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BlackBerry CEO John Giamatteo told CNBC's Jim Cramer that robotics and physical AI are emerging growth areas for the company's QNX software platform, which already runs in over 275 million vehicles worldwide. He said QNX's royalty backlog has surpassed $1.2 billion, up more than $250 million over two quarters, driven by automaker upgrades, expanded software offerings, and demand for physical AI applications.
Workers in India, including a Bengaluru barber named Mohammed Ashim, are being paid to film their hands performing everyday jobs like haircuts, pottery and embroidery. Firms such as Rashdan Technologies collect this footage and sell it to robotics and AI companies training 'physical AI' systems that control robots. Rashdan says it pays $5-$10 for eight to 10 hours of recorded work and blurs faces to protect worker identity.
Amulya Vishwanath, founder of physical AI-focused VC firm Techable Ventures and a former Nvidia product marketer, told TechCrunch's Equity podcast that robotics is not yet at its 'ChatGPT moment' but is instead assembling foundational building blocks like actuators and robotic hands. She said general- and special-purpose robots are being developed now and will improve as these components mature, drawing parallels to the internet era and Industrial Revolution. She also emphasized that attracting talent, much of which is going to firms like Anthropic and Nvidia, is a critical factor for robotics startups.
Amulya Vishwanath, who spent seven years in product marketing for Nvidia's robotics platforms, has founded Techable VC, an early-stage fund investing in physical AI across robotics, materials science and life sciences. On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, she said robotics is still in a 'Lego era,' with basic components like actuators, robotic hands, software and safety standards still being developed.
Laplace Intelligence, a one-year-old Ann Arbor startup founded by Howie Sun and Henry Liu out of the University of Michigan, is developing automated systems that stress-test robotics and physical AI before deployment. The company grew out of academic research on challenging autonomous driving AI in simulation, including a 2023 paper the pair published in Nature. Laplace is presenting at TechCrunch Disrupt's Startup Battlefield competition on October 13.
The IEEE 2030 Technology Megatrends Report predicts that by 2028, genetic engineering and gene therapy will become common treatments for various diseases, driven by rapid AI development. Experts from around the world identified AI as a central factor influencing multiple technological shifts across health, energy, space, and infrastructure sectors. The report emphasizes AI's accelerating progress and its role as a foundational infrastructure, while also highlighting potential challenges such as infrastructure needs and workforce adaptation.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, expecting over 10,000 founders, investors, and operators. The event will include a series of interactive roundtables on topics like physical AI data challenges, the future of enterprise SaaS, and AI's role in IPO readiness, led by speakers including Radha Basu of iMerit, Rajeev Singh of Smartsheet, and Eléonore Crespo of Pigment.
AMD announced it will acquire World Labs in a deal valued at $8.2 billion. AMD said the acquisition brings in AI research and development talent to strengthen its hardware, software, and systems capabilities, particularly in physical AI and robotics.
Edge-AI chipmaker SiMa.ai closed a $150 million Series C round co-led by Fidelity Management & Research Company and Amplify, with Alter Venture Partners, Dell Technologies Capital, and StepStone Group also participating. The deal values the company at $1.45 billion, up from a $960 million valuation after its July 2025 Series B, and brings total funding raised to over $500 million.
Hello Robot co-founder Aaron Edsinger will showcase Stretch 4, the company's wheeled home-assistance robot, in a live demonstration at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Launched in May with its first production batch already sold out, Stretch 4 uses a single telescoping arm and wheels rather than legs or humanoid form to help people with severe mobility impairments perform everyday tasks like eating or closing blinds.
TechCrunch is offering early registration discounts of up to $200 off passes for its Disrupt 2026 conference, plus 50% off a second ticket, with the deal expiring September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT. The event runs October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco and will feature over 10,000 attendees, 200+ sessions, and 250+ tech leaders across six stages.
UP.Labs has rebranded as Vantora after raising $100 million from Silversmith Capital Partners, shifting its model from building startups for the broader market to creating proprietary ventures exclusively for corporate partners. The firm still works with clients like Alaska Airlines and Porsche, and is now expanding into industrial manufacturing and oil and gas, with a heavier focus on physical AI applications such as retrofitting factory hardware for autonomy.