TechCapsules

California startup Voya Energy raised $35 million to develop aluminum‑air generators that convert prepared scrap aluminum, air and water into electricity without combustion. The company targets diesel‑powered backup units at data centres, citing advantages over exhaust, noise and permitting constraints, and also envisions continuous‑power installations at grid‑constrained sites. An aluminum‑air cell consumes metal and produces aluminum hydroxide, requiring a supply chain for fuel delivery and by‑product handling that the firm’s specifications omit. Using Voya’s reported 57 % conversion efficiency, [...]

Chattanooga’s CO.LAB has launched its first quantum commercialization cohort, selecting Ridge Quantum, Superquantum, Esoteriq and Kottackal for a 12‑month studio that links startups with technical experts, pilot projects and potential customers. The program, beginning in November, assigns each company an individualized market‑readiness plan, a readiness assessment and regular reviews by an internal board. Ridge Quantum will test continuous‑variable quantum key distribution on EPB’s fiber network, targeting utilities and critical‑infrastructure operators. Superquantum aims to benchmark its fault‑tolerant quantum [...]

Shareholders of Churchill Capital Corp XI voted 84% in favor of a business combination with humanoid‑robot maker Agility Robotics, clearing the path for the SPAC merger to close on Nov. 4 and for the combined entity to list on Nasdaq under “AGLT” on Nov. 5. The deal will give Agility roughly $465 million in gross capital—$164 million from the SPAC trust, $201 million from a Foxconn‑led PIPE and $100 million from prior equity—down from the $620 million originally projected. Agility will remain privately owned by [...]

Ukrainian startup CODE380 has unveiled the D·Vision SDR, a 10‑ounce pocket receiver that intercepts unencrypted video feeds from Russian drones and displays them in time. The device captures streams transmitted over radio frequencies used by Russia’s Molniya UAVs, which began broadcasting video, and presents the live footage on a screen, allowing Ukrainian units to track a drone’s flight path and target before impact. Weighing less than half of comparable Ukrainian systems, the SDR is praised for its [...]

Tokyo‑based Nagoshi Studio announced its closure this week, confirming that its debut title, Gang of Dragon, will not be released. The studio, founded by Yakuza series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi in 2021, had unveiled a crime‑drama trailer at The Game Awards 2025 featuring actor Ma Dong‑seok. Months earlier, publisher NetEase withdrew a required £33.1 million (≈$44.4 million) investment, leaving the project unfunded. The funding cut reflects NetEase’s broader retreat from overseas game investments, a trend that has also forced studios such [...]

Trucks VC reports a surge in autonomous‑vehicle startups, with 81 pitches in 2026—two‑thirds more than the previous year—indicating a second, larger AV wave. The firm attributes the growth to AI foundation models like Nvidia’s Alpamayo and Qwen’s vision‑language‑action systems, which lower development costs and accelerate deployment. Startups are targeting diverse sectors, from construction to robotaxis, and many position themselves as regional competitors to Waymo. The trend suggests a rapidly expanding, more accessible AV ecosystem. [...]

Everbloom’s new fiber, renoa, blends waste protein from cashmere, wool, down, and feather lint with a biodegradable biopolymer, then extrudes it to mimic natural fibers. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission approved renoa as the first new fiber classification in 25 years, marking a regulatory milestone. The startup has tested the material in garments such as a cashmere‑like sweater, gloves, and a durable scarf that survived tumble drying. Production is scaling, with the first commercial blends expected in [...]

The TechCrunch Founder Summit, presented by Fidelity Private Shares, will take place on November 4 at Boston’s SoWa Power Station, offering a full day of structured networking for founders and venture capitalists. Powered by Braindate, the event’s Networking Lounge lets participants pre‑schedule one‑on‑one and small‑group talks on specific topics, turning session insights into follow‑up conversations. Additional formats include topic‑driven roundtables, breakout panels that field audience questions, an Expo Hall for partner interactions, and a closing reception for informal [...]