Topic: startup innovation
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Ex-Cohere AI Lead Bets Against the Scaling Race
The AI industry is heavily investing in massive, costly data centers based on the "scaling" principle, which assumes that increasing computational resources will lead to superintelligent systems. Critics, including former Cohere VP Sara Hooker, argue that scaling large language models is reaching...
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Silent Sound: The Next Frontier in Wildfire Defense
Sonic Fire Tech has developed an acoustic fire suppression system using infrasound, which is inaudible to humans and can extinguish flames from a distance without water. The system is designed to protect homes from wildfires, automatically activating via sensors and offering a critical advantage ...
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Ganiga Debuts Waste-Sorting Robots at TechCrunch Disrupt
The global recycling crisis is severe, with only about 10% of plastic recycled, prompting Ganiga Innovation to introduce AI-powered robotic solutions to improve waste sorting efficiency. Ganiga's products include the Hoooly robotic bins and smart lids that use generative AI to automatically separ...
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Okosix Debuts Biodegradable Plastic at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
The healthcare industry produces massive plastic waste, with U.S. facilities discarding over 2,800 tons of single-use plastics daily, inspiring entrepreneur Eddie Yu to seek sustainable solutions. Okosix, Yu's startup, has developed a cost-effective, high-performing biodegradable polymer from bio...
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DACLab Cuts CO2 Removal Energy Use Below Competitors
Despite global pledges to reduce carbon emissions, they reached a record high last year, increasing the urgency for effective carbon removal technologies like direct air capture (DAC). DACLab has developed a system that uses only 1,500 kWh per metric ton of CO₂ captured, improving on the industry...
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Showrunner Aims to Use AI to Restore Lost Orson Welles Footage
Showrunner is using AI to recreate the lost footage from Orson Welles' *The Magnificent Ambersons*, which was drastically cut by the studio against his wishes. The project combines generative AI with historical research, using Welles' notes and digital face-swapping to approximate the original ca...
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Top Browser Alternatives to Chrome and Safari in 2025
The browser market is expanding beyond mainstream options like Chrome and Safari, with new alternatives emphasizing enhanced privacy, AI integration, and unique productivity features tailored to different user priorities. AI-powered browsers such as Perplexity's Comet, Arc's Dia, Opera's Neon, an...
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AI Can Bridge Divides and Find Common Ground
A new startup, Complex Chaos, is developing AI tools to bridge political divides and build consensus by fostering mutual understanding and streamlining group decision-making. Their AI integrates technologies like Google's Habermas Machine and OpenAI's ChatGPT to facilitate discussions, define goa...
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Ethan Thornton: Mach Industries' AI Vision at Disrupt 2025
Mach Industries is introducing startup agility and advanced AI into the defense sector, challenging traditional industry norms and emphasizing speed and autonomy in high-risk environments. The company, founded by Ethan Thornton, focuses on developing decentralized defense systems and leverages AI...
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Don't Miss These AI Sessions at TechCrunch Disrupt, Backed by JetBrains
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, held from October 27–29 in San Francisco, will focus on transformative technologies with a special emphasis on artificial intelligence. A key session on October 27 will feature investors and founders discussing the AI Disruptors 60 list and how startups are shaping AI's f...
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The Investors Backing AI Gambling's Future
The U.S. sports betting industry has expanded rapidly since the federal ban was lifted, with over $150 billion wagered last year, driving innovation in AI-powered betting tools. Startups like MonsterBet and Rithmm use AI algorithms and real-time data to provide betting insights, with some claimin...
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Nous Research Launches Hermes 4 AI, Outperforming ChatGPT Without Restrictions
Hermes 4 is a family of open-source large language models that challenges proprietary AI systems by offering comparable performance with fewer content restrictions and greater user control. It introduces a hybrid reasoning feature for transparency in problem-solving and achieves top-tier results,...
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Microbes Unlock Copper as AI Demand Soars
The surging global demand for copper, driven by AI infrastructure and data centers, is outpacing supply, with accessible reserves dwindling and projected demand reaching 37 million tonnes annually by 2031. A startup named Endolith is using bioleaching, a process involving microbes to extract copp...
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Neurotech in 2025: The Future of Mind and Machine
Neurotechnology is rapidly advancing from research to real-world applications, with brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) entering clinical use and attracting significant investment. The global BCI market is projected to grow substantially, driven by medical needs such as rehabilitation, communication...
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New Social Media Apps Combat Doomscrolling
Users are shifting from algorithm-driven social media to interest-first communities that prioritize meaningful participation over passive scrolling. New platforms like Lore, Spill, and Blacksky cater to specific passions and marginalized groups, focusing on depth and authentic connection rather t...
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Carbon Removal Funding Slashed as AI Toys Emerge
Climate change threatens global agriculture, prompting companies like Pairwise to use CRISPR gene editing to develop crops resilient to extreme weather and ensure food security. Pairwise has launched milder-flavored mustard greens in the U.S. and is partnering with biotech firms to enhance staple...
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Scientists Unveil Diamond Battery That Lasts 5,700 Years Without Charging
Scientists are developing a diamond battery using radioactive carbon-14 from nuclear waste, which could provide a nearly everlasting energy source with a lifespan of thousands of years. The technology works by embedding carbon-14 in synthetic diamonds, converting its decay into electricity with n...
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Harvard's Smart Glasses Promise "Vibe Thinking" for You
Halo X smart glasses, developed by startup Halo, continuously record and transcribe conversations to provide real-time AI insights, aiming to enhance users' social and intellectual performance. The device's always-on recording feature lacks visible privacy indicators, raising significant legal an...
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OpenAI, G42, Microsoft Lead AI-Native Society Talks at GITEX 2025
GITEX GLOBAL 2025 in Dubai will serve as a key forum for defining comprehensive national AI strategies, bringing together technology pioneers and policymakers to discuss infrastructure, governance, and societal integration. The event features influential leaders like Sam Altman and senior officia...
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Ex-Spotify Execs Launch AI Learning Platform for the Curious
Oboe is a new AI learning platform founded by former Spotify executives that creates personalized courses on any topic to democratize education by consolidating learning materials. The platform generates structured educational content like essays or podcasts but currently lacks citations, placing...
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This Robot Brain Thinks in 3D With Open Source Code
European researchers have released SPEAR-1, an open-source AI model that enhances industrial robots' dexterity for grasping and manipulating objects, accelerating innovation in factory and warehouse robotics. SPEAR-1 integrates 3D data during training, improving spatial reasoning by bridging the ...
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Mira Murati's Secret AI Lab Unveils First Product
Thinking Machines Lab, founded by ex-OpenAI researchers, has launched Tinker, a platform that automates the creation of custom frontier AI models to make advanced capabilities more accessible to a wider audience. Tinker simplifies the resource-intensive process of fine-tuning AI models, enabling ...
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Brain-Computer Interface Coming to Apple Vision Pro
Cognixion is testing a noninvasive brain-computer interface system paired with the Apple Vision Pro to help individuals with paralysis-induced speech disorders communicate by translating brain signals into commands. The company differentiates itself by avoiding surgical implants, using a speciali...
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