×
Cash App debuts a new AI assistant that answers questions about your finances | TechCrunch

Cash App debuts a new AI assistant that answers questions about your finances | TechCrunch

Tech-news , ,

Cash App released a slate of new features as part of its fall update, including an AI chatbot that can answer questions about users’ finances, a new benefits program, and the ability to discover places that accept Bitcoin payments and make Bitcoin payments using USD.

The company is launching an assistant called Moneybot that can answer questions about spending patterns and income, and provide insights for maintaining savings and setting aside money for investments.

The chatbot will be available to select users at launch, with broader availability planned for the coming months. Users can ask questions like “Can you show me my monthly income, expenses, and spending patterns?” to get reports about their accounts. The bot also surfaces suggestions for actions like splitting a bill, checking a bitcoin balance, or requesting money from someone.

Image Credits: Cash App

“Consumers today are given a host of data around their financial transactions and account balances, but Moneybot takes it a step further by helping to turn those insights into action. No two financial journeys are the same, so we’ve built Moneybot to learn each customer’s habits and tailor its suggestions in real-time,” Cameron Worboys, head of product design at Cash App, said in a statement.

Jack Dorsey-led Block, which owns Cash App and Square, has been creating new ways to promote Bitcoin payments. Last month, it released an integrated Bitcoin solution for merchants to easily receive the cryptocurrency into a wallet. Customers can now discover places that accept Bitcoin through a new map and use USD to pay in cryptocurrency without holding it. The company said it uses the Lightning Network, a layer-2 payment network built on top of Bitcoin, to facilitate transactions via QR codes.

Image Credits: Cash App

The company said that soon it will also allow some customers to send and receive stablecoins through the app.

Block is also changing the benefits structure for Cash App customers. Previously, customers who had direct deposits of at least $300 per month qualified for benefits like a 3.5% yield. Now, the company is starting a new program called Cash App Green, where users who either spend $500 or more per month through the Cash App Card or Cash App Pay, or receive deposits or at least $300, qualify for benefits.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco
|
October 13-15, 2026

Image Credits: Cash App

These benefits will include a higher borrowing limit — up to $400 for first-time borrowers and a limit increase of up to $300 for others; free overdraft coverage of up to $200 for Cash App Card transactions; free in-network ATM withdrawals; up to 3.5% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances; and five customized weekly offers at different stores.

Block said that this new program will make up to 8 million accounts eligible for benefits under the Cash App Green program.

The company is also offering a 3.5% APY for teen accounts without any balance limits. Other features in this release include expansion of the Cash App Borrow product to 48 states, and access to some Afterpay buy now pay later (BNPL) services and features within the Cash App without needing a separate login.

Source link
#Cash #App #debuts #assistant #answers #questions #finances #TechCrunch

Tag

Related Posts

Val Kilmer AI deepfake film As Deep as the Grave has just released its first trailer. The internet has responded with overwhelming disgust.

A widely recognised actor known for his roles in films such as Top Gun, Batman Forever, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer died from pneumonia last April at 65 years old. Upcoming film As Deep as the Grave has now used generative AI to create a digital puppet in Kilmer’s likeness, having it portray a character appearing in “a significant part” of the historical film.

As Deep as the Grave follows married archaeologists Ann Axtell Morris (Abigail Lawrie) and Earl H. Morris (Tom Felton), who conducted fieldwork in the U.S. southwest during the 1920s. Kilmer’s AI-generated likeness will be used to depict Father Fintan, a Catholic priest who is also a Native American spiritualist. The film also features Abigail Breslin, Wes Studi, and Finn Jones.

Though Kilmer was cast in As Deep as the Grave prior to his death, delays in production and issues with his health meant he never shot any scenes. Kilmer had previously given a tech-assisted performance in Top Gun: Maverick, which digitally altered his real voice. He also worked with UK company Sonantic to create an AI speaking voice based on his old recordings. However, As Deep as the Grave will be the first time his likeness and voice will be completely AI-generated in a film.

“Very fitting that this trailer includes a scene where a corpse is unceremoniously yanked out of the ground,” read one of the top comments on As Deep as the Grave‘s trailer at time of writing.

CGI likenesses of deceased actors have been used in feature films before. In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gained attention for using CGI and motion capture to resurrect Peter Cushing and portray a younger Carrie Fisher for a few minutes of the film. In 2015, Furious 7 used similar techniques to insert Paul Walker into the remainder of the film after he died mid-shoot. Though Furious 7 largely received a pass due to the circumstances, Rogue One received criticism regarding the ethics of its CGI Cushing. Using generative AI to completely create a performance out of nothing appears to go a step even further, completely removing any actors from the process.

Writer and director Coerte Voorhees told Variety that he chose to use AI rather than recast the role due to budget constraints, and that Kilmer’s children gave the project their blessing. Even so, online commenters have labelled it disgusting and disrespectful, not only for digitally reanimating Kilmer but also for the damaging precedent As Deep as the Grave‘s use of AI could set for the film industry as a whole.

#Val #Kilmer #deepfake #Deep #Grave #trailer #sparks #outrage">Val Kilmer AI deepfake in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ trailer sparks outrage Val Kilmer AI deepfake film As Deep as the Grave has just released its first trailer. The internet has responded with overwhelming disgust.A widely recognised actor known for his roles in films such as Top Gun, Batman Forever, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer died from pneumonia last April at 65 years old. Upcoming film As Deep as the Grave has now used generative AI to create a digital puppet in Kilmer’s likeness, having it portray a character appearing in “a significant part” of the historical film.As Deep as the Grave follows married archaeologists Ann Axtell Morris (Abigail Lawrie) and Earl H. Morris (Tom Felton), who conducted fieldwork in the U.S. southwest during the 1920s. Kilmer’s AI-generated likeness will be used to depict Father Fintan, a Catholic priest who is also a Native American spiritualist. The film also features Abigail Breslin, Wes Studi, and Finn Jones.Though Kilmer was cast in As Deep as the Grave prior to his death, delays in production and issues with his health meant he never shot any scenes. Kilmer had previously given a tech-assisted performance in Top Gun: Maverick, which digitally altered his real voice. He also worked with UK company Sonantic to create an AI speaking voice based on his old recordings. However, As Deep as the Grave will be the first time his likeness and voice will be completely AI-generated in a film.“Very fitting that this trailer includes a scene where a corpse is unceremoniously yanked out of the ground,” read one of the top comments on As Deep as the Grave‘s trailer at time of writing. CGI likenesses of deceased actors have been used in feature films before. In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gained attention for using CGI and motion capture to resurrect Peter Cushing and portray a younger Carrie Fisher for a few minutes of the film. In 2015, Furious 7 used similar techniques to insert Paul Walker into the remainder of the film after he died mid-shoot. Though Furious 7 largely received a pass due to the circumstances, Rogue One received criticism regarding the ethics of its CGI Cushing. Using generative AI to completely create a performance out of nothing appears to go a step even further, completely removing any actors from the process.Writer and director Coerte Voorhees told Variety that he chose to use AI rather than recast the role due to budget constraints, and that Kilmer’s children gave the project their blessing. Even so, online commenters have labelled it disgusting and disrespectful, not only for digitally reanimating Kilmer but also for the damaging precedent As Deep as the Grave‘s use of AI could set for the film industry as a whole. #Val #Kilmer #deepfake #Deep #Grave #trailer #sparks #outrage

Val Kilmer AI deepfake film As Deep as the Grave has just released its first trailer. The internet has responded with overwhelming disgust.

A widely recognised actor known for his roles in films such as Top Gun, Batman Forever, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer died from pneumonia last April at 65 years old. Upcoming film As Deep as the Grave has now used generative AI to create a digital puppet in Kilmer’s likeness, having it portray a character appearing in “a significant part” of the historical film.

As Deep as the Grave follows married archaeologists Ann Axtell Morris (Abigail Lawrie) and Earl H. Morris (Tom Felton), who conducted fieldwork in the U.S. southwest during the 1920s. Kilmer’s AI-generated likeness will be used to depict Father Fintan, a Catholic priest who is also a Native American spiritualist. The film also features Abigail Breslin, Wes Studi, and Finn Jones.

Though Kilmer was cast in As Deep as the Grave prior to his death, delays in production and issues with his health meant he never shot any scenes. Kilmer had previously given a tech-assisted performance in Top Gun: Maverick, which digitally altered his real voice. He also worked with UK company Sonantic to create an AI speaking voice based on his old recordings. However, As Deep as the Grave will be the first time his likeness and voice will be completely AI-generated in a film.

“Very fitting that this trailer includes a scene where a corpse is unceremoniously yanked out of the ground,” read one of the top comments on As Deep as the Grave‘s trailer at time of writing.

CGI likenesses of deceased actors have been used in feature films before. In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gained attention for using CGI and motion capture to resurrect Peter Cushing and portray a younger Carrie Fisher for a few minutes of the film. In 2015, Furious 7 used similar techniques to insert Paul Walker into the remainder of the film after he died mid-shoot. Though Furious 7 largely received a pass due to the circumstances, Rogue One received criticism regarding the ethics of its CGI Cushing. Using generative AI to completely create a performance out of nothing appears to go a step even further, completely removing any actors from the process.

Writer and director Coerte Voorhees told Variety that he chose to use AI rather than recast the role due to budget constraints, and that Kilmer’s children gave the project their blessing. Even so, online commenters have labelled it disgusting and disrespectful, not only for digitally reanimating Kilmer but also for the damaging precedent As Deep as the Grave‘s use of AI could set for the film industry as a whole.

#Val #Kilmer #deepfake #Deep #Grave #trailer #sparks #outrage">Val Kilmer AI deepfake in ‘As Deep as the Grave’ trailer sparks outrage

Val Kilmer AI deepfake film As Deep as the Grave has just released its first trailer. The internet has responded with overwhelming disgust.

A widely recognised actor known for his roles in films such as Top Gun, Batman Forever, and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Kilmer died from pneumonia last April at 65 years old. Upcoming film As Deep as the Grave has now used generative AI to create a digital puppet in Kilmer’s likeness, having it portray a character appearing in “a significant part” of the historical film.

As Deep as the Grave follows married archaeologists Ann Axtell Morris (Abigail Lawrie) and Earl H. Morris (Tom Felton), who conducted fieldwork in the U.S. southwest during the 1920s. Kilmer’s AI-generated likeness will be used to depict Father Fintan, a Catholic priest who is also a Native American spiritualist. The film also features Abigail Breslin, Wes Studi, and Finn Jones.

Though Kilmer was cast in As Deep as the Grave prior to his death, delays in production and issues with his health meant he never shot any scenes. Kilmer had previously given a tech-assisted performance in Top Gun: Maverick, which digitally altered his real voice. He also worked with UK company Sonantic to create an AI speaking voice based on his old recordings. However, As Deep as the Grave will be the first time his likeness and voice will be completely AI-generated in a film.

“Very fitting that this trailer includes a scene where a corpse is unceremoniously yanked out of the ground,” read one of the top comments on As Deep as the Grave‘s trailer at time of writing.

CGI likenesses of deceased actors have been used in feature films before. In 2016, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story gained attention for using CGI and motion capture to resurrect Peter Cushing and portray a younger Carrie Fisher for a few minutes of the film. In 2015, Furious 7 used similar techniques to insert Paul Walker into the remainder of the film after he died mid-shoot. Though Furious 7 largely received a pass due to the circumstances, Rogue One received criticism regarding the ethics of its CGI Cushing. Using generative AI to completely create a performance out of nothing appears to go a step even further, completely removing any actors from the process.

Writer and director Coerte Voorhees told Variety that he chose to use AI rather than recast the role due to budget constraints, and that Kilmer’s children gave the project their blessing. Even so, online commenters have labelled it disgusting and disrespectful, not only for digitally reanimating Kilmer but also for the damaging precedent As Deep as the Grave‘s use of AI could set for the film industry as a whole.

#Val #Kilmer #deepfake #Deep #Grave #trailer #sparks #outrage

The feature was expanded in January to give parents some control over how long their kids spend scrolling through Shorts, with an option for zero minutes “coming soon.” According to YouTube spokesperson Makenzie Spiller, the option to set the timer to zero is now “live for all parents, and is currently being rolled out to everyone,” including users with regular adult accounts.

Regardless of age, it can be a handy tool for anyone who wants to spend a little less time scrolling. The Shorts tab won’t show any videos once you hit your limit, just a notification that you’ve “reached your Shorts feed limit.” In our tests, hitting the time limit also removes Shorts from the Home screen, so by setting the timer to zero you can ignore Shorts entirely if you want. To turn on the timer, go to the settings in the YouTube app and select “time management” then toggle on the Shorts feed limit and select a time for it.

#YouTube #lets #turn #ShortsNews,Social Media,Streaming,Tech,YouTube">YouTube now lets you turn off ShortsYouTube’s time management settings now have an option to put a zero-minute time limit on Shorts, effectively removing them from your app in Android and iOS. The option is an update to the Shorts timer YouTube originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes.The feature was expanded in January to give parents some control over how long their kids spend scrolling through Shorts, with an option for zero minutes “coming soon.” According to YouTube spokesperson Makenzie Spiller, the option to set the timer to zero is now “live for all parents, and is currently being rolled out to everyone,” including users with regular adult accounts.Regardless of age, it can be a handy tool for anyone who wants to spend a little less time scrolling. The Shorts tab won’t show any videos once you hit your limit, just a notification that you’ve “reached your Shorts feed limit.” In our tests, hitting the time limit also removes Shorts from the Home screen, so by setting the timer to zero you can ignore Shorts entirely if you want. To turn on the timer, go to the settings in the YouTube app and select “time management” then toggle on the Shorts feed limit and select a time for it.#YouTube #lets #turn #ShortsNews,Social Media,Streaming,Tech,YouTube

originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes.

The feature was expanded in January to give parents some control over how long their kids spend scrolling through Shorts, with an option for zero minutes “coming soon.” According to YouTube spokesperson Makenzie Spiller, the option to set the timer to zero is now “live for all parents, and is currently being rolled out to everyone,” including users with regular adult accounts.

Regardless of age, it can be a handy tool for anyone who wants to spend a little less time scrolling. The Shorts tab won’t show any videos once you hit your limit, just a notification that you’ve “reached your Shorts feed limit.” In our tests, hitting the time limit also removes Shorts from the Home screen, so by setting the timer to zero you can ignore Shorts entirely if you want. To turn on the timer, go to the settings in the YouTube app and select “time management” then toggle on the Shorts feed limit and select a time for it.

#YouTube #lets #turn #ShortsNews,Social Media,Streaming,Tech,YouTube">YouTube now lets you turn off Shorts

YouTube’s time management settings now have an option to put a zero-minute time limit on Shorts, effectively removing them from your app in Android and iOS. The option is an update to the Shorts timer YouTube originally announced in October; the lowest previous option was 15 minutes.

The feature was expanded in January to give parents some control over how long their kids spend scrolling through Shorts, with an option for zero minutes “coming soon.” According to YouTube spokesperson Makenzie Spiller, the option to set the timer to zero is now “live for all parents, and is currently being rolled out to everyone,” including users with regular adult accounts.

Regardless of age, it can be a handy tool for anyone who wants to spend a little less time scrolling. The Shorts tab won’t show any videos once you hit your limit, just a notification that you’ve “reached your Shorts feed limit.” In our tests, hitting the time limit also removes Shorts from the Home screen, so by setting the timer to zero you can ignore Shorts entirely if you want. To turn on the timer, go to the settings in the YouTube app and select “time management” then toggle on the Shorts feed limit and select a time for it.

#YouTube #lets #turn #ShortsNews,Social Media,Streaming,Tech,YouTube
Nuclear startup X-energy began its investor roadshow Wednesday as it works toward its IPO, setting its target price between $16 and $19 per share, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If it lists at the high end, the startup could net about $814 million.

X-energy and its peers have been riding a renewed wave of interest in fission power as demand for electricity has surged on the back of AI data centers and societywide electrification. 

Amazon is one of X-energy’s biggest backers. The tech giant led a $500 million Series C-1 round and has pledged to buy as much as 5 gigawatts of nuclear power from the company by 2039.

The IPO is sure to come as a relief to X-energy’s investors, which have put about $1.8 billion into the company, according to PitchBook. The startup had previously attempted to go public via reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, but the two parties canceled the deal in 2023 as the SPAC craze petered out.

X-energy’s reactor is what’s known as a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor. Inside, uranium encased in spheres of ceramic and carbon is cooled by helium gas. The gas then transfers heat to a steam turbine loop to generate electricity. The fuel design, known as TRISO, is expected to be safer than previous fuel arrangements, though it’s not widely used today.

The startup said in its SEC filing that it’s already embroiled in a patent dispute with another company that recently went bankrupt. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) went bankrupt in 2024, and its assets were purchased in bankruptcy to form Standard Nuclear. X-energy alleges that USNC infringed on its fuel fabrication patents and that the matter hasn’t been resolved to its satisfaction during the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.

Outside of China, development of new nuclear reactors has all but stalled, stymied by delays and cost overruns. A new breed of startups hopes that by shrinking reactors, they’ll be able to overcome some of the challenges that have beset traditional designs.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

None of the small modular reactor startups have built a power plant yet, though several are racing to meet a deadline of July 4 set by the Trump administration.

While many might miss the arbitrary deadline, they’re still likely to achieve criticality, the moment when fission reactions become self-sustaining.

But the road from criticality to profitable power plants is likely to be long. Mass manufacturing can help bring costs down, but it usually takes around a decade for the process to start paying dividends. What’s more, the number of reactors these companies are planning to build might be more than other companies have attempted, but it might not be high enough to reap the true benefits of mass manufacturing.

X-energy expects that by the time its reactor production techniques are mature — what experts call “Nth-of-a-kind” — it will be able to bring costs down by 30% relative to the first-of-a-kind. Investors should pay close attention to how much that first reactor costs. It could make or break the company’s prospects.

#Amazonbacked #Xenergy #files #raise #800M #IPO #TechCrunchAmazon,IPO,nuclear fission,nuclear power,X-Energy">Amazon-backed X-energy files to raise up to 0M in IPO | TechCrunch Nuclear startup X-energy began its investor roadshow Wednesday as it works toward its IPO, setting its target price between and per share, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If it lists at the high end, the startup could net about 4 million. X-energy and its peers have been riding a renewed wave of interest in fission power as demand for electricity has surged on the back of AI data centers and societywide electrification.  Amazon is one of X-energy’s biggest backers. The tech giant led a 0 million Series C-1 round and has pledged to buy as much as 5 gigawatts of nuclear power from the company by 2039. The IPO is sure to come as a relief to X-energy’s investors, which have put about .8 billion into the company, according to PitchBook. The startup had previously attempted to go public via reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, but the two parties canceled the deal in 2023 as the SPAC craze petered out. X-energy’s reactor is what’s known as a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor. Inside, uranium encased in spheres of ceramic and carbon is cooled by helium gas. The gas then transfers heat to a steam turbine loop to generate electricity. The fuel design, known as TRISO, is expected to be safer than previous fuel arrangements, though it’s not widely used today. The startup said in its SEC filing that it’s already embroiled in a patent dispute with another company that recently went bankrupt. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) went bankrupt in 2024, and its assets were purchased in bankruptcy to form Standard Nuclear. X-energy alleges that USNC infringed on its fuel fabrication patents and that the matter hasn’t been resolved to its satisfaction during the course of the bankruptcy proceedings. Outside of China, development of new nuclear reactors has all but stalled, stymied by delays and cost overruns. A new breed of startups hopes that by shrinking reactors, they’ll be able to overcome some of the challenges that have beset traditional designs. Techcrunch event San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 None of the small modular reactor startups have built a power plant yet, though several are racing to meet a deadline of July 4 set by the Trump administration. While many might miss the arbitrary deadline, they’re still likely to achieve criticality, the moment when fission reactions become self-sustaining. But the road from criticality to profitable power plants is likely to be long. Mass manufacturing can help bring costs down, but it usually takes around a decade for the process to start paying dividends. What’s more, the number of reactors these companies are planning to build might be more than other companies have attempted, but it might not be high enough to reap the true benefits of mass manufacturing. X-energy expects that by the time its reactor production techniques are mature — what experts call “Nth-of-a-kind” — it will be able to bring costs down by 30% relative to the first-of-a-kind. Investors should pay close attention to how much that first reactor costs. It could make or break the company’s prospects. #Amazonbacked #Xenergy #files #raise #800M #IPO #TechCrunchAmazon,IPO,nuclear fission,nuclear power,X-Energy

documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If it lists at the high end, the startup could net about $814 million.

X-energy and its peers have been riding a renewed wave of interest in fission power as demand for electricity has surged on the back of AI data centers and societywide electrification. 

Amazon is one of X-energy’s biggest backers. The tech giant led a $500 million Series C-1 round and has pledged to buy as much as 5 gigawatts of nuclear power from the company by 2039.

The IPO is sure to come as a relief to X-energy’s investors, which have put about $1.8 billion into the company, according to PitchBook. The startup had previously attempted to go public via reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, but the two parties canceled the deal in 2023 as the SPAC craze petered out.

X-energy’s reactor is what’s known as a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor. Inside, uranium encased in spheres of ceramic and carbon is cooled by helium gas. The gas then transfers heat to a steam turbine loop to generate electricity. The fuel design, known as TRISO, is expected to be safer than previous fuel arrangements, though it’s not widely used today.

The startup said in its SEC filing that it’s already embroiled in a patent dispute with another company that recently went bankrupt. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) went bankrupt in 2024, and its assets were purchased in bankruptcy to form Standard Nuclear. X-energy alleges that USNC infringed on its fuel fabrication patents and that the matter hasn’t been resolved to its satisfaction during the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.

Outside of China, development of new nuclear reactors has all but stalled, stymied by delays and cost overruns. A new breed of startups hopes that by shrinking reactors, they’ll be able to overcome some of the challenges that have beset traditional designs.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

None of the small modular reactor startups have built a power plant yet, though several are racing to meet a deadline of July 4 set by the Trump administration.

While many might miss the arbitrary deadline, they’re still likely to achieve criticality, the moment when fission reactions become self-sustaining.

But the road from criticality to profitable power plants is likely to be long. Mass manufacturing can help bring costs down, but it usually takes around a decade for the process to start paying dividends. What’s more, the number of reactors these companies are planning to build might be more than other companies have attempted, but it might not be high enough to reap the true benefits of mass manufacturing.

X-energy expects that by the time its reactor production techniques are mature — what experts call “Nth-of-a-kind” — it will be able to bring costs down by 30% relative to the first-of-a-kind. Investors should pay close attention to how much that first reactor costs. It could make or break the company’s prospects.

#Amazonbacked #Xenergy #files #raise #800M #IPO #TechCrunchAmazon,IPO,nuclear fission,nuclear power,X-Energy">Amazon-backed X-energy files to raise up to $800M in IPO | TechCrunch

Nuclear startup X-energy began its investor roadshow Wednesday as it works toward its IPO, setting its target price between $16 and $19 per share, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. If it lists at the high end, the startup could net about $814 million.

X-energy and its peers have been riding a renewed wave of interest in fission power as demand for electricity has surged on the back of AI data centers and societywide electrification. 

Amazon is one of X-energy’s biggest backers. The tech giant led a $500 million Series C-1 round and has pledged to buy as much as 5 gigawatts of nuclear power from the company by 2039.

The IPO is sure to come as a relief to X-energy’s investors, which have put about $1.8 billion into the company, according to PitchBook. The startup had previously attempted to go public via reverse merger with a special purpose acquisition company, but the two parties canceled the deal in 2023 as the SPAC craze petered out.

X-energy’s reactor is what’s known as a high-temperature, gas-cooled reactor. Inside, uranium encased in spheres of ceramic and carbon is cooled by helium gas. The gas then transfers heat to a steam turbine loop to generate electricity. The fuel design, known as TRISO, is expected to be safer than previous fuel arrangements, though it’s not widely used today.

The startup said in its SEC filing that it’s already embroiled in a patent dispute with another company that recently went bankrupt. Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) went bankrupt in 2024, and its assets were purchased in bankruptcy to form Standard Nuclear. X-energy alleges that USNC infringed on its fuel fabrication patents and that the matter hasn’t been resolved to its satisfaction during the course of the bankruptcy proceedings.

Outside of China, development of new nuclear reactors has all but stalled, stymied by delays and cost overruns. A new breed of startups hopes that by shrinking reactors, they’ll be able to overcome some of the challenges that have beset traditional designs.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

None of the small modular reactor startups have built a power plant yet, though several are racing to meet a deadline of July 4 set by the Trump administration.

While many might miss the arbitrary deadline, they’re still likely to achieve criticality, the moment when fission reactions become self-sustaining.

But the road from criticality to profitable power plants is likely to be long. Mass manufacturing can help bring costs down, but it usually takes around a decade for the process to start paying dividends. What’s more, the number of reactors these companies are planning to build might be more than other companies have attempted, but it might not be high enough to reap the true benefits of mass manufacturing.

X-energy expects that by the time its reactor production techniques are mature — what experts call “Nth-of-a-kind” — it will be able to bring costs down by 30% relative to the first-of-a-kind. Investors should pay close attention to how much that first reactor costs. It could make or break the company’s prospects.

#Amazonbacked #Xenergy #files #raise #800M #IPO #TechCrunchAmazon,IPO,nuclear fission,nuclear power,X-Energy

Post Comment