figmas board after reports he will offer a competing product
A herald of the SAASpocalypse?
If culture is shaped by TikTok's algorithmic feed, then it's time for us to decide where we draw the line between necessary marketing and inauthentic growth hacking.
Google now lets you explore the web side-by-side with AI Mode
Now, when you're using AI Mode on Chrome desktop, clicking a link will open the web page side-by-side with AI Mode.
Two Americans sentenced for helping North Korea steal $5 million in fake IT worker scheme
The U.S. Department of Justice announced that two Americans were sentenced to years in prison for helping the North Korean government place fake IT workers in U.S. companies.
InsightFinder raises $15M to help companies figure out where AI agents go wrong
According to CEO Helen Gu, the biggest problem facing the industry today is not just monitoring and diagnosing where AI models go wrong, it's diagnosing how the entire tech stack operates now that AI is a part of it.
AI traffic to US retailers rose 393% in Q1, and its boosting their revenue too
Adobe says AI traffic to U.S. retail sites also jumped 269% in March, with visitors converting better and generating more revenue than non-AI shoppers.
Robloxs AI assistant gets new agentic tools to plan, build, and test games
The new new tools are designed to help creators throughout the entire development process.
Google adds Nano Banana-powered image generation to Geminis Personal Intelligence
The feature will be initially available to paid users in the U.S.
Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors
Google blocked 8.3 billion ads in 2025 but suspended fewer advertisers.
Runway CEO says AI could help Hollywood make 50 films instead of one $100M blockbuster
Runways CEO says AI could help studios make dozens of films for the cost of one, betting volume will boost hit-making odds.
Meta raises Quest 3 and Quest 3S prices due to RAM shortage
Starting April 19, the price of the Meta Quest 3S (128GB) and Meta Quest 3S (256GB) will go up by $50 to $349.99 and $449.99, respectively. The price of the Meta Quest 3 is going up by $100 to $599.99.
Canvas AI assistant can now call various tools to make designs for you
The latest version of Canva's AI assistant lets users create editable designs with text prompts.
Fashion retailer Express left customers personal data and order details exposed to the internet
Retail giant Express was publicly spilling customer information to the open web. The bug is now fixed after TechCrunch alerted Express, but the company would not say if it plans to notify customers.
This simulation startup wants to be the Cursor for physical AI
Antioch raised a $8.5 million seed round to create simulation tools for a new generation of robot builders.
DeepL, known for text translation, now wants to translate your voice
DeepL says its tech could be used for real-time translation with meeting tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams
AvenuesAI Subsidiary Rediff Pre-Files DRHP
AvenuesAIs (formerly Infibeam Ventures) subsidiary Rediff has filed its IPO papers via the confidential route with SEBI. Rediff.com India Limited,
Xovian Aerospace Raises $2 Mn To Launch RF Satellite
Spacetech startup Xovian Aerospace has secured $2 Mn (about 18.7 Cr) in a fresh funding round led by ace investor
NODWINs Pre-IPO Round, Funding Tanks In Q1 2026 & More
NODWINs Pre-IPO Funding Meal NODWIN Gaming is moving beyond gaming and esports. Emerging from the shadows of its former parent
