Terra Oleo’s oil-producing microbes could replace destructive palm oil plantations
Terra Oleo had operated in stealth for years, developing yeast strains capable of producing high-value oils that don’t need refining. It has raised $3.1 million.
Moltbook was peak AI theater
For a few days this week the hottest new hangout on the internet was a vibe-coded Reddit clone called Moltbook, which billed itself as a social network for bots. As the website’s tagline puts it: “Where AI agents share, discuss, and upvote. Humans welcome to observe.” We observed! Launched on January 28 by Matt Schlicht,…
Lyft and Waymo are partnering to bring robotaxis to Nashville
Waymo is tapping an old partner, Lyft, to launch a robotaxi service in Nashville.
Icarus raises $6.1M to take on space’s “warehouse work” with embodied-AI robots
Icarus Robotics wants to liberate astronauts from time-sucking logistics labor.
The Download: measuring returns on R&D, and AI’s creative potential
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. How to measure the returns on R&D spending Given the draconian cuts to US federal funding for science, it’s worth asking some hard-nosed money questions: How much should we be spending on R&D?…
These Are the Top 10 Children’s Franchises in 2025
Discover the family-focused franchises that earned top spots on Entrepreneur’s 2025 Franchise 500 list.
Sonair built its 3D ultrasonic sensor with robotic safety in mind
The company’s sensor uses sonar and echos to give robots more information about their surrounding environment.
Google Ventures doubles down on dev tool startup Blacksmith just 4 months after its seed round
Blacksmith, a Y Combinator alum, raised $10M Series A led by Google Ventures to cut costs and speed up software builds.
How to measure the returns to R&D spending
MIT Technology Review Explains: Let our writers untangle the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what’s coming next. You can read more from the series here. Given the draconian cuts to US federal funding for science, including the administration’s proposal to reduce the 2026 budgets of the National Institutes of Health by…
India’s Urban Company soars 58% above IPO price in year’s most subscribed offering
Urban Company’s IPO, which opened last week, was oversubscribed more than 100 times, reflecting strong investor demand.
Groww, backed by Satya Nadella, set to become first Indian startup to go public after U.S.-to-India move
Groww’s listing — expected later this year — is set to double as a major cash-out moment for global venture funds.