How startups could be affected by a prolonged government shutdown
Slow or stopped permitting and a frozen visa process are existential threats for some startups.
The Download: carbon removal factories’ funding cuts, and AI toys
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. The Trump administration may cut funding for two major direct-air capture plants The US Department of Energy appears poised to terminate funding for a pair of large carbon-sucking factories that were originally set…
Celebrating the partners driving Disrupt’s big ideas, connections, and community
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our sponsors, who bring world-class expertise, bold innovation, and community energy to every corner of the conference.
Department of Energy cancels $7.5B of clean energy projects in Harris-voting states
The Trump administration canceled over 300 awards related to clean energy on October 1. The states with affected projects all voted for Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
Ex-OpenAI researcher dissects one of ChatGPT’s delusional spirals
A former OpenAI researcher looked into how ChatGPT can mislead delusional users about their reality and its own capabilities
Perplexity’s Comet AI browser now free; Max users get new ‘background assistant’
AI search startup Perplexity is making its new Comet browser available to everyone in the world for free as it works to position the product against big browsers and search engines. For certain paid subscribers, the startup has also launched a new ‘background assistant’ to handle multiple tasks via Comet.
Amazon now lets Prime members add items to upcoming orders with one tap
Amazon’s new “Add to Delivery” button makes it easier for Prime members to buy more and tack on items to existing orders.
Rivian’s best-case guess for 2025 sales is a 16% drop from last year
The company will likely sell fewer EVs this year than in both 2024 and 2023, making next year’s launch of the R2 SUV even more important.
How to Navigate Online Cold Calling and Start Real Conversations
Cold outreach is still one of the most effective ways to build relationships, but success today comes down to personalization, brevity and leading with value rather than spam.
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni share the playbook for scaling consumer AI and winning Gen Z at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni are redefining how Gen Z shops with AI. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, they’ll share how they’re scaling one of the year’s hottest startups into a lasting consumer brand. Register to join.
A new a16z report looks at which AI companies startups are actually paying for
a16z releases its first AI spending report that shows which AI-native application layer companies startups are actually spending money on .