Startups

OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 builder guide targets faster, cheaper AI agents through smarter model selection and new Responses API capabilities for startups and teams.

AI search startup Exa drew major attention as investors continued backing search engines built for AI agents.

TechCrunch reports concerns that AI wealth is concentrating among a small group while software workers face uncertainty.

AI research startup NeoCognition has raised a $40 million seed round to develop AI agents capable of becoming experts in any domain through human-like learning.

Wired reports that AI is lowering the barrier to chip design and software optimization, with startups envisioning a broad democratization of chipmaking.

AI video generation startup Runway launched a $10M fund and Builders program to invest in pre-seed and seed-stage startups across AI, media, and world simulation.

Anthropic leads with $30 billion Series G at $380 billion valuation as US AI startups secure massive funding rounds, with three companies crossing $1 billion.

A new analysis from TechCrunch examines the business models and monetization strategies of leading AI labs, including Humans&, Thinking Machines Lab, World Labs, and Safe Superintelligence. The report introduces a five-level scale to measure commercial ambition.