The Final Countdown: TechCrunch Disrupt Opens the Gates for Startup Battlefield 200
The window for early-stage founders to enter the Startup Battlefield 200 is closing June 8. Learn about the $100,000 prize and the legacy of Disrupt's stage.
Tag: Venture Capital
Brynn Putnam’s ‘Together Tech’ Play: Board Secures $20M Series A to Scale Tactile Gaming
Mirror founder Brynn Putnam is tackling digital isolation with Board, a hardware-software hybrid that blends physical game pieces with AI. Now backed by USV.
Gaming as a Gym: Origin Lab Secures $8M to Turn Virtual Worlds Into AI Training Grounds
Origin Lab is leveraging the physics engines of video games to provide high-quality training data for AI world models, securing $8M in seed funding.
Impulse Space Secures $500 Million to Double Down on Human Engineering Over AI Hype
Founded by SpaceX veteran Tom Mueller, Impulse Space is using a $500M funding round to expand its workforce, arguing that LLMs cannot replace physical hardware engineering.
Founders Fund Pivots to ‘Infotainment’ With High-Stakes Game Show Starring Sam Altman and Palmer Luckey
Peter Thiel's Founders Fund is ditching traditional VC content for a reality-style game show featuring Sam Altman, Palmer Luckey, and other Silicon Valley power players.
The Final Countdown for TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 200
The window for early-stage founders to apply for the Startup Battlefield 200 closes June 8. Here is what's at stake for the next generation of disruptors.
Mirror Founder Brynn Putnam Secures $20M for Board, a High-Stakes Bet on ‘Together Tech’
Brynn Putnam, who sold Mirror to Lululemon, is pivoting back to hardware with Board. Learn about the $20M Series A and the AI-powered Board Studio.
The Contrast of the Altman Empire: OpenAI’s IPO Push Meets World’s Biometric Retreat
As OpenAI moves toward a confidential IPO filing, Sam Altman's biometric project, World (Tools for Humanity), faces reported layoffs and regulatory headwinds.
The Valuation Mirage: Inside the ‘Dual-Pricing’ Tactic Fueling AI Startup Hype
Mercor co-founder Brendan Foody accuses Sequoia of 'valuation tricks' as the AI boom exposes a growing gap between headline numbers and real investment prices.
The Synthetic Playground: Origin Lab Raises $8M to Turn Video Game Assets Into AI Training Data
Origin Lab is bridging the gap between the gaming industry and AI labs, converting digital game assets into training data for physical world models.