Start-ups

Google co-founder Larry Page is building a new company called Dynatomics that’s focused on applying AI to product manufacturing, according to The Information. Page is reportedly working with a small group of engineers on AI that can create “highly optimized” designs for objects and then have a factory build them, per The Information. Chris Anderson, previously the CTO of Page-backed electric airplane startup Kittyhawk, is running the stealth effort, The Information reports. Page isn’t the

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is investigating the data-labeling startup Scale AI for compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, TechCrunch has learned. That’s a federal law that regulates unpaid wages, misclassification of employees as contractors, and illegal retaliation against workers. The investigation has been active since at least August 2024, a document seen by TechCrunch shows. And it’s ongoing, according to a person directly familiar with the matter.  The mere existence of an

Shield AI, the San Diego defense tech startup that builds drones and other AI-powered military systems, has raised a $240 million round at a $5.3 billion valuation, it announced today. Shield AI says its Hivemind software already enables fighter jets and drones to fly autonomously. Now, Shield AI wants to sell Hivemind to a broader range of customers like robotics companies. The round’s investors include L3Harris, one of the U.S.’s biggest defense contractors, and Hanwha

Mistral AI, the French company behind AI assistant Le Chat and several foundational models, is officially regarded as one of France’s most promising tech startups and is arguably the only European company that could compete with OpenAI. But compared to its $6 billion valuation, its global market share is still relatively low.  However, the recent launch of its chat assistant on mobile app stores was met with some hype, particularly in its home country. “Go

On June 5, TechCrunch Sessions: AI will kick off — and you can be part of the industry-changing conversations that will be taking place. We have an open invitation for members of the AI community to lead breakout sessions and discussions with over 1,200 startup founders, VC leaders, and AI aficionados attending our newest event, which will be held in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley. There’s just one catch: You have to apply by the end

Gong, a startup that helps companies predict their revenue from potential sales, has surpassed $300 million in annualized recurring revenue, the company announced on Wednesday. Since its founding in 2016, Gong has used AI to analyze customer interactions. The addition of generative AI capabilities in recent years has helped to fuel the company’s growth. “We’re seeing great momentum. That’s why we’re excited to share the numbers,” Gong CEO Amit Bendov told TechCrunch. Gong was last

Artificial intelligence is a big trend in cancer care, and it’s mostly focused on detecting cancer at the earliest possible stage. That makes a lot of sense, given that cancer is less deadly the earlier it’s detected. But fewer are asking another fundamental question: If someone does have cancer, is an aggressive treatment like chemotherapy necessary? That’s the problem Ataraxis AI is trying to solve. The New York-based startup is focused on using AI to

Ryan Breslow is once again the CEO of Bolt, the fintech company told TechCrunch on Wednesday. Bolt shared a communication that recently went out to investors in which Breslow wrote that “following a challenging few years,” he had been reinstated as Bolt’s CEO with “unanimous approval” of the board of the one-click checkout company. Justin Grooms, who has served as interim CEO since last March, will now serve as president of Bolt. Grooms, the company’s

Anna Patterson has had a storied career in Silicon Valley. She founded three startups, including search engine upstarts Xift and Cuil, as well as recall.archive.org, which became the Internet Archive. She was the vice president of engineering at Google, and later started Gradient Ventures, an AI-focused seed fund. And she isn’t done building. Patterson told TechCrunch that a few years ago she had the itch to start something new again, but was unsure she had

“Silicon Valley is not a necessary and sufficient condition for success — it’s just one option,” says Ryan Hinkle, challenging the long-held belief that the Bay Area is the ultimate startup hub.  Hinkle is a managing director at Insight Partners, the giant New York-based venture capital firm that invests in tech worldwide. It has $90 billion in assets under management and just raised a new $12.5 billion fund. Today on Equity, Julie Bort sits down