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.
Defense official reveals how AI chatbots could be used for targeting decisions
The US military might use generative AI systems to rank lists of targets and make recommendations about which to strike first, which would then be vetted by humans, according to a Defense official with knowledge of the matter. The disclosure about how the military may use AI chatbots comes as the Pentagon faces scrutiny over…
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.
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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.
The Download: inside the QuitGPT movement, and EVs in Africa
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. A “QuitGPT” campaign is urging people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions In September, Alfred Stephen, a freelance software developer in Singapore, purchased a ChatGPT Plus subscription, which costs $20 a month and offers…