July 02, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Microsoft launches its own AI deployment company with $2.5 billion commitment: Microsoft follows Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic with its new AI deployment group. Read More

After $18B IPO, Bending Spoons founder says success comes from minimizing luck: The co-founders of Bending Spoons, the Italian company quietly buying beloved, ailing Internet brands, learned big lessons from their own startup's failure. Read More

SpaceX has an AI device prototype, and it sure sounds phone-ish: SpaceX reportedly showed investors a "handset-like" AI device before going public. It could be another signal SpaceX wants to expand into wireless. Read More

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Morning Must-Reads

US government says it got hacked — again: A top Democrat on the Senate's Intelligence Committee warned that the information accessed on a Homeland Security intelligence-sharing network may risk national security. Read More

Indian tech tycoon bets $30M of his own money to build AI alternative to Microsoft Office: Neo is Bhavin Turakhia’s fifth venture and his latest involving enterprise software. This time he's taking on Microsoft Office and Google Apps with AI. Read More

Tesla saw a massive sales jump in the second quarter: The company delivered more than 480,000 EVs globally, seemingly thanks to geographic expansion and cheaper versions of the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck. Read More

Yep, we're using OpenClaw to date now: Ben Guez has "a bunch of potential international wives in [his] DMs," thanks to an automated script he set up using OpenClaw, Claude code, and Instagram trials. Read More

Lucid Motors' CFO is out as its new CEO continues leadership shakeup: The company announced a new slate of executive hires meant to help turn things around, as Gravity SUV sales are not taking off as expected. Read More

Last but Not Least

Rivian raises EV sales forecast as Q2 production ramps up: The company now expects to ship a few thousand more vehicles by the end of 2026 than it previously expected, after launching its R2 SUV last month. Read More

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