Eight Australian startups have been selected to compete on the Startup Battlefield stage at Stripe Tour Sydney on August 19 for $15,000 in Stripe fee credits and a spot at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco.
The autonomous vehicle sector faces conflicting regulatory forces. While the NHTSA grants Zoox an exemption for paid robotaxi rides, Waymo encounters scrutiny over emergency responder interactions, and new federal safety standards are proposed.
TechCrunch and Hudson Labs analysis of GM and Ford earnings calls reveals a significant drop in EV discussions, indicating a shift from prior heavy investment. Both automakers have altered or delayed EV plans, citing regulatory changes and a focus on profitability, despite still selling EVs.
Waymo aims to exit its deal with Uber, offering robotaxis on its own app in Austin and Atlanta from January 2028, amid contract end in May 2028 and escalating tensions over safety concerns.
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield, in partnership with Stripe, is bringing its pitch competition to Sydney, Australia, on August 19. Eight early-stage Australian startups will compete for prizes, including $15,000 in Stripe credits and an automatic entry to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.
Volunteering at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco offers free three-day admission, hands-on experience in event production, and networking opportunities with tech leaders and fellow enthusiasts. Applicants must commit 12+ hours and attend an in-person orientation.
White House science advisor Michael Kratsios accused Chinese AI company Moonshot of building its Kimi K3 LLM by copying Anthropic's Fable and using export-banned Nvidia chips. Experts are skeptical about the distillation claims, while the chip allegations highlight black market concerns.
Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley will speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 about the intensifying debate between privacy and public safety in the AI era. His company, valued at $7.5 billion, faces public backlash despite significant investment, particularly over its surveillance technology used by law enforcement.
Uber and Waymo are at odds over Washington, D.C.'s autonomous-vehicle bill, with Uber advocating a hybrid model that rides on ride-hailing networks and Waymo testing with human operators. Separately, Uber is acquiring Delivery Hero to extend its global delivery footprint.
Apply by July 20 for Stripe x Startup Battlefield in Sydney. Eight Australian startups will pitch live on August 19, with the grand winner receiving $15,000 in Stripe fee credits and automatic entry into TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco (Oct 13-15, 2026).
The Uber-Waymo partnership in Phoenix has ended, with remaining agreements in Atlanta and Austin also facing an uncertain future. NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison issued a directive to AV developers, demanding immediate focus on fixing issues where vehicles interfere with first responders. Additionally, proposed FMVSS changes could aid AV companies like Tesla and Zoox.
Reed Jobs discusses his oncology-focused venture firm Yosemite, which builds biotech companies from academic research using philanthropy and venture capital. He highlights the firm's progress, the impact of AI on drug discovery and clinical trials, and the potential of targeting previously undruggable genes like p53.
Google's "My Ad Center" now features a label indicating if an ad was created or edited with AI. The label will be automatically applied to ads made with Google's tools, while ads made elsewhere require manual disclosure. Meta has a similar AI info label.
Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch discusses the evolution of AI agents from prototyping to production. He highlights two key use cases: coding agents and internal corporate agents for data access and productivity. Rauch also touches on Vercel's role as an "AWS of this generation" in the AI platform space.
Rakuten's Kobo e-reader, once thought to support independent bookstores via their websites, is experiencing delays in its partnership with Bookshop.org. Originally slated for 2025, then 2026, the integration is now tentatively expected "later this year," according to Bookshop.org's CEO.
The Builders Stage is set to return to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco from October 13-15, offering founders, startup operators, and investors practical conversations on scaling companies. Sessions will cover fundraising, AI, go-to-market strategies, and M&A.
TechCrunch Startup Battlefield is returning to Sydney on August 19, 2026, in partnership with Stripe. Eight selected startups will pitch live, with the grand winner receiving automatic entry into Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. Applications close on July 6.
Wisconsin-based Realta Fusion announced it successfully powered a lightbulb using electricity harvested directly from its WHAM fusion device on June 19. The company claims this is the first public demonstration by a private company of direct electricity conversion from fusion.
Tesla's FSD faces scrutiny over fatal crashes, NHTSA & NTSB investigations. Waymo expands robotaxi fleet with 3,156 vehicles imported to the US in 2023. Industry updates include layoffs, funding, and regulatory changes.
Early Bird pricing for the TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026, held on November 4 in Boston, ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT, offering savings of up to $190. The event connects over 1,000 founders and investors for tactical learning and networking.
TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026, an event for founders and investors, offers early bird discounts expiring June 26. Held November 4 in Boston, it features tactical learning, networking, and discussions on scaling, funding, and growth strategies.
Dutch Trade Minister Sjoerd Sjoerdsma visited Washington to oppose the US MATCH Act, which aims to restrict Chinese chipmakers' access to Western semiconductor equipment. The bill would significantly impact ASML, Europe's most valuable company and a key supplier of lithography machines, by extending existing export curbs.
Autnmy AI has launched the Road to Autonomy Index, a generative AI platform that evaluates and ranks autonomous vehicle companies based on operational data. The index, updated every 12 hours, covers robotaxis, licensing companies, trucks, and delivery bots, with China's Baidu Apollo Go currently leading the robotaxi rankings.
Relativity Space, led by Eric Schmidt, will launch NASA's Aeolus payload to Mars in 2028. The mission aims to provide the first daily global view of Martian winds, temperatures, dust, and clouds, informing future astronaut missions.
