TECH STARTUP
Meet Marcin Kleczynski, who was 14 when a computer virus led him to start a side hustle; how did he turn it into a multi-hundred-million-dollar company?
Marcin Kleczynski was not initially an experienced professional programmer. He taught himself coding using online communities and programming resources. He started developing malware-removal utilities to tackle infections that many antivirus products were missing. His early work included a tool that helped remove rogue security software. One of the people he connected with through an online security forum was Bruce Harrison, who later became his business partner.
ETtech Deals Digest: Eloelo leads as weekly funding rises to $142 million, down 35% on-year
Eloelo led deal activity with $80 million, followed by Peppermint Robotics at $10.6 million, altM at $10.3 million, Two Point O Capital at $10 million, and PowerUp Money at $10 million. Crane Venture Partners was among the most active investors, backing Peppermint Robotics and Armatrix. Omnivore invested in altM and Two Point O Capital, while Flourish Ventures backed PowerUp Money.
Who are Sassie Duggleby and Andrew Duggleby? Houston couple behind America's first rotating detonation rocket engine raised $91 million; what is their Mach 4 jet dream?
Venus Aerospace was founded in 2020 by husband-and-wife team Sassie Duggleby and Andrew Duggleby. They established the company with an ambitious idea. It was to develop a new propulsion system that could make extremely fast passenger aircraft commercially viable. They spent several years working on the technical challenge on making the engine withstand the extreme heat generated by rotating detonation.
Intel's former CEO Pat Gelsinger says this Georgia Tech memory chip could be the industry's biggest breakthrough in 30 years; what is it and how could it transform AI industry?
Nagare Labs was founded by Georgia Institute of Technology professors and researchers Suman Datta and Shimeng Yu. They spent years working on next-generation memory technologies. Their work involves oxide semiconductors. The company is based on research conducted at Georgia Tech and is seeking to turn its laboratory developments into a commercially viable memory product.
Activists breach Microsoft data centre construction site as protests spread in Europe
Activist groups have announced actions in 16 countries on Friday and Saturday, according to the "Stop Dirty Data Centres" coalition, which is rallying environmental groups and digital rights campaigns behind calls to pause large-scale construction.
Nearly 90% students prioritise skills over degrees, reveals a survey
A survey of over 2,000 students found that 88% prioritise practical skills over degrees and academic grades for career success. The findings highlight growing demand for industry exposure, AI-based learning, internships and entrepreneurship opportunities in higher education.
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Deepinder Goyal teases big reveal on Temple, will explain 'why I left $35 billion Eternal for Temple'
Deepinder Goyal has revealed his upcoming departure from Eternal to pursue Temple, a health wearable startup. He plans to provide a detailed note explaining his decision and the vision for Temple. Goyal's message will also address the startup's objectives and what it aims to achieve for humanity's betterment. Additionally, he has expressed his discontent towards certain doctors who criticize the health sector. Goyal is expected to share this information shortly.
Japan's Nikkei slumps more than 5% as market rout deepens on AI worries
Japan's Nikkei share average plummeted over 5% amid escalating market fears tied to regulatory scrutiny and a slowdown in artificial intelligence advancements. This drop followed the Democratic wins in the US midterm elections, sparking substantial sell-offs in traditional tech stocks. Both S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices recorded significant losses in earlier sessions, signaling a prevailing cautious mood in the global tech stock landscape.
Google sued over suicide-related AI chats on school computer
The parents of a 13-year-old girl have sued Google claiming she planned a potential suicide and funeral using its AI technology on a school-issued computer. Developers of fast-evolving AI technology are facing a litany of similar lawsuits in the US. OpenAI faces several wrongful death suits, including from the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, a teenager who committed suicide allegedly using methods advised by ChatGPT. Google and the startup Character.
OpenAI kicks off charm offensive to change voters' view of data centers
Stunning victories by Democrats in US midterm elections this week have been interpreted by many as Americans repudiating tech industry plans to build data centers across the country.
Sebi sets up working group to review Innovators Growth Platform framework
SEBI has formed a working group to review Innovators Growth Platform regulations and improve capital access for startups. The panel will examine listing eligibility, fundraising, investor participation, disclosures and migration to mainboards while safeguarding investor interests.
AI sales startup Nooks secures $500 million in funding for expansion
Unlike traditional investors that buy a stake in a company, General Catalyst's commitment involves taking a share of the returns its capital helps generate, Nooks CEO Dan Lee said. He declined to give details on the terms of the deal.
L&T Finance Pitch Point 2.0: Where an AI startup’s big idea meets enterprise scale
Pitch Point, L&T Finance’s contest for AI startups, is back for a second edition. Last year’s winners, Arrowhead AI and SpoofSense, talk about what they got out of it and what they would tell this year’s new applicants.
Premji Invest goes big on strategic output & tech
Premji Invest and Singularity AMC are likely to lead a $30-40 million round in Sanlayan at a valuation of about $200 million, according to the people. Separately, Premji Invest is in advanced talks to lead Hical’s first institutional funding round of $30-40 million, alongside TVS Capital.
Chip startup Agrani Labs looks to raise $108 million from Peak XV, Google, Samsung
Peak XV Partners is leading the round and is expected to contribute more than half of the total funding. Google, HCL Tech, Samsung Ventures and Stargazer, an investment firm set up by Groww's founders, are also expected to participate, the people cited above said.
'You don't need to crash a plane to...': Adam Robinson's April tweet goes viral after entrepreneur's death in Florida plane crash
An old tweet by tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson has gone viral after he died in a Florida plane crash at 44. Robinson, founder of Retention.com and RB2B, had written, “You don't need to crash a plane to learn to fly ... and you don't need VC to build a business.” Nine people died in the crash.
Canva may announce another round of layoffs in November, report claims; hiring freeze also possible
Canva appears to be bracing for possible layoffs or a hiring freeze after recently downsizing their team by cutting 32 employees from the technical content department. Although user growth surged in 2025, the company has drastically revised its revenue forecasts for 2026. CEO Melanie Perkins noted that projections have not met earlier expectations but underscored their commitment to an AI-driven strategy.
Pixxel's Indian ownership comes under scrutiny
Pixxel founder and chief executive Awais Ahmed in a blog post on X said the company remains “headquartered, owned, managed and controlled in India,” on Monday. Indian investors, including the founders, collectively hold the largest shareholding in the company, followed by investors from Singapore, the UK and the US, he added.
Friedrich Merz says Germany must preserve 'digital sovereignty' in AI era
German chancellor Friedrich Merz appointed a minister for digitalisation and modernisation when he took office last year and his government has vowed to intensify efforts to make up the technological lag with European economies that have moved faster, including the Netherlands and Denmark.
IIT and IIM graduates shun startups as AI jobs gain appeal amid rising startup activity in India
Only 79 IIT alumni and 20 IIM alumni launched new tech startups between January and August this year, compared to 307 IIT graduates and 71 IIM graduates who founded startups in the entire 2025, according to Tracxn data collated for ET. The platform tracks only the year of incorporation for tech startups, so it does not have comparable January-August 2025 data.
ETtech Deals Digest: Even Healthcare, Different lead October funding to $694 million, down 51% on-year
Even Healthcare led deal activity during the month with $50 million, followed by Different at $48 million, Boldfit at $41.5 million, Baba Care at $40 million and GreenCell Mobility at $34.5 million. Early-stage deals accounted for 61.9% of the capital raised during October, while late-stage transactions made up 19.4%. Seed-stage companies comprised the remaining 18.7%.
Google Calendar crushed their first startup, so they sold it on eBay. Then they built Twitch
Justin Kan and Emmett Shear’s first startup, Kiko, struggled after Google launched its own calendar service. The founders sold Kiko on eBay for $258,100 in 2006 before moving into live streaming. Their next venture, Justin.tv, eventually gave rise to Twitch, which Amazon agreed to acquire for about $970 million in 2014.
Atomberg gets Sebi nod for IPO; plans Rs 450 crore fresh issue
The Mumbai-based company filed its draft IPO papers in August. ET had reported in July that Atomberg was preparing for an offering of Rs 1,500-2,000 crore. The final issue size will depend on the price band, which has not yet been announced.
Indian corporates become the second-largest occupiers for flex space
The demand for flexible workspaces in India is witnessing a remarkable transformation, as corporates are expected to represent 23.4% of this market by 2026, making them the second-largest segment. Since 2023, the average need for these spaces has significantly increased, particularly in the BFSI sector. MNCs continue their stable demand, but local corporates are increasingly embracing flexible offices to improve business responsiveness.
Ixigo co-founder Rajnish Kumar launches Rs 1 cr fund for IIT Kanpur startups
The fund will support 10 technology-led startups from each graduating batch, with Rs 10 lakh in non-dilutive prototype funding for every selected startup, Kumar said in a statement.
VCs go deep on single-specialty healthcare with orthopaedics, pain relief bets
The trend is reflected in several recent funding deals. Bengaluru-based Lumov, which makes orthotic products, is in talks to raise Rs 32 crore in a round led by Peak XV Partners, according to people familiar with the matter. The round will likely include the founders of Minimalist and Mokobara, as well as early-stage VC firm Panthera Peak Ventures, sources said.
Viksit Bharat to be built on strong foundations of scientific research and spirit of innovation: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave 2026 in New Delhi. The conclave aims to gather experts to discuss emerging technologies and national scientific priorities. Sessions will cover various thematic areas such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and healthcare. An exhibition will showcase indigenous scientific achievements along with about 150 deep-tech startup stalls. This event is scheduled to take place from October 27 to 29, 2026.
Eye for an eye? Think AI for AI: How one startup is using AI to make AI chips more energy-efficient
Discovered Materials, a groundbreaking startup led by founders Akash Ramdas and Advaith Sridhar, is dedicated to advancing chip materials. Their innovative approach leverages AI technologies to revolutionize electricity efficiency and thermal management. Backed by $9 million in seed funding from Lightspeed India Partners, the team anticipates having cutting-edge, patent-ready materials available for chipmakers by next year, while key specifics about their advancements are kept under wraps for competitive integrity.
Tech reporter’s remarks on Indian VCs set off debate on India’s deeptech startup scene
The discourse surrounding Ashlee Vance's comments on Indian VC risk aversion has generated a flurry of insights online. Vance suggested that Indian venture capitalists often overlook startups with immense potential, such as Ather, valued at nearly $7 billion. Anu Hariharan’s analysis pointed to operational issues deterring investors from engaging in India's startup scene.
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