TechCapsules

SuperMatics, a Berkeley‑based startup, is developing AI‑driven superconducting materials that can be manufactured into affordable wire for data centers, quantum computing, and fusion magnets. The company’s multimodal foundation models predict material properties, generate synthesis recipes, and simulate finished wires, continuously retraining with experimental data from UC Berkeley and Georgia Tech. SuperMatics is negotiating joint development programs with global materials firms and will showcase its approach at the Plug and Play Silicon Valley Summit on November 5. [...]

TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 opened at 9 a.m. ET in Boston’s SoWa Power Station, drawing founders, investors, and startup leaders for a full day of panels, roundtables, and networking. The event featured expert speakers such as Toast’s Steve Fredette, Techable Ventures’ Amulya Vishwanath, and NEA’s Hunter Worland, covering topics from fundraising and product‑market fit to AI opportunities and scaling strategies. Attendees could secure discounted passes before 9 a.m., with the final registration deadline at the event’s start. [...]

GlobalLogic partnered with Haystack Robotics to create an autonomous mobile UV disinfection robot for hospitals. Developed during the COVID‑19 pandemic, the robot uses real‑time perception, edge intelligence, and navigation to deliver hospital‑grade sanitization with minimal human intervention. Designed as an expandable platform, its modular architecture separates the mobility track from the UV payload, enabling future adaptations. The system includes autonomous navigation and a “follow‑me” mode for caregivers, addressing the complex, human‑dense environments of healthcare facilities. [...]

Quantum Base has been awarded a £700,000 UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship Grant to fund a four‑year research programme, Q‑MAT, focused on developing quantum materials for its Q‑ID authentication technology. The grant, awarded to Dr William Thom, Head of Materials Science, will cover roughly 70 % of the cost of a dedicated research team and is non‑dilutive. The programme will explore glass, metals and polymers as substrates, potentially expanding Q‑ID’s market into aerospace, high‑tech manufacturing and polymer banknotes. Intellectual [...]

Revolut’s secondary share sale has lifted the British fintech’s valuation to $115 billion, a 53% increase from last year’s price. The deal, led by Glade Brook Capital Partners, Coatue, Durable Capital Partners, T. Rowe Price Associates, and Baillie Gifford, did not inject new capital but confirmed investor confidence. Founded in 2015, Revolut now serves over 80 million retail customers in 40+ countries and operates banking licences in the UK, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, France, Colombia, and Argentina. The company has [...]

In May 2026, four Russian military satellites performed a close‑approach maneuver on ICEYE‑X36, a private SAR satellite believed to support Ukraine’s war effort, prompting concerns about hostile actions in orbit. The incident, repeated in October 2026 at a distance of 500 m, has accelerated Western interest in satellite defense. U.K. startup Shield Space is developing swarms of up to 100 attritable cubesats—microwave‑sized, low‑cost spacecraft launched from a car‑sized carrier—that can autonomously intercept threats using lasers, microwaves or kinetic [...]

Fal, a San Francisco-based AI inference platform, secured $1.3 billion in a Series F round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with Nvidia, Sound Ventures, and T. Rowe Price participating. The funding doubles the company’s valuation to $16 billion, up from $8 billion in April, and brings total capital raised to $1.65 billion across Series E and F. Fal’s revenue surpassed $800 million annually, reflecting growing demand for inference services from open‑source model users. The deal underscores Fal’s rapid expansion amid a competitive, high‑margin‑challenged market. [...]

Orbital Matter’s Replicator 2 satellite, launched on a SpaceX rideshare, printed a half‑meter rigid plastic beam in orbit using four onboard UV‑cured resin printers. The printers extrude resin coils that solidify into cylindrical beams, demonstrating the first free‑flying spacecraft to fabricate structural components in vacuum. The successful boom also deployed a flexible solar array despite a printer anomaly, proving the concept for on‑orbit construction. The company, founded in 2022 and backed by a $3 million seed round, works with [...]