Indian vibe-coding startup Emergent raises $70M at $300M valuation from SoftBank, Khosla Ventures
The funding comes as the startup claims it has scaled ARR to $50 million, and is targeting $100 million by April 2026.
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,…
The UK government is backing AI scientists that can run their own experiments
A number of startups and universities that are building AI scientists to design and run experiments in the lab, including robot biologists and chemists, have just won extra funding from the UK government agency that funds moonshot R&D. The competition, set up by ARIA (Advanced Research and Invention Agency), gives a clear sense of how…
The Download: digitizing India, and scoring embryos
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 man who made India digital isn’t done yet Nandan Nilekani can’t stop trying to push India into the future. He started nearly 30 years ago, masterminding an ongoing experiment in technological state…
Meta’s Oversight Board takes up permanent bans in landmark case
For the first time, Meta’s Oversight Board is looking for specific policy recommendations around disabled accounts.
Everstone combines Wingify, AB Tasty for $100M+ digital experience optimization platform
The combined business will serve more than 4,000 customers globally and surpass $100 million in annual revenue.
What Startups Need to Learn from Fortune 500 Playbooks (and What They Shouldn’t)
Here’s what young companies can borrow from Fortune 500 discipline, and what to leave behind to stay innovative.
How We Out-Innovated Industry Giants on a Modest Budget — and How You Can Do the Same
When we couldn’t outspend the biggest companies in our industry, we found another way to compete.
What Entrepreneurs Get All Wrong About Patents — and How It’s Holding Them Back
Here are some of the biggest patent myths founders believe — and a practical, startup-friendly IP strategy tied to business growth and fundraising.
What Growing a Niche Conference From 80 to 800 Attendees Taught Me About Building Something Meaningful
The best communities are made of diverse, like-minded talent brought together through careful curation and iterative refinement.
This Is How GLP-1 Drugs Are Forcing Restaurant Chains to Change Their Menus
Weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are causing chains to rethink their offerings.