For an extended period, when mobile gaming comes to mind, app stores are often the first thought. Developers dedicate extensive amounts of time—years, in some cases—to creating games, only to relinquish a considerable percentage—up to 30%—of their income to giants like Apple and Google. Nevertheless, a new contender has surfaced, aspiring to transform this paradigm.

Introducing Jest, a platform for messaging games that has recently transitioned from stealth mode with $7 million in initial funding. Jest posits that the future of mobile game distribution will not arise from app stores, but from within messaging applications. 

The launch of Jest aligns with the growing popularity of Rich Communication Services (RCS), an upscale alternative to SMS that facilitates richer interactions through enhanced media, interactive functions, and integrated payments. 

As RCS adoption continues to gain traction, the dynamics are evolving. By 2024, Apple joined the RCS movement with iOS 18, and by May 2025, RCS was reportedly handling over a billion messages per day in the U.S., according to Google.

“Mobile game developers have predominantly been constrained to app store distribution as their main avenue for reaching audiences,” stated Deyan Vitanov, CEO and co-founder, during a chat with TechCrunch. “RCS games are situated in the messaging inbox, the most engaged area on mobile, where users spend substantial time conversing with friends and family. We’re capitalizing on an interaction pattern that people utilize daily.”

Jest allows users to share games directly in their chat conversations, eliminating the need to navigate an app store. (Games launch in the web browser and require Wi-Fi for gameplay.)

This convenience is particularly significant as consumers are downloading fewer games. In 2025, mobile games saw 39.4 billion downloads, reflecting an 8.6% decline from the previous year, following a 6.6% drop from 2023 to 2024, based on Appfigures’ annual analysis.

Jest’s approach is proving fruitful. By the end of January, just four months into its beta phase, the platform had already reached two major benchmarks: over 1 million messaging games played and more than 300,000 messages exchanged. 

“We’re experiencing 3-4 times better retention rates compared to standard mobile apps. This signifies a fundamental transformation in engagement dynamics. In terms of user acquisition, we have thoroughly validated that individuals are willing to sign up and engage with games via messaging, with our initial collaborators reporting 30-60% lower acquisition costs than mobile applications. It’s incredibly straightforward. Just click a link, and you’re in,” Vitanov conveyed to us.

Moreover, what stands out about Jest’s marketplace is the revenue framework for developers: a remarkable 90/10 division, with 90% of profits going straight to them. This presents a stark contrast to the usual 30% commission taken by conventional app stores, providing a hopeful new pathway for gaming studios.

“There’s also a smart network effect integrated. If one studio acquires a user while another studio monetizes that user, we share the revenue: 70% goes to the monetizing studio, 20% to the acquiring studio, and 10% to Jest. This generates strong incentives where even viral games that struggle to monetize effectively can still provide revenue for their developers when those users engage with other games on the platform,” Vitanov noted. 

Significantly, Jest has already garnered interest from multiple development partners, including teams behind well-known games like “Episode,” “Puppy Mansion,” and “Kingdom Maker.”

The seed funding, spearheaded by Innovation Endeavors, will be utilized to expand the platform and onboard the initial group of gaming studios. 

To further boost its growth, Jest has also established a dedicated Games Fund to assist studios at all stages of franchise creation on the platform.  This fund will allocate resources across three levels: $1 million for flagship projects, $200,000 for promising mid-tier titles, and $40,000 for exploratory efforts and innovative concepts.

At present, Jest is operational in the U.S. and plans to extend to 14 additional nations by the third quarter of 2026.

On June 9, more than 1,000 founders, investors, and key decision-makers will convene for TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026. This isn’t merely about foot traffic; it’s a full day dedicated to focused deal flow.

An exhibit table converts that energy into quantifiable growth. It’s not just awareness you require; it’s customers, funding, and strategic allies.

Reserve your exhibit table and position your startup at the heart of the startup ecosystem.

Reasons why exhibiting fosters genuine growth

Direct access to purchasers: The Expo Hall is where founders and operators actively seek tools and collaborators. Capture leads immediately through the event app and commence building your pipeline right away.

Where handshakes replace cold pitches: Transition from cold outreach to in-person discussions. With access to roundtables, breakout sessions, and curated networking, your team can convert visibility into progress.

Compounding credibility: Your startup is prominently displayed throughout the Founder Summit website, app, sponsor directory, announcements, and closing ceremony—enhancing trust with both customers and investors.

Multi-channel return on investment: Lead generation tools, sponsor listings, and passes for your entire team mean you are not only exhibiting but also executing across sales, marketing, and fundraising simultaneously.

Strategically deploy your team: With a total of five passes, you can distribute focus among sales, partnerships, recruitment, and tailored meetings to ensure every hour on-site is maximized.

What’s encompassed in the TC Founder Summit exhibitor package

• Exclusive 6′ x 3′ exhibit area with a 6-foot table, 2 chairs, and table covering

• Customized tabletop sign (11” x 14”) showcasing your sponsor logo

• Lead capture tools for gathering valuable leads

• 5 event passes for your team or guests

• Company logo displayed in the sponsor section of the TC Founder Summit event page

• Company profile included in the event app for enhanced visibility

• On-site promotional materials throughout the venue

• Free access to partner Wi-Fi for effortless networking

First-come, first-served. Reserve now.

Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re prepared to transform three days into months of pipeline, reserve your exhibit table today before your competitors do.

Figma is incorporating OpenAI’s AI coding solution, Codex, enabling users to design and modify creations directly from their coding platforms. This development follows a week after the design firm established a comparable collaboration with Anthropic to incorporate Claude Code.

This integration allows users to initiate design work in Figma or code in Codex, facilitating seamless transitions between the two platforms via Figma’s MCP (Model Context Protocol) server.

Previously, users were able to transfer elements from Figma design files, Figma Make, or FigJam into Codex for code-driven execution.

“Through this integration, teams can expand upon their most promising concepts—not merely their initial idea—by merging the finest aspects of coding with the creativity, collaboration, and craftsmanship offered by Figma’s limitless canvas,” stated Loredan Crisan, Figma’s chief design officer.

“The integration enhances Codex for a significantly wider spectrum of creators and organizations, as it doesn’t presuppose that you are ‘a designer’ or ‘an engineer’ primarily. Engineers can visually iterate without disrupting their workflow, while designers can operate closer to actual execution without needing to become full-time programmers,” remarked Codex product lead Alexander Embiricos in a statement.

OpenAI initially introduced Codex as a command-line coding aid last year to rival Anthropic’s highly praised Claude Code. Subsequently, the company integrated the coding tool into ChatGPT, and earlier this month unveiled a dedicated MacOS application for Codex.

The MacOS application reached a million downloads in its first week of launch. The company also rolled out two new Codex models shortly thereafter. OpenAI announced that over a million users are engaging with Codex on a weekly basis.

Figma has played a significant role as a partner for OpenAI, being among the first companies to launch an application within ChatGPT in October 2025.

Despite their vast capabilities, AI agents have been gradually penetrating the enterprise sector, and a new startup believes the slow progress is due to insufficient context.

Emerging from Y Combinator’s 2025 summer cohort, Trace is a workflow orchestration company set to address this void. The firm creates detailed maps of intricate corporate ecosystems and processes so that agents receive the necessary context for rapid scaling.

“OpenAI and Anthropic are developing these brilliant interns that can be utilized within the company,” says Trace CEO Tim Cherkasov, referring to the tools from the AI laboratories. “We’re constructing the manager that understands how to deploy them.”

On Thursday, the London-based startup announced it had secured $3 million in seed funding from Y Combinator, Zeno Ventures, Transpose Platform Management, Goodwater Capital, Formosa Capital, and WeFunder. Additionally, angel investors Benjamin Bryant and Kevin Moore contributed funds.

Trace’s platform begins by creating a knowledge graph from the company’s current tools—systems such as email, Slack, and Airtable that influence daily operations. With this context established, users can instruct the system with a broad task—such as “We need to create a new microsite” or “Let’s prepare our 2027 sales strategy”—and Trace will respond with a detailed workflow, assigning certain tasks to AI agents and others to human personnel. When activating an AI agent, the system provides it with the specific information required to complete its task.

The aim is to streamline the intricate process of integrating AI agents, which is one of the main obstacles to their actual implementation in enterprises.

Given the numerous companies concentrating on agent-based AI, Trace will face significant competition. Earlier this week, Anthropic unveiled its own version of enterprise agents focused on ready-made plugins for particular departmental roles. Additionally, numerous workplace productivity services that Trace will utilize, like Atlassian’s Jira, are introducing their own agents that could rival the startup’s platform.

However, the founders of Trace are confident that their knowledge-graph methodology will be crucial for achieving success, as they can embed context engineering deeply within the framework of agentic deployment.

“The years 2024 and 2025 were predominantly about prompt engineering. We’ve now transitioned from prompt engineering to context engineering,” states CTO Artur Romanov. “Whoever delivers the most effective context at the optimal moment will become the foundation upon which AI-first enterprises will thrive. We aspire to be that foundation.”

This week on TechCrunch’s podcast aimed at founders, Build Mode, Isabelle Johannessen hosts Sarah Lucena, the CEO and co-founder of Mappa, a behavioral intelligence platform that utilizes voice AI to interpret human behavior in under 60 seconds.

Lucena conceived the idea for Mappa while attempting to assemble a marketing team but consistently felt she had made poor hiring choices. “I was incredibly frustrated because I was recruiting for what I believed were the appropriate skills. It appeared impressive on paper but didn’t translate to real-world success,” Lucena stated.

She discovered through experience that hiring often relies on success indicators such as educational qualifications, prior job experience, and intuition. However, she believed there must be a more effective approach. Thus, she created Mappa and invested years in developing a unique dataset derived from hundreds of interviews, enabling her team to examine behavior through biomarkers identified in individuals’ speech patterns. Throughout this endeavor, the Mappa team realized that to secure the right hire initially, a candidate must not only excel on paper but also be a suitable match.

“No characteristic is inherently good or bad; it’s more about the environment in which you place that individual, and which roles better align with their tendencies and styles. This is how we’ve been conceptualizing compatibility,” Lucena remarked during the podcast discussion.

Mappa is driven by a wholly Latinx team that understands the frustration of being disregarded due to superficial biases or a deficiency in the “correct” experiences. She describes them as underdogs who personally relate to this challenge.

“All of us are underdogs. We are all individuals who have experienced some degree of being overlooked. This makes it even more essential for us to be the ones developing this,” Lucena explained. “Having people like us creating this technology, at the level we are, with the caliber we can achieve for the market and serving our clients as we do. It also paves the way for others to come in and recognize that there are still various methods of building technology.”

Lucena’s key advice for early-stage founders in the hiring process is to take your time and ensure compatibility is established from the outset to prevent the complications of hiring, firing, and rehiring for the same position.

Isabelle Johannessen is the host. Build Mode is produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Morgan Little leads Audience Development. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams. 

During Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event held in San Francisco on Wednesday, the South Korean technology leader introduced its latest S26 series of Galaxy smartphones, a duo of new earbuds, and extensively discussed AI assistants and agents.

Here’s a brief summary of all the announcements made during the event.

Galaxy S26 smartphones

The South Korean tech leader has revealed three new smartphones for this year: Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26, which each come with incremental enhancements over their predecessors.

As the premium model, the S26 Ultra is equipped with Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, a 6.9-inch QHD+ screen, and a 5,000 mAh battery. Samsung claims that the device can recharge from 0% to 75% in just 30 minutes using a 60W charger and is compatible with the S-Pen stylus.

Samsung indicated that while the S26 Ultra’s wide (200-megapixel) and telephoto (50-megapixel) lenses maintain the same pixel specifications as the previous version, the upgraded wide camera features a larger aperture of f/1.4, alongside the telephoto lens, which also has an aperture of f/2.9.

The other two models share the same processor as the S26 Ultra, but Samsung has opted for its own Exynos 2600 processor for these devices in select regions. The smaller Galaxy S26 receives an enhanced battery compared to last year’s model, while the S26 Plus supports wireless charging at 20W.

The Galaxy S26 begins at $899 ($100 more than last year’s iteration), the Galaxy S26 Plus starts at $1,099 (also $100 more than last year), and the Galaxy S26 Ultra is priced from $1,200.

Privacy display is the marquee feature for Ultra

Alongside the hardware enhancements, Samsung has introduced an innovative update to the S26 Ultra’s display that stops those nearby from viewing the content on the screen.

Users can opt to conceal specific areas of the screen, such as the notification section or the password input area in login screens, or even the entire display. The privacy feature can be tailored for individual applications.

Samsung announced a “maximum privacy protection” mode that dims bright areas while enhancing darker sections of the display.

Gemini’s agentic makeover and new ‘Circle to Search’

Google also revealed two major updates during Samsung’s event. First, the tech giant showcased a new agentic edition of Gemini capable of completing tasks on your behalf, such as booking a ride through Uber.

Samir Samat, the head of Google’s Android ecosystem, demonstrated how Gemini analyzes a group chat to determine the meal order it should submit on Grubhub.

The company furthermore launched a revamped version of “Circle to Search,” which employs multi-object recognition to search for anything you highlight on your phone’s screen.

AI features

Earlier this week, Samsung announced its collaboration with Perplexity to install the AI company’s app on its smartphones and utilize its APIs for various functions like setting alarms or taking notes, as well as enhancing its browser’s search functionalities.

Samsung’s smartphones now feature three AI assistants: Bixby, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. The firm is also implementing Galaxy AI to screen calls and provide a summary of what the caller conveys.

Samsung Galaxy Buds4

Samsung has unveiled two new earbuds: the Galaxy Buds4 and Galaxy Buds4 Pro. These earbuds exhibit a sleeker stem design compared to their predecessors and hold an IP54 and IP57 rating, indicating they offer some protection against dust and water.

Samsung states that the Buds4 Pro features a new 11mm woofer, expanding the speaker area by 20%. Additionally, the Pro models boast a somewhat extended battery life without the case relative to the standard version.

The Buds4 are available for $179, while the Buds4 Pro are priced at $250.

On Wednesday, Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked event took place in San Francisco, where the renowned tech company introduced its latest S26 series of Galaxy smartphones, a new pair of earbuds, and discussed extensively about AI assistants and agents.

Here’s a brief summary of everything unveiled during the event.

Galaxy S26 smartphones

The South Korean tech powerhouse has unveiled three new smartphones for the year: Galaxy S26 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Plus, and Galaxy S26, each incorporating incremental updates from their earlier models.

Being the flagship model, the S26 Ultra features Qualcomm’s cutting-edge Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, a 6.9-inch QHD+ display, and a 5,000 mAh battery. According to Samsung, the device can recharge from 0% to 75% in just 30 minutes with a 60W charger, and it supports the S-Pen stylus.

Samsung mentioned that, while the S26 Ultra’s wide (200-megapixel) and telephoto (50-megapixel) lenses maintain the same resolution as their predecessors, the new wide camera features a larger aperture of f/1.4, and the telephoto lens has an f/2.9 aperture as well.

The other two models share the same processor as the S26 Ultra, though Samsung is employing its own Exynos 2600 processor for these devices in select regions. The compact Galaxy S26 sees an enhanced battery compared to last year’s model, and the S26 Plus offers wireless charging at 20W.

The Galaxy S26 begins at $899 ($100 increase compared to last year’s variant), the Galaxy S26 Plus is priced at $1,099 (also $100 more from the previous model), and the Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,200.

Privacy display is the standout feature for Ultra

In addition to hardware improvements, Samsung has introduced an innovative update to the S26 Ultra’s display that blocks others from seeing the information on the phone’s screen.

Users can opt to obscure certain sections of the display, such as the notification panel or the password input in logins, or choose to hide everything. The privacy display settings are adjustable for each application.

Samsung stated that a “maximum privacy protection” feature is also included, which dims bright sections and enhances darker areas of the display.

Gemini’s agentic transformation and new ‘Circle to Search’

Google made two noteworthy announcements during Samsung’s event as well. Firstly, the tech giant showcased a new agentic version of Gemini capable of executing tasks on your behalf, such as summoning an Uber.

Samir Samat, who leads the Android ecosystem at Google, demonstrated how Gemini analyzes a group chat to determine the meal order to place via Grubhub.

Additionally, the company revealed an updated version of “Circle to Search,” which employs multi-object recognition technology to allow users to search for anything highlighted on their phone’s screen.

AI features

Earlier this week, Samsung announced a collaboration with Perplexity to preload the AI firm’s app on its smartphones, enabling users to utilize its APIs for setting alarms, taking notes, and enhancing the search features of its browser.

Samsung’s smartphones now include three AI assistants: Bixby, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. Furthermore, the company is leveraging Galaxy AI to screen incoming calls and provide summaries of the caller’s messages.

Samsung Galaxy Buds4

Samsung also launched two new earbud models: the Galaxy Buds4 and the Galaxy Buds4 Pro. These earbuds have a slimmer stem design compared to their predecessors and are rated IP54 and IP57, offering some resistance to dust and water.

Samsung claims that the Buds4 Pro includes a new 11mm woofer, increasing the speaker area by 20%. The Pro versions also boast a slightly longer battery life without the charging case compared to the standard model.

The Buds4 are available for $179, while the Buds4 Pro retail for $250.