Month: January 2026

German growth investor DTCP raises €300m for new defence fund — which it hopes will be Europe’s largest Powered by WPeMatico https://sifted.eu/articles/dtcp-german-defence-fund-500m

The VCs due to fundraise in 2026 Powered by WPeMatico https://sifted.eu/articles/vcs-due-to-fundraise-in-2026

Shift in global dynamics a ‘gift’ for the UK, says Cambridge Enterprise CEO Powered by WPeMatico https://sifted.eu/articles/shift-in-global-dynamics-gift-uk-cambridges-head-of-tech-transfer

Peec AI brought the SF mindset to Berlin. Can it fend off its rivals? Powered by WPeMatico https://sifted.eu/articles/peec-ai-competition-geo-seo

AI cloud startup Runpod hits $120M in ARR — and it started with a Reddit post   Their startup journey is a wild example of how if you build it well and the timing is lucky, they will definitely come. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/16/ai-cloud-startup-runpod-hits-120m-in-arr-and-it-started-with-a-reddit-post/

California AG sends Musk’s xAI a cease-and-desist order over sexual deepfakes The flood of AI-generated sexual imagery has spurred concern from state and congressional officials alike. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/16/california-ag-sends-musks-xai-a-cease-and-desist-order-over-sexual-deepfakes/

Snowflake, Databricks challenger ClickHouse hits $15B valuation The $400 million round was led by Dragoneer. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/16/snowflake-databricks-challenger-clickhouse-hits-15b-valuation/

TikTok quietly launches a microdrama app called ‘PineDrama’ Think TikTok, but every single video you come across is a short episode of a fictional story. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/16/tiktok-quietly-launches-a-micro-drama-app-called-pinedrama/

EPA rules that xAI’s natural gas generators were illegally used Elon Musk’s AI company had installed and operated 35 natural gas turbines without permits, something the EPA now says was illegal. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/01/16/epa-rules-that-xais-natural-gas-generators-were-illegally-used/

Parloa raises $350M, tripling valuation to $3BN Parloa, the German-founded startup which develops AI voice agents for call centre work, has raised $350 million in a Series D funding round, vaulting its valuation threefold to $3 billion in seven months. The round was led by existing investor General Catalyst, with other