August 19, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Home batteries are suddenly cheap and everywhere. Here’s why.: Companies including Tesla and Base Power are vying for a piece of the rapidly growing market for home batteries. One technology has made it all possible. Read More

Etched's valuation doubles to $21B in a month: Jane Street has installed Etched's first shipped AI cluster system, and was so impressed, it led another massive round, the startup says. Read More

Cursor capitalizes on GitHub frustration, launches rival hosting platform: Cursor, known for its AI Code Editor, is launching a new code-hosting platform to rival developers' long preferred favorite, GitHub. Read More

The Best Disrupt 2026 Discount Ends Soon

AI has made it faster than ever to bring an idea from concept to launch.

But it hasn't made it easier to build something durable.

Disrupt 2026's programming is built around that challenge, delivering practical sessions on what actually holds up and how to build it. Ticket prices increase at midnight PT Friday, so grab yours before then!

Morning Must-Reads

DOJ's probe into Andreessen Horowitz over board seats baffles VCs: Since portfolio companies often pivot and expand into competing markets, investors view occasional conflicts of interest as unavoidable for large VC firms. Read More

Calendly throws its hat into meeting note-taker circus: Calendly is also releasing a meeting scheduling assistant called Callie. Read More

AI isn't close to curing cancer. This startup says it knows what it will take.: It's the data, stupid. Read More

CareCloud confirms 3.7M patients had their medical records stolen in data breach: The cyberattack at CareCloud resulted in one of the largest reported data breaches in the U.S. healthcare industry this year. Read More

OpenAI institutes new safeguards after Hugging Face breach: The new safeguards include more detailed monitoring of models during the development process, as well as greater emphasis on alignment and security during the post-training process. Read More

Get Your Startup in Front of the Disrupt Crowds

Not everyone needs a keynote slot to make noise at Disrupt 2026. Sometimes the best way to meet investors, customers, and partners is by exhibiting directly in the Expo Hall.

And by exhibiting, you get 10 passes to Disrupt to share with your team!

Learn More

Last but Not Least

Relativity Networks raises $22 million to bring a faster kind of fiber to data centers: Relativity Networks deals in hollow-core fiber, a rarely deployed technology that allows data to be transmitted 30% faster than conventional fiber. Read More

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