Former Founders Fund VC Sam Blond launches AI sales startup to upend Salesforce
The startup, Monaco, has come out of stealth as an AI-native all-in-one CRM plus more system backed by names like the Collison brothers and Garry Tan.
The AI Playbook That Built an $80M 1-Person Business (You’re 1 Prompt Away and Don’t Know It)
If I lost everything tomorrow and had to rebuild to seven figures in 12 months using only AI, I wouldn’t guess — I’d reverse-engineer the people who already did it.
Others
Upside Robotics is reducing fertilizer use and waste in corn crops
Upside Robotics builds autonomous solar-powered robots that can help farmers reduce their fertilizer use by 70%.
Amazon Pharmacy to expand same-day delivery to nearly 4,500 US cities
The expansion will cover customers in newly served states such as Idaho and Massachusetts.
Build a pipeline and close deals with an exhibit table at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
Get an unmatched ROI by exhibiting your startup in front of 10,000 tech leaders and investors at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 13-15 in San Francisco. Book your table now before it’s gone.
TikTok launches an opt-in Local Feed in the U.S. leveraging users’ precise location
TikTok’s new Local Feed will show you nearby shopping, dining, events, news, and more.
Integrate raises $17M to move defense project management into the 21st century
The round was led by FPV Ventures co-founder and managing partner Wesley Chan.
Complyance raises $20M to help companies manage risk and compliance
Complyance raised a $20 million Series A led by GV for its AI-native compliance platform.
Humanoid robot startup Apptronik has now raised $935M at a $5B+ valuation
Apptronik has sold another $520 million in a Series A extension to existing and new investors like Google and Mercedes-Benz.
Meridian raises $17 million to remake the agentic spreadsheet
A new company called Meridian.AI has emerged from stealth with an IDE-based approach to agentic financial modeling.
You Don’t Need Silicon Valley Funding to Start a Business — and These Founders Are Proving It
Founders across emerging and regional markets are building world-class companies without Silicon Valley’s capital advantage. Here’s how.