TechCrunch Top 3

Spotify brings AI-powered Prompted Playlists to the U.S. and Canada: Now available in the US and Canada, Spotify's AI-powered Prompted Playlists let users describe what they want to hear using natural language commands. Read More

From invisibility cloaks to AI chips: Neurophos raises $110M to build tiny optical processors for inferencing: Neurophos is taking a crack at solving the AI industry's power efficiency problem with an optical chip that uses a composite material to do the math required in AI inferencing tasks. Read More

Former Google trio is building an interactive AI-powered learning app for kids: Big tech companies and upcoming startups want to use generative AI to build software and hardware for kids. A lot of those experiences are limited to text or voice, and kids might not find that captivating. Three former Google employees want to get over that hurdle with their generative AI-powered interactive app, Sparkli. Read More

Be the first to know when news breaks

Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox.

A message from Fidelity

Start Scrappy. Scale Smart

Managing your equity in a spreadsheet might work, until you're raising your next round, onboarding new hires, or navigating your first SAFE. Fidelity Private Shares' free cap table template can provide you with a clean start. And when you're ready to ditch the manual updates, we'll help you scale with confidence.

Download Now

Morning Must-Reads

Not to be outdone by OpenAI, Apple is reportedly developing an AI wearable: Should this wearable materialize, it could be released as early as 2027, according to a report on the device. Read More

Under Armour says it's 'aware' of data breach claims after 72M customer records were posted online: TechCrunch obtained a sample of the stolen data, which contained names, email addresses, dates of birth, and the user's approximate geographic location. Under Armour confirmed some sensitive information was taken in the breach. Read More

Google reportedly snags up team behind AI voice startup Hume AI: Google has hired the CEO and top top behind voice AI startup Hume AI, signaling that voice is increasingly becoming the preferred interface over screens. Read More

Here's what you should know about the US TikTok deal: A number of investors are competing for the opportunity to purchase the app, and if a deal were to go through, the platform's U.S. business could have its valuation soar to upward of $60 billion. Read More

Snapchat gives parents new insights into teens' screen time and friends: With these new features, Snap is likely looking to appease regulators and parents over concerns about safety and screen time on its platform. Read More

A message from TechCrunch Events

Disrupt 2026 tickets are live and at the lowest rates

Disrupt tickets are officially on sale at the lowest rates of the year. Lock in Super Early Bird pricing plus 50% off a second ticket of the same type, available to the first 500 registrants or until Jan 31. Join 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators for curated networking, hear from 250+ speakers across 200+ sessions, and demo innovations for 300+ startups Oct 13–15 in San Francisco.

You missed these chats from Disrupt:

Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens.

Watch on Cheddar.com

Watch on Streaming

Last but Not Least

Tiger Global, Microsoft to fully exit Walmart-backed PhonePe via its IPO: Tiger Global and Microsoft are offering up their full stakes in the company, while Walmart is choosing to retain its majority stake, and selling up to 45.9 million shares. Read More