Luminar lines up $22 million bidder for its lidar business

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  January 12, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Luminar lines up $22 million bidder for its lidar business: The bid comes from Quantum Computing Inc., which already lined up to buy Luminar's semiconductor division. Luminar founder Austin Russell has also expressed interest. Read More Harmattan AI raises $200M Series B led by Dassault Aviation, becomes defense unicorn: French defense tech company Harmattan AI is now valued at $1.4 billion after raising a $200 million Series B round led by Dassault Aviation, which is best known for making the Rafale fighter jet. Read More Meta hires former Trump advisor Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chair: Before joining Meta, Powell McCormick was working as deputy national security advisor to President Donald Trump. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from DTOCS LLC Sustainable single-use disposable tableware launching in Europe in 2026 DTOCS brand offers premium, compostable tableware made from natural raw materials for modern gatherings. Trusted by families, caterers, and conscious brands, we're proud to announce our upcoming Amazon Europe launch in 2026—bringing sustainable dining solutions to a global audience. Learn More Morning Must-Reads Google announces a new protocol to facilitate commerce using AI agents: Google said that merchants can now offer discounts to users directly in AI mode results Read More Google co-founders may be leaving California: Sergey Brin and Larry Page appear to be pulling back from the state where they co-founded Google. Read More Indonesia and Malaysia block Grok over non-consensual, sexualized deepfakes: Indonesian officials said Saturday that they are temporarily blocking access to xAI's chatbot Grok. Read More Google removes AI Overviews for certain medical queries: This follows an investigation by the Guardian that found Google AI Overviews offering misleading information in response to some health-related queries. Read More OpenAI is reportedly asking contractors to upload real work from past jobs: An intellectual property lawyer says OpenAI is "putting itself at great risk" with this approach. Read More A message from LILT Power Global Marketing with AI-Driven Translation AI-driven translation is now that powerhouse that can scale your multilingual campaigns while staying true to your brand. Download this eBook and learn how global teams combine adaptive AI and expert verifiers to deliver consistent, culturally resonant content—faster, smarter, and at lower cost—across every channel and market. Download Your Guide  You missed these chats from Disrupt: Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Instagram says there's been 'no breach' despite password reset requests: Instagram says that although some users received suspicious-looking password reset requests, it has not been breached. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107