The 9 buzziest startups from Y Combinator’s latest Demo Day, according to VCs

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  September 14, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 The 9 buzziest startups from Y Combinator’s latest Demo Day, according to VCs: From floating reactors to brain chips: VCs picked their favorite YC startups from the summer batch. Read More Automattic confirms Mullenweg has returned as CEO after attempted ouster by board: Automattic says Mullenweg is back as "chairman and CEO of Automattic, with full support of the board." Read More Superhuman acquires YC-backed notetaker Fathom as productivity platforms push for agentic work: Fathom said that it has over 400,000 monthly active users Read More A message from Virginia Tech Build the Systems Everything Else Depends On The Virginia Tech Master of Engineering in Computer Engineering is delivered in Alexandria, minutes from the Capitol, with an Immersive Visualization Lab and a two-story drone testing cage on site. Specialize in wireless, networking, cybersecurity, machine learning, or autonomous systems, and see recent faculty research in AI-native wireless. Explore the MEng Morning Must-Reads A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is a startup offering fun music apps without any AI prompting: Former Spotify exec's company releases experimental "singles" that involves users in music making. Read More What's behind the AI industry’s latest warnings of doom?: On Equity, we discussed the AI industry's latest debate about whether it poses an existential threat to humanity. Read More Fusion power startups find new partners in the defense world: Fusion startups are inking defense-related deals, reigniting the relationship between fusion and national security that might have gone dormant, but never completely disappeared. Read More Larry Ellison cancels $7.5 billion sale of Oracle stock: Oracle had previously disclosed that Ellison planned to sell 50 million shares worth around $7.5 billion. Read More Anthropic CEO outlines plan to slow AI development: Anthropic's Dario Amodei and OpenAI's Sam Altman seem to agree that it's time to "pace the frontier." What would that actually look like? Read More A message from Last but Not Least Hear how AI can engineer nature’s comeback at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Not long ago, bringing an extinct species back to life belonged to science fiction. Today, it's the mission of a billion-dollar startup. Advances in artificial intelligence, genetics, and computational biology are changing what's possible in conservation research, raising questions that extend far beyond the laboratory. If technology can help revive extinct species, should it? And what role should AI play in shaping the future of biodiversity?  Those are the questions at the center of "Can We Engineer Nature's Comeback?", a Real World AI Stage fireside chat at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Joining the conversation is Ben Lamm, Co-Founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, a company pioneering efforts to bring extinct species back through advances in synthetic biology and AI. Rather than focusing solely on the science, the discussion explores the technologies behind de-extinction, the role AI now plays in modern biology, and the growing debate over whether engineering nature represents a conservation breakthrough — or a distraction from protecting the ecosystems we already have. Disrupt returns to Moscone West in San Francisco, October 13–15, bringing together 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators for 250+ sessions exploring the technologies and market forces shaping what's next. Hear one of this year’s most provocative conversations. Secure your pass to Disrupt. Where AI meets biology AI is already reshaping software, robotics, and scientific research. Biology may be its next frontier. Researchers are using AI to analyze genetic data, model biological systems, and accelerate discovery. Companies like Colossal are pushing those advances even further, applying AI alongside Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Revolut confirms customer data breach through fake government requests

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this weekend

View this email online in your browser  September 13, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Revolut confirms customer data breach through fake government requests: Revolut said it notified affected customers and alerted the relevant government agency, law enforcement, and financial regulators. Read More Fusion power startups find new partners in the defense world: Fusion startups are inking defense-related deals, reigniting the relationship between fusion and national security that might have gone dormant, but never completely disappeared. Read More Tesla says it will finally unveil the second generation Roadster on October 1: Tesla’s halo sports car was first announced in November 2017. Read More A message from Alumni Ventures Invest in High-Potential Startups Like These Alumni Ventures is giving readers early access to high-potential startup opportunities across today’s most active sectors, co-invested alongside name-brand VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Bessemer, & Y Combinator. You Get: Curated deal flow of high-potential startups, Investing alongside name-brand vc firms, No cost to see deals, No obligation to invest. See Current Deals → Sunday Must-Reads Automattic confirms Mullenweg has returned as CEO after attempted ouster by board: Automattic says Mullenweg is back as "chairman and CEO of Automattic, with full support of the board." Read More Anthropic CEO outlines plan to slow AI development: Anthropic's Dario Amodei and OpenAI's Sam Altman seem to agree that it's time to "pace the frontier." What would that actually look like? Read More OpenAI’s Sam Altman says it would be 'ill-advised' to go public in 2026: While OpenAI has filed confidentially for an IPO, the company will not be going public this year, according to CEO Sam Altman. Read More OpenAI's feud with mathematicians is only escalating: Twenty-five leading mathematicians signed an open letter arguing that AI labs are threatening their intellectual work. Read More Nscale adds former OpenAI exec Fidji Simo to its board ahead of potential IPO: The No. 2 exec at OpenAI also led Instacart through its IPO in 2023. Read More Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum. Register Now! Last but Not Least Mecka AI nears $500M valuation in Sequoia-led deal amid rush for robot training data: The round for the two-year-old startup is coming together months after Mecka announced its Series A. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107