The {{hardware}} world had a brutal week, with iRobot, Luminar, and Rad Power Bikes all submitting for chapter.
Each agency faces its private combination of tariff pressures, present chain factors, and shifting markets, nonetheless collectively they inform a much bigger story regarding the challenges of setting up bodily merchandise in an interval of worldwide commerce tensions and low-cost overseas rivals. From the Roomba maker that almost obtained acquired by Amazon to the e-bike agency that couldn’t escape its Chinese language language present chain, this week’s bankruptcies are a warning sign for {{hardware}} startups in every single place.
Instantly on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Anthony Ha, Rebecca Bellan, and Sean O’Kane speak about what went mistaken for 3 once-promising {{hardware}} firms, plus Amazon’s massive OpenAI bet and Trump’s new approach to AI regulation.
Be all ears to the whole episode to hearken to additional data from the week, along with:
- How “slop” grew to turn into Merriam-Webster’s word of the year — and why it has flip into bigger than merely AI-generated content material materials
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