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TechCrunch Jun 30, 2026 at 20:33 Startups Rising Hot

The DeepMind trio who built a poker AI are now making money for quant hedge funds

EquiLibre Technologies, a Prague-based AI lab founded by three ex-DeepMind researchers, is now valued at more than $500 million.

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Jun 30, 2026 at 20:33 TechCrunch

The DeepMind trio who built a poker AI are now making money for quant hedge funds

EquiLibre Technologies, a Prague-based AI lab founded by three ex-DeepMind researchers, is now valued at more than $500 million.

Jun 30, 2026 at 18:13 TechCrunch

Nvidia competitor Etched hits $5B valuation, $1B in sales for AI chip

Nvidia AI chip competitor Etched says it has already booked $1 billion under contract for the inference systems powered by its chip.

Jun 30, 2026 at 17:52 TechCrunch

Acti puts AI agents directly into your smartphone keyboard

Acti is betting the smartphone keyboard is the next home for AI assistants. The startup's new keyboard for iOS and Android works across a...

Jun 30, 2026 at 15:08 TechCrunch

X now offers an MCP server to make its platform easier for AI tools to use

X has launched a hosted MCP server, making it easier for developers to connect AI applications with the company’s API.

Jun 30, 2026 at 09:00 TechCrunch

Crypto exchange OKX wants AI agents to hire and pay each other

OKX is bringing together payments, identity, and reputation into a marketplace for AI agents.

Jun 30, 2026 at 04:01 TechCrunch

The AI jobs debate just got messier

A new report finds "high-intensity AI adopters” saw headcount increase 10.2%. Among those companies, entry-level headcount rose by 12%, c...

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TechCrunch Jun 30, 2026 at 23:00 Startups
Rising Hot

Startup Battlefield Australia application closes in days: Apply before July 6

What if one pitch changed everything? The next company nobody has heard of yet is building something that will matter. It could be yours.

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TechCrunch Jun 30, 2026 at 19:12 Startups
Rising Hot

Realta Fusion generates electricity directly from a fusion reaction, an apparent first

“We can take power from a plasma,” Kieran Furlong, co-founder and CEO of Realta Fusion, told TechCrunch. The milestone shows “what’s possible,” he added.

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TechCrunch Jun 30, 2026 at 19:02 Startups
Rising Hot

Google introduces a faster, cheaper image generator with Nano Banana 2 Lite

Google is updating its image generator to make it faster and cheaper, making it a more useful tool for creators looking to make AI content.

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TechCrunch Jun 30, 2026 at 23:00 Startups
Rising Hot

Startup Battlefield Australia application closes in days: Apply before July 6

What if one pitch changed everything? The next company nobody has heard of yet is building something that will matter. It could be yours.

Signal weather

Momentum is building quickly, so this card is a good early entry point into the topic.

Why now

Fresh coverage with immediate momentum.

TechCrunch Jun 30, 2026 at 19:12 Startups
Rising Hot

Realta Fusion generates electricity directly from a fusion reaction, an apparent first

“We can take power from a plasma,” Kieran Furlong, co-founder and CEO of Realta Fusion, told TechCrunch. The milestone shows “what’s possible,” he added.

Signal weather

Momentum is building quickly, so this card is a good early entry point into the topic.

Why now

Fresh coverage with immediate momentum.

TechCrunch Jun 30, 2026 at 19:02 Startups
Rising Hot

Google introduces a faster, cheaper image generator with Nano Banana 2 Lite

Google is updating its image generator to make it faster and cheaper, making it a more useful tool for creators looking to make AI content.

Signal weather

Momentum is building quickly, so this card is a good early entry point into the topic.

Why now

Fresh coverage with immediate momentum.