Steve Ballmer blasts founder he backed who pleaded guilty to fraud: ‘I was duped and feel silly’

Steve Ballmer wrote a fiery letter in the sentencing of disgraced founder Joseph Sanberg documenting all the harm that’s befalling him as an investor.

ComfyUI hits $500M valuation as creators seek more control over AI-generated media

ComfyUI, whose tools give creators more control over AI image, video, and audio generation, just raised $30 million.

Tim Cook is stepping down. What happens to Apple now?

Tim Cook plans to step down from his CEO role in September, handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus.   Ternus may be inheriting one of the most durable businesses in tech, but he’s also stepping into a very different ecosyst…

Uber CTO Praveen Neppalli Naga joins stacked StrictlyVC SF lineup for April 30 event

Surprise! StrictlyVC San Francisco, which will kick off this year’s events lineup for TechCrunch on April 30 at the Sentro Filipino Cultural Center, is getting a new addition to its increasingly stacked lineup of speakers. Uber CTO Praveen Neppalli Nag…

Bob Iger rejoins Thrive Capital as advisor after Disney exit

The former Disney CEO hold a stake in Thrive, and has previously held the role of the venture partner at the firm.

Bret Taylor’s Sierra buys YC-backed AI startup Fragment

Sierra, the AI customer service agent startup founded by technologist Bret Taylor, announced today that it has acquired the YC-backed French startup Fragment.

Grab a ticket today: The first StrictlyVC of 2026 kicks off in just a week in San Francisco

StrictlyVC San Francisco is in just a week. Now’s the time to grab yourself a ticket. Join VCs and founders at Sentro Filipino Cultural Center on April 30.

Esther and Anne Wojcicki join new healthcare accelerator, fund

Mary Minno launches early-stage startup accelerator program, Treehub, and an early-stage firm, AI Health Fund, aimed at backing startups working at the intersection of healthcare and AI.

The 12-month window

A lot of AI startups exist partly because the foundation models haven’t expanded into their category yet. As many jokingly acknowledge, that won’t last forever.

VC Ron Conway says he has a ‘rare form of cancer’

Conway wrote that he “will be stepping back from some of my usual activities,” but he will “continue to support” founders backed by his firm SV Angel.