Former Plaud exec raises $26M for AI app that listens to you in the background

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View this email online in your browser  October 12, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Former Plaud exec raises $26M for AI app that listens to you in the background: Ambi is releasing apps for iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch that enables ambient capture Read More Dawn Myers is making it easier to style, detangle, and care for curly hair: Richualist is one of TechCrunch's Battlefield 200 Companies! Read More Smart ring maker Ultrahuman to roll out biological-age model across UAE: Ultrahuman and Abu Dhabi will spend the next two years working on research and clinical validation of the model. Read More Our biggest event of the year is coming next week, and now's the time to lock in your ticket to learning how to build successfully in the AI era. You'll get expert insights from leaders from Anthropic, Nvidia, OpenAI, Google Cloud, and hundreds of other sessions across three days.  Save 50% on a second ticket, or if you've been laid off recently, get an Expo+ Pass for just $75. Register Now Morning Must-Reads Will the HomeView be Apple’s first smart home success?: Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen multiple reports that Apple was working on a new smart home product, but now it seems the product has a name and a launch date. Read More 48 hours to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 — hear directly from the people building what’s next: Less than 48 hours, TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 starts in San Francisco’s Moscone West. Save up to $100 on your pass before prices increase at the door, plus get 50% on a second pass. Or score other deals. Read More Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Social Reckoning’ is off to a weak start: What does this mean for a fall full of movies starring villainous tech CEOs? Read More TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 starts tomorrow: Your final chance to secure up to $100 ticket savings: Tomorrow at 8 a.m. PT, it all begins. 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech operators will gather at San Francisco’s Moscone West for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 for three days of ideas, connections, and startups shaping what comes next. This is your last 24 hours to secure ticket savings of up to $100, and get 50% off a second. Read More TechCrunch Mobility: A roadblock clears for self-driving trucks: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for the future of transportation and now, more than ever, the role AI is playing in it. Read More Last but Not Least Efferon wants to eradicate the devastating toll of pediatric sepsis: This Battlefield 200 startup has developed blood-purification tech to save children. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107