Month: March 2026

Founders Fund nears $6B close for latest growth fund, sources say The fresh fundraise comes less than a year after Founders Fund closed its third growth fund, a $4.6 billion vehicle intended primarily for follow-on investments in its successful late-stage companies. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/09/founders-fund-nears-6-billion-close-for-latest-growth-fund-sources-say/

Electric air taxis are about to take flight in 26 states  The federal government has selected eight proposals to test electric aircraft across 26 states. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/09/electric-air-taxis-are-about-to-take-flight-in-26-states/

OpenAI and Google employees rush to Anthropic’s defense in DOD lawsuit More than 30 OpenAI and Google DeepMind employees signed onto a statement supporting Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Defense Department after the agency labeled the AI firm a supply-chain risk, according to court filings. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/09/openai-and-google-employees-rush-to-anthropics-defense-in-dod-lawsuit/

We don’t want to be celebrated. We just want to be treated like entrepreneurs Powered by WPeMatico https://sifted.eu/articles/why-iwd-make-us-uncomfortable

Palmer Luckey’s retro gaming startup ModRetro reportedly seeks funding at $1B valuation The company launched its first product, a Game Boy-style handheld device called the Chromatic, in 2024. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/08/palmer-luckeys-retro-gaming-startup-modretro-reportedly-seeks-funding-at-1b-valuation/

Will the Pentagon’s Anthropic controversy scare startups away from defense work? On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, we discussed what the controversy means for other startups seeking to work with the federal government. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/08/will-the-pentagons-anthropic-controversy-scare-startups-away-from-defense-work/

Owner of ICE detention facility sees big opportunity in AI man camps AI data center developers are increasingly relying on a style of camp popularized as housing for men working in remote oil fields. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/08/owner-of-ice-detention-facility-sees-big-opportunity-in-ai-man-camps/

TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian’s R2 gambit Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all things “future of transportation.”  Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/08/techcrunch-mobility-rivians-r2-gambit/

A roadmap for AI, if anyone will listen The Pro-Human Declaration was finalized before last week’s Pentagon-Anthropic standoff, but the collision of the two events wasn’t lost on anyone involved. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/07/a-roadmap-for-ai-if-anyone-will-listen/

Google just gave Sundar Pichai a $692M pay package Most of it is tied to performance, including new stock incentives linked to Waymo and Wing, its drone delivery venture. Powered by WPeMatico https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/07/google-just-gave-sundar-pichai-a-692m-pay-package/