The 'together tech' wave might be the most intriguing startup bet of 2026

While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records (techcrunch.com/2026/06/03/alphabets-record-bre…), some founders are building in the other direction.

Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board (techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/board-the-new-game-s…), a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck creators are going viral (techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/cyberdeck-tiktok-tre…) crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the AI-free browser crowd (techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/duckduckgo-makes-its…), this doesn't just feel like backlash, but also people genuinely gravitating toward things that feel a little more human.

On this episode of TechCrunch'sEquity (techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity) podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O'Kane dig into the week's headlines, from the "together tech" wave to what Anthropic's confidential IPO filing means against the backdrop of Alphabet's $80 billion AI raise, and whether the money is all flowing back to the big guys anyway.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

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Why ex-Meta CTO Mike Schroepfer raised $250 million for climate tech specifically (techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/zigging-when-most-ar…), at a moment when almost nobody else is

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How rocket engine startup Impulse raised $500 million (techcrunch.com/2026/06/02/rocket-engine-startu…) — and is loudly emphasizing that those funds will be spent on people, not AI

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A look inside Anthropic's S-1 (techcrunch.com/2026/06/01/anthropic-files-to-g…), and what the team is looking forward to once we can finally compare the AI labs' financials

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What two YouTube directors cracking the box office (techcrunch.com/2026/05/31/this-weekends-two-bi…) tells us about creator economy power

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube (youtube.com/@TechCrunch),Apple Podcasts (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780),Overcast (overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity),Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?s…) and all the casts. You also can follow Equity onX (twitter.com/EquityPod) andThreads (threads.net/@equitypod), at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:45 YouTubers are taking over the box office

02:46 Everyone's fleeing climate tech — except this $250M fund

07:03 Impulse Space raises $500M and is hiring humans

13:03 Anthropic quietly files for IPO as Alphabet drops $85B on AI

21:52 The token bubble is starting to burst

26:08 From Board games to DIY cyberdecks, founders are betting on IRL

33:09 Outro

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