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Funding Stories

Fresh funding rounds, founder journeys, and AI breakthroughs — pulled from the sources that move markets.

May 25, 2026

The pitch trick that helped an eSports startup raise $20M when VCs only wanted AI

Earlier this year, Lucra Sports founder and CEO Dylan Robbins did something that no one else has ever done. And he shared several secrets on how he did it.

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May 25, 2026

5 days left: Save up to $410 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 passes before prices increase

Early Bird savings for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco end May 29 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now to save up to $410 before prices increase.

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May 23, 2026

Peec, one of Berlin’s rising startups, more than doubled annualized revenue in months to $10M, sources say

Peec, which helps brands track their presence in AI searches, offers proof of a key trend among European startups.

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May 22, 2026

How VCs and founders use inflated ‘ARR’ to crown AI startups

Some AI startups are stretching traditional revenue metrics when talking about progress publicly. And their investors are fully aware.

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May 21, 2026

Convective Capital raises an $85 million fund to build disaster resilience

After launching to invest in fire tech, Convective is broadening its mandate to disaster resilience.

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May 21, 2026

This young startup is taking on a fragrance industry that hasn’t changed in almost half a century

Fragrance tech company Patina announced Thursday a $2 million raise from investors, including Betaworks and True Ventures.

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May 21, 2026

Beauty booking startup Fresha hits $1B valuation with KKR backing

Beauty and wellness booking marketplace Fresha says it has raised $80 million investment from KKR’s Next Generation Technology Growth fund, KKR's growth equity arm.

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May 21, 2026

Imperagen raises £5 million to use quantum physics, AI on enzyme engineering

Biotech company Imperagen announced on Thursday a £5 million ($6.7 million) seed round led by PXN Ventures, with participation from IQ Capital and Northern Gritstone.

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May 20, 2026

Sam Altman makes ‘mic drop’ offer to every Y Combinator startup

Altman offered to have OpenAI invest in every single startup in this Y Combinator class: tokens for equity.

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May 20, 2026

How Lucra raised $20M as an eSports play when every VC only wants AI

Slapping “AI” on your startup’s pitch deck is basically table stakes right now. When a founder raised $20 million from Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest for an eSports gamification loyalty startup without those two letters in the

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May 20, 2026

Startup Battlefield 200 applications close in 1 week: Window to nominate and apply for the most promising startups closes May 27

Startup Battlefield 200 applications close May 27. Pitch at TechCrunch Disrupt, get investor access, win $100K, plus more scaling perks. Nominate an early-stage founder or submit your startup today.

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May 19, 2026

Forget the feed: Status AI raises $17M to turn social media into interactive entertainment

“Status is built on the premise that the next generation doesn’t want to watch stories,” CEO and co-founder Fai Nur said. “They want to engage with the stories and even live inside them.”

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