Who really needs a cocktail robot?

Source: Tech Crunch

Who really needs a cocktail robot?

Startups

The Bartesian Duet is a $300 cocktail machine that functions like a Keurig, using concentrated capsules and user-provided liquor to create various drinks. While praised for its ease of use and novelty during parties, the device is criticized for its large size, artificial taste, and high cost of capsules. It appeals more to casual hosts than cocktail enthusiasts who prefer authentic ingredients and professional mixing techniques.

Read Full Story

Nectar launches an AI agent to automate creator discovery and outreach for brands

Startups

Nectar, an AI-powered marketing operating system, has launched its "Creator Agent" to automate influencer marketing. The tool searches over 300 million profiles on Instagram and TikTok to identify partners, manage outreach, and track campaign performance. By analyzing content and brand safety, the agent reduces manual labor for marketing teams. The global tool will eventually integrate with other AI assistants via the Model Context Protocol.

Read Full Story

Microsoft’s Outlook email hit by new outage

Startups

"Microsoft's Outlook email service is currently facing a global outage, preventing users from accessing their inboxes. While initially reported in the Americas, the issue expanded worldwide. Microsoft attributed the disruption to elevated infrastructure load and is redistributing connection traffic to resolve the problem. This follows a major September outage of Microsoft 365. It remains unclear if other services are affected as the company works on a fix.".

Read Full Story

Jensen Huang agrees to testify before Congress

Startups

Ex-Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has agreed to testify before Congress by Thanksgiving, following threats of a subpoena. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast confirmed Huang's agreement to address "very serious questions" regarding export controls and an alleged affair with a suspected Chinese spy. The testimony will occur behind closed doors but will be recorded. Lawmakers had requested his appearance, emphasizing Nvidia's importance while seeking answers on critical issues.

Read Full Story

Whoop just launched a social network

Startups

Whoop is launching "Whoop Humans," an opt-in social network allowing members to share health data like sleep and recovery. The company is expanding into medical wellness, reporting growth among users over 60 and joining a Medicare reimbursement program. With membership growing 70% annually, Whoop plans a future IPO and will begin selling devices at Ulta stores in March to further reach a diversifying customer base.

Read Full Story

Exclusive: Why Zupee’s AI Pivot Was A Smokescreen For Its Shutdown?

Business

Delhi NCR-based gaming startup Zupee has reportedly laid off its entire workforce and is shutting down operations. Despite a recent announcement regarding a pivot toward AI, sources suggest the move was a cover for the company's closure. Zupee has discontinued its gaming business and shut down subsidiaries NeoAstro and Zupee Studio. Questions now surround the status of the $120 million raised from investors as the company winds down.

Read Full Story

Norwest pushes deeper into AI with new $4B fund

Startups

Norwest, backed by Wells Fargo, has launched its largest fund to date, raising $4 billion to expand investments in artificial intelligence. The multi-stage firm will target AI startups across the United States, India, and Israel, focusing on healthcare, consumer, and technology sectors. Norwest aims to capitalize on physical AI, voice AI, and agentic cybersecurity, adopting a broad strategy to address AI's wide-reaching impact on various global industries.

Read Full Story

5 lessons to learn from the book Kaizen by Sarah Harvey

Startups

Sarah Harvey's "Kaizen" introduces a Japanese philosophy for life transformation through small, continuous improvements. Instead of overwhelming changes, the book advocates for gradual, manageable steps in areas like health, finances, and career. Key lessons include understanding existing habits, breaking goals into tiny tasks, and patiently tracking progress. This approach emphasizes consistent, minor adjustments for lasting personal development, avoiding the pressure of overnight transformation.

Read Full Story

Turtlemint Trims Q2 Loss By 67% YoY To ₹26 Cr, Revenue Surges 35%

Business

Insurtech company Turtlemint significantly reduced its consolidated net loss for the September quarter (Q2 FY27) to ₹25.8 crore, marking a 67% year-on-year and 32% sequential decline. The firm's operating revenue grew 35% year-on-year and 16% sequentially to ₹342.2 crore, with total income reaching ₹351.7 crore. However, total expenses rose by 25% year-on-year to ₹375.2 crore, while tax expenses for the period were ₹2.3 crore.

Read Full Story

Exclusive: Sofina To Lead PlatinumRx’s $32 Mn Funding At $200 Mn Valuation

Business

Online pharmacy PlatinumRx is reportedly in talks to raise $32 million in a funding round led by Sofina Ventures. The proposed transaction could value the 2023-founded startup between $150 million and $200 million. Specializing in affordable medicine alternatives, PlatinumRx previously secured $6 million in Series A. This potential investment underscores continued investor interest in specialized online pharmacy models, aiming to strengthen PlatinumRx's market presence and expand its reach.

Read Full Story

Ola Electric Q2 Loss Down 13% To ₹362 Cr, Revenue Dips 39%

Business

Ola Electric reported a 13% year-on-year decline in net loss to ₹362 Cr for Q2 FY27. However, operating revenue dropped significantly by 39% to ₹421 Cr, and total income fell 41% to ₹448 Cr. Despite a 28% reduction in total expenses to ₹63.

Read Full Story

Kia India to invest $2B in second plant in Andhra Pradesh

Startups

Kia India and its supplier partners will invest $2 billion in a second manufacturing facility in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. Targeting early 2030 production, the plant adds 2 lakh units, increasing total annual capacity to over 6 lakh. It will produce new ICE and EV models, occupy 465 acres, and.

Read Full Story

Beyond the first transaction: Building inclusive digital payments for Bharat

Startups

PayU focuses on building user confidence for repeat digital payments in India, balancing speed with reliability at scale. Their engineering ensures intuitive, multi-language checkouts and robust error handling, integrating accessibility features for diverse users. Intelligent routing manages high transaction volumes across complex systems. Payment data also creates business opportunities like lending and operational automation for small businesses,.

Read Full Story

From early traction to global scale: How AI is rewriting the cross-border playbook for Indian startups

Startups

India is shifting focus from building for its domestic market to creating global products. At TechSparks 2026, Stripe's Manish Maheshwari explained how AI empowers Indian entrepreneurs to go global from day one, citing rapid international growth examples. Payment infrastructure like Stripe simplifies.

Read Full Story

CCPA Fines Ola ₹10 Lakh For Advance Tipping Prompts

Business

The Central Consumer Protection Authority fined Ola ₹10 Lakh for its misleading advance tipping feature, which suggested that paying extra would increase the chances of securing a ride faster. The regulator labeled the practice an unfair trade pattern and a prohibited dark pattern known as confirm shaming. Ola has been ordered to discontinue the feature immediately, as pre-ride tipping violates consumer protection laws and Motor Vehicle Aggregator Guidelines.

Read Full Story

Mangaluru’s Zupple Labs wins DRDO’s first-ever blockchain defence project

Startups

Mangaluru-based Zupple Labs has been selected by DRDO's Technology Development Fund to develop India's first indigenous framework for security auditing of blockchain applications in the defence sector. This rare selection marks the TDF programme's inaugural blockchain project. Over 30 months, Zupple.

Read Full Story

Jensen Huang accused of having another affair — with a Nvidia exec

Startups

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang faces escalating scrutiny. Already under investigation for an affair with an alleged Chinese spy, he is now suspected of another affair with Kimberly Powell, Nvidia's VP of healthcare and a direct report, violating company policy. Congress threatens to subpoena Huang over the spy allegations. Amid these revelations, Nvidia's board is reportedly preparing to oust its founder from the company.

Read Full Story

Why the data center you dread might never even be built

Startups

The data center boom is running into serious real-world obstacles, from widespread local opposition and permitting delays to a scramble for electricity. Before those challenges even come into play, though, there’s a more basic problem: A lot of the projects being announced may never get built in the first place. With billions of dollars in AI infrastructure […].

Read Full Story

With $720M round, Britain’s Fractile gets a leg up in the race for AI chips

Startups

British AI chip startup Fractile raised $720 million in Series C funding, backed by the UK’s Sovereign AI Fund, valuing the company over £5 billion. Fractile aims to develop purpose-built AI chips with a full-stack approach, including an ML compiler. Its innovative DRAM stacking design seeks to overcome memory-capacity tradeoffs, crucial for agentic AI. The company plans to ship its first chips and systems next year, enhancing the UK's stake in future AI hardware.

Read Full Story

Databricks’ new AI agent tells CEO Ali Ghodsi the unvarnished truth

Startups

At 12,000 employees, AI Ghodsi is the first to admit that he can't know everyone and that they are unlikely to confess the things that go wrong to him. But he doesn't need them to. He uses Databricks' newly revised Genie agent for that.

Read Full Story

After A Decade-Long Stint, Gaurav Munjal To Step Down As Unacademy CEO

Business

Unacademy cofounder Gaurav Munjal is stepping down as CEO, transitioning to executive chairman. Akhilendra Kumar, Unacademy's CBO, will assume the CEO role. Munjal will remain actively involved in daily operations and assist with upGrad's upcoming IPO. This leadership change occurs two months after upGrad acquired Unacademy for over $200 million in September, marking a significant reshuffle for the edtech platform.

Read Full Story

Categories