Startups News

Independent technology news and analysis from TechGlobal.news.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 starts Oct. 13 in San Francisco, 300+ startups set to showcase

TechCrunch says 10,000 tech leaders and more than 250 speakers will fill over 200 sessions across the three-day program.

Malaysia cuts income tax, raises wage floors as election nears

The measures aim to ease living costs and lift pay, Nikkei Asia reports.

AI infrastructure and robotics led this week’s venture deals as specialists and corporates outpaced generalists

Seed-heavy activity concentrated in compute, automation, and defense while late-stage remained selective and structured.

AI infrastructure and cybersecurity led weekly deal count as climate and defense drew the biggest checks

Corporate venture units and sector specialists were the most active investors, while traditional growth funds stayed selective and favored infrastructure with revenue visibility.

China’s Manus raises over $500 million in first post-Meta funding round

Boyu Capital and IDG Capital lead the round with Tencent, HSG, and ZhenFund participating, TechCrunch reports.

Lineside raises $52 million Series B to ease data center power crunch with modular grid systems

Energy Impact Partners leads the round as investors chase capital efficient ways to add flexible capacity for AI compute hubs

Need startup and round details to file Tuesday Series A or B story

To avoid misreporting, provide the specific company and funding terms announced this week so I can deliver a timely, accurate piece on Tuesday’s deal flow

Sequoia backs $52 million Series A for Gridfoil to manage power for AI data centers

The Monday round underscores a shift in venture appetite from AI applications to grid and energy software as power scarcity pressures model deployment timelines.

VCs start Q4 by steering early-stage capital to AI power and data center startups

Persistent grid constraints and high inference costs are pushing investors from application-layer AI toward energy, compute infrastructure, and tooling with contracted revenue paths.

Aozora Bank and Arthur D. Little form partnership on investment and advisory services

The tie-up aims to pair Aozora’s capital access with Arthur D. Little’s strategic consulting for corporate clients, Nikkei Asia reports.

GCash parent Mynt prices Philippine IPO at record $3.3 billion

Parent Globe Fintech Innovations, known as Mynt, is backed by Globe Telecom, Ayala Corp, and Ant Group, Nikkei Asia says.

GCash parent prices record $3.3 billion Philippine IPO, Nikkei Asia reports

The deal would be the largest listing in Philippine history and a gauge of demand for Southeast Asian fintechs.

AI infrastructure leads weekly VC deal flow, defense tech holds second place

Series A and B dominated announced rounds, with strategics from chip and cloud firms active while traditional growth funds stayed selective.

GCash parent prices record $3.3 billion Philippine IPO, Nikkei Asia reports

The float would be the largest listing in Philippine history and a key test of investor appetite for local tech.

AI infrastructure and cybersecurity led this week’s venture deals as corporate arms stayed active

Early stage rounds dominated disclosures through Friday as NVentures, a16z, and General Catalyst appeared across multiple financings and mega checks eased.

AI infrastructure and defense tech led this week’s VC deal flow as corporates returned to seed

Publicly announced rounds clustered around compute, autonomy, and B2B fintech, with cloud and chip corporate venture units and multistage firms among the most active investors.

Vietnam’s BW Industrial targets 2027 IPO, sources say

Potential listing would tap investor demand for Vietnam’s manufacturing and logistics expansion.

Example: Virtual power plant startup GridLayer raises $48 million Series B to standardize DER dispatch for utilities

The New York company says it will use the capital to expand utility integrations as market rules open the door for aggregated flexible load.

General Catalyst backs Series A for Texas startup tackling power procurement for AI data centers

The Monday deal underscores a shift by generalist VCs toward grid-constrained infrastructure as model labs and hyperscalers seek firm megawatts.

Digital MasterPlans Launches Megan, a Multimodal Business Agent for Operational Intelligence

Digital MasterPlans Launches Megan, a Multimodal Business Agent for Operational Intelligence Digital MasterPlans has launched Megan, a high capacity multimodal business agent that the company says ca

Malaysia cuts income tax and raises wage floors as election approaches

Petra Power looks to modernize energy for data centers and defense vehicles

The startup says its fuel cells are super efficient and cut fuel costs during a time when the tech industry can’t get enough electricity.

Cloudflare acquires Deno to improve its Workers programming model

Cloudflare will use this acquisition to improve its Workers programming model and platform.

3 days to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Meet the startups before they hit mainstream

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 takes place October 13-15 in San Francisco. Over 300 startups will show what they’ve built to 10,000 tech leaders. Plus, 250+ speakers are ready to share insights across 200+ sessions. Register before doors open to save up to $100 and get a second pass at 50% off.

Will Warner Bros. kill Skydance — or will David Ellison kill Warner Bros?

Today, I’m talking with Peter Kafka, chief correspondent at Business Insider and host of the Channels podcast, about the gigantic Warner Bros.-Paramount merger and the future of the company now simply called Skydance. Skydance is owned by David Ellison, son of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, and its deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery officially closed […]

LivSyn Robotics raises Series A funding for platform connecting robots with AI models

Beijing-based LivSyn Robotics has secured a Series A round of at least RMB 100 million, according to an October 8 announcement. The round brought together financial investors, listed energy-services company Suwen Electric Energy and an undisclosed strategic investor in embodied AI. LivSyn develops RUDA, short for Robotics Unified Device Architecture, to connect different robot designs […]

AI glasses brand NIMO secures angel funding at RMB 1.5 billion valuation

The Chinese startup behind AI glasses brand NIMO has raised several hundred million yuan in angel funding, bringing its valuation to RMB 1.5 billion, according to an October 8 report. Investors include Gobi Partners, alongside other Chinese venture capital firms. The company develops smart glasses for everyday use and has established offline sales channels. It […]

How This Tiny Startup Built the World’s Safest Bike Helmet

Inspired by head-banging woodpeckers, Vancouver-based Pikio Labs has discovered a new approach to skull protection.

8-K - AUTOZONE INC (0000866787) (Filer)

Filed: 2026-10-09 AccNo: 0001171843-26-006565 Size: 180 KB Item 5.02: Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers: Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

8-K/A - Wheels Up Experience Inc. (0001819516) (Filer)

Filed: 2026-10-09 AccNo: 0001628280-26-065562 Size: 369 KB Item 2.02: Results of Operations and Financial Condition Item 9.01: Financial Statements and Exhibits

8-K - Streamex Corp. (0001530766) (Filer)

Filed: 2026-10-09 AccNo: 0001493152-26-046604 Size: 204 KB Item 3.01: Notice of Delisting or Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule or Standard; Transfer of Listing Item 9.01: Financial Statements and Exhibits

8-K - Starfighters Space, Inc. (0001947016) (Filer)

Filed: 2026-10-09 AccNo: 0001062993-26-005267 Size: 436 KB Item 5.03: Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year Item 9.01: Financial Statements and Exhibits

8-K - AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (0000008504) (Filer)

Filed: 2026-10-09 AccNo: 0001493152-26-046590 Size: 198 KB Item 5.02: Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers: Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Venture Capital Can Disagree With Korea’s Tech Appraisal Without Either Side Being Wrong

A railway robotics company developed technology through a research project initiated by Seoul Metro, giving its work a credible connection to an industrial need. Yet the potential size of its business presented a more difficult question. KyungJin Hyung, who assessed the company during his years at Korea Technology Finance Corporation, saw how a promising technology […] The post Venture Capit

For Korea’s Corporate Investors, Investable Does Not Mean Deployable

A startup can enter a corporate investment review with credible technology, respected backers, and strong customer references, then still fail to secure investment. The missing piece may sit inside the corporation rather than inside the startup. A strategic investor has to judge not only the company’s standalone value, but also its own ability to integrate […] The post For Korea’s Corporate

Batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines used at many data centers

Batteries are now cheaper than natural gas turbines as the data center boom pushes prices up.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Gamma’s Grant Lee, Engine’s Elia Wallen, and GV’s Crystal Huang on landing your first 1,000 customers

Leaders from Gamma, Engine, and Google Ventures join TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 to talk how to get your first customers. Register now to save up to $100. Grab a second pass at 50% off.

LumenUs helps automate tedious paperwork in times of grief

"The day your loved one passes away, you also get this honorary badge of a project manager for a project you had no idea about," said founder Sara Tashakorinia.

Amazon and others are done keeping data center deals secret. Is it enough to build trust?

Amazon says it will stop using NDAs when negotiating data center deals with local governments, following a similar move from Microsoft earlier this year. Secrecy has fueled community backlash against AI infrastructure, with opposition leading to hundreds of proposed and enacted moratoriums from New York to San Francisco. Meanwhile, a wave of startups is betting t

Remember Orkut? Its founder wants to bring it back

Orkut's founder is now taking aim at algorithms and AI-generated content.

Automattic interim CFO resigns just weeks after boardroom shakeup

Automattic's interim chief financial officer Jeremy Klaperman has left the company less than a month after taking the role, TechCrunch has learned. Sources say his departure followed a demotion back to his previous position, marking another executive exit amid the organization's leadership turmoil.

I’m Still Convinced the iPod Was the Perfect Gadget

Apple’s original music player got many things right. Chief among them: It didn’t connect to the internet.

Beyond TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: The Side Events, Parties & Networking You Can’t Miss

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is just the beginning. From exclusive networking events and startup showcases to happy hours, dinners, and after-hours meetups, discover what’s happening across San Francisco during Disrupt Week, October 10–16. Find your next connection, your next opportunity, or your next favorite event.