Ethos raises $22.75M from a16z for its expert network with voice onboarding
Ethos says it is onboarding 35,000 experts per week
The Download: AI malaise and babymaking tech
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. We’ve entered the era of AI malaise AI is spreading everywhere, and it is not going away. But what will it do? What effect will it have on our society? Will…
May 2026
Aurora lands McLane deal to run driverless truck routes in Texas
Aurora said it plans to expand to new routes between McLane distribution centers across the U.S. Sun Belt by the end of 2026.
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, all your M&A questions will be answered
Leaders from Coinbase, M13, and Mignano Law Group talk about how M&A is an early-stage strategy at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Register to hear this live.
3 days left to lock in 50% off a second ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Three days left to lock in 50% off a second ticket to Disrupt 2026. Buy one TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 ticket, and get a second ticket at 50% off. Gain more visibility in the tech industry. Offer ends May 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
AI boom pushes Samsung to $1T
Samsung crossed the $1 trillion valuation mark after shares surged on AI-driven chip demand, making it only the second Asian company after TSMC to hit the milestone.
Some kids are bypassing age verification checks with a fake mustache
A new survey found that kids find it easy to bypass age checks, despite a rise in age verification laws around the world.
The Download: seafloor science and military chatbots
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Inexpensive seafloor-hopping submersibles could stoke deep-sea science—and mining Last week, two oblong neon submersibles started to descend nearly 6,000 meters into the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the rest of May, they will…
reMarkable’s new Paper Pure tablet goes back to basics with a monochrome screen
The new Paper Pure is lighter and faster than the reMarkable 2, which is going to be retired six years since its launch.
Peter Sarlin’s QuTwo reaches $380M valuation in angel round
QyTw0, the Finnish AI lab founded by former AMD Silo AI CEO Peter Sarlin, is now valued at €325 million (approximately $380 million) after raising a €25 million angel round ($29 million). It’s a sign of enduring tailwinds for AI, quantum computing, and sovereign tech, especially for Europe-made companies.
Marc Lore says that AI will soon enable anyone open a restaurant
Wonder wants to turn its robotic kitchens into AI-powered “restaurant factories,” letting anyone spin up a virtual food brand with a prompt.