The top 6 media/entertainment startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield

Here is the full list of the media/entertainment Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on what made us select them for the competition.

Fizz social app’s CEO on why anon works

Fizz is betting that Gen Z is tired of performing their lives on Instagram and TikTok.   What started as a pandemic-era group chat frustration has turned into the dominant social platform on college campuses across the US, focused on the 99% of life that doesn’t make it into a highlight reel. Capturing the attention of a demographic typically glued […]

‘College dropout’ has become the most coveted startup founder credential

AI founders are increasingly using their "dropout" status as a credential during YC pitches.

Investors predict AI is coming for labor in 2026 

The exact impact AI will have on the enterprise labor market is unclear but investors predict trends will start to emerge in 2026.

These are the best gadgets for your pet right now

From AI smart cameras that describe your pet's actions to a smart door that knows when they want to go outside, these are the best pet gadgets of 2025.

Tade Oyerinde and Teddy Solomon talk about building engaged audiences at TechCrunch Disrupt

Founders Tade Oyerinde and Teddy Solomon spoke at Disrupt this year about keeping communities engaged.

Every fusion startup that has raised over $100M

Fusion startups have raised $7.1 billion to date, with the majority of it going to a handful of companies. 

The 10 top government, legal startups from Disrupt Startup Battlefield

Here is the full list of the government and legal Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on what made us select them for the competition.

The dumbest things that happened in tech this year

From Sam Altman's olive oil "scandal" to Soham Parekh's viral moment, a lot of silly stuff has gone down in tech this year.

The phone is dead. Long live . . . what exactly?

"We're not going to be using iPhones in 10 years," Callaghan says flatly. "I kind of don't think we'll be using them in five years."

Almost 80 European deep tech university spinouts reached $1B valuations or $100M in revenue in 2025

According to Dealroom’s European Spinout Report 2025, 76 European deep tech and life sciences spinouts have either reached $1 billion valuations, $100 million in revenue, or both.

12 investors dish on what 2026 will bring for climate tech

After a tumultuous year, venture investors are still optimistic about climate tech's long-term prospects, especially as data centers continue to drive demand for electricity, manufacturing, and materials.

The best AI-powered dictation apps of 2025

AI-powered dictation apps are useful for replying to emails, taking notes, and even coding through your voice

VCs predict enterprises will spend more on AI in 2026 — through fewer vendors

Enterprises have been experimenting with AI tools for a few years. Investors predict they will start to pick winners in 2026.

The top 26 consumer/edtech companies from Disrupt Startup Battlefield

Here is the full list of the consumer/edtech Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, along with a note on what made us select them for the competition.

Here’s what you should know about the US TikTok deal

A number of investors are competing for the opportunity to purchase the app, and if a deal were to go through, the platform's U.S. business could have its valuation soar to upward of $60 billion.

Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about

Meta says it'll keep Manus running independently while weaving its agents into Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, where Meta's own chatbot, Meta AI, is already available to users.

How to make your startup stand out in a crowded market, according to investors

At TechCrunch Disrupt, three investors took the stage to dissect what makes — and breaks — a pitch deck. Jyoti Bansal, a founder-turned-investor; Medha Agarwal of Defy; and Jennifer Neundorfer of January Ventures shared with the crowd their candid views on what works in a pitch deck — and what doesn't.

Social media follower counts have never mattered less, creator economy execs say

“I think that 2025 was the year where the algorithm completely took over, so followings stopped mattering entirely,” LTK CEO Amber Venz Box said.

2025 was the year AI got a vibe check

AI’s early-2025 spending spree featured massive raises and trillion-dollar infrastructure promises. By year’s end, hype gave way to a vibe check, with growing scrutiny over sustainability, safety, and business models.