TechCrunch

OpenClaw, the free open-source AI agent, is now available on iOS and Android, allowing users to manage AI tasks via their mobile devices. Users can connect their phones to the OpenClaw Gateway to run agents for various applications, from coding to meal planning, although results may vary. This launch follows OpenClaw's viral moment with the MoltBook social media site, highlighting the growing presence of AI agents in everyday technology.

The launch of OpenClaw on Android and iOS enables builders and PMs to integrate AI agents into mobile applications, enhancing user engagement and functionality. For investors, this signifies a growing market for mobile AI solutions, indicating potential investment opportunities in applications that leverage AI for everyday tasks.

EquiLibre Technologies, founded by former DeepMind researchers, has successfully applied poker AI to stock trading, achieving a $500 million valuation after a Series A funding round. Their algorithms have reportedly maintained a perfect record in trading since 2025, generating billions in daily volume in partnership with Tower Research Capital.

EquiLibre Technologies, leveraging poker AI for stock trading, has achieved a $500 million valuation and a perfect trading record since 2025. This signals a significant advancement in AI applications for finance, indicating that similar AI-driven strategies could disrupt traditional trading models and create new investment opportunities for builders, PMs, and investors.

Etched, a startup competing with Nvidia, has achieved a $5 billion valuation and $1 billion in sales for its AI chips, specifically designed to enhance inference performance. The company has raised $800 million to date and is testing its 'frontier inference clusters' with customers, aiming to improve efficiency and reduce costs in AI operations.

Etched's $5 billion valuation and $1 billion in sales for its AI chips signal a growing competitive landscape against Nvidia, indicating potential shifts in market dynamics. Builders and PMs should consider how Etched's frontier inference clusters could enhance efficiency and reduce costs in AI operations, while investors may want to explore opportunities in this emerging player.

Anthropic has launched Claude Sonnet 5, a cost-effective agentic model priced at $2 per million input tokens, outperforming its predecessor Sonnet 4.6 and competing models like Opus 4.8. It excels in complex tasks and offers improved safety features, making it suitable for developers seeking affordable yet powerful AI solutions.

Anthropic's launch of Claude Sonnet 5 at $2 per million input tokens represents a significant advancement in cost-effective AI solutions, enabling builders and PMs to implement powerful agentic models in their applications without breaking the budget. This development signals a competitive landscape in AI, encouraging innovation and investment in more accessible and efficient AI technologies.

Anthropic's Claude Science is an AI workbench for scientists, integrating over 60 databases and enabling collaborative workflows without introducing a new model. It leverages existing Claude models, enhancing reproducibility and efficiency in research tasks, while competing against OpenAI's GPT-Rosalind and Google DeepMind's proprietary models.

Anthropic's launch of Claude Science, an AI workbench that integrates over 60 databases for scientists, highlights a shift towards enhancing existing models rather than developing new ones. This approach could streamline research workflows and improve collaboration, which is critical for builders and PMs focused on creating efficient tools in the scientific domain, while investors should note the competitive positioning against established players like OpenAI and Google DeepMind.

Tesla is testing its Cybercab, a two-seater without pedals or a steering wheel, in Austin, Texas, aiming for a fully autonomous robotaxi service. This follows previous tests with Model Y SUVs and comes as regulatory changes may ease the path for such vehicles. Tesla's approach contrasts with Waymo's reliance on complex sensors, focusing instead on camera-based autonomy.

Tesla's testing of the Cybercab, a fully autonomous vehicle without pedals or a steering wheel, signals a significant shift towards simplifying autonomous vehicle design and may influence regulatory frameworks. Builders and PMs should note the potential for reduced complexity in vehicle development, while investors should consider the implications for the competitive landscape in the autonomous ride-hailing market.

Arcturus aims to halve electrical losses in grids by infusing copper and aluminum with carbon nanomaterials, potentially unlocking 3-10% more electricity. The startup has raised $8 million to scale its production for applications in drones, robotics, and data centers.

Arcturus's development of nano-infused copper and aluminum could significantly reduce electrical losses in grids, potentially increasing electricity availability by 3-10%. This innovation is crucial for builders and PMs focused on energy efficiency in infrastructure, while investors may see this as a promising opportunity in the growing clean energy sector.

Riverside, a podcasting platform, is launching a newsletter publishing feature that leverages AI to generate newsletters from user recordings. This innovation aims to enhance content distribution for podcasters, allowing them to reach audiences through written formats seamlessly.

Riverside's launch of an AI-driven newsletter publishing feature allows podcasters to easily convert audio content into written formats, enhancing their content distribution capabilities. This development signals an opportunity for builders and PMs to integrate similar features into their platforms, while investors should note the growing convergence of audio and written media as a potential market expansion.

OKX has launched an AI marketplace allowing AI agents to autonomously hire, pay, and build reputations using blockchain technology. Targeting developers and solo entrepreneurs, the platform aims to create an 'agent economy' with potential trillion-dollar market growth in the next five years.

OKX's launch of an AI marketplace for autonomous AI agents to hire and pay each other signals a significant shift towards decentralized, self-sustaining economies. Builders and PMs should consider the implications for developing AI-driven applications, while investors may see opportunities in a potentially trillion-dollar market focused on agent economies.

Despite fears of AI-induced job losses, a report shows that companies heavily investing in AI are increasing headcount, particularly in entry-level roles, by 10.2%. However, the data is skewed towards tech-forward firms, raising concerns about a widening gap between companies that can leverage AI effectively and those that cannot.

The report indicating a 10.2% increase in entry-level roles at AI-investing companies highlights a potential shift in workforce dynamics, suggesting that firms leveraging AI effectively may attract talent while others lag behind. Builders and PMs should consider how to integrate AI into their strategies to remain competitive, while investors might focus on tech-forward companies that are adapting to this new landscape.

Chamath Palihapitiya's AI coding startup, 8090 Labs, raised $135 million in Series A funding led by Salesforce Ventures. The company aims to enhance corporate programming with its AI tool, Software Factory, while Palihapitiya takes on the CEO role, marking his return to a full-time operational position.

Chamath Palihapitiya's $135 million Series A funding for 8090 Labs signals strong investor confidence in AI-driven tools for software development. This development highlights the growing demand for AI solutions that can streamline corporate programming, presenting opportunities for builders and PMs to leverage such technologies in their projects.

Google's Gemini app now offers free personalized AI image generation for U.S. users, utilizing Nano Banana technology to create images based on user preferences without explicit prompts. This feature, previously limited to paid subscribers, leverages data from Google services like Gmail and Photos to enhance personalization.

Google's Gemini app now offers free personalized AI image generation for U.S. users, utilizing advanced technology to create images based on individual preferences. This shift may drive increased user engagement and data utilization, prompting builders and PMs to consider similar personalization strategies in their own products, while investors should note the competitive edge this feature provides Google in the AI landscape.

Waymo and Uber have ended their partnership in Phoenix, Arizona, after nearly three years, with Waymo integrating the vehicles used by Uber into its own fleet. Both companies are shifting focus, with Uber planning a new autonomous vehicle partnership and Waymo launching its latest robotaxi model, the Ojai, in the city.

Waymo and Uber's decision to end their partnership in Phoenix signals a shift in the autonomous vehicle landscape, with Waymo integrating Uber's vehicles into its fleet and launching a new robotaxi model. This development highlights the need for builders and PMs to adapt to changing partnerships and technologies, while investors should consider the implications for competition and market positioning in the autonomous driving space.

South Korea's tech giants, led by Samsung and SK Hynix, are set to invest over $550 billion to build new memory fabs and AI data centers, aiming to address the global memory chip shortage known as 'RAMageddon'. This investment is part of a broader national strategy to enhance the country's semiconductor and AI capabilities by 2035.

The commitment of over $550 billion by South Korean tech giants to build new memory fabs and AI data centers addresses the critical global memory chip shortage, known as 'RAMageddon'. This investment signals a significant opportunity for builders and PMs in the semiconductor and AI sectors, while investors should note the potential for growth in these industries as demand for memory solutions increases.

The Trump administration's permitting delays threaten 92 GW of clean power, impacting over $121 billion in energy investments as electricity demand surges from AI data centers. A study reveals 7 GW of capacity has already been canceled, with potential further losses of 12 GW on federal land and 80 GW on private property.

The Trump administration's permitting delays threaten 92 GW of new clean power capacity, which could stall over $121 billion in energy investments. For builders and investors, this signals potential project cancellations and increased costs, particularly as demand from AI data centers rises.

Proception, led by ex-Tesla engineer Jay Li, settled a trade secret lawsuit with Tesla and raised $11M to develop advanced robotic hands. The company aims to enhance dexterous manipulation, a critical challenge in robotics, using innovative data collection methods via sensor-laden gloves.

Proception's $11M funding and settlement with Tesla signal a growing confidence in advanced robotics, particularly in dexterous manipulation. This development highlights the importance of innovative data collection methods, which can inspire builders and PMs to focus on enhancing robotic capabilities and attract investors looking for promising technologies in automation.

Omen AI has developed a real-time spectrometer to monitor liquid cooling systems in data centers, raising $31 million to combat bacterial contamination that can lead to costly downtimes. The technology aims to provide insights into fluid health, potentially saving millions by preventing system shutdowns.

Omen AI's real-time spectrometer for monitoring liquid cooling systems in data centers addresses a critical issue of bacterial contamination, which can lead to costly downtimes. For builders and PMs, this technology represents a significant advancement in operational efficiency, while investors may see potential for high returns by reducing maintenance costs and improving system reliability.