Alphabet's record-breaking $85B raise for Google's AI business is a helluva good signal

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  June 04, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Alphabet's record-breaking $85B raise for Google's AI business is a helluva good signal: If Alphabet's record-breaking $85 billion stock sale signals investor appetite for AI-related offerings, we can see that investors are ready to chow. Read More Carvana ties up with Bezos-backed Slate Auto as it plans new car sales: Carvana was granted a warrant to buy shares in Slate last year, according to documents obtained by TechCrunch. Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter is heavily invested in both companies. Read More Apple touts $1.4 trillion in App Store billings and sales, 90% without a commission: Apple's App Store generated $1.4 trillion in sales, up from $1.3 trillion last year, with $149 billion in sales for digital goods. Read More A message from Alumni Ventures You Could Be an Investor in High-Potential Startups Like These Don’t miss out! This week only, Alumni Ventures is offering readers early access to high-potential startup opportunities, including some of today’s most exciting AI, Deep Tech, Quantum Computing, Cybersecurity, and Space companies co-invested alongside top VC firms like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Sequoia, & Y Combinator. You get:  Curated deal flow of high-potential startups AV is already investing alongside elite lead venture firms in these deals No cost to see deals No obligation to invest Don’t miss your chance before access closes. Learn More Morning Must-Reads Quick commerce FirstClub doubles valuation to $255M in nine months: The Bengaluru startup has crossed 1 million orders and reached a $50 million annualized GMV run rate within a year of launch. Read More Ultrahuman says hackers accessed customers' wellness data via internal tool: The breach at wearable ring maker Ultrahuman stemmed from credentials stolen from a malware-infected employee laptop. Read More Oura Ring 5 review: Thinner, lighter, better: The Ring 5, which Oura describes as the world’s smallest smart ring, is 40% smaller than its predecessor and starts at $399. Read More Uber to put 500 data-collection vehicles on the road this year: The modified Ioniq 5 will be loaded with sensors to capture data for Uber's new AV Labs division. Read More Chinese spies are using LinkedIn to lure Westerners into sharing sensitive information: The advisory warns that Chinese spies are using public job search platforms to recruit people with access to non-public information. Read More A message from NVIDIA and Microsoft Build to ship in the NVIDIA Builder’s Arcade The NVIDIA Builder’s Arcade is open now through June 5 with daily activities and developer challenges. Enter now and explore Microsoft Build sessions, demos, and more. Join Now Last but Not Least Substack’s new ‘Reply Rules’ feature lets creators control how people respond: Substack's new Reply Rules feature is currently available for all English-language publications and is designed to give creators greater control over how their audiences respond.  Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

Carvana ties up with Bezos-backed Slate Auto as it plans new car sales

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  June 03, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Carvana ties up with Bezos-backed Slate Auto as it plans new car sales: Carvana was granted a warrant to buy shares in Slate last year, according to documents obtained by TechCrunch. Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter is heavily invested in both companies. Read More Alphabet's record-breaking $85B raise for Google's AI business is a helluva good signal: If Alphabet's record-breaking $85 billion stock sale signals investor appetite for AI-related offerings, we can see that investors are ready to chow. Read More Ultrahuman says hackers accessed customers' wellness data via internal tool: The breach at wearable ring maker Ultrahuman stemmed from credentials stolen from a malware-infected employee laptop. Read More A message from Fidelity Your Pitch Isn’t the Only Thing Investors Are Evaluating.   Investors don’t just listen to what you say - they look at how your company operates. Is ownership clear? Do your numbers match your story? Can you answer follow-up questions without digging through spreadsheets? The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips founders with the materials investors expect to see, before pressure is on. Because confidence in the room doesn’t come from slides. It comes from preparation.  Learn More Afternoon Must-Reads Meta's AI agent for WhatsApp Business is now available globally: WhatsApp will charge businesses for using its AI agent based on token usage. Read More Substack’s new ‘Reply Rules’ feature lets creators control how people respond: Substack's new Reply Rules feature is currently available for all English-language publications and is designed to give creators greater control over how their audiences respond.  Read More These two founders left Goldman and Meta to build voice AI for markets everyone else overlooked: The startup's own stack for Africa and Middle East is now handling more than 17,000 calls per day. Read More Plex adds new social features ahead of a major price hike for its lifetime pass: The company said it's worked up a moderation system that uses a blend of AI and human input to moderate both visual and written content. Read More Meta mercifully spun out VR fitness game Supernatural instead of just killing it: Meta appears to have listened to the Supernatural users who protested the app's sad fate after sweeping layoffs. Read More A message from NVIDIA and Microsoft Build to ship in the NVIDIA Builder’s Arcade The NVIDIA Builder’s Arcade is open now through June 5 with daily activities and developer challenges. Enter now and explore Microsoft Build sessions, demos, and more. Join Now Last but Not Least Uber to put 500 data-collection vehicles on the road this year: The modified Ioniq 5 will be loaded with sensors to capture data for Uber's new AV Labs division. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107