AX·NEWS
Sign in

Tech Market & VC

Tech Market & VC news — Wednesday 21 October 2026

70 stories from 10 sources, every one in English. Each links to its publisher.

Open in the live feedRSS feedOn a TV

  1. The datacentre games: NextDC tumbles, Firmus scrambles, Pocock pounces and WinDC BFFs Nvidia
    AUStartupDaily (AU)

    Australia’s AI data-centre boom hits the wall as NextDC tanks, Firmus sweats OpenAI, and WinDC courts Nvidia.

  2. Sam Kroonenburg’s adtech, Cuttable, adds $20m million Series A
    AUStartupDaily (AU)

    Cuttable grabs $20m to make AI ads learn from every flop and winner, not just churn content.

  3. Blackstone’s Jas Khaira says fears over AI-buildout debt are overblown
    USTechCrunch

    Blackstone’s AI head on why the PE giant isn't panicked by market jitters.

  4. Meta wants to pay for its broad AI buildout with a newly created class of stock
    USTechCrunch

    The social media giant is planning a new stock strategy to help power its broad investments in AI models and services.

  5. Mark Zuckerberg Agrees to Stay in California Despite Billionaires’ Tax Ballot Measure
    USWired Business

    Meta’s board feared that its CEO’s departure could disrupt the company’s AI ambitions. A new stock agreement gives him financial incentives to stay put.

  6. Airbnb limits chores for guests, sparking backlash from hosts
    USTechCrunch

    Hosts are threatening to leave the platform after Airbnb says that they can no longer require guests to strip beds or do other time-consuming cleaning chores.

  7. Airbnb Hosts Are Furious They Can No Longer Make Guests Do Their Chores
    USWired Business

    Some hosts are threatening to strike, while others are plotting ways around Airbnb’s new restrictions. Guests, meanwhile, are celebrating.

  8. 9 Big Tech engineers building the next wave of fintech
    USCB Insights

    Big Tech engineers are turning to fintech in 2026, targeting workflows like investment research, trading, accounts receivable, and financial data. Using CB Insights People data, we profiled 9 technical founders who came from Google , Meta…

  9. TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026: Everything you need to know 
    USTechCrunch

    TechCrunch Founder Summit is a full-day gathering in Boston on November 4 where founders across all stages connect with top VCs and experienced entrepreneurs to gain tactical insights on building and scaling their companies.

  10. Meta says Muse has over 10M users, with shopping a top activity
    USTechCrunch

    Meta Muse users are adopting the app for shopping and personal productivity, the company said during its Q3 earnings call. The AI app now has over 10M users.

  11. Year-old AI lab Flapping Airplanes raises $1B at a $6B valuation
    USTechCrunch

    Just 9 months after raising a $180 million seed round, Flapping Airplanes has landed a $1 billion Series A for its mission to build AI models "without ingesting half the internet."

  12. Tesla stars Optimus robot production in California as profit falls 43%
    USTechCrunch

    Tesla's revenue was flat and its expenses skyrocketed as it pressed the accelerator on its Optimus robots, AI, and autonomous driving.

  13. Recursive launches Flint, a laptop coding model it says was largely built by AI
    USTechCrunch

    Startup Recursive has released Flint, a free, laptop-sized coding model built largely by its own AI research system, as an early test of AI that improves itself.

  14. Automattic begins layoffs following board upheaval and executive departures
    USTechCrunch

    Sources say more cuts could follow as the company looks to improve its finances.

  15. GM is betting compute and AI will help it compete with Chinese automakers
    USTechCrunch

    To compete with Tesla, Rivian, and a host of Chinese automakers, GM’s fourth-gen EV platform will roll out a new central computer and electrical architecture that will debut in 2028 in the Cadillac Escalade IQ.

  16. Meta ordered to pay $25 billion in case related to Cambridge Analytica scandal
    USTechCrunch

    The payout is related to a recent trial involving the social media giant that revolved around its data privacy practices.

  17. While Amazon blocks AI agents, Walmart rolls out the welcome mat
    USTechCrunch

    As Amazon blocks AI agents from shopping on its site, Walmart is taking the opposite approach, introducing new technology that lets AI agents make purchases on customers' behalf, with controls over spending and transaction approvals.

  18. The internet is having a very bad cybersecurity day
    USTechCrunch

    From AI-discovered PHP vulnerabilities to flaws in Node.js and popular AI tool LiteLLM, cybersecurity teams have plenty to worry about this week.

  19. Legal AI startup Legora raises $550M Series E at $8.8B valuation
    USTechCrunch

    Legal AI startup Legora announced Wednesday that it raised a $550 million Series E round, valuing it at $8.8 billion.

  20. GM is giving OnStar an AI makeover
    USTechCrunch

    It's one of the biggest overhauls ever to the 30-year-old connected car product.

  21. PHP armageddon: OpenAI, Google’s Wiz find ancient holes, panicking the internet
    USTechCrunch

    This is the kind of security issue that was found and prevented by AI, but is also a high risk because of AI.

  22. Presented by Stripe
    USStratechery

    Listen to this post : Log in to listen </di

  23. Blacksmith hits unicorn valuation after Sequoia leads Series C
    USTechCrunch

    Blacksmith, a platform that lets companies build and test AI code more effectively, just announced a $66 million Series C round led by Sequoia that values the company at $1 billion.

  24. Waymo starts offering rides at the Las Vegas airport
    USTechCrunch

    Waymo only just started offering rides to the public in Las Vegas in September but is already serving a 24-square-mile area in the city.

  25. Deepinder Goyal to foray into AI with privacy-focused engine Dark.ai
    INYourStory (India)

    Eternal founder Deepinder Goyal has announced his intention to get directly into the world of artificial intelligence (AI) with the promise of a platform that will maintain the privacy of an individual while also providing the answers. The…

  26. 7 Books with twisted endings for psychological thriller Fans
    INYourStory (India)

    Psychological thrillers are at their best when they make readers question everything they think they know. A seemingly trustworthy character may be hiding a disturbing secret, an ordinary relationship may conceal years of manipulation, and…

  27. This Startup Is All In on Recursive Self-Improvement. Its Latest Model Is Scary Good
    USWired Business

    Recursive makes the case that the benefits of using AI to build AI outweigh the risks.

  28. AI chatbots struggle to understand cultural context, a new study finds
    USFast Company Tech

    AI models often struggle to understand cultures around the world, and are reluctant to admit when they don’t know something. That’s what researchers at Canadian AI lab Cohere Labs found when they tested whether chatbots could do more than…

  29. Jensen Huang’s Vision for Europe Runs on Plug-In Data Centers
    USWired Business

    At Nvidia’s GTC in Berlin, Huang unveiled the company’s new plug-in data center—the DSX Pod—as the key to unlocking Europe’s AI infrastructure lag. Oh, and autonomous humanoid robotics.

  30. African banks may be sitting on payment technology they aren’t fully using
    NGTechCabal (Africa)

    African banks could accelerate innovation by getting more out of existing payment systems instead of investing in costly replacements. That was a key theme at BPC Client Conference 2026 in Cape Town, on Wednesday, where bankers, payments…

  31. Finance influencer V Harish dies by suicide; father alleges cyberbullying
    INYourStory (India)

    (Trigger warning: Story mentions suicide) V Harish, a financial influencer with over a million followers, has died by suicide at a rented villa near Chennai. His father has alleged that Harish was reportedly “targeted” by Jason Samuel, the…

  32. Eternal to pick 4.4% stake in Mygate following divestment of digital ad business
    INYourStory (India)

    Eternal, the parent company of Blinkit and Zomato, will acquire a 4.4% stake in Mygate through a share-swap agreement as it divests its stake in outdoor digital advertising business AdOnMo. In a disclosure to the stock exchanges, Eternal…

  33. Foursquare co-founder says equity holders saw no returns from the company’s acquisition
    USTechCrunch

    Foursquare raised $411 million in funding according to PitchBook data, but its equity holders saw no returns from its final acquisition.

  34. There’s no stopping Legora – €489 million for Stockholm’s LegalTech Unicorn
    EUEU-Startups

    Legora , the Swedish agentic operating system for legal professionals, today announced it has raised a €489 million ($550 million) Series E at an €7.8 bilion ($8.8 billion) post-money valuation in order to continue its international…

  35. AI promises productivity, but for managers, it’s mostly a headache for now
    USTechCrunch

    More than 50% of managers say they're finding it harder to evaluate employees' work after adopting AI, according to a new survey.

  36. Telehealth Giant Hims Wants to Test Every Dude for Low Testosterone
    USWired Business

    The company plans to offer testosterone replacement therapy, marking its first foray into prescribing controlled substances.

  37. Startup news and updates: daily roundup (October 21, 2026)
    INYourStory (India)

    Companies from the startup ecosystem continue to show strong performance as listed firms, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors. Latest News Eternal Q2 net profit rises 92% in FY27, revenue up…

  38. Celebrities don't sell, the product does: Ananth Narayanan on what makes a D2C brand last
    INYourStory (India)

    The froth has gone out of D2C, and brands that want to last will have to earn it slowly. That was the message from Ananth Narayanan, Founder and CEO of BRND.ME, at the 17th edition of YourStory's TechSparks. In a fireside chat with Shradha…

  39. Heat pump tech is 170 years old. Pascal thinks it’s time for an update.
    USTechCrunch

    Refrigerants startup Pascal has a new take on heat pump and cooling tech using a sponge-like material that promises to be 20% more efficient.

  40. Mach9 raises $34M after pivoting to AI CAD software
    USTechCrunch

    The startup initially set out to build better, faster, and cheaper surveying hardware in 2021.

  41. Fuse Energy bets on NVIDIA GPUs as it expands from energy supply into AI infrastructure
    EUEU-Startups

    Fuse Energy , a British energy company, has opened reservations for Fuse Compute, its first commercial AI product, offering access to NVIDIA GPUs in UK data centres powered by Fuse – marking a new step into AI infrastructure by the…

  42. India’s GCCs move up the value chain to build products for global markets
    INYourStory (India)

    India has long been a global hub for technology services, but its growing engineering capabilities are opening up opportunities to develop products, create intellectual property (IP), and take ownership of innovation. As multinational…

  43. Eternal Q2 net profit rises 92% in FY27, revenue up 78%
    INYourStory (India)

    Eternal, the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit, reported a 92.3% year-on-year (YoY) rise in net profit in the second quarter of FY27, while revenue grew 78% YoY. However, the company missed analysts’ estimates, which had projected a net…

  44. How curiosity took Victoria Abiodun from anatomy to crypto
    NGTechCabal (Africa)

    Growing up in a household steeped in healthcare, Victoria Abiodun’s path seemed predetermined: finish her anatomy degree at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, northcentral Nigeria, head abroad for medical school, and never look back…

  45. Bard Santner wants to turn Zimbabwe’s diaspora remittances into a banking business
    NGTechCabal (Africa)

    Bard Santner , a financial services group offering asset management, corporate finance, wealth management, and remittance services, is positioning itself to capture a larger share of Zimbabwe’s $2.45 billion diaspora market . Through its…

  46. When A Startup Sells, Its Employees’ Equity Plans Can Change Overnight
    USCrunchbase News

    By Ron Honig Acquisitions are reshaping the technology industry. Venture-backed AI companies acquired 195 AI startups this year through late September , already exceeding the total for all of 2025, Crunchbase data shows. For investors and…

  47. ‘Weird And Maybe Uninvestable’: How Reach Capital Spots Its Venture Winners
    USCrunchbase News

    Before James Kim evaluated education startups, he used their products in his classroom. The Reach Capital partner began his career as a high school math teacher with Teach For America after studying astrophysics at Yale . He later worked…

  48. Eindhoven-based Photon Bridge raises €10 million to build optical engines for AI and telecom
    EUEU-Startups

    Photon Bridge (formerly Photon IP), an Eindhoven-based startup building optical engines for AI and telecom, has raised €10 million to tackle an emerging bottleneck in AI infrastructure: producing the millions of lasers needed to connect…

  49. Handwashing changed medicine. AI could too, if hospitals stop treating it like traditional software
    USFast Company Tech

    In 1847, Ignaz Semmelweis asked the doctors in the Vienna maternity clinic where he worked to wash their hands in a chlorine solution before examining patients. Deaths on the ward fell from about 18% to about 2% within two months. In…

  50. eMudhra faces scrutiny after weak certificate keys raise web security concerns
    INYourStory (India)

    Eight intermediate certificate authority keys linked to eMudhra’s global website-security business were found to be dangerously weak, raising concerns about the systems that browsers use to establish trust online. The flaw could have…

  51. Building AI in India? Privacy is now a valuation issue: Shivaarti Bajaj
    INYourStory (India)

    As India’s startups race to build AI-first products, the way they handle personal data could decide what those companies are eventually worth. Speaking at TechSparks 2026, YourStory’s annual flagship summit, Shivaarti Bajaj, Founding…

  52. Netflix Earnings, Business or Franchise, Disney’s Deal
    USStratechery

    Netflix has a solid business, which is exactly the problem: the company increasingly seems like a business and not a franchise, at least in terms of growth.

  53. Britain’s Skyfly raises €8.91 million to bring its two-seat Axe eVTOL to market and develop Longbow for defence
    EUEU-Startups

    Skyfly Technologies , a British developer of electric and hybrid-electric vertical take-off aircraft, has closed an €8.91 million ($10 million) Seed round. The round was led by HICO Investment Group, a specialist growth equity investor…

  54. 6 ways to use AI to actually make you smarter
    USFast Company Tech

    There’s a reasonable amount of anxiety that artificial intelligence might be making us all, well, a little less smart than we were before. AI, the worry goes, might become a crutch for critical thinking. When a chatbot can write an email…

  55. Europe Wants Data Centers. Its Climate Goals Are Getting in The Way
    USWired Business

    A plan to funnel the heat given off by data centers into nearby homes has run aground in Germany. Across Europe, policymakers are weighing AI ambitions against climate objectives.

  56. FreightTech unicorn sennder targets €1 billion in annual revenue as C.H. Robinson integration completes
    EUEU-Startups

    sennder , a German digital road freight forwarder, today announced that it will hit €1 billion in annual revenue for this year, as well as completing the integration of C.H. Robinson’s European operations. The delivery scale-up has raised…

  57. Jio Platforms IPO oversubscribed in less than two hours led by QIBs
    INYourStory (India)

    Jio Platforms’ initial public offering (IPO) was oversubscribed in the qualified institutional buyers (QIB) category within two hours of opening on Wednesday, signalling strong demand from institutional investors. However, the issue…

  58. A ‘kill switch’ is the wrong way to regulate AI. Here’s why
    USFast Company Tech

    In the wake of high-profile hacking incidents involving advanced artificial intelligence agents, some politicians and business executives have been calling for an AI kill switch : a safeguard that could shut down these AI systems in an…

  59. From backup to energy management: how batteries are changing India's power needs
    INYourStory (India)

    For years, the conversation around batteries in Indian businesses was fairly straightforward: How much backup do you need? That question is changing. In conversations with businesses, channel partners, and people working across the energy…

  60. Berlin-based YGO raises €8 million to make travel inventory bookable through AI agents
    EUEU-Startups

    YGO , a Berlin-based startup building an AI infrastructure layer for the travel industry, raised €8 million in a Series A round. The round was led by Ventech, with participation from Sake Bosch, Caesar and Business Angels. In August 2024…

  61. ‘You are all born artists’: Prakash Belawadi on surviving the AI age
    INYourStory (India)

    Actor-theatre artist Prakash Belawadi began his session at TechSparks 2026 with a simple question: “Any artists out there?” He went on to answer his own question with a profound reflection: “This is a trick question. You are all born…

  62. How Neo San is processing non-recyclable waste where it is generated
    INYourStory (India)

    Indian cities generate large volumes of non-recyclable dry waste every day, much of which municipal collection systems struggle to manage. Conventional waste management relies on trucks to transport rubbish to distant landfills, dumpsites…

  63. Former international boxer’s LegalTech startup EstateMin raises €1 million to scale in the US
    EUEU-Startups

    EstateMin , an Irish-founded LegalTech startup helping trust and estate law firms manage estate values with its AI-powered platform, has secured €1 million in pre-Seed funding. The funding round saw participation from NDRC, First Port…

  64. Anthropic just posted a whopping half-yearly loss of $114 billion – and its valuation has plunged too
    AUStartupDaily (AU)

    The loss and trillion-dollar compute appetite torch IPO hype as valuation hopes sink.

  65. 👨🏿‍🚀TechCabal Daily – A MNT of fresh air
    NGTechCabal (Africa)

    In partnership with Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Happy mid-week. A quick founder shoutout before we get into today’s news: Kelvin Umechukwu, co-founder and CEO of Bumpa, is one of the Top 10 finalists for Africa’s Business…

  66. SBI finds 3,897 customer records on dark web after hacker’s claim
    INYourStory (India)

    State Bank of India (SBI) has disclosed a suspected customer data breach, saying it found 3,897 records containing personal information on the dark web. The country’s largest public sector lender confirmed the findings in a stock exchange…

  67. This simple tool fixes Google Calendar’s most frustrating flaw
    USFast Company Tech

    The problem with most of the whiz-bang AI jibber-jabber we hear about these days, practically speaking, is that it generally tends to be a solution in search of a problem. It’s technology for the sake of technology—something that exists…

  68. IPOs, messaging and the illusion of control – the lessons for founders
    AUStartupDaily (AU)

    Founders, stop worshipping your pitch deck: IPO markets buy proof, reputation and belief, not your script.

  69. Amazon bets on agentic AI to power enterprise ops; Is your marketing AI tool driving profit or just noise?
    INYourStory (India)

    Dear Reader, The future points to agentic AI, and its implementation is gathering pace. Cognizant and Google Cloud are expanding their partnership to accelerate adoption of agentic AI. This includes a ‘Gemini Frontier Capability Group’…

  70. F5 Collective wants women to put their economic contribution on the record
    AUStartupDaily (AU)

    Women’s economic power isn’t niche; F5 is collecting the receipts with a national survey.