April 26, 2026

Two college kids raise a $5.1 million pre-seed to build an AI social network in iMessage: Series, a social networking app that's grown popular on college campuses, announced a $5.1 million pre-seed round from some big names in tech. Read More

Google to invest up to $40B in Anthropic in cash and compute: Google plans up to $40B investment in Anthropic as AI rivals race to secure massive compute capacity, following the limited release of its powerful, cybersecurity-focused Mythos model. Read More

To buy this Bay Area home, you’ll need Anthropic equity: Someone’s offering an unusual deal for a 13-acre property in Mill Valley, just north of South Francisco. Read More

StrictlyVC kicks off the event series in SF in less than a week. Join unfiltered fireside chats on fundraising, what it takes to build a physical AI breakthrough, and more with industry leaders like Eclipse Ventures co-founder Lior Susan, Replit co-founder Amjad Masad, and more. Make high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited.

Meta's loss is Thinking Machines' gain: Meta has been poaching talent from Thinking Machines Lab. But it's a two-way street. Read More

Steve Ballmer blasts founder he backed who pleaded guilty to fraud: 'I was duped and feel silly': Steve Ballmer wrote a fiery letter in the sentencing of disgraced founder Joseph Sanberg documenting all the harm that's befalling him as an investor. Read More

Anthropic created a test marketplace for agent-on-agent commerce: In a recent experiment, Anthropic created a classified marketplace where AI agents represented both buyers and sellers, striking real deals for real goods and real money. Read More

OpenAI CEO apologizes to Tumbler Ridge community: In a letter to the residents of Tumbler Ridge, Canada, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he is “deeply sorry” that his company failed to alert law enforcement about the suspect in a recent mass shooting. Read More

Apple under Ternus: what comes next for the tech giant’s hardware strategy: John Ternus, Apple's incoming CEO, is a hardware guy, signaling Apple may be putting devices back at the center of its strategy. Read More

TechCrunch readers get exclusive discounts to SusHi Tech Tokyo 2026 — Asia's largest global innovation conference. Use code TGOT5YYACK for 50% off general tickets or TGMP5YYAJD for student tickets. Stream live online, match with startups and investors via the app. April 27–29.

Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum.

ComfyUI hits $500M valuation as creators seek more control over AI-generated media: ComfyUI, whose tools give creators more control over AI image, video, and audio generation, just raised $30 million. Read More

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