TECHNOLOGYThis young startup is taking on a fragrance industry that hasn’t changed in almost half a centuryFragrance tech company Patina announced Thursday a $2 million raise from investors, including Betaworks and True Ventures.TechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYI Cloned Myself With Gemini’s AI Avatar Tool. The Result Was Unnervingly MeI used the Gemini app to generate lifelike videos featuring a digital clone of myself. Google sees this as the future of creation. I’m still creeped out.Wired·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYSpotify launches an ElevenLabs-powered audiobook creation toolThe AI-powered audiobook generation won't bind authors to an exclusive contract, meaning they are free to publish their generated audiobooks anywhere.TechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYSpotify adds AI-powered Q&A and briefing generation features to podcastsSpotify will let you generate daily or weekly briefs based on your promptsTechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYSpotify takes on Google’s NotebookLM with its new appSpotify is releasing the new desktop app as a research preview in more than 20 markets.TechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYMaka Kids is redefining kids’ screen time with a streaming app optimized for well-being, not engagementMaka Kids is building a streaming app for children ages zero to six featuring content designed for healthy development. The startup has now raised $3 million in seed funding to scale its platform.TechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYHark raises $700M Series A for its secretive ‘universal’ AI interfaceHark expects to release its first multimodal models this summer, which it says will power a personal AI platform that works with existing products and services. The company expects to follow that with hardware devices built specifically for those systems.TechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYThe Path, founded by Tony Robbins and Calm alums, hopes to offer safer AI therapyThe Path says its AI model has scored 95 on the mental health safety AI benchmark, Vera-MH. This compares to a top score of 65 for the consumer bots.TechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYAustralia news live: One Nation announces Norway-inspired gas policy; CSIRO confirms job cuts<p>Follow today’s news live</p><ul><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcThe Guardian·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYThe EU Is Going Through a Trump-Fueled Breakup With Big TechFrance is already moving on from Zoom and Microsoft Teams in favor of homegrown alternatives. Other countries are quickly following suit.Wired·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYGeneral Catalyst just led a $63M bet on India’s travel payments marketScapia, an Indian startup that combines travel booking with co-branded credit cards and mobile payments, said the deal doubles its valuation.TechCrunch·May 21, 2026
TECHNOLOGYFrom AI to interceptors, Ukraine is trying to drone-proof its skiesAfter four years of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine has become far more successful at fighting off air raids.BBC News·May 21, 2026