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This digest compiles the latest from TechCrunch.
Today’s TechCrunch Roundup
Amazon says it is laying off 16,000 employees
28 Jan 2026, 2:17 pm by Ivan Mehta
This is Amazon’s second layoff after the company cut 14,000 corporate jobs in October.
Redwood attracts Google for its $425M Series E as AI power needs rise
28 Jan 2026, 2:00 pm by Kirsten Korosec
Google is the latest investor to back Redwood Materials as the battery recycling startup scales a new energy storage venture to power AI data centers and other industrial sites.
Snap gets serious about Specs, spins AR glasses into standalone company
28 Jan 2026, 2:00 pm by Lucas Ropek
The social media company’s smartglasses are set to be released to the public later this year.
Waabi raises $1B and expands into robotaxis with Uber
28 Jan 2026, 11:00 am by Rebecca Bellan
Waabi has secured a $750 million Series C round to accelerate autonomous trucking, and another roughly $250 million commitment from Uber to deploy 25,000 robotaxis exclusively on its platform.
Google pitches Gemini to students studying for India’s most competitive college entrance exam
28 Jan 2026, 10:00 am by Jagmeet Singh
Google’s launch of practice tests for JEE follows its recent move to offer full-length SAT practice tests in Gemini.
Google Photos brings its prompt-based editing feature to India, Australia and Japan
28 Jan 2026, 6:07 am by Ivan Mehta
Users can describe their edits in natural language to modify an image.
India’s Shadowfax slips on listing, as client concentration spooks investors
28 Jan 2026, 5:44 am by Jagmeet Singh
Shadowfax shares fell about 9% on theirdebut, valuing the logistics firm near its last private valuation.
What you should know about the owners of US TikTok
28 Jan 2026, 3:27 am by Lauren Forristal
​ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, recently established a separate American entity to run the app’s U.S. operations. This restructuring aims to separate U.S. TikTok from its Chinese parent, addressing concerns about data privacy and foreign control. The move came after years of pressure from lawmakers, who feared the Chinese government’s potential access to Americans’ data. […]
Everything you need to know about viral personal AI assistant Clawdbot (now Moltbot)
28 Jan 2026, 12:12 am by Anna Heim
Personal AI assistant Moltbot —formerly Clawdbot — has gone viral in a matter of weeks. But there’s more you should know before jumping on the bandwagon.
Fashion rental app By Rotation and Uber partner to help deliver ski clothing
28 Jan 2026, 12:00 am by Dominic-Madori Davis
By Rotation, one of the U.K.’s most popular peer-to-peer fashion rental platforms, is partnering with Uber to deliver ski clothes.
End of today’s TechCrunch roundup.
