October 20, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Eka is worth $1.45B thanks to a physical AI model that has experts raving: Eka Robotics may be the first robotic arm that is actually good at picking a wide range of objects up, and it is so smooth and human-like, it is wowing the industry. Read More

Walmart's Flipkart is quietly building a food delivery challenger in India: Flipkart has expanded access to its food-delivery service to thousands of employees ahead of its public launch. Read More

Figma co-founder Dylan Field thinks MCP is not a perfect protocol: Figma said it plans to support as many standards as possible without exposing all of its data Read More

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Morning Must-Reads

Blackwall quadruples valuation to $2.2B as websites wrangle an increasingly crowded internet: Blackwall has raised $100M at a $2.2B valuation to continue building security and filtering tools that help websites grapple with growing bot and AI traffic. Read More

SpaceX alum's aviation startup, Reliable Robotics, lands $115M, topping $1B valuation: Reliable Robotics extended its Series D round with $115 million in equity and $25 million in debt. Read More

Spotify launches paid podcast memberships with perks beyond bonus content: Spotify's new paid memberships let podcasters offer fans exclusive perks, including ad-free listening, early access, and bonus content, while keeping 90% of the revenue. Read More

US orders federal agencies to remove China’s DeepSeek AI from their systems: The US has ordered federal civilian agencies to remove DeepSeek products and third-party services built using its technology, citing national security concerns. Read More

Oura adds new fitness metrics to show how workouts impact your body: While Oura has largely dominated the smart ring market for years, rivals like RingConn and Ultrahuman are emerging to dethrone it, putting pressure on the company to keep innovating. By launching more advanced workout metrics, Oura is looking to differentiate itself from competitors as the smart ring market gets more crowded. Read More

Last but Not Least

Inspired Capital closes $450M fourth fund as New York pushes back on Silicon Valley’s gravitational pull: The raise comes as venture dollars pile up on the West Coast. Read More