TechCrunch Top 3

This startup is betting India's gig economy can train the world's robots: Human Archive, a startup founded by UC Berkeley and Stanford researchers, is paying gig workers in India to wear camera-equipped caps and sensor devices to collect the real-world physical training data that AI and robotics labs are racing to acquire. Read More

Dutch government blocks US company from acquisition, citing 'risk to public interest': The move to block the acquisition of the cloud company that hosts the Dutch digital ID service comes as Europe continues to reduce its reliance on U.S. technology. Read More

Starship's path to reusability looks murky after SpaceX's S-1: SpaceX's recent IPO and Starship rocket test flight delivered two big data points that offer a realistic vision for the coming years — and one that may disappoint both the company's boosters and its critics. Read More

A message from NVIDIA and Microsoft

New during Microsoft Build: The NVIDIA Builder’s Arcade

Enter the NVIDIA Builder’s Arcade now to preview interactive challenges and NVIDIA happenings during Microsoft Build. Challenges go live June 1 and run through June 5 with daily activities focused on agentic AI.

Learn more

Afternoon Must-Reads

Ferrari's first EV is not for you: The Ferrari Luce seems to be more aimed at regulatory compliance and China, putting a lot of pressure on the Jony Ive-designed EV. Read More

Amazon fulfillment competitor Stord raises $250M at $3B valuation: Stord offers a network of physical warehouses and inventory management software for e-commerce. It bills itself as a sort of anti-Amazon, giving brands "the speed to compete" while still owning their customer relationships. Read More

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Early Bird ticket rates end May 29: Save up to $410 on your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass before prices increase on May 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Register here to join the tech epicenter in San Francisco. Read More

OpenRouter more than doubles valuation to $1.3B in a year: OpenRouter has raised a $113 million Series B led by CapitalG. Its 5x growth in usage over six months indicates the multi-AI-model future is here. Read More

Spotify now lets you stream narrated magazine articles, too: The streaming service said that, starting today, there will be over 650 long-form magazine articles (available in English only) from publications like Rolling Stone, The Atlantic, Vogue, Variety, Billboard, Vibe, GQ, Wired, Vanity Fair, and Pitchfork. Read More

A message from Fidelity

Your Pitch Isn’t the Only Thing Investors Are Evaluating.

Investors don’t just listen to what you say - they look at how your company operates. Is ownership clear? Do your numbers match your story? Can you answer follow-up questions without digging through spreadsheets? The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips founders with the materials investors expect to see, before pressure is on. Because confidence in the room doesn’t come from slides. It comes from preparation.

Learn More

Last but Not Least

What ClickUp's mass layoff tells us about the future of work: The nine-year-old startup is replacing hundreds of employees with thousands of AI agents. Read More