×
The kids ‘picked last in gym class’ gear up for Super Bowl | TechCrunch

The kids ‘picked last in gym class’ gear up for Super Bowl | TechCrunch

The Super Bowl is happening in Silicon Valley this Sunday, and the Patriots-Seahawks game at Levi’s Stadium is going to be packed with tech money. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan is expected to be there. Apple’s Tim Cook, too. (He has become a Super Bowl fixture since Apple Music began sponsoring the halftime show several years ago.)

Longtime VC Venky Ganesan from Menlo Ventures gave the New York Times a quote about the whole thing, saying the Super Bowl in the Bay Area is “tech billionaires who got picked last in gym class paying $50,000 to pretend they’re friends with the guys who got picked first.” Added Ganesan, “And for the record, I, too, was picked last in gym class.”

Ganesan could likely afford a $50,000 ticket if he needed one. Menlo went all-in on Anthropic, setting up a $100 million fund with the AI company in summer 2024 to invest in other AI startups. The firm has also joined numerous funding rounds for Anthropic itself, both through its flagship fund and various special purpose vehicles. (Anthropic is reportedly expected to close a $20 billion round of funding next week at a post-money valuation of $350 billion.)

Tickets are expensive across the board, averaging almost $7,000 according to the Times (with some last-minute seats still available on StubHub for closer to $3,600, according to a quick glance at the ticket reseller site). Only a quarter go to the general public; the rest are distributed to NFL teams. Of all ticket buyers, the largest group (27%) is coming from Washington State for the Seahawks, who’ve won just one Super Bowl in franchise history compared with the Patriots’ six titles, all with Tom Brady at quarterback.

Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, and Meta are splashing out for competing ads about whose AI is best for customers, so maybe their respective CEOs will show up, too. Other than Amazon’s Andy Jassy, who reportedly splits his time between Seattle and Santa Monica, all of them have homes within an hour or so of Sunday’s game.

This is just the third time the Bay Area has hosted the Super Bowl. The first time was in 1985 at Stanford Stadium, the original football stadium at Stanford University, where the 49ers beat the Dolphins. The second took place 10 years ago at Levi’s Stadium, when the Broncos beat the Panthers.

Techcrunch event

Boston, MA
|
June 23, 2026

Source link
#kids #picked #gym #class #gear #Super #Bowl #TechCrunch

OpenAI is launching Daybreak, an AI initiative focused on detecting and patching vulnerabilities before attackers find them. Daybreak uses the Codex Security AI agent that launched in March to create a threat model based on an organization’s code and focus on possible attack paths, validate likely vulnerabilities, and then automate the detection of the higher risk ones.

Its launch comes just over a month after rival Anthropic announced Claude Mythos, a security-focused AI model it claimed was too dangerous to publicly release and only shared privately as a part of its own initiative, dubbed Project Glasswing. Still, that didn’t stop at least a few unauthorized parties from getting access.

However, OpenAI has so far lacked a similar security product. Like Glasswing, Daybreak isn’t built on just one AI model — OpenAI says “Daybreak brings together the most capable OpenAI models, Codex, and our security partners.”

Daybreak also involves specialized cyber models, including GPT-5.5 with Trusted Access for Cyber and GPT-5.5-Cyber, which began rolling out last week. OpenAI also says it’s working with its “industry and government partners” while it prepares to “deploy increasingly more cyber-capable models.”

#OpenAI #released #answer #Claude #MythosAI,Anthropic,News,OpenAI,Security,Tech">OpenAI just released its answer to Claude MythosOpenAI is launching Daybreak, an AI initiative focused on detecting and patching vulnerabilities before attackers find them. Daybreak uses the Codex Security AI agent that launched in March to create a threat model based on an organization’s code and focus on possible attack paths, validate likely vulnerabilities, and then automate the detection of the higher risk ones.Its launch comes just over a month after rival Anthropic announced Claude Mythos, a security-focused AI model it claimed was too dangerous to publicly release and only shared privately as a part of its own initiative, dubbed Project Glasswing. Still, that didn’t stop at least a few unauthorized parties from getting access.However, OpenAI has so far lacked a similar security product. Like Glasswing, Daybreak isn’t built on just one AI model — OpenAI says “Daybreak brings together the most capable OpenAI models, Codex, and our security partners.”Daybreak also involves specialized cyber models, including GPT-5.5 with Trusted Access for Cyber and GPT-5.5-Cyber, which began rolling out last week. OpenAI also says it’s working with its “industry and government partners” while it prepares to “deploy increasingly more cyber-capable models.”#OpenAI #released #answer #Claude #MythosAI,Anthropic,News,OpenAI,Security,Tech

Daybreak, an AI initiative focused on detecting and patching vulnerabilities before attackers find them. Daybreak uses the Codex Security AI agent that launched in March to create a threat model based on an organization’s code and focus on possible attack paths, validate likely vulnerabilities, and then automate the detection of the higher risk ones.

Its launch comes just over a month after rival Anthropic announced Claude Mythos, a security-focused AI model it claimed was too dangerous to publicly release and only shared privately as a part of its own initiative, dubbed Project Glasswing. Still, that didn’t stop at least a few unauthorized parties from getting access.

However, OpenAI has so far lacked a similar security product. Like Glasswing, Daybreak isn’t built on just one AI model — OpenAI says “Daybreak brings together the most capable OpenAI models, Codex, and our security partners.”

Daybreak also involves specialized cyber models, including GPT-5.5 with Trusted Access for Cyber and GPT-5.5-Cyber, which began rolling out last week. OpenAI also says it’s working with its “industry and government partners” while it prepares to “deploy increasingly more cyber-capable models.”

#OpenAI #released #answer #Claude #MythosAI,Anthropic,News,OpenAI,Security,Tech">OpenAI just released its answer to Claude Mythos

OpenAI is launching Daybreak, an AI initiative focused on detecting and patching vulnerabilities before attackers find them. Daybreak uses the Codex Security AI agent that launched in March to create a threat model based on an organization’s code and focus on possible attack paths, validate likely vulnerabilities, and then automate the detection of the higher risk ones.

Its launch comes just over a month after rival Anthropic announced Claude Mythos, a security-focused AI model it claimed was too dangerous to publicly release and only shared privately as a part of its own initiative, dubbed Project Glasswing. Still, that didn’t stop at least a few unauthorized parties from getting access.

However, OpenAI has so far lacked a similar security product. Like Glasswing, Daybreak isn’t built on just one AI model — OpenAI says “Daybreak brings together the most capable OpenAI models, Codex, and our security partners.”

Daybreak also involves specialized cyber models, including GPT-5.5 with Trusted Access for Cyber and GPT-5.5-Cyber, which began rolling out last week. OpenAI also says it’s working with its “industry and government partners” while it prepares to “deploy increasingly more cyber-capable models.”

#OpenAI #released #answer #Claude #MythosAI,Anthropic,News,OpenAI,Security,Tech
Five-year-old European military drone startup Helsing is reportedly close to raising a new $1.2 billion round at about an $18 billion valuation. The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co-led by existing Helsing investor Lightspeed, the Financial Times reported.

Helsing last raised just under a year ago, in June 2025, in a deal that was led by billionaire Spotify founder Daniel Ek. That was a €600 million investment at an estimated €12 billion valuation ($14 billion USD). So this new round is a step-up.

While Helsing isn’t the only European unicorn defense tech, it is by far the one that investors deem the most valuable. For instance, German drone maker Quantum Systems raised €180 million in November, which valued it at more than €3 billion. And a year ago, Lisbon-headquartered Tekever raised £400 million at a valuation above £1 billion. Amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the proving ground for new technologies, autonomous defense startups have become a hot area for VCs.

Helsing, Dragoneer, and Lightspeed could not be immediately reached for comment.

#Daniel #Ekbacked #defense #tech #Helsing #raise #1.2B #18B #valuation #TechCrunchdrones,Fundraise,helsing">Daniel Ek-backed defense tech Helsing to raise .2B at B valuation | TechCrunch
Five-year-old European military drone startup Helsing is reportedly close to raising a new .2 billion round at about an  billion valuation. The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co-led by existing Helsing investor Lightspeed, the Financial Times reported.

Helsing last raised just under a year ago, in June 2025, in a deal that was led by billionaire Spotify founder Daniel Ek. That was a €600 million investment at an estimated €12 billion valuation ( billion USD). So this new round is a step-up.







While Helsing isn’t the only European unicorn defense tech, it is by far the one that investors deem the most valuable. For instance, German drone maker Quantum Systems raised €180 million in November, which valued it at more than €3 billion. And a year ago, Lisbon-headquartered Tekever raised £400 million at a valuation above £1 billion. Amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the proving ground for new technologies, autonomous defense startups have become a hot area for VCs.

Helsing, Dragoneer, and Lightspeed could not be immediately reached for comment.


#Daniel #Ekbacked #defense #tech #Helsing #raise #1.2B #18B #valuation #TechCrunchdrones,Fundraise,helsing

Helsing is reportedly close to raising a new $1.2 billion round at about an $18 billion valuation. The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co-led by existing Helsing investor Lightspeed, the Financial Times reported.

Helsing last raised just under a year ago, in June 2025, in a deal that was led by billionaire Spotify founder Daniel Ek. That was a €600 million investment at an estimated €12 billion valuation ($14 billion USD). So this new round is a step-up.

While Helsing isn’t the only European unicorn defense tech, it is by far the one that investors deem the most valuable. For instance, German drone maker Quantum Systems raised €180 million in November, which valued it at more than €3 billion. And a year ago, Lisbon-headquartered Tekever raised £400 million at a valuation above £1 billion. Amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the proving ground for new technologies, autonomous defense startups have become a hot area for VCs.

Helsing, Dragoneer, and Lightspeed could not be immediately reached for comment.

#Daniel #Ekbacked #defense #tech #Helsing #raise #1.2B #18B #valuation #TechCrunchdrones,Fundraise,helsing">Daniel Ek-backed defense tech Helsing to raise $1.2B at $18B valuation | TechCrunch

Five-year-old European military drone startup Helsing is reportedly close to raising a new $1.2 billion round at about an $18 billion valuation. The round is expected to be led by Dragoneer and co-led by existing Helsing investor Lightspeed, the Financial Times reported.

Helsing last raised just under a year ago, in June 2025, in a deal that was led by billionaire Spotify founder Daniel Ek. That was a €600 million investment at an estimated €12 billion valuation ($14 billion USD). So this new round is a step-up.

While Helsing isn’t the only European unicorn defense tech, it is by far the one that investors deem the most valuable. For instance, German drone maker Quantum Systems raised €180 million in November, which valued it at more than €3 billion. And a year ago, Lisbon-headquartered Tekever raised £400 million at a valuation above £1 billion. Amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, the proving ground for new technologies, autonomous defense startups have become a hot area for VCs.

Helsing, Dragoneer, and Lightspeed could not be immediately reached for comment.

#Daniel #Ekbacked #defense #tech #Helsing #raise #1.2B #18B #valuation #TechCrunchdrones,Fundraise,helsing

Post Comment