Carbon Robotics built an AI model that detects and identifies plants 

Carbon Robotics’ Large Plant Model will allow farmers to kill new types of weeds without having to retrain the machines.

Meet the new European unicorns of 2026

From Belgium to Ukraine, five fresh European unicorns were minted this January.

HomeBoost’s app will show you where to save on your utility bills

The startup is partnering with utilities to help homeowners determine the best upgrades to cut their energy use.

a16z partner Kofi Ampadu to leave firm after TxO program pause

Kofi Ampadu, the partner at a16z who led the firm’s Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund and program, has left the firm.

Uber is literally in the driver’s seat when it comes to AV bets

Self-driving truck startup Waabi’s billion-dollar fundraise isn’t just about trucks.   The deal, for $750 million up front plus another $250 million from Uber tied to deployment milestones, marks a major expansion i…

Last 24 hours to grab your +1 pass at 50% off to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

Today is the last day to lock in a +1 pass at 50% off to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, happening on October 13-15 in San Francisco. Register here.

Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up

Q.ai is an Israeli startup specializing in imaging and machine learning, particularly technologies that enable devices to interpret whispered speech and enhance audio in noisy environments.

Upwind raises $250M at $1.5B valuation to continue building ‘runtime’ cloud security

The $250 million Series B was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Salesforce Ventures and Picture Capital.

SpaceX is coming to the public markets, and secondaries are already on fire

paceX is reportedly lining up four major Wall Street banks for a 2026 IPO that could provide the reset the market needs.  The company just completed a tender offer at an $800 billion valuation, and…

AI security startup Outtake raises $40M from Iconiq, Satya Nadella, Bill Ackman and other big names

Outtake makes an agentic cybersecurity platform to help enterprises detect identity fraud. Its angel investors are a who’s who.