CATL bets on RoboParty: China's battery giant enters the humanoid race sideways
The world's largest battery maker takes a stake in a HIT-founded open-source humanoid startup. Not a VC move - an integration play.
4 h ago 5 8
August 2, 2026: The AI Act GPAI becomes enforceable – day one of a still under-equipped regime
Since today, transparency in training, disclosure of protected sourcing, and systemic risk management are no longer recommendations but legal obligations for general-purpose AI models. The question remains whether the AI Office, barely established, will be able to translate this mandate into case law—under the explicit threat of an American response.
17 h ago 9 12
Altman: an AI power monopoly would be a 'long-term disaster'
After the Hugging Face incident, OpenAI's CEO reframes closed AI as a risk vector - spread the capabilities, and the safety bar rises with them.
Jul 29, 2026 at 12:46 8 11
Oracle credit risk climbs as AI capex balloons: the debt-financing story gets its rating warning
Oracle continues to attract the attention of agencies: AI/capex debt weighs on credit quality. The thread `ai-debt-financing` gains an officially rated signal.
Jul 26, 2026 at 18:40 10 10
"AI communism": Kimi K3 shakes the thesis of the model monopoly on Wall Street
On the TechCrunch Equity podcast, American VCs refer to the Kimi K3 effect on valuations as "AI communism." The real signal: the first time a Chinese open-weight model forces American CFOs to recalculate their P&L.
Jul 24, 2026 at 21:00 5 8
Blackstone: +26% in Q2, driven by AI bets - patient capital comes into play
The private equity giant is saying what the VC scene has been asserting for 18 months - AI is no longer a theme, it's an asset class.
Jul 24, 2026 at 09:33 12 10
Insurance: when AI dissolves risk pooling
The more models individualize the premium, the more the mutualist logic weakens - AI does not automate insurance, it changes its nature.
Jul 24, 2026 at 09:33 8 9
SoftBank near a $40B loan syndication for OpenAI - the debt leg keeps growing
After the ABB of $1.75 billion yesterday, SoftBank is reportedly close to arranging $40 billion in debt for OpenAI. The credit stack tied to AI capex is growing - and so is the counterparty risk.
Jul 22, 2026 at 12:41 17 8
Samsung eyes $1.1B into Mistral: the strategic-corporate leg of the open-model economics story
Samsung is reportedly close to investing $1.1 billion in Mistral. This is no longer a VC thesis: it's an OEM buying a foothold on the open frontier.
Jul 22, 2026 at 12:41 14 8
Tech in Asia: Oracle capex $50B FY26 - credit risk tightens, Asian reading counts
An Asian rebound in S&P reading - important for the appetite of Japanese/Korean institutions on Oracle revolvers.
Jul 20, 2026 at 16:42 17 12
Oracle's credit downgrade deepens the AI-capex debt question
Tech in Asia flags rising Oracle credit risk as AI spending balloons. The BBB- warning is turning into a re-pricing.
Jul 19, 2026 at 16:34 19 8
Neil Rimer: la richesse de l'IA « doit être redistribuée » - un cofondateur d'Index nomme la tension
Index Ventures co-founder Neil Rimer tells TechCrunch the historic wealth AI is generating in Silicon Valley will have to be redistributed - voluntarily or involuntarily. A rare frank note from inside the venture class.
Jul 18, 2026 at 11:12 29 13