AI Venture
AI venture capital and startup funding
Articles
VentureBeat Names Rob Strechay as First Lead Analyst,⭐8
VentureBeat names Rob Strechay as first lead analyst to drive enterprise AI research, bringing deep technical insight for CIOs and CTOs.
Meta's 'Open' AI, and a $250M Deal Gone Very Wrong⭐8
Meta's open-source Glimmer model, Zuckerberg's AI letter, $250M failed deal, energy costs, and more on TechCrunch's Equity podcast.
How Lightspeed Found Its Newest Hire — Via Instagram DM⭐8
Lightspeed’s newest hire was found via Instagram DM, leveraging social media to connect with founders and adapt to a shrinking media landscape.
Trump's DOJ Secures Oversight of OpenAI's Green-Card Sponsorship⭐9
DOJ oversight of OpenAI's green-card practices follows $3.2M settlement over alleged hiring bias against U.S. workers.
Silicon Valley Loves Young Founders. Until It Doesn’t.⭐9
For Arlan Rakhmetzhanov, 19, there is no middle ground. He either builds a company as valuable as Google, he says, or he fails and ends up on the streets.
Smallest.ai Raises $13M to Build Ultra-Fast Voice AI That Sounds⭐9
Smallest.ai secures $13M to build ultra-fast voice AI with human-like real-time conversation, reducing latency and transforming enterprise customer experience.
Synthetic-User Startup Simile Raises $200M at $2B Valuation,⭐7
AI startup Simile raises $200M Series B at $2B valuation, 5 months after $100M Series A, for synthetic users in market research.
Inforcer Raises $50M to Help Small Businesses Navigate AI and⭐8
Inforcer raises $50M to help SMBs navigate AI and cybersecurity risks, powering MSPs with a unified platform for Microsoft 365 management and threat detection.
‘If this isn’t addiction, I don’t know what is’: Light’s⭐6
Light Phone founders on new flip phone, rising anti-smartphone backlash, Gen Z's “Summer of Ludd” activism, and opening an SDK to fight screen addiction.
Power Up Your AI Infrastructure: A First Look at the Smart⭐8
Discover the Smart Systems Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, exploring AI power challenges, fusion energy, grid modernization, and data center insights.