Intero Biosystems wins the 2026 Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt, earning recognition for its work developing miniature human intestinal organoids. The Denver-based startup spun out of the University of Michigan and sells GastroScreen to pharmaceutical, biotech, food, and chemical companies to test how drugs and other compounds affect the body. Its lab-grown gut tissue offers researchers another way to study compounds before testing them in people.
Sequoia-backed Catalyst raises $30 million to build AI trading agents for everyday investors. The article opens with Justin Zheng recalling a 2019 poker game with Dylan Iskandar at a conference run by economist Tyler Cowen.
Slash Financial raises $100 million in a Series C round at a $1.4 billion valuation, led by Ribbit Capital, Khosla, and Goodwater Capital, with returning investors NEA and Y Combinator participating. The company offers business banking accounts, corporate credit cards, transfers, and crypto services. CEO Victor Cardenas says Slash generates $300 million in annualized revenue profitably and has 5,000 companies as customers.
