Nicolas Sauvage is betting on the boring parts of AI

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

View this email online in your browser  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. Register Now! 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.  Learn More 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. Register Now 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 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

Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this weekend

View this email online in your browser  May 03, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Uber wants to turn its millions of drivers into a sensor grid for self-driving companies: Praveen Neppalli Naga, Uber's chief technology officer, revealed the plan in an interview at TechCrunch's StrictlyVC event in San Francisco on Thursday night, describing it as a natural extension of a nascent program the company announced in late January called AV Labs. 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 Beyond Lovable and Mistral: 21 European startups to watch: It is not that European startups never get attention — Lovable and Mistral AI are proof of that. But there are many more that insiders are tracking. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events StrictlyVC Athens: Tickets now available Join us in Athens on May 27 for insider perspectives from the investors and founders shaping Europe’s tech landscape. Past speakers include Kaedim founder Konstantina Psoma, Hack the Box founder Haris Pylarinos, and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Expect the same high-caliber voices this year. Space is limited. Secure your spot now. Register Now Sunday Must-Reads Farewell, Jeeves: Ask.com shuts down: Owner IAC says it's discontinuing its search business. Read More Meta buys robotics startup to bolster its humanoid AI ambitions: Meta bought humanoid startup Assured Robot Intelligence to beef up its AI models for robots, the company said. Read More Replit's Amjad Masad on the Cursor deal, fighting Apple, and why he'd rather not sell: At TechCrunch's sold-out StrictlyVC event in San Francisco on Thursday night, we covered a lot of ground in a short time, beginning with the question everyone in the industry is asking right now: in a world where rival Cursor is reportedly in talks to be acquired by SpaceX for $60 billion, is Replit also bound to sell? Read More Musely secures $360M from General Catalyst without giving up equity: The DTC skin, hair, and menopause care brand will use the non-dilutive capital to super-charge customer acquisition. Read More The best AI dictation apps, tested and ranked: AI-powered dictation apps are useful for replying to emails, taking notes, and even coding through your voice Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Enhance tech to get 30% higher quality leads at Disrupt Exhibiting at Disrupt puts your company in front of 10,000+ decision-makers and VCs, powered by upgraded lead-capture technology that drives up to 30% higher-intent connections. Limited tables position your brand at the center of three days of high-volume Expo Hall traffic. Secure your table early. Get Exhibit Table 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. Register Now! Last but Not Least Pentagon inks deals with Nvidia, Microsoft, and AWS to deploy AI on classified networks: The deals come as the DOD has doubled down on diversifying its exposure to AI vendors in the wake of its controversial dispute with Anthropic over usage terms of its AI models. 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