Tech Market & VC news — Thursday 08 October 2026

TechCrunch 22:33 UTC

Together, the awardees have donated nearly $6 billion to efforts tied to Trump and his administration.

CB Insights 22:30 UTC

Netflix recently revealed it paid $587M for Ben Affleck’s AI startup InterPositive . That’s $37M per employee. In August, Unrivaled , the basketball league started by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart raised at a $650M…

Wired Business 21:14 UTC

This week on “Uncanny Valley,” we discuss where Elon Musk’s PAC is spending millions, the latest ideology Trump claims is dangerous, and the backlash against the designer behind Muse’s logo.

TechCrunch 21:00 UTC

With over a thousand emails, slides, texts, and documents from the United States v. Elizabeth Holmes trial, Extend engineer Bo Lau created a website that simulates what it might have been like to rifle through the Theranos founder's desk.

CB Insights 20:59 UTC

Nir Sabato , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Catch , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more research?…

CB Insights 20:55 UTC

Ajay Lakhotia , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of StockGro , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

CB Insights 20:52 UTC

Glenn Bolstad , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vikar Technologies , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Vikar…

CB Insights 20:50 UTC

Catarina Oliveira e Carmo , Head of Marketing of Acoru , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

CB Insights 20:46 UTC

Kertu-Liina Lehismae , Chief Growth Officer of Mintos , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

CB Insights 20:45 UTC

Olzhas Zhiyenkul , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Investbanq , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

CB Insights 20:43 UTC

Tamás Petrovics , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of XUND , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

CB Insights 20:39 UTC

Po-Huan Lin , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tokenz , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

CB Insights 20:35 UTC

Michael Berl , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WeR , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? We are a B2B company and…

CB Insights 20:10 UTC

Gabriel Proaño , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khipu , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

CB Insights 20:07 UTC

Samir Dutta , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Farsight , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

TechCrunch 20:04 UTC

Three fired OpenAI safety researchers dispute allegations of mishandling sensitive information, warning in an open letter that their dismissals are creating a chilling effect on the company’s AI safety culture.

CB Insights 20:00 UTC

Charles McKinney , Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vontive , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

Wired Business 19:30 UTC

Jessica Hische knew working for Meta might upset some people. But she didn’t anticipate just how angry they would get.

Wired Business 19:11 UTC

“There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused this system more than Microsoft,” Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday.

TechCrunch 18:30 UTC

A fictionalized Sam Bankman-Fried is coming to your TV screen on November 19.

TechCrunch 18:20 UTC

Ben Affleck is going viral for his deep knowledge of AI, from neural networks and transformers to open weights. The actor, who sold his AI filmmaking startup to Netflix earlier this year, is proving he's more than just a Hollywood star.

TechCrunch 18:19 UTC

The company behind the popular LMArena leaderboard has raised $200 million led by Lightspeed and Khosla, and is now measuring AI models on alignment issues such as lying.

TechCrunch 18:19 UTC

It had previously been reported that the AI lab's annualized revenue was some $70 billion, but a new report claims it's a whole lot less than that.

TechCrunch 18:18 UTC

Google is turning Gemini into an AI agent that can plan, execute tasks, and work across business apps and systems. The agent can delegate work to subagents, use multiple AI models, and even gets its own workplace identity, complete with an…

TechCrunch 18:16 UTC

Anthropic's updated usage policy explicitly prohibits users from repeatedly abusing Claude in extreme cases, though ordinary frustration and criticism are still allowed. The new rules also address election interference, deceptive…

TechCrunch 18:10 UTC

OpenAI's flood of proofs deviated from the guidelines set by a group of mathematical researchers consulted by the frontier lab.

CB Insights 17:45 UTC

Kate Marcot, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) of Anomaly , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more research?…

CB Insights 17:33 UTC

Daniel Thomas Unger , Chief Product Officer (CPO) of Anomaly , tells CB Insights how they view the market, customer needs, and their company. How do you define your market and where does your company fit into that space? Want to see more…

TechCrunch 16:45 UTC

Richard Bronson, a former Stratton Oakmont partner who served time in federal prison for securities violations, has launched Commissary Club, a startup that uses AI to help people leaving prison find jobs, housing, community, and even…

YourStory (India) 16:31 UTC

The United States government is suspending new applications for permanent residency of foreign workers by companies including Microsoft, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, and HCLTech, citing abuse in the entire process, according to media reports…

TechCabal (Africa) 16:27 UTC

What if you could escape your real life and rebuild it from scratch? For millions of Nigerians playing Lagos Life, Lagos Run and other viral games, the attraction is not just entertainment. It is the chance to become a billionaire, own…

Fast Company Tech 16:00 UTC

Welcome to AI Decoded , Fast Company ‘s weekly newsletter that breaks down the most important news in the world of AI. I’m Mark Sullivan, a senior writer at Fast Company , covering emerging tech, AI, and tech policy. Sign up to receive…

TechCrunch 16:00 UTC

Goodfire just launched what it says is a cheaper way to keep AI agents in check: Instead of paying a second AI to read everything an agent does, its monitors peek inside the model while it works and only call in backup when something looks…

TechCrunch 16:00 UTC

Natura’s $99 Interface smart ring lets you summon AI agents with the press of a finger to complete tasks, capture thoughts, and control devices — while doubling as a health tracker.

EU-Startups 15:47 UTC

Elvy , a Stockholm-based Energy-as-a-Service company focused on the household energy transition, announced an undisclosed investment from Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio – as well as the rollout of a customer referral platform. This isn’t…

TechCrunch 15:42 UTC

The other firms being suspended from the program include Capgemini, Cognizant, HCL, Infosys, Tata, and Wipro.

TechCabal (Africa) 15:35 UTC

South Africa’s spam calls reached 17.5 billion in the first half of 2026. Now, the government wants companies to prove they have checked who they call before they press send. The National Consumer Commission (NCC), South Africa’s consumer…

TechCrunch 15:06 UTC

New York’s lawsuit against the company is one of more than two dozen cases brought by states accusing the social media giant of designing its platform to encourage addictive use among children.

TechCrunch 15:01 UTC

The hackers alerted the fashion giant's customers through a push notification that said they had "fully compromised" the company's cloud storage.

TechCrunch 15:00 UTC

Ambrosia Energy CEO Ben Longmier and Bloom Energy SVP Bill Thayer join the Smart Systems Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt. Register now to save up to $100. Grab a second of the same pass to save 50%.

EU-Startups 14:49 UTC

What does it take to turn university research into a globally competitive startup? And what can Europe and Asia learn from each other when it comes to innovation, investment and emerging technologies? These questions shaped our visit to…

YourStory (India) 14:47 UTC

While there is a lot of focus on founder burnout and stress, a new study points out that employees may need greater attention. Nearly half (47.5%) of people working in India’s startup ecosystem report low wellbeing, with employees emerging…

Fast Company Tech 14:45 UTC

Some of the guardrails that OpenAI included in its ChatGPT for Teens product don’t work as intended and the chatbot poses an “unacceptable risk” to children, according to a report Wednesday by Common Sense Media. The watchdog group urged…

TechCrunch 14:34 UTC

The company launched technology.spotify.com, a new site that will make its internal tech available to outsiders.

Fast Company Tech 14:30 UTC

The quantum computing world got a jolt when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced, after market close yesterday, a list of companies selected to advance to Stage C of its Quantum Benchmarking Initiative (QBI)…

TechCrunch 14:16 UTC

This is the first time the Alphabet-owned company has turned to debt financing.

TechCabal (Africa) 14:10 UTC

Table of contents At a glance Release date Price Detailed Specs Oppo F35 Pro vs Oppo F35 What changed from the Oppo F33 Pro Should you buy the Oppo F35 Pro? Where to buy FAQs Oppo launched the Oppo F35 Pro in India o

EU-Startups 14:00 UTC

“We’ve validated the idea.” I hear that sentence from founders more than almost any other, and it usually comes with evidence. Thirty people loved it. Two hundred joined the waitlist. In a survey, 80% said they would use it, and a mentor…

TechCrunch 14:00 UTC

Boston, are you ready?! TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 is about to explode with energy — and the real magic kicks off with an epic lineup of Side Events lighting up the city from November 3–6!

TechCrunch 14:00 UTC

The global tech ecosystem gathers at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 at San Francisco’s Moscone West on October 13-15. Get your pass now to save up to $100. Get a second of the same ticket type to save 50%.

TechCrunch 14:00 UTC

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.

YourStory (India) 13:55 UTC

Few novels have inspired readers around the world as deeply as The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. First published in 1988, the story follows Santiago, a young shepherd who leaves behind the familiar in search of a treasure he has seen in a…

TechCabal (Africa) 13:42 UTC

For a certain generation of Nigerians, mobile gaming began on a small square screen. A snake ate dots across the display, getting longer with every bite, while the player steered it around the screen without letting it run into itself; a…

YourStory (India) 13:40 UTC

DailyObjects, a design-led lifestyle-tech brand, has raised Rs 332 crore in a Series C round of funding led by Xponentia Capital Partners, Anicut Capital, and Axiom Asia Private Capital. The funding round was a combination of primary and…

Fast Company Tech 13:30 UTC

Just because Google and Apple are now calling it Lake America doesn’t mean everyone has to. After President Donald Trump ordered a new name for Lake Ontario , the two U.S. tech giants quickly fell in line, relabeling the body of water on…

TechCrunch 13:28 UTC

Google’s new AI Edge Foresight app takes on Granola with an offline meeting note-taker that can transcribe conversations, generate notes, and answer questions using on-device AI.

TechCrunch 13:20 UTC

Boyu Capital and IDG Capital led the funding round, and existing shareholders Tencent, HSG (formerly known as Sequoia China), ZhenFund, and others also participated.

EU-Startups 13:15 UTC

Free, equity-free and built for early-stage founders. Applications for the 12th edition of Global Startup Awards (GSA) are now open, and early-stage startups can apply today. Seventeen GSA alumni have gone on to unicorn status, a company…

TechCabal (Africa) 13:04 UTC

Instant crypto payouts mean very little if your bank rejects raw wallet histories as proof of income. For remote African workers earning from international clients, getting paid is only half the battle—the other half is building a…

Crunchbase News 13:00 UTC

Gudea has raised $7 million in seed funding to help companies anticipate which online narratives will go viral and understand who is driving them, the startup tells Crunchbase News exclusively. Mudita Venture Partners and Collide Capital…

TechCrunch 13:00 UTC

TechCrunch Founder Summit is gearing up to return to Boston on November 4! We’re doing a last call for exceptional volunteers to join us in bringing this event to life. If you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of tech events, now’s…

TechCrunch 13:00 UTC

The lineup includes three models: Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, Amazon Alexa Tablet 11, and Amazon Alexa Tablet 8.

TechCrunch 12:53 UTC

The two companies said on Thursday that they would begin testing Pony.ai's Gen-7 robotaxis in London in the coming weeks.

Fast Company Tech 12:45 UTC

Worries around artificial intelligence cross party lines, with the vast majority of Americans saying the U.S. government should prioritize keeping AI under human control and protecting workers. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC…

YourStory (India) 12:34 UTC

Few athletes embodied the pursuit of excellence as completely as Kobe Bryant. Known for his legendary work ethic and "Mamba Mentality," Bryant spent his career pushing the limits of what he could achieve. His success was not built solely…

TechCrunch 12:00 UTC

Vesta, an AI-native software startup that helps lenders originate mortgages, announced a $30 million round led by Conversion Capital.

Crunchbase News 11:00 UTC

In Q3, Europe posted its strongest venture funding quarter in four years, with AI companies driving those gains, Crunchbase data shows. European startup funding reached $25 billion last quarter, well above the $14 billion invested in Q3…

Wired Business 11:00 UTC

WIRED has partnered with Neal Agarwal of Neal.fun to create a visualization of Elon Musk’s massive wealth. Here’s how it came together.

Wired Business 11:00 UTC

What’s it like to be the richest man in the world? Find out for yourself.

Fast Company Tech 11:00 UTC

NASCAR fans today can do more to follow a live race than simply watch it on TV. Official NASCAR apps make live data, including telemetry feeds from race cars and behind-the-scenes driver audio communications, available to premium…

TechCabal (Africa) 10:43 UTC

“Turn left at the blue container, look for the mango tree, and stop before the brick fence.” For generations, finding a home in Nigeria meant understanding street codenames and landmarks. Now, the government is replacing that with a…

Fast Company Tech 10:33 UTC

Rohit Prasad, who led Amazon’s artificial general intelligence division and helped build and scale Alexa, has been tapped as the new CEO of Boston Dynamics. The appointment, announced earlier this week, puts Prasad at the forefront of the…

Fast Company Tech 10:11 UTC

At 10:08 a.m. on April 7, 2025, U.S. stocks were deep in the red. Then what looked like good news arrived: A claim began circulating on X that Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, had said President Donald…

EU-Startups 10:07 UTC

Brighton-based Universal Quantum , a company building large-scale quantum computing systems for real-world use, today announced it has secured over €89 million ($100 million) in Series A funding – reprotedly marking the largest Series A…

Stratechery 10:00 UTC

An interview with former Facebook Head of Global Elections Katie Harbath about her new book Disrupting Politics, and how things change for the company in the 2010s.

TechCabal (Africa) 09:42 UTC

NeoFleet, a Cyprus-based mobility finance company that operates in Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Peru, has raised a $4 million pre-seed round to scale its professional taxi fleet financing model and build infrastructure for autonomous…

EU-Startups 09:31 UTC

Copenhagen-based VC firm PSV has today announced the final close of PSV Tech Fund II at €56 million in order to back early-stage tech startups across the Nordics, often as their first investor – building on the first Fund’s success of 47…

Wired Business 09:30 UTC

The Center for Humane Technology helped spark a movement against excessive screen time, but internal tensions over its direction and strategy have simmered for years, sources tell WIRED.

EU-Startups 09:09 UTC

NeoFleet Capital , a Limassol-based investment and technology platform that finances professional taxi fleets, has raised €3.5 million in pre-Seed funding. The round was backed by Mark Loughran, former President and CFO of global…

Fast Company Tech 09:05 UTC

Prediction markets incentivize truth. Everything else incentivizes clickbait. That’s the core argument Luana Lopes Lara makes for Kalshi, the prediction market platform she co-founded that has gone from $5 billion to $22 billion in…

EU-Startups 08:50 UTC

In this episode, we sit down with Paul Bonnet , General Partner at 20VC , the London-based venture capital firm founded by Harry Stebbings that sprung from the extremely popular 20VC podcast. We start with Paul’s path into venture – from…

YourStory (India) 08:43 UTC

From Zoomcar strengthening its risk assessment to MoneyTruVa securing funds, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors. Featured news Nana Patekar Veteran actor Nana Patekar, known for his powerful…

YourStory (India) 07:18 UTC

The Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), Government of Karnataka, today announced the second edition of the Bengaluru Skill Summit at a curtain raiser held at Vikasa Soudha, Bengaluru. The summit will be…

EU-Startups 07:11 UTC

IMMIX , a London-based AI-native trading firm that helps payment companies exchange stablecoins between currencies, has raised €3.12 million ($3.5 million) in funding. The round was backed by Crane Venture Partners, BTSE, and Portfolio…

YourStory (India) 07:07 UTC

India aims to double its 5G user base from 550 million to one billion by 2030, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday, adding that the country, which was behind the world in 4G, is resolved to lead the world in 6G…

YourStory (India) 07:07 UTC

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta on Wednesday said it has deployed new AI tools to crack down on ads that covertly lead users to child abuse material, as it disclosed that it acted on 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation…

YourStory (India) 07:00 UTC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a global framework to tackle cyber frauds and deepfakes, saying digital threats have crossed national boundaries and require coordinated action by all stakeholders. Inaugurating the tenth…

YourStory (India) 06:41 UTC

The government on Thursday slammed US business tycoon Elon Musk over his allegations that Starlink's satcom services are being blocked, and made it clear that demonstrating compliance with security norms is an absolute must for every…

StartupDaily (AU) 06:23 UTC

Diraq grabs A$73m from DARPA to prove silicon quantum can scale.

EU-Startups 06:22 UTC

TODAY , a Copenhagen-based startup offering an AI sales operating system for financial and insurance advisors has secured €2.8 million in Seed funding. The round was co-led by High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and InsurTech Gateway. They were…

TechCabal (Africa) 06:17 UTC

In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning. Nigerians are more likely to buy event tickets a few days before the D-Day than on salary day. And the reason is not what you think. In this episode of Headlines by…

TechCrunch 06:14 UTC

“Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Elon Musk asked as he questioned why Starlink has yet to launch its satellite internet service in the country.

EU-Startups 05:57 UTC

Finches , a Bavaria-based startup developing AI for agricultural procurement, has raised €2 million in a pre-Seed funding round to accelerate product development and expand its sales operations. The round was led by High-Tech Gründerfonds…

YourStory (India) 03:48 UTC

Veteran actor Nana Patekar, known for his powerful performances and versatility, died at his Goa residence in the early hours of Thursday. He was 75. Patekar is suspected to have suffered a heart attack, according to sources. He was found…

YourStory (India) 02:00 UTC

Hello, In a major policy pivot at the central bank, the Reserve Bank of India raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on Wednesday. This is the first time in nearly four years that the RBI has raised the repo rate, and the first…