Your Hub for Tech News and Handy Online Tools.

Technology & Startups

Airbound Secures $8.65M to Revolutionize Drone Delivery in India

Airbound, an Indian drone startup founded by Naman Pushp, has raised $8.65 million in seed funding to develop ultra-light, blended-wing-body drones for one-cent deliveries. The funding round was led by Physical Intelligence co-founder Lachy Groom with participation from Humba Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and leaders from Tesla, SpaceX, and Anduril.
Airbound's drones use a tail-sitter design and carbon fiber frame to reduce delivery costs significantly. The startup is targeting one-cent deliveries by optimizing energy use and reducing transport weight. Airbound's drone, the TRT, is designed for small payloads and eliminates the need for a human driver.
The first version of Airbound’s drone weighs 3.3 pounds and carries a payload of up to 2.2 pounds, with a second version planned to support a 6.6-pound payload while weighing just 2.6 pounds. Airbound is starting a pilot program with Narayana Health in Bengaluru to deliver medical logistics. The startup aims to reach one million deliveries per day by mid-2027 and is in talks with regulators to start flights soon.

Business

Grindr's Owners Eye Buyout Amid Financial Pressures

Grindr's majority owners, Raymond Zage and James Lu, are reportedly exploring taking the LGBTQ+ dating app private following a stock decline that triggered a financial crisis. Zage and Lu, who control over 60% of Grindr, had pledged their shares as collateral for personal loans. A unit of Temasek seized and sold some shares after the stock slide. They are now in talks with Fortress Investment Group for a buyout at around $15 per share, valuing Grindr at $3 billion.
Despite the stock issues, Grindr's profits were up 25% in the second quarter.

Wearable Technology

Oura's Strategic Focus: Prioritizing Women's Health Over Fitness Fads

Oura, the smart ring company, is experiencing rapid growth among women in their early twenties, highlighting a shift towards younger demographics prioritizing health. While competitors like Samsung, Ultrahuman, and Whoop are emerging, Oura maintains a leading position with 80% of the smart ring market.

Oura's success is driven by word-of-mouth and high retention rates, particularly among corporate athletes focused on optimizing their health. The company is doubling down on features like cycle tracking and fertility insights, catering to its growing female user base. Oura differentiates itself as a health platform focused on preventative health, rather than solely a fitness tracker.

Despite a recent controversy over a deal with the Department of Defense, Oura emphasizes its commitment to user privacy and data security. The company is focused on maintaining trust and serving its core users, betting that the market for general well-being is larger than the market for athletes obsessing over training metrics. Partnerships with research institutions and other wearable tech companies further solidify Oura's position in the health tech market.

Business & Finance

Strava's IPO Plans Gain Momentum Amidst User Growth and Cultural Shift

Strava, the fitness tracking app, is preparing to go public, aiming to raise capital for acquisitions. CEO Michael Martin mentioned the company's plans to list in the future. Strava's user base has grown to 50 million monthly active users in 2025, surpassing its competitors. This growth aligns with the increasing popularity of running among younger individuals seeking social connections and mental health benefits. Strava's success is attributed to its social features like 'kudos' and split comparisons. Consumer spending on its subscription tier reached over $180 million through September, with additional revenue from sponsored challenges and brand partnerships.

Artificial Intelligence

AI Researcher Andrew Tulloch Departs Thinking Machines Lab for Meta

Thinking Machines Lab, an AI startup founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, has lost co-founder Andrew Tulloch to Meta. Tulloch announced his departure in a message, with a spokesperson confirming he is pursuing a different path.
Meta's Mark Zuckerberg previously attempted to acquire Thinking Machines Lab and reportedly offered Tulloch a significant compensation package. Tulloch previously worked at OpenAI and Facebook's AI Research Group.

Artificial Intelligence

AI Enterprise Deals Surge Amidst Scrutiny and Optimism

This week saw significant AI enterprise deals, including Zendesk's AI agents aiming to resolve 80% of customer service issues, partnerships between Anthropic and IBM, and Deloitte's AI integration. However, Deloitte faced criticism for AI-generated hallucinations in a report, leading to a refund.
The Equity podcast discussed these developments, highlighting the potential of enterprise deals for immediate revenue compared to consumer-focused AI applications. The conversation emphasized the importance of responsible AI implementation, with scrutiny needed to ensure accuracy and avoid relying solely on AI-generated outputs.
Zendesk is developing AI tools to automate customer service, potentially reducing human involvement. While promising, adoption challenges remain, as businesses must commit to maintaining and utilizing these technologies effectively.

Artificial Intelligence

AI Race: Apple's Siri vs. OpenAI's ChatGPT App Platform

OpenAI's ChatGPT now supports apps, allowing users to perform tasks like booking travel and editing designs without switching apps, sparking debate about its potential to replace the Apple App Store.

Apple aims to modernize app usage with an AI-powered Siri, eliminating the need for app icons. This would allow users to interact with apps through voice commands, offering a more intuitive experience.

While ChatGPT's app system requires users to name apps in prompts, Apple plans for Siri to seamlessly integrate with apps, understanding user requests contextually.

Apple's ecosystem advantages include pre-existing app installations, user familiarity, and privacy controls. OpenAI's app platform requires developer adoption and relies on the Model Context Protocol, currently supporting only a limited number of apps.

Apple is reportedly testing its upgraded Siri internally, which will work with major apps. Meanwhile, OpenAI is exploring its own AI device with Jony Ive, but faces challenges in creating a superior computing paradigm.

The success of OpenAI's app model depends on its advantage over native app usage, while Apple's approach emphasizes seamless integration and user privacy.

Politics

Benioff's Surprising Shift: Embracing Trump and Advocating for National Guard in San Francisco

In a recent interview, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff expressed his full support for President Trump and suggested deploying National Guard troops to patrol San Francisco streets. This political transformation, which even surprised his own communications team, highlights a broader trend of Silicon Valley's accommodation of Trump. Benioff praised Trump's efforts and Elon Musk's government efficiency initiatives, while admitting he hadn't closely followed news about immigration raids or Trump's attacks on the media. The interview concluded abruptly, leaving questions about whether other tech CEOs will follow Benioff's lead.

Finance

Navan Navigates IPO Amidst Government Shutdown

Corporate travel management company Navan has updated its IPO documents with the SEC, proceeding despite the government shutdown. Navan is utilizing new SEC rules that allow companies to continue their IPO process, with potential automatic approval after 20 days.

The updated filing reveals Navan's plan to sell 30 million shares, with insiders offering an additional 7 million, priced between $24 and $26. This could raise up to $960 million, valuing the company at $6.45 billion. Key backers include Lightspeed, Andreessen Horowitz, Zeev Ventures, and Greenoaks.

Navan's financials show a rolling 12-month revenue of $613 million, a 32% increase, but also losses of $188 million.