TechCrunch headlines: AI, data breaches, and disrupt events drive buzz. Tech news site launched 2005 by Arrington/Teare; now a go‑to for startups.
SpaceX has completed the largest IPO in history, raising $75 billion and listing on Nasdaq under ticker SPCX. Shares opened at $150, climbed as high as $176 and closed the first day around $160–166 in extended trading, briefly valuing the company above $2.1 trillion and making Elon Musk the world's first likely trillionaire.
Multiple companies have advanced robotaxi plans while operational problems have forced pauses and recalls. Uber and Wayve have opened an interest list for a London rollout that will start with human safety supervisors. Tesla has sought permission for 5,000 Las Vegas robotaxis and expanded unsupervised service in Texas. Waymo has paused service in several US cities to fix flooded-road software.
Stellantis has unveiled a plan to roll out nine new models under $40,000 by 2030, aiming to revive US volume and stabilize margins. The move includes new Ram, Dodge, and Jeep entries, alongside cost-cutting measures after heavy investments in electrification and a prior $26 billion annual loss.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is highlighting a limited-time deal: buy one pass and get 50% off a second pass, with a deadline approaching. The offer covers access to the startup battlefield, expo hall, and extensive networking, and the event runs October 13–15 in San Francisco. Prices rise after the deadline.
A wave of tests and product launches shows the tech industry pressing to give AI a physical form. From gig-data data collection to consumer humanoids, firms are racing to turn digital intelligence into real-world Lab-to-life tools.
Hackers have exploited Meta's AI-powered Instagram support to link target accounts to new emails and reset passwords, exposing thousands of accounts. Meta has fixed the flaw and is securing affected users, while security researchers warn of broader AI-enabled identity risks.
Anthropic has expanded access to its Mythos AI model for cybersecurity testing, signaling broadening global collaboration across critical sectors. The move follows a confidential IPO filing and builds on Mythos Preview’s ability to identify thousands of software vulnerabilities. Partners span power, water, healthcare, and defense-adjacent industries in multiple countries, including the EU and allied states.
Anthropic has confidentially filed for an IPO as it benefits from a fundraising round that valued the company at $965 billion. The move comes as revenue growth remains strong, though questions linger about near-term profitability and the pace of AI deployments across industries.
Apple has unveiled Siri AI and a broader Apple Intelligence platform at WWDC, promising a conversational assistant powered by Googles Gemini and private cloud models. The company has shown deeper device integration, a standalone Siri app, upgraded Photos and Camera tools, and said Siri AI will roll out as a beta later this year.
Dashlane reports a coordinated brute-force attack targeted its device-enrollment API, leading to the unauthorized download of fewer than 20 encrypted password vaults. The company has notified affected users and says others are unaffected. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in 2FA enrollment and rapid credential access.
Recent legal actions and new security tools underscore the growing role of AI in cybercrime and the ongoing efforts by tech giants and law enforcement to curb scams, data breaches, and impersonation attempts across sectors.
SpaceX has floated on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX, raising about $75 billion at $135 a share and debuting with a market value above $2 trillion. The newly public group combines SpaceX's rocket and Starlink businesses with xAI and X. Analysts warn the valuation depends on unproven projects such as orbital data centres and Mars ambitions.
SpaceX has filed to sell 555.6 million shares at $135 each, aiming to raise about $75 billion and value the company near $1.75–1.77 trillion. Elon Musk will retain roughly 82% voting control. The company has allocated unusually large tranches to retail buyers, employees and direct-share participants, and disclosed AI compute deals that affect revenue assumptions.
GM is expanding vehicle‑to‑grid capabilities and developing sodium‑ion batteries for grid storage, aiming to cut costs and support rising electricity demand driven by AI data centers. Pilots with PG&E and DTE Energy are underway, with Scale and timelines focused on energy storage rather than cars.
WhatsApp has said it disrupted spear-phishing attempts tied to NSO Group and has asked a US court to hold the spyware firm in contempt for violating a permanent injunction. The attacks targeted fewer than 10 users, mainly in Jordan and Lebanon, and WhatsApp found no evidence the devices were compromised.
The article reports that Early Bird pricing for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 ends tonight. Tickets are discounted by up to $410, with group passes offering up to 30% off. The event runs October 13–15 in San Francisco, featuring hundreds of startups, sessions, and networking opportunities that connect founders, investors, and operators.
The U.S. Commerce Department has issued an export-control directive forcing Anthropic to suspend access to its new Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models for any foreign national. Anthropic has disabled the models for all users to comply, says the government cited an unspecified national security concern and provided only verbal evidence of a narrow potential jailbreak.
Meta has announced a 168-megawatt AI-enabled data center in Jamnagar, Gujarat, built by Reliance Industries with renewable energy and desalinated water cooling. The facility will be ready within two years and can be expanded, supporting Meta’s global AI infrastructure as part of a broader India-focused expansion.
Waymo has launched a new loyalty tier, Waymo Premier, priced at $29.99 per month and initially available by invite in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Members gain priority pickups, up to five free cancellations monthly, and 10% back in Waymo Cash, as Waymo expands its service and eyes international growth.
State attorneys general have subpoenaed OpenAI for internal documents on user data, safety for minors, advertising practices, and more. The probe spans New York, Colorado and other states, as OpenAI states it will engage constructively.