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Headlines · 9
- Ex-Nvidia exec's Techable VC bets on physical AI, says robotics is in its 'Lego era'
On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Amulya Vishwanath — who spent seven years leading product marketing for Nvidia's robotics platforms — described the early-stage fund Techable VC, which she founded and runs as managing partner, investing in physical AI across robotics, materials science and life sciences. She argues robotics is still in its "Lego era," with building blocks such as actuators, robotic hands, software and safety standards still being rebuilt, a view she frames as counter to those expecting a "ChatGPT moment" from a single general foundation model — General Intuition CEO Pim de Witte told Equity earlier this year that such a model would make much specialized robotics work redundant. Vishwanath also defines physical AI as broader than robots, including "a molecule, a material, a medicine" or a machine on a factory line, and cites problems such as family-run factories short of workers and burned-out surgeons.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 7 - Early-bird pricing for TechCrunch Founder Summit ends October 16
TechCrunch reminded readers that early-bird savings of up to $200 for its Founder Summit end on Friday, October 16, with Founder Passes at $199 and Investor Passes at $399. The event is scheduled for November 4 at Boston's SoWa Power Station, expected to draw about 1,000 founders and investors, with an agenda covering fundraising, hiring, product-market fit and building an AI-native company. Listed speakers include Kent Bennett of Bessemer Venture Partners, Lior Div of 7AI and Vineet Edupuganti of Cogent Security.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 4 - TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 wraps with agent security and AI sessions
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, with October 15 as the final day; the organizer says 10,000+ founders, investors and technology leaders attend and 320+ startups exhibit. Day 3 includes several AI sessions, such as OpenAI's Alexander Embiricos on "What Comes After the Chatbot," a talk on agent security with Okta and NanoCo, Hugging Face's Irene Solaiman on how to know AI can actually do the job, and enterprise AI discussions involving Databricks and AMD. The day also features the Startup Battlefield final and track sessions on startups, fundraising and growth; passes are still being sold at 75% off the original price per the organizer (promotional).
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 3 - TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 opens in San Francisco
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, with the organizer saying more than 10,000 founders, investors and tech leaders are attending alongside 250+ speakers, 200+ sessions and 300+ exhibiting startups. Programming spans AI, robotics, infrastructure, investment, fintech and climate, with speakers including Cerebras' Andrew Feldman, Anthropic's Cat de Jong and NVIDIA's Les Karpas. The event also features the Startup Battlefield 200 pitch competition, and the organizer is promoting savings of up to $100 on passes plus 50% off a second pass before door prices take effect.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 0 - TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 opens tomorrow in San Francisco
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 begins October 13 at 8 a.m. PT at Moscone West in San Francisco and runs through October 15. The organizer says more than 10,000 founders, investors and tech operators will gather, with 300+ startups exhibiting in the Expo Hall, 200+ sessions across six stages, and 20 Startup Battlefield finalists competing live for the $100,000 prize and the Disrupt Cup. Pre-event ticket discounts of up to $100, a 50% second pass and group savings end when doors open, and laid-off attendees can get a $75 Expo+ pass.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 0 - TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 ticket discounts end in 4 days
TechCrunch says Disrupt 2026 runs October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, expecting 10,000 founders, investors and tech leaders, with 200+ sessions, 250+ speakers across six stages and Startup Battlefield 200 pitches. The post says online discounts of up to $100 end when doors open October 13 at 8 a.m. PT, with a 50% discount on a second pass and a $75 Expo+ pass for people recently laid off.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 0 - TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 unveils roundtable and AI infrastructure agenda
TechCrunch has published the interactive roundtable lineup for Disrupt 2026, taking place October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, where the organizer expects 10,000+ founders, investors, operators and tech leaders (it is promoting a $100 pass discount and 50% off a second pass). Roundtable topics include data challenges for physical AI, AI's effect on enterprise software, specialty post-training data, and moving agentic AI from pilot to trusted production. A separate Smart Systems Stage session features Ambrosia Energy CEO Ben Longmier and Bloom Energy SVP and Head of Datacenter Solutions Bill Thayer on where power, grid, data center and cooling constraints are creating AI infrastructure opportunities.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 0 - TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 opens in days at Moscone West
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, with organizers expecting more than 10,000 attendees from the global startup and tech ecosystem. The program spans 200+ sessions across six stages and 250+ speakers, plus the Startup Battlefield 200 pitch competition where 20 finalists compete for a $100,000 prize. Discounted passes are available until doors open, with savings of up to $100, 50% off a second pass, and a $75 Expo+ pass for laid-off workers.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 0 - Mirror Particle pitches a world model for changing human behavior
Mirror Particle is developing a foundation model intended to simulate how human behavior changes over time, using visual, social and other data alongside language. The San Francisco startup says its system focuses on revealed behavior and is initially targeting market research and brand strategy, while reporting that it has raised an angel round and is close to closing its first venture round.
TechCrunch AI · 🔥 0
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