May 04, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Nicolas Sauvage is betting on the boring parts of AI: The portfolio he has assembled since 2019 is dotted with technologies that have become more widely interesting to VCs over the last year: Read More

This tiny, magnetic e-reader could stop you from doomscrolling: The Xteink X3 is a delightfully tiny, MagSafe-compatible e-ink reader that attaches to the back of your phone like a Pop Socket. Read More

We'll take it: a TikToker rallies pledges to buy Spirit Airlines after its abrupt weekend collapse: Within hours he'd thrown up a website — a janky, one-hour job, by his own admission — and by Sunday, 36,000 "founding patrons" had pledged nearly $23 million, crashing his servers in the process. Read More

Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite

Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum.

A message from Fidelity

Your Pitch Isn’t the Only Thing Investors Are Evaluating.

Investors don’t just listen to what you say - they look at how your company operates. Is ownership clear? Do your numbers match your story? Can you answer follow-up questions without digging through spreadsheets? The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips founders with the materials investors expect to see, before pressure is on. Because confidence in the room doesn’t come from slides. It comes from preparation.

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Morning Must-Reads

Ouster's new color lidar is coming to replace cameras: A sensor that can simultaneously capture depth and image data has long been a "holy grail," Ouster CEO Angus Pacala told TechCrunch. Read More

Amazon opens up its global logistics network to all businesses: The new service, called Amazon Supply Chain Services, pits the e-commerce giant directly against UPS and FedEx. Read More

5 days only: Bring a partner or colleague and get 50% off a second TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass: The BOGO offer is live. For a limited time, buy one pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and get 50% off a second of the same ticket type. Offer ends this Friday, May 8. Save here. Read More

‘This is fine’ creator says AI startup stole his art: The ad comes from Artisan, the AI startup behind billboards urging businesses to "stop hiring humans." Read More

In Harvard study, AI offered more accurate emergency room diagnoses than two human doctors: A new study examines how large language models perform in a variety of medical contexts, including real emergency room cases — where at least one model seemed to be more accurate than human doctors. Read More

A message from TechCrunch Events

5 days to get a second Disrupt 2026 pass at 50% off

From now until May 8, 11:59 p.m. PT, buy one pass and get a second of the same type for 50% off. Bring a partner or colleague with you and get more out of Disrupt together. Tap into 200+ sessions, make high-value connections, and gain insights that can move your startup forward or shape your next big investment. Register before time runs out.

Last but Not Least

US healthcare marketplaces shared citizenship and race data with ad tech giants: Virginia and Washington D.C. paused the data collection and sharing, after Bloomberg's investigation found their health insurance marketplaces were sharing users' information with advertisers. Read More