Big Tech companies and upcoming startups want to use generative AI to build software and hardware for kids. A lot of those experiences are limited to text or voice, and kids might not find that captivating. Three former Google employees want to get over that hurdle with their generative AI-powered interactive app, Sparkli.
Sparkli was founded last year by Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang.
Who’s behind AMI Labs, Yann LeCun’s ‘world model’ startup
January 26, 2026
Yann LeCun’s new venture, AMI Labs, has drawn intense attention since the AI scientist left Meta to found it. This week, the startup finally confirmed what it’s building – and several key details have been hiding in plain sight.
On its newly launched…
Meta pauses teen access to AI characters ahead of new version
January 26, 2026
Meta today said that it is pausing teens’ access to its AI characters globally across all its apps. The company mentioned that it is not abandoning its efforts but wants to develop an updated version of AI characters for teens, the company exclusively told…
OpenAI chief Sam Altman plans India visit as AI leaders converge in New Delhi: sources
January 26, 2026
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to visit India in mid-February, his first visit to the country in nearly a year, TechCrunch has learned. The visit comes as New Delhi prepares to host a major AI summit expected to draw top executives from Meta, Google, and Anthropic.
India is hosting its first major AI event – the India AI Impact Summit 2026 – in New Delhi between February 16 and 20…
Spotify is rolling out Prompted Playlists, a new AI playlist creation tool, to Premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. The feature, which was originally tested in New Zealand, allows users to make a playlist by describing what they want to hear, in their own…
Companies and governments are looking for tools to run AI locally in a bid to slash cloud infrastructure costs and build sovereign capability. Quadric, a chip-IP startup founded by veterans of early bitcoin mining firm 21E6, is trying to power that shift, scaling beyond…
Big Tech companies and upcoming startups want to use generative AI to build software and hardware for kids. A lot of those experiences are limited to text or voice, and kids might not find that captivating. Three former Google employees want to get over that hurdle with their generative AI-powered interactive app, Sparkli.
Sparkli was founded last year by Lax Poojary, Lucie Marchand, and Myn Kang.
Zanskar thinks 1 TW of geothermal power is being overlooked
January 22, 2026
The ground beneath our feet holds so much energy that experts at the Department of Energy (DOE) think geothermal power could generate 60 gigawatts – or nearly 10% of U.S. electricity – by 2050.
Zanskar co-founder and CEO Carl Hoiland thinks that lofty number is…
Language learning marketplace Preply is now valued at $1.2 billion after raising a $150 million Series D round that marks a new chapter for the 14-year-old company, whose previous backers include Horizon Capital, Hoxton Ventures, Owl Ventures and Techstars Berlin.
While…
In 2025, consumers spent more money on non-game mobile apps than they did on games for the first time, according to the findings from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower’s annual “State of Mobile” report. While this milestone had been seen in particular markets, like the U.S., or during certain quarters, 2025 marked the first time it occurred globally. Worldwide, consumers…
