South Korea's startup investments reached a record 8.87 trillion won in H1 2026, a 54.3% year-on-year increase. Growth was fueled by AI, robotics, and semiconductor funding, while gaming sector investments saw a sharp decline.
San Francisco-based Reach Capital has closed a $265 million Fund V to invest in AI startups focused on learning, health, and work. The firm plans to back approximately 50 companies with checks ranging from $1 million to $10 million over the next three years.
Private fusion startups are raising billions in capital, driven by advances in computer chips, AI, and superconducting magnets, with multiple companies racing toward commercial power plants and scientific breakeven.
Kyoto Fusioneering, a major fusion-power supply chain startup, is moving its U.S. headquarters to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and building a prototype fuel breeding device called Unity-3 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Journalists Ina and David Steiner survived a 2019 cross-country harassment campaign orchestrated by eBay executives unhappy with their reporting, ultimately securing a $55.7m settlement.
Investment firms of ultrawealthy families maintained steady dealmaking in July with 57 direct investments, heavily favoring AI startups and clean energy firms driven by surging power demands.
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.
Robinhood unveiled Robinhood Venture Fund II (RVII), a publicly traded fund debuting August 13 at $25 per share, aiming to raise $200 million to invest in Y Combinator startups while charging traditional VC-style fees.
A sexta edição do Rio Innovation Week (RIW) acontecerá de 4 a 7 de agosto de 2026 no Pier Mauá, Rio de Janeiro, com o tema "Simbiose". O evento global de ciência, tecnologia e negócios espera movimentar R$ 4 bilhões, gerar 22 mil empregos e reunir 180 mil pessoas, 2 mil startups e palestrantes renomados como Malala Yousafzai e Edvard Moser.
A South Korean startup, KOREC, connects South Korean youth facing job shortages with Japanese employers struggling to fill positions. This trend, driven by South Korea's youth unemployment and Japan's aging workforce, is also being adopted by other tech talent placement companies like Wanted Lab and LAPRAS.
India's Private Equity-Venture Capital investments hit $20.3 billion in Jan-July 2026, a 6% dip from last year, with July 2026 investments flat. Brookfield's Lumara led July deals. Venture Intelligence founder Arun Natarajan notes continued investor faith despite global challenges, with optimism from recent healthy exits.
Los planes de pensiones individuales en España pierden atractivo por reformas gubernamentales, mientras las startups españolas demuestran madurez con grandes rondas de financiación. El BCE evalúa la preparación de la banca europea ante riesgos geopolíticos, y las nuevas gafas inteligentes de Meta enfrentan escepticismo público.
Pippa, a new AI startup, offers text-to-video generation while aiming to ethically compensate artists whose styles are used. Cofounders Hogan Shrum and Sean Wright believe their model will attract customers, but face skepticism from artists concerned about low payments and the technology's reliance on internet-scraped art.
A Proesc, primeira startup do Amapá, foi indicada pelo segundo ano consecutivo ao Prêmio Top Educação na categoria Sistema de Gestão. Fundada em 2008, a empresa atende mais de 3 mil instituições no Brasil e em sete países, com 70% da equipe sendo amapaense.
La proposition de loi n°3090, déposée par le député Paul Midy, vise à aligner la fiscalité des cryptos sur celle des actions en France, protéger les dirigeants d'entreprises crypto menacés et faciliter le financement des startups via la technologie DLT. Issue d'un hackathon législatif, elle aborde six mesures clés.
Prime brokerage startup Clear Street is launching a platform for accredited investors to buy interests in late-stage private companies, starting with Databricks. This move aims to democratize access to private markets, even as Clear Street itself paused its IPO plans due to market volatility.
The European Commission introduces a charter to streamline access to Europe's top research and innovation facilities for startups and small companies, aiming to boost the EU's competitiveness with the US and China.
Nearly 200 Silicon Valley companies, including Proton and Y Combinator, have urged the Trump administration not to ban US access to Chinese open-weight AI models. They argue a ban would harm US startups by increasing costs and benefiting major US AI labs, while the White House discusses potential safeguards and theft allegations.
A significant debate is unfolding in Silicon Valley and the US government regarding Chinese-made "open-weight" AI models. While some US AI giants fear IP theft and security risks, startups and investors advocate against restrictions, arguing they would stifle competition and innovation.
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.
Insurance tech startup Corgi is reportedly raising a B2 extension round, closely following its B1 raise, which would double its valuation. The Y Combinator alum, offering AI-powered insurance, data room software, and coffee shops, is backed by TCV and Kindred Ventures, with revenue projected to hit $450 million by year-end.
Die Bundesregierung hat eine neue "Startup- und Scaleup-Strategie" verabschiedet, die gezielt junge Unternehmen in ihrer Wachstumsphase unterstützen und die Abwanderung verhindern soll. Erstmals liegt der Fokus auch auf der Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie.
Bundeswirtschaftsministerin Katherina Reiche lehnt staatliche Eingriffe gegen steigende Spritpreise ab und verweist auf fehlende Haushaltsmittel. Stattdessen stellt sie eine Startup-Strategie mit 152 Maßnahmen vor, die Wachstum, Arbeitsplätze und die Rente sichern sollen, unter anderem durch Investitionen von Pensionsfonds.
Indian tech startups like Snabbit and Urban Company are digitizing the informal domestic services sector, offering workers better pay, flexible hours, and online bookings, while providing instant services for customers. However, labor advocates raise concerns about job security and potential exploitation in this app-based model.
