TechCrunchOct 22, 2026
Nirva raises $33M for a pendant that only listens to you
Nirva will ship its $249 ambient AI pendant by the end of the year.
AIBusiness Consulting
Source: TechCrunch · Ivan Mehta
Insights
Original NEXXIS analysis and curated technology and business headlines from trusted publishers.
Headlines and short excerpts are provided by each publisher’s RSS feed. Every story links to the original article on the publisher’s site.
TechCrunchOct 22, 2026
DeepSeek reportedly raises $15B days after US restrictions
DeepSeek has reportedly raised $15 billion in one of China's largest funding rounds, just days after the US ordered federal agencies to remove its technology over national security concerns.
Business ConsultingAI
Source: TechCrunch · Kate Park
The VergeOct 22, 2026
Just because Tesla’s Optimus is in production doesn’t mean it’s actually ready
On Tesla's earnings call Wednesday, CEO Elon Musk announced that the company had begun early production of its humanoid robot on its high-volume line in Fremont, California. Then he laid out what still needs work: the robot's hands, its safety, reliability, and durability, and…
Media ProductionBusiness Consulting
Source: The Verge · Rani Molla
WIREDOct 22, 2026
Meta’s Ad Sales Are Suffering Now That Europeans Can Pick Less Personalization
An earnings briefing on Wednesday revealed ad revenue has slowed since the European Union introduced the Less-Personalized Ads model at the beginning of this year.
MarketingBusiness Consulting
Source: WIRED · Isabella Ward
WIREDOct 22, 2026
Hugging Face’s New AI Biology Model Lets You Chat With DNA
The new open-source model speaks the language of DNA and can help researchers understand the effects of any changes on gene activity and health.
AIBusiness Consulting
WIREDOct 21, 2026
Mark Zuckerberg Agrees to Stay in California Despite Billionaires’ Tax Ballot Measure
Meta’s board feared that its CEO’s departure could disrupt the company’s AI ambitions. A new stock agreement gives him financial incentives to stay put.
Business ConsultingAI
WIREDOct 21, 2026
Airbnb Hosts Are Furious They Can No Longer Make Guests Do Their Chores
Some hosts are threatening to strike, while others are plotting ways around Airbnb’s new restrictions. Guests, meanwhile, are celebrating.
Business Consulting
Source: WIRED · Caroline Haskins
TechCrunchOct 21, 2026
Meta says Muse has over 10M users, with shopping a top activity
Meta Muse users are adopting the app for shopping and personal productivity, the company said during its Q3 earnings call. The AI app now has over 10M users.
MarketingAI
Source: TechCrunch · Sarah Perez
TechCrunchOct 21, 2026
Year-old AI lab Flapping Airplanes raises $1B at a $6B valuation
Just 9 months after raising a $180 million seed round, Flapping Airplanes has landed a $1 billion Series A for its mission to build AI models "without ingesting half the internet."
Business ConsultingAI
Source: TechCrunch · Julie Bort
TechCrunchOct 21, 2026
Tesla starts Optimus robot production in California as profit falls 43%
Tesla's revenue was flat and its expenses skyrocketed as it pressed the accelerator on its Optimus robots, AI, and autonomous driving.
Media ProductionAI
Source: TechCrunch · Kirsten Korosec, Sean O'Kane
TechCrunchOct 21, 2026
Recursive launches Flint, a laptop coding model it says was largely built by AI
Startup Recursive has released Flint, a free, laptop-sized coding model built largely by its own AI research system, as an early test of AI that improves itself.
AIIT
Source: TechCrunch · Aditya Mehta
TechCrunchOct 21, 2026
Automattic begins layoffs following board upheaval and executive departures
Sources say more cuts could follow as the company looks to improve its finances.
Business Consulting
Source: TechCrunch · Sarah Perez