Writer Ian Bogost says ‘The Small Stuff’ can help us reclaim our lives from dematerialization

Former Microsoft Quantum CTO’s New Chinese-Based Startup Lands Pre-A Funding

Taiyi Quantum, a six-month-old Shanghai-based startup, has raised 300 million yuan (~$44M USD) in a Pre-A funding round led by Gaorong Venture Capital and IDG Capital. The company is led by Liu Hongbin, a former Microsoft Azure Quantum Principal Architect who worked on Microsoft's neutral-atom initiative with Atom Computing. Taiyi is developing a ytterbium-based neutral-atom quantum computer, leveraging laser-trapped atoms as qubits. Ytterbium offers advantages including stable nuclear-spin qubit states, precise laser control, and reduced noise compared to alkali atoms like rubidium or cesium. The large raise for such a young startup signals growing investor confidence in China's quantum computing sector.

Airwallex raises $320m at an $11bn valuation, betting on agentic finance

Airwallex huy động thành công 320 triệu USD trong vòng Series H, nâng định giá lên 11 tỷ USD, đồng thời công bố doanh thu thường niên 1,3 tỷ USD và khối lượng giao dịch 287 tỷ USD. Công ty tập trung phát triển "agentic finance" với hai sản phẩm mới: nền tảng tài chính tự động T:0 và ví kỹ thuật số Airi, trong khi sự tham gia của các quỹ crossover gợi ý khả năng IPO sắp tới.

Lập trình viên nên đọc bài này để hiểu cách các công nghệ tài chính tiên tiến như agentic finance, tự động hóa giao dịch và nền tảng AI được xây dựng từ cơ sở hạ tầng phần mềm, từ đó tìm hiểu về các xu hướng mới trong việc tích hợp AI vào hệ thống tài chính và ứng dụng trong thực tế.

Top Quantum Computing Investors in 2026

A comprehensive overview of the leading quantum computing investors in 2026, covering dedicated quantum VC funds (Quantonation, 55 North, Firgun Ventures), corporate venture arms (Google Ventures, IBM Ventures, Microsoft M12, Amazon), sovereign wealth funds (Temasek, Mubadala), and government-backed programs (In-Q-Tel, SGInnovate, HTGF). Private VC in quantum reached $4.9 billion in 2025, more than doubling the prior year. The piece profiles each investor's focus, confirmed portfolio companies, preferred funding stage, and geographic orientation. It also covers how to pitch quantum investors, key metrics they evaluate (qubit count, gate fidelity, coherence times, commercialization roadmap), typical funding amounts by stage, and the complementary roles of government grants versus venture capital for quantum startups.

Challenges designers face in open source (and how to fix them)

Canonical's Design team surveyed 115 professionals to identify four core challenges designers face when contributing to open source projects: difficulty finding OSS projects that accept design work, lack of designer-friendly onboarding and documentation, steep learning curves on Git-based platforms like GitHub, and greater pushback on non-visual contributions like UX research and accessibility audits. The post shares findings from qualitative interviews with 11 participants and highlights successful strategies from projects like Bitcoin Design and Layer5, including dedicated designer guides, mentorship programs, and transparent documentation. Canonical also shares its own contribution brief template and GitHub tutorial as practical resources.

Aseon Labs raises ten million dollars to build parking-space-sized pods that charge and clean robotaxis

Aseon Labs has raised $10M in seed funding to build parking-space-sized automated pods that charge, clean, and inspect robotaxis in place. The Y Combinator-backed startup aims to solve the deadhead miles problem — robotaxis driving empty to distant depots for servicing — by deploying modular pods across city parking lots and gas stations. Using robotic arms, computer vision, and vision-language-action models, the pods can handle most routine maintenance autonomously. The company estimates its solution could cut reset costs by 50%, reduce downtime by 65%, and add over $50K in annual revenue per vehicle. Aseon Labs is pre-product with five prototypes as its immediate goal, targeting a market that Goldman Sachs projects will reach $415B by 2035.

Alan raises €480M led by Prosus at €5.5bn

French health insurtech Alan has raised €480M in a Series G round led by Prosus at a €5.5bn valuation, just three months after a previous €100M raise. The company, which now has over €1.2bn in total funding, is profitable in France, serves 1.1 million members, and posted €800M+ in ARR growing 53% year-on-year. Alan's pitch centers on 'prevention insurance' — bundling health cover, care navigation, and AI-driven health assistance into a single app to shift healthcare from reactive to proactive. The capital will fund expansion into new markets, deeper AI investment, and potential acquisitions. The deal is one of Europe's largest non-AI raises of 2025 and a rare bright spot for French tech amid declining startup funding.

Designing for the Wrong User

Thiết kế UX thường nhắm đến người dùng bình tĩnh, nhưng căng thẳng là trạng thái phổ biến chứ không phải ngoại lệ. Bài viết đề xuất giao diện nên thích ứng bằng cách thu hẹp các yếu tố không cần thiết (giảm độ bão hòa màu, tăng độ mờ nội dung phụ, loại bỏ tùy chọn) và sử dụng modals khi tải nhận thức tăng cao, dựa trên nghiên cứu thực tế với cảnh sát Úc.

Lập trình viên nên đọc bài này để hiểu cách thiết kế giao diện phù hợp với những tình huống căng thẳng, giúp cải thiện trải nghiệm thực tế của người dùng trong môi trường làm việc áp lực cao.