Capital One acquires Brex for steep discount to its peak valuation, but early believers are laughing all the way to the bank

Before everyone sharpens their knives, consider that for the VCs who backed Brex at its outset, the sale is a triumph.

Google DeepMind CEO is ‘surprised’ OpenAI is rushing forward with ads in ChatGPT

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says the tech giant isn’t pressuring him to insert ads into the AI chatbot experience.

Apps for boycotting American products surge to the top of the Danish App Store

Two origin ID apps, NonUSA and Made O’Meter, are seeing downloads surge as Europeans boycott US-made goods.

OpenEvidence hits $12B valuation, with new round led by Thrive, DST  

The medical info database has doubled in valuation since last raise in October, despite encroachment from model makers.

OpenAI aims to ship its first device in 2026, and it could be earbuds

The AI startup is on track to announce its first hardware device in the second half of this year, OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane said during an interview Davos.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 tickets now on sale: Lowest rates all year 

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 tickets are officially on sale. Save up to $680 on your ticket and be among the first 500 registrants to score a +1 pass at 50% off. Don’t miss 10,000 tech leaders, founders, and VCs in San Francisco from Oct 13-15. Register bef…

One-time hot insurance tech Ethos poised to be first tech IPO of the year

Ethos was backed by a who’s who of VCs and celebs through 2021. It is currently profitable, it says.

ICE becomes one of the most-blocked accounts on Bluesky after its verification

ICE has been verified on Bluesky, and quickly becomes one of the top most-blocked accounts.

Netflix is rolling out a live voting feature

Netflix said it the feature will be available globally and it will tally votes in real-time

Well, there goes the metaverse!

The metaverse is on its last legs as VR is eclipsed by AI. But that’s not the only thing that went wrong for Meta’s VR ambitions.