Startups
‘AI communism’, rogue models, and the why Kimi K3 spooked Wall Street
On this episode of Equity, we dig into why Kimi K3 spooked Wall Street, OpenAI's rogue-model breach at Hugging Face, and what's next for EVs and battery startups.
Section
Startups
FoundersFundraisingStartup BattlefieldEarly StageGrowth
Startups
Insurance startup Corgi reportedly raised more money at $4B — its third round in 8 weeks
In the AI-funding frenzy, many startups are raising back-to-back rounds at ever-increasing valuations — but even by those standards, Corgi stands out.
Startups
Runway launches AI model router as generative media gets crowded
The Media Router is a tool that automatically selects the best image, video, or audio generation model for a request based on whether a developer prioritizes quality, speed or cost.
Startups
Your backstage pass to Disrupt 2026 is waiting
Volunteer at Disrupt 2026 and get a behind-the-scenes look at how one of the world's biggest startup conferences gets built.
Startups
ServiceNow bets $40 million on Indian banking software specialist to expand its financial services push
ServiceNow's investment gives BusinessNext a strategic partner to expand its AI-powered banking software globally.
Startups
Arcee, a US open source AI lab, says Chinese models are not inherently dangerous
As Chinese AI models grow in capability and popularity among U.S. companies, the arguing over what should be done about them has reached a fever pitch.
Startups
The browser wars aren't about search anymore — here are the best alternatives to Chrome and Safari
We’ve compiled an overview of some of the top alternative browsers available today aiming to challenge Chrome and Safari.
Startups
Glow emerges from stealth at $1.2B valuation to challenge endpoint security in the AI era
Glow is targeting a new class of endpoint risks created by the rapid adoption of AI agents and developer tools inside enterprises.
Startups
Synthesia’s AI training platform is moving beyond videos into live coaching
Synthesia launched AI Roleplay Sessions, an interactive enterprise training platform where employees practice workplace conversations with AI avatars that provide feedback, scoring, and analytics to help companies measure training effectiveness.
Startups
Colossal Biosciences reportedly in talks to raise new capital at $20B–$30B valuation
The de-extinction startup is looking to double or triple its previous valuation, according to the report.
Startups
Natural raises $30M to reinvent payments for AI agents — and take on Stripe
The one-year-old startup aims to reinvent financial architecture for autonomous AI transactions.
Startups
Inference startup Infinity raises $15M from Touring Capital, OpenAI and Anthropic researchers
AI infrastructure company Infinity announced Monday a $15 million raise at a $100 million valuation from investors including Touring Capital, Principal VC, and researchers from companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
Startups
StrictlyVC returns to New York City September 10 to celebrate a huge year for the city’s startup community
For the first time since 2024, StrictlyVC is coming back to New York City — and we're bringing the kind of access you’d expect from an under-wraps event to the whole startup, VC, and dealmaking community.
Startups
Applications close in 48 hours — here's everything Australian founders need to know about Stripe x Startup Battlefield
The window is almost shut. On August 19, eight startups will take the stage at Stripe Tour Sydney in front of investors, global press, and the Australian
Startups
Databricks hits $188B valuation, extending its run as AI's favorite second act
Databricks has remade its image into an AI company and has published research on the cost savings of open-weight AI models for coding.
Startups
Nuclear startup Valar Atomics in talks to raise new funding at $6B valuation
The potential deal highlights a growing trend of complex, multi-stage funding rounds that mask true entry prices.
Startups
No product? No problem. This Disrupt 2026 session shows how to get pre-seed funding with conviction, storytelling
It’s not just you: AI startups are taking in a huge amount of seed funding, and in the process making things harder for anyone looking for funding even at
Startups
Exclusive: Sheryl Sandberg leads $10 million investment in AI-powered vehicle inspection service
The startup, founded in 2021, lets enterprise customers use smartphones to scan and spot vehicle damage.
Startups
Why AMI Labs’ Alexandre LeBrun won't call his AI 'AGI' or 'superintelligence'
While everyone in AI is chasing "superintelligence," Alexandre LeBrun, CEO of Yann LeCun’s world model startup, AMI Labs, dismisses the word.
Startups
Ultrahuman's former hardware VP raises $5.5M for devices that control AI agents, not just record you
Aina is going to pilot a new device in the coming weeks.
Startups
Applied Computing wants to give oil and gas operators an AI model for the entire plant
Applied Computing has raised a $20M Series A to build a foundation AI model for the oil, gas and petrochemical industry.
Startups
Lululemon backs nylon-recycling startup Syntetica in $30M Series A
Syntetica, a French startup that has developed a novel approach to recycling nylon, has already obtained big-name partners and investors.
Startups
Daniel Ek's body-scanning startup Neko Health raises another $700M
Neko Health has developed proprietary body-scanning technology, which it couples with bloodwork, to assess a person's health.
Startups
Whatnot acquires Shaped to power real-time live shopping recommendations
Livestream shopping platform Whatnot has acquired AI startup Shaped, a machine learning company focused on real-time recommendations and search. The deal will bolster Whatnot’s personalization and discovery features as it expands into new product categories.
Startups
Inside Ode with Anthropic, the startup betting AI services are the future of enterprise
Watch as Equity catches up with Chris Taylor and Eddie Siegel, co-founders of Fractional AI, the applied AI services startup that Ode with Anthropic acquired earlier this year to serve as the new venture’s core.
Startups
Reelful's AI turns your camera roll into short-form videos for social media
The app is designed for people who want to create social content, but find traditional video editing tools too complex or time-consuming.
Startups
Open source AI matters more than ever, according to Hugging Face's Clem Delangue
Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue tells Equity why companies are ditching frontier APIs for open source AI and the risks of letting a few labs control it all.
Startups
Oratomic raises $300M to build a viable quantum computer that needs only 20K qubits
The massive round was co-led by ARCH Venture Partners, Spark Capital, and Khosla Ventures.
Startups
Hugging Face's CEO on why companies are done renting their AI
Watch as Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue joins Equity to talk open source vs closed source, and why he's worried about the possibility that a handful of big companies could end up controlling everything.
Startups
An AI agent startup just let its agent run its $100M fundraise
Lyzr, a startup that builds AI agents for enterprises, used its own AI agent to raise a $100 million round — proof, evidently, that the product actually works.
Startups
Popular open source AI developer tool Ollama raises $65M, grows to nearly 9M users
Benchmark-backed Ollama has amassed 176,000 stars, and nearly 17,000 forks on GitHub by helping developers easily run AI on their PCs.
Startups
Lovable reportedly in talks to double its valuation to $13.2B
The $300 million round is expected to be led by Menlo Ventures, Sifted reported.
Startups
With EU backing, QuantumDiamonds aims to speed up chip manufacturing
Like its U.S. counterpart, the European Chips Act aims to foster the semiconductor industry — in part thanks to state subsidies. One of the beneficiaries is QuantumDiamonds, a German startup that applies a novel approach to inspecting chips.
Startups
Why this CEO thinks video games make better training data than the internet
Watch as General Intuition CEO Pim de Witt joins 's Equity podcast to explain how the startup's $320M round and gaming data are powering the next wave of physical AI and robotics.
Startups
Prime Intellect raises $130M Series A to help enterprises build their own AI agents
Founded in 2024, Prime Intellect’s goal is to give organizations capabilities to train their own agentic systems without relying on frontier AI labs.
Startups
These AI startups are growing revenue at faster and faster rates
There are a lot of fast-growing AI startups, but some are growing even faster, they say.
Startups
Former OpenAI exec Kevin Weil is now on the board of Stoke Space
Kevin Weil's new role at Stoke Space suggests reusable rockets are the next hot thing in Silicon Valley.
Startups
Hot French startup ZML releases free product to speed inference across lots of AI chips
ZML, a hot French AI startup endorsed by Turing Award winner Yann LeCun, has now released ZML/LLMD, software that could make running AI less costly.
Startups
AI chip maker SambaNova raises $1B at $11B valuation, 5 months after last mega round
AI chip maker SambaNova has raised at an $11 billion valuation months after Intel was rumored to be trying to buy it for about $1.6 billion.
Startups
Your gaming data could be the secret to AGI, according to this Bezos-backed startup
General Intuition CEO Pim de Witt joins 's Equity podcast to explain how the startup's $320M round and gaming data are powering the next leap in embodied AI and robotics.
Startups
Venus Aerospace raises $90M Series B to build a new kind of rocket engine
Build a new kind of rocket engine and the world will beat a path to your door.
Startups
Blue Origin reportedly raising $10B at $130B valuation
Blue Origin is raising $10 billion at a $130 billion pre-money valuation from Coatue Asset Management, Bezos himself, and other big-name investors, The New York Times reported.
Startups
This startup pits dealerships against each other to bid on your used car
Bidbus, which lets dealerships bid on used cars, has raised $15 million in a Series A round that was led by early-stage mobility fund Ibex Investors.
Startups
Savi's app aims to protect consumers from realistic AI scams like kidnappers demanding ransom
The company just raised $7 million in seed funding, and is launching its app for iPhone and Android on Tuesday.
Startups
Final extension: Startup Battlefield Australia applications now close July 20
If you're building something ambitious, this is a fast track to the people who can move your startup forward.
Startups
Station F ramps up as a launchpad for Europe’s hottest AI startups
Station F, a Paris-based startup hub founded by French billionaire Xavier Niel, is gearing up for a new edition of its F/ai accelerator program in a bid to strengthen its positioning as a stepping stone for promising AI startups.
Startups
Smart glasses maker Even Realities hits $1B valuation with $150M funding led by Meituan, Tencent
Even Realities, an ex-Apple team building camera-free smart glasses, raised $150 million from Meituan and Tencent at a $1 billion valuation.
Startups
Uber’s European expansion plans may have hit a speed bump
Back in February, Uber announced ambitious plans to launch in seven new European markets in 2026 — but now five of those launches are reportedly on hold.
Startups
What is Mistral AI? Everything to know about the OpenAI competitor
Mistral AI, which offers some open source AI models, has raised significant funding since its creation in 2023, with the ambition to “put frontier AI in the hands of everyone.”
Startups
IQM, Europe's first public quantum company, admits the future of the tech is uncertain
IQM, a full-stack quantum company out of Finland, went public on the Nasdaq today at a valuation of about $1.9 billion.
Startups
Indian tech tycoon bets $30M of his own money to build AI alternative to Microsoft Office
Neo is Bhavin Turakhia’s fifth venture and his latest involving enterprise software. This time he's taking on Microsoft Office and Google Apps with AI.
Startups
Autonomous vehicle hype is back, and Humble Robotics is bringing it to freight
It feels like 2016 all over again. Watch as Humble Robotics founder and CEO joins Equity to talk about AV déjà vu and what he's learned from 15 years of building startups across electrification, solar, and robotics
Startups
Humble Robotics’ CEO says the tech finally caught up to the vision for autonomous vehicles
Humble Robotics founder and CEO Eyal Cohen joins Equity to talk about AV déjà vu and what he's learned from 15 years of building startups across electrification, solar, and robotics
Startups
Startup Battlefield Australia application closes in days: Apply before July 6
What if one pitch changed everything? The next company nobody has heard of yet is building something that will matter. It could be yours.
Startups
The DeepMind trio who built a poker AI are now making money for quant hedge funds
EquiLibre Technologies, a Prague-based AI lab founded by three ex-DeepMind researchers, is now valued at more than $500 million.
Startups
Clicks shows off its BlackBerry-inspired phone in a new hands-on video
A new video shows the final production version of the upcoming Clicks Communicator, a BlackBerry-like smartphone that runs modern apps.
Startups
Acti puts AI agents directly into your smartphone keyboard
Acti is betting the smartphone keyboard is the next home for AI assistants. The startup's new keyboard for iOS and Android works across apps and lets users create custom AI-powered shortcuts using natural language.
Startups
Arcturus could halve the grid’s electrical losses using its nano-infused metals
Stealthy startup Arcturus uses lasers to infuse carbon nanomaterials into copper, dramatically improving its ability to conduct electricity.
Startups
Your brand deserves its own stage — Side Events at Disrupt 2026
From October 10-16, host a Side Event and command the room during the week of Disrupt 2026.
Startups
Chamath Palihapitiya raises $135M Series A for his AI coding startup, takes CEO role
VCs remain thirsty to fund AI coding startups. This one, founded by investor Chamath Palihapitiya, is no exception.
Startups
Arena, the AI leaderboard everyone uses, is now a $100M business
The startup, which runs a popular free AI leaderboard, launched its commercial service just last September.