Looking ahead to 2026: What’s next for Startup Battlefield 200

Looking ahead to 2026: What’s next for Startup Battlefield 200

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 is the flagship early-stage startup competition held at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, spotlighting the world’s most promising young companies. Each year, thousands of applicants from around the globe vie for one of 200 slots in the cohort, which provides unparalleled visibility, access to top-tier investors, and opportunities to grow.  Early-stage startups from around the world…

Read More
Well, there goes the metaverse!

Well, there goes the metaverse!

Meta’s enormous bet on virtual reality ended last week, with the company reportedly laying off roughly 1,500 employees from its Reality Labs division — about 10% of the unit’s staff — and shutting down several VR game studios, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s a huge reversal for a company that, just four years…

Read More
A consumer watchdog issued a warning about Google’s AI agent shopping protocol — Google says she’s wrong

A consumer watchdog issued a warning about Google’s AI agent shopping protocol — Google says she’s wrong

Shortly after Google announced its new Universal Commerce Protocol for AI-powered shopping agents, a consumer economics watchdog sounded the alarm. In a now viral post on X viewed nearly 400,000 times, Lindsay Owens on Sunday wrote, “Big/bad news for consumers. Google is out today with an announcement of how they plan to integrate shopping into…

Read More