September 20, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

A new kind of AI model from a ChatGPT inventor is thrilling developers: Jev, a new kind of AI model, is showing developers a cheaper and faster path to software intelligence. Read More

Google’s Gemini is the latest AI model to hack other companies: Google said Gemini had "acted appropriately" by ending each hack immediately. Read More

A small but growing number of founders are betting on bringing people together offline: Brynn Putnam and Tristan Walker have already done something that most founders only dream about: created companies so compelling that bigger outfits bought them. Putnam, a trained ballerina with a small chain of boutique studios, built the connected-fitness company Mirror and sold it to Lululemon for $500 million in cash less than three years later. Walker, who interned at Twitter while at Stanford business school, built the popular men's grooming brand Walker & Company Brands, selling it five years later to Procter & Gamble for undisclosed terms (reportedly in the range of $20 million to $40 million). That both of them are at it again is less surprising than what each is building. Founders tend not to love working inside other people's companies — Putnam has hinted that life as a GM inside Lululemon wasn't for her, while Walker lasted five years inside Procter & Gamble before striking out on his own. But though their new companies couldn't be more different, Board and Heirloom share the same north star: bringing people together, offline, in the same room. Putnam's new company, Board, which makes a 24-inch touchscreen table that recognizes physical game pieces as well as gestures, was built explicitly for a group sitting around it together rather than one person alone with a screen. Walker's Heirloom is buying up and scaling fine-craft trade schools, starting with a leatherworking school in San Francisco founded by Hermès's first American artisan-ambassador. He's also running Collaborative Holdings, a fund carved out by the venture Read More

A message from Invest Hong Kong

Asia’s #1 Fintech Center Welcomes U.S. Fintechs to HONG KONG

Hong Kong – Asia’s Fintech capital, Innovation Hub to the Greater Bay Area and gateway to the Chinese Mainland – invites U.S. Fintechs to join a U.S. delegation for Hong Kong FinTech Week 2026, November 2–6. Access a curated program, meet key players in Hong Kong’s fintech ecosystem and discover how YOU can grow YOUR Fintech in Asia’s World City!

More Information Here

Sunday Must-Reads

Tilly Norwood's press tour is going about as well as you'd expect for an AI: In one particularly odd interview, Norwood seems to malfunction and begin speaking Chinese. Read More

Trump says it's time to rebrand AI with a new name — and he's also creating an AI Force: Trump claimed, without evidence, that the AI backlash is a Democratic hoax. Read More

A startup that builds other startups raised $100M and is all-in on physical AI: UP.Labs, now doing business under the name Vantora, is building startups for industrial corporations. Read More

Google's new 'CC' is an AI agent that helps families run their households: Google is refocusing its CC AI agent on household coordination, letting families share emails, schedules, and tasks so the AI can manage calendars, fill out forms, make shopping lists, plan meals, and more. Read More

AI safety conversations have gotten unbelievable: This week two conversations about AI safety went viral that demonstrate just how hard it is to discern AI fact from fiction. Read More

A message from TechCrunch Events

Founder Summit: Save up to $100 on your pass now

Founder Summit lands in Boston on Nov. 4, bringing 1,000+ founders and investors together for tactical insights on fundraising, hiring, sales, marketing, leadership and scaling. Secure your spot now and spend the day building connections that will move your company or breakthrough idea forward.

Last but Not Least

Flock reportedly tries to shrink workforce with employee buyouts: Without buyouts, Flock would "almost certainly" need to lay off staff. 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?

Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter.

Unsubscribe

Member Center

501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107