Robot data startup Mecka AI nabs $60M from Sequoia
Mecka AI collects and analyzes human motion data to train humanoid robots and other kinds of robots. The startup pays people to record everyday tasks.
Marina Temkin
Source-attributed coverage written by this author across active feeds.
Etched fields funding offers at $40B+ valuation, sources say
Just a couple of months after its last big raise, the AI chip startup is already being plied with investment offers at double or more its current value, sources tell TechCrunch.
5 startups that caught VCs’ attention at the latest PearX demo day
TechCrunch attended Pear’s latest demo day and discovered which startups generated the most buzz, from spatial models to chips for local AI.
After losing his voice to cancer, this founder is building “glasses for voice”
Uhura Bionics, a TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Battlefield 200, wants to replace flat, robotics voice devices with one that carries emotions.
Enveda secures $311M to bring more nature-derived AI drugs into clinical trials
The round valued the AI biotech at $2 billion. It is currently testing drugs that treat skin conditions and preserve weight loss after stopping GLP-1s.
Health benefits platform Thatch reaches $1B valuation as healthcare costs surge
Thatch helps employers keep healthcare costs manageable by offering an individual plan marketplace through an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement — a model that lets companies fund employees' own individual insurance plans instead of enrolling everyone in one company-wide plan.
Palo Alto Networks paid $500M for Thrive-backed Console, sources say
The acquisition also leaves Sequoia-backed Serval as the de facto startup leader in AI IT service automation, industry watchers believe.
Harvard Law dropout raises $6M for Blue Voice to build a ‘Harvey for police officers’
The seed round for the app that provides real-time legal and policy guidance to officers was led by SignalFire and Las Olas VC.
Ryan Breslow is raising up to $27M in pay-to-play bridge funding to save Bolt
The controversial founder of the checkout startup once valued at $11 billion is putting in $5 million of his own money.
AI was supposed to kill engineering jobs, but new data suggests they’re the most resilient
While AI dominates the layoff narrative, engineers are actually making up a larger share of new hires, according to SignalFire data.
Altara secures $7M to bridge the data gap that’s slowing down physical sciences
Altara’s AI aims to diagnose failures and help speed up R&D by unifying data siloed across spreadsheets and legacy systems.
How SpaceX preempted a $2B fundraise with a $60B buyout offer
Cursor was on track to close a $2 billion funding round this week but chose to halt discussions after SpaceX offered a $10 billion "collaboration fee" and a path to a $60 billion acquisition.
Hightouch reaches $100M ARR fueled by marketing tools powered by AI
The startup says it grew its ARR by $70 million in just 20 months after launching an AI agent platform for marketers.
Startup funding shatters all records in Q1
The record quarterly fundraise was largely fueled four mega-deals into OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Waymo. But it also indicates a generally hot market.
Doss raises $55M for AI inventory management that plugs into ERP
Doss's AI-powered inventory management system integrates with existing ERP systems. The Series B round was co-led by Madrona and Premji Invest.