Forget the feed: Status AI raises $17M to turn social media into interactive entertainment

Interactive social media site Status announced Tuesday $17 million in combined seed and Series A funding, with investors including General Catalyst, YC, LightShed Ventures, and Abstract.

‘Survivor’ stars Kyle Fraser and Kamilla Karthigesu introduce a goal-tracking app, Paprclip

A new app from Survivor 48 winner Kyle Fraser and castmate Kamilla Karthigesu aims to turn goal tracking into a social experience, pairing users for accountability, daily challenges, and shared progress clips.

Stilta raises $10.5M from a16z and YC to help companies rediscover the patents they forgot they had

Stilta announced Tuesday a $10 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz. Other investors in the round include YC and operators from companies like OpenAI, Legora, and Lovable. 

South Korea’s LetinAR is building optics behind AI glasses

A lens the size of a thumbnail — and the South Korean startup that makes it could become the optical backbone of the AI glasses era.

The haves and have nots of the AI gold rush

The vibes around the current AI boom aren’t great, even in the tech industry.

Marketing operating system Nectar Social raises $30M Series A led by Menlo

AI-powered marketing platform Nectar Social announced Thursday that it raised a $30 million Series A round led by Menlo Ventures and its Anthology Fund, which was created alongside Anthropic.

OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman reportedly takes charge of product strategy

OpenAI’s latest shakeup comes as the company reportedly plans to combine ChatGPT and its programming product Codex.

$60B AI chip darling Cerebras almost died early on, burning $8M a month

Cerebras Systems was 2026’s biggest tech IPO so far. But years ago, it burned through hundreds of millions working on a chip many believed impossible.

Meridian Ventures launched $35M fund to back MBA-deferred founders

Meridian Ventures, the venture firm founded by Devon Gethers and Karlton Haney, announced on Friday the raise of a $35 million second fund to back pre-seed and seed-stage companies founded by those who have deferred MBAs.

Lovable just backed a company that’s looking to bring vibe coding to hardware

Hardware company Atech raised $800,000 in pre-seed funding, including from a16z’s scout fund, Sequoia Scout Fund, and Nordic Makers.