When the experimental results came back, they puzzled Adam Slavney and Jinyoung Seo. They had been testing a new class of materials for more efficient refrigerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps, a mission that the cooling appliance industry has been on for eons. The measurements for the materials that the team was testing shouldn’t have…
When Alex Baikovitz co-founded Mach9 Robotics in 2021, his goal was to build a better, faster, and cheaper way for civil engineers to do visual inspections. The company aimed to cut through red tape and modernize the slow, outdated processes that bog down construction in the United States. Within a few years, Mach9 Robotics had…
Justin Mast’s life was changed by a cyborg plant. A few years ago, Mast was reading through some scientific literature when he stumbled upon research about a houseplant wired to a motorized stand. When the plant wanted more light, electrical signals flowed through the living tissues. A control board sensed the current and wheeled the…
Reliable Robotics has been working for nearly a decade to commercialize autonomous flying technology that can be installed on existing aircraft. Now, with a $115 million funding boost, the Mountain View, California-based startup has a longer runway as it pushes to get its autonomous flight system certified by the Federal Aviation Administration — a critical…
Image Credits:Romilly Lockyer / Getty Images 9:55 AM PDT · October 19, 2026 Amazon is funding development of a proposed 960-megawatt nuclear plant in Indiana and would be the first customer to buy its power, the companies announced Monday. Utility company American Electric Power (AEP) would operate the plant. X-energy, which designs small modular nuclear…
In Brief Posted: 9:30 AM PDT · October 18, 2026 Image Credits:Character.AI After chatbot startup Character.AI filed for bankruptcy earlier this week, many of its employees will have the opportunity to take jobs at Disney. Character.AI’s former CEO Karandeep Anand recently became the entertainment giant’s first CTO, and the startup previously said that Disney had…
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! As I wrapped my TechCrunch Disrupt interview with Rivian CEO and founder RJ Scaringe, I…
Mark Wahlberg has started companies of his own and backed plenty of others. But he says the gym he’s opening in December has him more excited than anything he’s done in his entire career. It also goes after a corner of the market where venture money keeps flowing: pricey, diagnostics-heavy wellness. Speaking with us at…
Amulya Vishwanath, who spent seven years leading product marketing for NVIDIA’s robotics platforms, says robotics is currently in its “Lego era,” with the basic building blocks like actuators, robotic hands, software, and safety standards still being rebuilt. This view runs counter to those who believe that robotics…
Last day to be part of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Join 10,000+ tech leaders for a day of connections and insights. Save 75% on your pass now…
1INCH 
0x Protocol 
3lon 
$1 is all you need 
1GUY