• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Anthropic Overtakes OpenAI in Valuation After Massive Funding Round

  • Nvidia Expands Investments in Photonics to Support AI Infrastructure

  • Pope Leo Warns AI Must Be “Disarmed” in “Magnifica Humanitas”

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Cloudgeni Raises EUR €858K to Scale AI Agents for Secure Cloud Infrastructure

  • Drafted Raises USD $16M Seed Round to Expand AI Home Design Platform

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Memory Prices Tipped to Fall as China Expands DRAM Supply

  • AWS Redesign Cuts Network Costs by 40% Using Random Graph Theory-Based Architecture

Anthropic Overtakes OpenAI in Valuation After Massive Funding Round

Anthropic has become the world’s most valuable AI startup after raising $65 billion in a new funding round that pushed its valuation to about $965 billion, surpassing OpenAI’s last reported valuation.

The company’s rapid growth has been driven by enterprise demand for its Claude models and coding-focused AI tools, with annualized revenue reportedly climbing sharply over the past year.

Major investors in the round included Altimeter Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Amazon, which continues to deepen its infrastructure partnership with Anthropic.

The development intensifies competition among leading AI firms as investors continue pouring capital into generative AI infrastructure and applications.

Source: The New York Times

Nvidia Expands Investments in Photonics to Support AI Infrastructure

Nvidia is investing billions of dollars into photonics and optical networking companies as it seeks to improve the speed and efficiency of AI data centers.

The company’s strategy focuses on technologies that use light instead of traditional electrical signaling to move massive amounts of data between AI chips and servers.

Nvidia has backed suppliers including Lumentum and Coherent to secure manufacturing capacity and accelerate development of next-generation optical interconnects.

The move reflects growing pressure on data-center infrastructure as AI systems demand faster communication and lower power consumption.

Source: CNBC

Pope Leo Warns AI Must Be “Disarmed” in “Magnifica Humanitas”

Pope Leo XIV presented his first encyclical, titled “Magnifica Humanitas,” focused on the ethical and social risks of artificial intelligence.

In the document, the pontiff called for AI to be “disarmed” and warned about the emergence of “new digital slaveries,” while also condemning the use of AI in warfare and political manipulation.

The Vatican presentation included Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, who acknowledged that AI labs operate under incentives that can conflict with ethical decision-making.

The text also contained one of the Vatican’s strongest apologies for the Catholic Church’s historical role in slavery and urged AI developers to assume ethical and spiritual responsibility for their technological choices.

Source: BBC

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Cloudgeni Raises EUR €858K to Scale AI Agents for Secure Cloud Infrastructure

Cloudgeni, an Oslo-based startup developing AI agents for cloud infrastructure management, raised 858 thousand euros in fresh funding to expand across the Nordics and the US.

The round included participation from byFounders Angel Collective, Startuplab, Antler, Vegard Gullaksen Veiteberg, and Danish investor Nicolaj Højer Nielsen.

Founded in 2024 by Iuliia Petryshyn Thuen and Davlet Dzhakishev, the company builds AI-powered systems designed to detect, remediate, and verify cloud security and compliance issues through automated workflows.

Cloudgeni stated that it has already secured enterprise customers in Norway, including Hydro and Havila, partnered with IBM, and plans to grow its team to support further expansion.

Source: EU-Startups

Drafted Raises USD $16M Seed Round to Expand AI Home Design Platform

Drafted, a San Francisco-based AI startup, raised a 16 million dollars seed round from investors including Buckley Ventures, Y Combinator, Pinterest cofounder Ben Silbermann, and musician Ryan Tedder.

The company builds an AI platform that turns user prompts such as lot size, room count, and design preferences into floor plans and 3D home layouts that can be iterated in real time.

The startup had previously raised 1.65 million dollars at a 35 million dollar valuation and reports strong early traction, including 250,000 visitors and over 300,000 generated floor plans in recent months.

It plans to monetize through basic plan sets priced around 1,000 dollars while continuing to scale adoption among homebuyers, architects, and builders.

Source: Business Insider

Memory Prices Tipped to Fall as China Expands DRAM Supply

Chinese semiconductor firms are increasing production of DRAM and NAND chips, which analysts say could push memory prices downward as supply expands.

Corsair has reportedly begun using DRAM chips from China’s ChangXin Memory Technologies in next-generation DDR5 modules, replacing its usual reliance on Micron amid high market prices.

CXMT holds about 7.7% of the global DRAM market and reported 50.8 billion yuan (about USD $7.4 billion) in revenue, with profits of 33.0 billion yuan and a 719% year-over-year increase.

Industry expansion from Chinese producers, alongside competitors such as Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, has raised expectations that increased output could eventually ease pricing pressure in the memory market.

Source: TechSpot

AWS Redesign Cuts Network Costs by 40% Using Random Graph Theory-Based Architecture

Amazon Web Services developed a new data center networking architecture based on random graph theory to improve performance, reliability, and efficiency across its cloud infrastructure.

The system introduces a flat network design that replaces traditional hierarchical routing structures, using a new routing protocol called Spraypoint and a hardware component known as ShuffleBox to manage randomized connections at scale.

According to internal testing described in the report, the approach can deliver up to 33% faster data movement while reducing network equipment electricity consumption by 40%.

The redesign is also expected to lower costs, reduce CO2 emissions, and improve resilience by minimizing single points of failure across AWS data centers.

Source: Amazon News

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Spotify debuts a new desktop app for creating personal podcasts

  • Google Unveils Major AI Studio Upgrade at I/O 2026

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Hark raises $700M Series A for its secretive universal AI interface

  • UK AI startup Scope raises €17.3 million funding led by Index Ventures

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Global buyout funds to exit China’s data centres with final $1bn deal

  • US Data Center Power Demand Projected to Double by 2027

Spotify debuts a new desktop app for creating personal podcasts

Spotify has introduced “Studio,” a desktop app from Spotify Labs that uses AI to generate personalized podcasts, playlists, and audio briefings from user prompts.

The app can draw on listening history and, with permission, connect to tools such as calendars, email inboxes, and notes to create customized audio experiences and complete simple tasks.

Spotify said the product is launching as a research preview for users aged 18 and older in more than 20 markets over the coming weeks.

The launch expands Spotify’s push into AI-assisted audio creation and places it more directly in competition with services such as Google NotebookLM.

Source: Tech Crunch

Google Unveils Major AI Studio Upgrade at I/O 2026

Google unveiled a broad expansion of Google AI Studio at I/O 2026, positioning the platform as a more integrated environment for building AI-powered applications.

New features include direct access to Google Workspace data, native Android “vibe coding” support, and a mobile app aimed at simplifying development workflows across devices.

Google said developers can now build apps that interact with Sheets, Drive, and other Workspace tools without leaving AI Studio. The updates reflect Google’s effort to make Gemini-powered development tools more accessible to both professional developers and nontechnical users.

Source: Google Blog

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Hark raises $700M Series A for its secretive universal AI interface

AI startup Hark has raised an unusually large $700 million Series A round despite revealing few details about its product, which it describes as a “universal AI interface.”

The company is reportedly developing a system designed to unify interactions across multiple AI models and software tools through a single interface. Investors are betting that demand for agentic AI systems and centralized AI workflows will continue to grow rapidly, even as Hark remains largely in stealth mode.

The funding round highlights the intense investor appetite for infrastructure and interface layers tied to the broader AI ecosystem.

Source: Tech Crunch

UK AI startup Scope raises €17.3 million funding led by Index Ventures

London-based startup Scope has raised €17.3 million in funding led by Index Ventures to expand its AI platform for industrial inspection and quality-control workflows.

The company develops computer vision systems that automate defect detection and inspection processes in manufacturing environments, reducing reliance on manual checks.

Scope said the funding will support hiring, product development, and international expansion as manufacturers seek greater efficiency and traceability in production lines.

The investment underscores continued demand for AI applications focused on industrial automation rather than consumer-facing tools.

Source: EU Startups

Global buyout funds to exit China’s data centres with final $1bn deal

Foreign private equity firms are accelerating their exit from China’s data centre sector as tightening cybersecurity rules and political scrutiny make overseas ownership of digital infrastructure increasingly difficult.

Princeton Digital Group, backed by Warburg Pincus, is preparing a sale of its China assets that could be worth up to $1 billion, following similar moves by Bain Capital and Carlyle.

International investors that once poured billions into Chinese data centres are now redirecting capital toward markets such as Malaysia, Japan, and India, where AI-driven demand and regulatory conditions are viewed as more favorable.

The shift marks the unwinding of a decade-long foreign investment push tied to China’s cloud computing boom.

Source: Financial Times

US Data Center Power Demand Projected to Double by 2027

Goldman Sachs Research projects that U.S. data center power demand will rise from 31 gigawatts in 2025 to 66 gigawatts by 2027 as AI infrastructure expansion accelerates.

The report warns that only about half of planned data center capacity is likely to come online on schedule because of permitting delays, labor shortages, and supply chain constraints.

Regional power markets are expected to face uneven pressure, with elevated reliability risks in the Mid-Atlantic, Mid-Continent, and Northwest, while Texas and Georgia are better positioned to absorb growth due to planned generation additions.

Data centers are projected to account for 8.5% of U.S. peak summer electricity demand by 2027, intensifying concerns about grid stability and energy pricing.

Source: Goldman Sachs Insights

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android before Apple’s AI reboot

  • BBVA joins DeployCo, OpenAI’s new company to accelerate AI enterprise transformation

  • WhatsApp launches totally private ‘incognito’ conversations with its AI chatbot

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Anthropic raising $30 billion more as AI labs absorb majority of VC funding

  • UK AI startup Recursive hits $4.65B valuation with $650M raise from Nvidia and GV

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Data centers remain ‘largest driver behind growth’ in construction planning

  • Brookfield snaps up South Bay data center for $90M, adding to growing South Bay collection

Google races to put Gemini at the center of Android before Apple’s AI reboot

Google is accelerating efforts to integrate its Gemini AI platform deeply into Android as it prepares for renewed competition from Apple’s upcoming AI initiatives.

The company announced a broad set of Android upgrades centered on “Gemini Intelligence,” designed to automate tasks across apps, devices, and services while making AI a persistent layer of the operating system.

New features include AI-assisted messaging, proactive scheduling, smarter navigation tools, and tighter integration across Android phones, laptops, and vehicles.

The push reflects Google’s strategy to establish Gemini as the primary AI interface for Android users ahead of Apple’s expected AI-focused product rollout later this year.

Source: CNBC

BBVA joins DeployCo, OpenAI’s new company to accelerate AI enterprise transformation

BBVA has become a founding partner in DeployCo, a new OpenAI-backed company created to help large enterprises implement artificial intelligence systems across complex business operations.

The venture launches with more than $4 billion in initial investment support from firms including TPG, Bain Capital, Advent, and Brookfield.

DeployCo plans to embed engineering teams directly within client organizations to integrate AI into workflows, controls, and operational systems at scale.

BBVA said the partnership builds on its existing collaboration with OpenAI, which began in late 2025 and focuses on AI deployment across the bank’s global operations.

Source: BBVA

WhatsApp launches totally private ‘incognito’ conversations with its AI chatbot

WhatsApp has introduced an “incognito” mode for conversations with Meta AI that prevents both Meta and users from accessing stored chat histories once conversations disappear.

The feature is designed for sensitive discussions involving subjects such as health, relationships, and finances, with Meta claiming it offers privacy protections comparable to end-to-end encryption.

Cybersecurity experts warned the system could reduce accountability if harmful AI responses cannot later be reviewed in cases involving misinformation, self-harm, or abuse.

The launch comes as Meta expands its AI ambitions across its platforms while facing pressure from investors over massive infrastructure spending tied to artificial intelligence.

Source: BBC

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Anthropic raising $30 billion more as AI labs absorb majority of VC funding

Anthropic is negotiating a new $30 billion funding round that would value the company at roughly $900 billion, reflecting the intense investor demand surrounding leading AI firms.

Major investment groups including Dragoneer, Greenoaks, Sequoia Capital, and Altimeter are expected to participate, with some firms contributing more than $2 billion each.

The company’s rapid revenue growth and expanding enterprise adoption have positioned it as one of OpenAI’s strongest competitors in the generative AI market.

The deal also highlights how a small group of AI companies are now capturing a dominant share of global venture capital investment.

Source: Wall Street Journal

UK AI startup Recursive hits $4.65B valuation with $650M raise from Nvidia and GV

London-based Recursive Superintelligence has raised $650 million at a $4.65 billion valuation in a funding round backed by GV, Greycroft, Nvidia, and AMD Ventures.

Founded by former researchers and executives from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Meta AI, and Salesforce AI, the company is developing self-improving AI systems designed to automate parts of the AI research process itself.

Recursive says its technology aims to create systems capable of refining their own architectures and training methods with minimal human intervention.

The funding will support expanded computing infrastructure and research operations ahead of a planned public launch later in 2026.

Source: Tech Funding News

Data centers remain ‘largest driver behind growth’ in construction planning

Data center projects continued to dominate U.S. nonresidential construction planning growth in April, according to new figures from Dodge Construction Network.

The Dodge Momentum Index rose 6.2% month over month, with data center development accounting for much of the increase amid strong investment from hyperscale technology companies.

Large projects entering planning included new facilities tied to Google and Stargate, alongside several other hundred-million-dollar developments.

Industry analysts said the boom remains in its early stages, although labor shortages, material costs, and supply chain pressures continue to pose risks for the broader construction sector.

Source: Construction Dive

Brookfield snaps up South Bay data center for $90M, adding to growing South Bay collection

Brookfield Properties has acquired a 120,000-square-foot data center in Sunnyvale, California, for $90.3 million as investors continue pouring capital into infrastructure tied to the artificial intelligence boom.

The property at 255 Caspian Drive was sold by DivcoWest nearly a decade after its $50 million purchase, with Equinix remaining the tenant.

The acquisition expands Brookfield’s growing concentration of South Bay data centers following billion-dollar investments across North America and additional purchases in nearby Santa Clara.

Rising AI computing demand is also accelerating new development across Silicon Valley, with firms including Prologis and Goodman Group planning major data center projects while utilities upgrade regional power infrastructure to support increased energy consumption.

Source: The Real Deal

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Anthropic IPO Buzz Grows as Company Reports 80x Growth and Expands SpaceX Partnership

  • Snap Says $400M Perplexity Partnership Ended Before Wider Rollout

  • Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI Brings Internal Safety Concerns Into Public View

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Stockholm Startup Pit Raises €13.6 Million

  • Moonshot AI Raises $2 Billion

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • SpaceX Proposes Massive Texas Semiconductor Facility Called ‘Terafab’

  • Denmark Halts New Large Data Center Grid Connections Amid Surging Power Demand

Anthropic IPO Buzz Grows as Company Reports 80x Growth and Expands SpaceX Partnership

Anthropic is drawing increased attention from investors ahead of a potential IPO after executives disclosed that the company’s annualized growth rate reached roughly 80x in early 2026, far exceeding internal expectations.

The company’s revenue run rate has reportedly surpassed $30 billion, fueled by strong enterprise demand for its Claude AI models and coding tools.

Anthropic also signed a major infrastructure agreement with SpaceX to access the full capacity of the Colossus 1 data center in Memphis, adding more than 220,000 Nvidia GPUs to its compute resources.

The combination of rapid revenue growth, massive infrastructure expansion, and rising private-market valuations has intensified speculation about a public offering later this year.

Source: Blocknow

Snap Says $400M Perplexity Partnership Ended Before Wider Rollout

Snap disclosed that its planned $400 million partnership with Perplexity has been terminated by mutual agreement, ending a deal that was intended to integrate AI-powered search into Snapchat.

The arrangement, announced in late 2025, would have embedded Perplexity’s conversational search engine into Snapchat’s chat interface and contributed revenue to Snap beginning in 2026.

Snap said the relationship “amicably ended” during the first quarter after the companies failed to align on a broader rollout strategy.

The cancellation comes as Snap continues investing in AI features and reports renewed user and revenue growth.

Source: Tech Crunch

Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Against OpenAI Brings Internal Safety Concerns Into Public View

Testimony in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI has focused heavily on whether the company shifted away from its original mission of prioritizing AI safety.

Former OpenAI safety researcher Rosie Campbell told the court that safety-focused teams were dismantled as the organization became increasingly product-driven, while former board member Tasha McCauley described concerns about transparency and governance under CEO Sam Altman.

Witnesses cited incidents involving GPT-4 deployments and alleged failures to follow internal review processes, arguing that commercial pressures weakened oversight.

OpenAI maintains that it still prioritizes safety and has rejected Musk’s claims that the company abandoned its founding principles.

Source: Tech Crunch

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Stockholm Startup Pit Raises €13.6 Million to Build AI Product Teams for Enterprises

Swedish startup Pit emerged from stealth with €13.6 million in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz as it launches a platform designed to provide “AI product teams as a service” for enterprises.

Founded by former leaders from companies including Klarna, Voi, and iZettle, Pit aims to replace traditional internal software systems with custom AI-driven operational tools.

The company says businesses will be able to rapidly build and deploy production-grade internal software without relying on rigid SaaS products or large in-house engineering teams.

The funding round also included participation from Lakestar and executives tied to OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Deel, and Revolut.

Source: EU-Startups

Moonshot AI Raises $2 Billion as Chinese Open-Source AI Market Accelerates

Beijing-based Moonshot AI has raised approximately $2 billion at a reported $20 billion valuation as investor interest in Chinese open-source AI models continues to expand.

The company, best known for its Kimi family of large language models, has become one of China’s fastest-growing AI firms after its coding-focused models gained traction with developers earlier this year.

The funding round was led by Meituan’s venture arm and included participation from major Chinese institutional investors.

Moonshot’s rapid valuation growth reflects broader demand for lower-cost open-weight AI models despite ongoing competition with U.S.-based AI labs.

Source: Tech Funding News

SpaceX Proposes Massive Texas Semiconductor Facility Called ‘Terafab’

SpaceX is considering building a semiconductor manufacturing complex in Texas that could ultimately cost as much as $119 billion, according to filings tied to the proposed “Terafab” project.

The facility would initially involve roughly $55 billion in investment and is intended to manufacture chips for AI servers, robotics, autonomous vehicles, satellites, and future space-based data centers across Elon Musk’s companies.

Intel has joined the effort, which is part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on outside chip suppliers and vertically integrate AI infrastructure.

Local officials in Grimes County are reviewing tax incentives for the project as SpaceX evaluates multiple possible sites.

Source: Tech Crunch

Denmark Halts New Large Data Center Grid Connections Amid Surging Power Demand

Denmark has imposed a temporary pause on new large-scale electricity grid connections after requests for power capacity surged far beyond the country’s existing demand levels.

The grid operator, Energinet, said total applications reached roughly 60 gigawatts, including major demand from data centers tied to AI infrastructure expansion.

Officials said the three-month moratorium is intended to help authorities reassess grid capacity and prioritize realistic projects as concerns grow over energy strain and infrastructure planning.

Denmark joins several other countries that have begun tightening rules around large AI and data center developments due to mounting pressure on power systems.

Source: CNBC

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • China blocks Meta from buying AI startup Manus

  • EU orders Google to open Android to rival AI services

  • Anthropic investigating claim of unauthorised access to Mythos AI tool

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Former Google DeepMind researcher’s AI startup raises record $1.1 billion seed funding to pursue superintelligence

  • AI startups Cohere, Aleph Alpha to merge with $600M in new funding

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Keppel starts work on floating data center in Singapore

  • Google’s Latest TPU Advances Make the AI Hardware Race Feel Less One-Sided

China blocks Meta from buying AI startup Manus

China has blocked Meta’s acquisition of AI startup Manus, ordering all parties to withdraw from the deal following a national security review of foreign investment.

Authorities did not provide detailed reasons but signaled concerns over the transfer of advanced AI technology, reflecting tighter regulatory control amid intensifying US-China competition.

Manus, known for its autonomous AI agent capable of complex multi-step tasks, was expected to strengthen Meta’s AI offerings across its platforms.

The decision underscores Beijing’s growing stance that advanced AI capabilities are strategic assets subject to strict oversight.

Source: EuroNews

EU orders Google to open Android to rival AI services

The European Commission has proposed measures requiring Google to allow competing artificial intelligence services access to its Android operating system under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.

The move aims to prevent Google from giving preferential treatment to its own AI tools, such as Gemini, and to ensure fair competition in the rapidly expanding AI market.

Officials argue that broader access will support innovation and consumer choice across the EU’s digital ecosystem.

The proposal forms part of ongoing efforts to enforce stricter rules on major tech platforms designated as “gatekeepers.”

Source: Euractiv

Anthropic investigating claim of unauthorised access to Mythos AI tool

Anthropic is investigating reports that a small group accessed its restricted Claude Mythos AI model through a third-party vendor environment without proper authorization.

The company said it has found no evidence its core systems were breached, suggesting the incident may involve misuse of existing access rather than a direct hack.

The case highlights growing concerns over controlling powerful “frontier” AI tools designed for cybersecurity, which could pose risks if misused.

Officials and experts emphasize both the potential benefits of such systems and the need for stricter safeguards to prevent unauthorized use.

Source: BBC

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Former Google DeepMind researcher’s AI startup raises record $1.1 billion seed funding to pursue superintelligence

Ineffable Intelligence, a startup founded by former DeepMind researcher David Silver, has raised a record $1.1 billion seed round, valuing the company at $5.1 billion.

Backed by major investors including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Nvidia and Google, the firm aims to develop “superintelligence” using reinforcement learning systems that learn from experience rather than human-generated data.

The funding marks the largest seed investment in Europe and reflects a broader trend of top AI researchers leaving big tech companies to launch well-funded ventures.

The surge of investment highlights intensifying competition to lead the next generation of advanced AI systems.

Source: CNBC

AI startups Cohere, Aleph Alpha to merge with $600M in new funding

AI firms Cohere and Aleph Alpha have announced plans to merge, backed by a $600 million structured financing commitment led by Germany’s Schwarz Group.

The combined company will focus on delivering “sovereign” and customized AI solutions tailored to highly regulated sectors such as government, finance and healthcare.

Cohere brings large-scale language models and enterprise tools, while Aleph Alpha contributes expertise in compliance-focused AI and European public sector relationships.

The deal reflects a broader push to build competitive, regionally controlled AI capabilities amid intensifying global competition.

Source: Silicon Angle

Keppel starts work on floating data center in Singapore

Keppel has begun construction of a 25MW floating data center in Singapore, a project slated to go live in 2028 and already backed by a hyperscale customer.

The facility, cooled using seawater and partly built on a floating platform, is designed to address land, energy, and water constraints faced by traditional data centers.

The development follows years of planning since 2019 and regulatory approval in 2023, highlighting growing interest in offshore infrastructure solutions.

Similar floating data center concepts are being explored globally as demand for scalable and sustainable computing capacity increases.

Source: Data Center Dynamics

Google’s Latest TPU Advances Make the AI Hardware Race Feel Less One-Sided

Google’s development of custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) is emerging as a key factor in challenging Nvidia’s dominance in AI hardware, with the company highlighting major cost reductions and performance gains.

Its latest chips, including the seventh-generation Ironwood TPU, have helped cut the cost of running Gemini AI services by 78% while supporting rapid growth in its cloud business.

Alphabet plans to invest up to $185 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, betting that in-house silicon will improve margins and attract enterprise customers.

The upcoming earnings report is expected to test whether these investments can translate into sustained competitive advantage in the AI infrastructure race.

Source: 24/7 Wall Street

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman, John Ternus to become Apple CEO

  • FTC settles with Clarifai and OkCupid over facial recognition AI practices

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Bezos backs Project Prometheus, a $10B AI lab at $38B valuation

  • Egypt’s SinaiAI raises $1.45M to build AI-native interactive books

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • AI chip demand may keep memory prices elevated for years

  • NTT plans 200MW data center campus outside Tokyo

Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman, John Ternus to become Apple CEO

Apple announced a leadership transition in which Tim Cook will move into the role of executive chairman while current hardware chief John Ternus will become CEO.

The shift marks a planned succession as Apple seeks continuity in its long-term strategy and product roadmap. Ternus, a longtime executive, has been closely involved in key hardware developments, positioning him as a natural successor.

Cook will remain involved at a strategic level, focusing on broader company direction and governance.

Source: Apple Newsroom

FTC settles with Clarifai and OkCupid over facial recognition AI practices

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with Clarifai and OkCupid over alleged misuse of facial recognition technology and data practices.

Regulators found that the companies failed to adequately obtain consent and properly manage biometric data used in AI training.

The agreement imposes restrictions on future data usage and mandates stronger privacy safeguards. The case reflects growing scrutiny of AI companies’ handling of sensitive personal information.

Source: Tech Crunch

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Bezos backs Project Prometheus, a $10B AI lab at $38B valuation

A new artificial intelligence venture known as Project Prometheus has secured backing from Jeff Bezos, targeting $10 billion in funding at a reported $38 billion valuation.

The initiative aims to build advanced AI systems and infrastructure to compete with leading global players.

Early details suggest a focus on large-scale models and enterprise applications. The scale of investment highlights intensifying competition in the AI sector.

Source: Tech Funding News

Egypt’s SinaiAI raises $1.45M to build AI-native interactive books

Egypt-based startup SinaiAI has raised $1.45 million in pre-seed funding to develop interactive, AI-native digital books.

The company aims to transform traditional reading by embedding conversational AI and adaptive content into educational materials.

Its platform is designed to personalize learning experiences and increase engagement.

The funding will support product development and regional expansion.

Source: Wanda

AI chip demand may keep memory prices elevated for years

Rising demand for AI chips is expected to sustain high memory prices, driven by the need for advanced components like high-bandwidth memory.

Manufacturers are struggling to keep pace with demand from data centers and AI developers. Analysts warn that supply constraints could persist, affecting costs across the tech industry.

The trend underscores how AI growth is reshaping semiconductor markets.

Source: Digital Trends

NTT plans 200MW data center campus outside Tokyo

NTT announced plans to build a 200MW data center campus near Tokyo to support growing demand for cloud and AI infrastructure.

The project is part of a broader expansion strategy to scale capacity in key markets.

It will incorporate energy-efficient technologies and aim to meet sustainability targets.

The development reflects continued investment in hyperscale data infrastructure in Japan.

Source: Data Center Dynamics

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Anthropic Labs introduces Claude Design

  • OpenAI executive Kevin Weil is leaving the company

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Cursor in talks to raise $2B at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges

  • Factory hits $1.5B valuation to build AI coding for enterprises

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Singapore’s Flex to invest $1B in Mexico AI data centers

  • Analytics group signals possible delays at 40% of AI data center construction sites

Anthropic Labs introduces Claude Design

Anthropic has unveiled Claude Design, an experimental tool from its Labs unit that allows users to create presentations, prototypes, and other visual outputs through natural language prompts.

Built on the Claude Opus 4.7 model, it supports iterative editing, reuse of design systems, and exporting to formats like PDF and PowerPoint.

The release is limited to a research preview for paid users as the company evaluates real-world use. The product signals Anthropic’s move to extend its AI beyond text into design and creative workflows.

Source: Anthropic

OpenAI executive Kevin Weil is leaving the company

Kevin Weil, who has overseen product and engineering at OpenAI, is stepping down amid internal changes to the company’s structure and priorities.

His departure follows efforts to consolidate teams and refocus resources on core offerings such as coding and general-purpose AI tools.

Weil had been involved in shaping several major initiatives during a period of rapid growth. The shift reflects broader leadership and strategic adjustments as OpenAI continues to evolve its product lineup.

Source: Wired

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Cursor in talks to raise $2B at $50B valuation as enterprise growth surges

Cursor is negotiating a potential $2 billion funding round that could value the AI coding startup at about $50 billion, according to sources.

The company has gained traction with large organizations adopting its tools to streamline software development, contributing to strong revenue expansion.

Investors are increasingly focused on AI developer platforms as one of the most commercially viable areas in the sector. If completed, the deal would place Cursor among the highest-valued private AI companies.

Source: Tech Crunch

Factory hits $1.5B valuation to build AI coding for enterprises

Factory has secured fresh capital that brings its valuation to $1.5 billion, as it builds AI tools designed for enterprise software teams.

The startup’s platform aims to automate coding processes and integrate into existing corporate systems, targeting efficiency gains for developers.

Its rise highlights the intensifying race among companies offering AI-assisted programming solutions. The funding round underscores sustained investor interest in enterprise-focused AI applications.

Source: Tech Crunch

Singapore’s Flex to invest $1B in Mexico AI data centers

Flex plans to commit $1 billion to develop AI-oriented data center infrastructure in Mexico, aiming to meet rising demand for computing capacity.

The facilities are expected to support cloud services and enterprise workloads tied to artificial intelligence.

The move aligns with Mexico’s growing appeal as a destination for technology investment linked to nearshoring trends. It also reflects the global push to expand infrastructure needed for large-scale AI deployment.

Source: BNAmericas

Analytics group signals possible delays at 40% of AI data center construction sites

A new analysis using satellite imagery indicates that about 40% of AI data center projects may be running behind schedule.

The report points to construction bottlenecks and supply challenges, though companies involved dispute the findings and say timelines remain intact.

The contrast highlights uncertainty around how quickly new capacity can be brought online.

The issue is significant as demand for AI infrastructure continues to accelerate.

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Alibaba Leads $290 Million Investment in ShengShu for New AI ‘World Model’ Push

  • Anthropic Temporarily Suspends OpenClaw Creator’s Claude Access

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Finally Foods Raises Pre-Seed Funding for Potato-Based Dairy Protein Technology

  • UK MHRA Expands AI Airlock Programme With £36 Million Funding Boost

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • OpenAI Pauses UK Data Centre Deal Over Energy Costs and Regulation

  • Nvidia Demonstrates Neural Texture Compression Slashing VRAM Usage

Alibaba Leads $290 Million Investment in ShengShu for New AI ‘World Model’ Push

Alibaba Cloud has led a 2 billion yuan ($290 million) funding round for Chinese startup ShengShu, the company behind AI video platform Vidu, as it expands beyond traditional large language models into “world model” artificial intelligence.

The investment will support development of AI systems trained on video and physical-world data to better simulate real-world environments for uses such as robotics and autonomous driving.

The move reflects growing industry interest in AI models designed to understand physical space and sensory input rather than text alone.

Source: CNBC

Anthropic Temporarily Suspends OpenClaw Creator’s Claude Access

Anthropic briefly suspended developer Peter Steinberger, creator of the OpenClaw AI agent framework, from accessing Claude after flagging his account for suspicious activity before later reinstating it.

The incident follows Anthropic’s recent decision to stop allowing Claude subscriptions to cover usage through third-party tools like OpenClaw, instead requiring separate API-based billing.

Steinberger criticized the move, suggesting Anthropic is restricting open-source tools while expanding its own competing agent offerings.

The episode has fueled broader debate over Anthropic’s relationship with outside developers building on its models.

Source: Tech Crunch

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Finally Foods Raises Pre-Seed Funding for Potato-Based Dairy Protein Technology

Food biotech startup Finally Foods has secured pre-seed funding to advance its molecular farming platform that produces casein, a key dairy protein, in genetically engineered potatoes.

The company aims to create animal-free dairy ingredients for cheese and other products while reducing the environmental footprint associated with conventional dairy production.

The funding will support research, scale-up efforts, and continued development of its protein extraction process.

Finally Foods is part of a growing group of startups pursuing plant-based molecular farming as an alternative protein production method.

Source: GreenQueen

UK MHRA Expands AI Airlock Programme With £36 Million Funding Boost

The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is expanding its AI Airlock programme with £36 million in funding over the next three years to support testing of AI-powered healthcare technologies.

The programme provides developers with a regulatory sandbox to trial medical AI systems while working directly with regulators on compliance and safety issues.

Officials said the expanded funding will allow more projects to participate and strengthen the UK’s regulatory infrastructure for emerging health technologies.

The initiative is intended to accelerate safe adoption of AI medical tools while maintaining oversight standards.

Source: Gov.uk

OpenAI Pauses UK Data Centre Deal Over Energy Costs and Regulation

OpenAI has paused plans for a major UK data centre project, citing concerns over high energy prices and regulatory barriers that executives say make Britain less attractive for large-scale AI infrastructure investment.

The company had been evaluating the UK as part of its broader international expansion but is now reassessing the proposal while continuing talks with government officials.

Industry figures have warned that the UK risks losing technology investment unless it improves power availability and streamlines planning rules for data centre construction.

The development adds pressure on ministers as they seek to position Britain as a global hub for artificial intelligence.

Source: BBC

Nvidia Demonstrates Neural Texture Compression Slashing VRAM Usage

Nvidia has showcased new Neural Texture Compression technology that reduced VRAM consumption in a demo from 6.5GB to 970MB while maintaining near-original image quality.

The system uses small neural networks to compress and decode textures more efficiently than traditional block compression methods, potentially allowing for smaller game installs and reduced memory requirements.

Nvidia said the approach could also preserve more visual detail at equivalent memory budgets compared with current techniques. The technology is part of the company’s broader push into AI-assisted rendering beyond DLSS.

Source: VideoCardz

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Claude Code leak puts Anthropic on the other side of the copyright battle

  • MIT researchers use AI to uncover atomic defects in materials

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Nomadic raises $8.4 million to manage data from autonomous vehicles

  • Yupp shuts down after raising $33M from a16z crypto and others

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • AI data center waste heat could be used for water purification and carbon capture

  • Data centers’ climate impact is larger than reported

Claude Code leak puts Anthropic on the other side of the copyright battle

Anthropic moved to issue copyright takedown notices after accidentally leaking parts of its Claude Code software on GitHub, exposing internal tools used to run its AI coding assistant.

The incident, caused by human error during a software update, did not compromise core models or user data but revealed enough technical detail to interest competitors.

It comes as Anthropic and other AI firms face ongoing lawsuits over alleged misuse of copyrighted material in training data. This highlights a contradiction between the company’s reliance on copyright protections and the legal challenges it faces over its own data practices.

Source: Business Insider

MIT researchers use AI to uncover atomic defects in materials

MIT scientists developed an AI system capable of identifying atomic-scale defects in materials with high precision, a task that traditionally requires extensive manual analysis.

The model analyzes microscopy images to detect subtle irregularities that influence a material’s properties, potentially accelerating research in electronics, energy storage, and advanced manufacturing.

Researchers demonstrated that the system can generalize across different materials, improving both speed and consistency compared to conventional methods. The work could enable faster discovery and optimization of materials for technologies such as semiconductors and batteries.

Source: MIT News

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Nomadic raises $8.4 million to manage data from autonomous vehicles

Nomadic has secured $8.4 million in funding to address the growing volume of data generated by autonomous vehicles. The company provides infrastructure to organize, process, and analyze sensor data, helping developers improve performance and safety.

As AV systems generate massive datasets, managing that information efficiently has become a key bottleneck in the industry. Nomadic aims to streamline workflows for companies building self-driving technology.

Source: TechCrunch

Yupp shuts down after raising $33M from a16z crypto and others

Yupp, a startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm, has shut down despite raising $33 million to build a decentralized social platform.

The company struggled to gain sustained user traction and faced challenges common to crypto-based consumer apps, including unclear value propositions and market volatility.

Its closure underscores broader difficulties in turning Web3 social products into viable businesses. Investors and founders are increasingly reassessing the viability of consumer-focused crypto ventures.

Source: TechCrunch

AI data center waste heat could be used for water purification and carbon capture

The European Commission highlighted research showing that waste heat from AI data centers could be repurposed for applications such as water purification and carbon capture.

As data centers expand rapidly, their energy consumption and heat output have become significant environmental concerns.

Using this excess heat could improve overall efficiency and reduce emissions while supporting sustainability goals. The approach is being explored as part of broader efforts to make digital infrastructure more environmentally friendly.

Source: European Commission

Data centers’ climate impact is larger than reported

Data centers’ environmental footprint may be significantly underestimated, with indirect emissions and supply chain impacts often excluded from official figures.

As demand for AI and cloud computing grows, energy use and water consumption are rising तेजी, putting pressure on local resources and climate targets.

Experts warn that without better transparency and efficiency measures, the sector’s impact could expand rapidly. The report calls for more comprehensive accounting and stronger policies to manage the industry’s environmental costs.

Source: CNN

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Google’s TurboQuant Breakthrough Shrinks AI Models While Preserving Performance

  • OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video App and Ends $1bn Disney Partnership

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Conntour Secures $7M to Turn Security Footage into Searchable AI Data

  • Deccan AI Raises $25M to Scale Human Workforce Powering AI Training

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • UK Tax Authority Backs AWS Transition from Data Centres to Cloud

  • ABB and VoltaGrid Deepen Partnership to Power Next-Generation Data Centres

Google’s TurboQuant Breakthrough Shrinks AI Models While Preserving Performance

Google researchers introduce TurboQuant, a new compression technique that significantly reduces the size and computational demands of large AI models while preserving performance. The approach combines aggressive quantization with optimization strategies that maintain accuracy across key benchmarks.

This enables faster inference and lower energy use, making advanced AI more practical for deployment on limited hardware. The work reflects ongoing efforts to make AI systems more efficient and scalable without requiring ever-increasing compute resources.

Source: Google Research

OpenAI Shuts Down Sora Video App and Ends $1bn Disney Partnership

OpenAI has discontinued its Sora video-generation app less than two years after its high-profile launch, alongside cancelling a planned $1bn content deal with Disney.

The company said it is shifting focus toward areas like robotics and autonomous “agentic” AI, moving away from video-generation tools entirely. Sora struggled with monetisation, generating far less revenue than ChatGPT, while also facing issues around misinformation, copyright, and misuse.

The closure reflects growing competitive pressure and strategic reprioritisation as OpenAI seeks more sustainable and scalable AI applications.

Source: BBC

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Conntour Secures $7M to Turn Security Footage into Searchable AI Data

Startup Conntour has secured $7 million in funding led by General Catalyst and Y Combinator to develop an AI-powered search engine for security video systems.

Its platform aims to make large volumes of surveillance footage searchable using natural language queries, improving efficiency for enterprises and security teams.

The company positions its technology as a way to extract actionable insights from otherwise underutilized video data. The funding will support product development and expansion into new markets.

Source: Tech Crunch

Deccan AI Raises $25M to Scale Human Workforce Powering AI Training

Deccan AI has raised $25 million to expand its workforce focused on training and refining AI models, leveraging talent based in India. The company provides human-in-the-loop services that help improve model accuracy, particularly for complex or domain-specific tasks.

Investors see growing demand for high-quality data annotation and model evaluation as AI adoption accelerates. The funding will be used to scale operations and enhance training infrastructure.

Source: Tech Crunch

UK Tax Authority Backs AWS Transition from Data Centres to Cloud

HM Revenue & Customs is facilitating Amazon Web Services’ transition from traditional data centres to cloud-based infrastructure as part of a broader modernization effort. The move is expected to improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, and align with sustainability goals.

HMRC’s involvement includes regulatory and logistical support to ensure compliance and smooth implementation. The shift reflects a wider trend among large organizations moving toward scalable cloud solutions.

Source: Data Centre Magazine

ABB and VoltaGrid Deepen Partnership to Power Next-Generation Data Centres

ABB and VoltaGrid have extended their collaboration to deliver advanced power infrastructure solutions for data centres, addressing rising energy demands driven by AI and digital services. The partnership focuses on integrating flexible, scalable energy systems to improve reliability and efficiency.

Both companies aim to support rapid data centre expansion while managing environmental and operational challenges. The agreement underscores the critical role of power innovation in sustaining digital growth.

Source: ABB News

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Generative AI improves a wireless vision system that sees through obstructions

  • DoorDash launches a new tasks app that pays couriers to submit videos to train AI

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • General Catalyst backs California’s AutoScience in $14M round to replace researchers with AI

  • Sequen snags $16M to bring TikTok-style personalization tech to any consumer company

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Nvidia networking division building a multibillion-dollar behemoth to rival its chips business

  • Ecolab to acquire CoolIT Systems for $4.75 billion

Generative AI improves a wireless vision system that sees through obstructions

MIT researchers have enhanced a wireless sensing system by integrating generative AI to reconstruct the shapes of objects hidden behind walls or obstacles.

The approach uses reflected radio signals to form partial images and then fills in missing details with trained AI models, significantly improving accuracy over prior methods.

The system can also map entire indoor environments and track human movement without cameras, preserving privacy.

Researchers say the technology could improve robotics applications such as warehouse automation and assistive home systems.

Source: MIT News

DoorDash launches a new tasks app that pays couriers to submit videos to train AI

DoorDash has introduced a new app that pays delivery workers to capture and upload short videos of restaurants and surroundings to help train its AI systems.

The collected footage is intended to improve mapping, store accuracy, and operational data used across the platform.

The initiative reflects a broader trend of companies sourcing real-world data from gig workers to enhance machine learning models.

DoorDash positions the program as a flexible way for couriers to earn additional income.

Source: Tech Crunch

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

General Catalyst backs California’s AutoScience in $14M round to replace researchers with AI

AutoScience, a California-based startup, has raised $14 million led by General Catalyst to develop AI systems aimed at automating scientific research processes.

The company is building tools that can generate hypotheses, design experiments, and analyze results with minimal human involvement.

Its goal is to accelerate discovery while reducing reliance on traditional lab workflows.

The funding highlights growing investor interest in AI-driven approaches to research and development.

Source: Tech Funding News

Sequen snags $16M to bring TikTok-style personalization tech to any consumer company

Sequen has raised $16 million to expand a platform that enables businesses to deliver highly personalized, short-form content experiences similar to TikTok.

Its technology uses AI to tailor feeds and recommendations in real time based on user behavior.

The company aims to help consumer brands increase engagement and retention without building complex in-house systems.

Investors are betting that demand for advanced personalization tools will grow beyond social media platforms.

Source: Tech Crunch

Nvidia networking division building a multibillion-dollar behemoth to rival its chips business

Nvidia’s networking division has grown rapidly into a multibillion-dollar business, driven by demand for infrastructure that supports AI workloads.

The unit, bolstered by acquisitions such as Mellanox, provides high-speed interconnects critical for data centers running large-scale AI models.

Executives see networking as a major long-term growth driver alongside the company’s dominant chip business.

The expansion reflects how AI computing increasingly depends on both processing power and advanced data movement technologies.

Source: Tech Crunch

Ecolab to acquire CoolIT Systems for $4.75 billion

Ecolab has agreed to acquire liquid cooling company CoolIT Systems for $4.75 billion as demand rises for data center cooling solutions.

CoolIT specializes in advanced cooling technologies used in high-performance computing environments, including those supporting AI workloads.

The deal signals increasing investment in infrastructure needed to manage the heat generated by modern data centers.

Ecolab aims to expand its presence in the fast-growing digital infrastructure market through the acquisition.

Source: Reuters

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Anthropic sues US government after being labelled “supply chain risk”

  • AI to help researchers see the bigger picture in cell biology

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Wonderful raises $150M Series B at $2B valuation

  • Sales automation startup Rox AI hits $1.2B valuation

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • BlackRock invests $100M in AI infrastructure workforce

  • UK approves £10B AI data centre campus in North Lincolnshire

Anthropic sues US government after being labelled “supply chain risk”

Anthropic has filed a lawsuit against the US government after the Pentagon labelled it a “supply chain risk” following a dispute over military use of its AI systems.

The conflict escalated after CEO Dario Amodei refused to remove safeguards in defence contracts that restrict uses such as autonomous lethal weapons and mass surveillance, prompting the Trump administration to direct agencies to stop using the firm’s tools.

Anthropic argues the designation is unlawful retaliation that harms its reputation and violates constitutional free-speech protections, while the White House says the company is attempting to dictate military policy.

The lawsuit seeks a court ruling overturning the designation rather than financial damages, and could ultimately reach the US Supreme Court.

Source: BBC News

AI to help researchers see the bigger picture in cell biology

Researchers at MIT and collaborating institutions have developed a machine-learning framework that integrates multiple types of cellular measurements to better understand how cells function.

The system distinguishes which biological information is shared across different measurement methods and which is unique to each technique, enabling a more complete picture of a cell’s state.

By mapping these relationships, the approach could help scientists study diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes more effectively and guide decisions about which experiments to run.

The research appears in Nature Computational Science and aims to improve how complex cellular data is analyzed.

Source: MIT News

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Wonderful raises $150M Series B at $2B valuation

Israeli startup Wonderful has raised $150 million in a Series B funding round led by Insight Partners, valuing the company at $2 billion just four months after its Series A.

The company develops AI agents designed to handle enterprise customer service tasks, with a focus on tailoring systems for non-English-speaking markets and integrating them directly into client operations.

Wonderful says it operates in 30 countries across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific and plans to expand further using the new capital.

The funding will also support a rapid hiring push as the company scales its deployment teams and technology platform.

Source: Tech Crunch

Sales automation startup Rox AI hits $1.2B valuation

Rox, a startup building autonomous AI agents to improve sales productivity, has reached a $1.2 billion valuation following a new funding round led by returning investor General Catalyst, according to sources.

Founded in 2024 by former New Relic executive Ishan Mukherjee, the company develops an AI-driven revenue operating system that integrates with existing tools like Salesforce and Zendesk.

The platform deploys agents that monitor accounts, identify opportunities, and automatically update CRM systems to streamline sales workflows.

Rox was expected to finish 2025 with about $8 million in annual recurring revenue and counts companies including Ramp and MongoDB among its customers

Source: Tech Crunch

BlackRock invests $100m in AI infrastructure workforce

BlackRock has committed $100 million to workforce development programs aimed at training skilled tradespeople needed to build infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence.

The funding will support initiatives that train electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and other workers critical to constructing data centers and related systems.

The investment reflects growing concern across the technology sector that shortages of skilled labor could slow the expansion of AI infrastructure.

BlackRock said the program will partner with nonprofits and training organizations to strengthen the pipeline of workers required for large-scale digital and energy projects.

Source: Data Center News

UK approves £10bn AI data centre campus in North Lincolnshire

Plans for one of the UK’s largest artificial intelligence data centre campuses have been approved in North Lincolnshire, with the Elsham Tech Park development set to be built near Elsham Wolds Industrial Estate.

The project could attract up to £10bn in investment and deliver around 900 long-term skilled jobs, alongside thousands of construction roles during a decade-long build.

The 435-acre site is planned to include up to 15 data centre buildings and provide as much as 1GW of computing capacity, placing it among the country’s largest proposed AI infrastructure projects.

Developers also plan to use waste heat from the facilities to power a greenhouse complex that would grow agricultural produce.

Source: BBC News

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • OpenAI releases GPT-5.4 with major upgrades for reasoning and professional tasks

  • AI model predicts Alzheimer’s using MRI brain volume changes with nearly 93% accuracy

  • ChatGPT uninstallations surge after U.S. Department of Defense AI deal

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Cybervergent raises $3 million to expand AI-driven compliance platform across Africa

  • City Detect raises $13M Series A

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • AI cloud firm Iren orders 50,000 Nvidia B300 GPUs for large-scale data centers

  • Banking & payments services disrupted after Amazon UAE data centers hit in drone strikes

OpenAI releases GPT-5.4 with major upgrades for reasoning and professional tasks

OpenAI has introduced GPT-5.4, a new AI model designed to improve reasoning, coding, and complex professional tasks.

The release includes variants such as GPT-5.4 Thinking for deeper reasoning and GPT-5.4 Pro for demanding workloads, along with a context window of up to one million tokens through the API.

According to OpenAI, the model reduces hallucinations by roughly 33% compared with earlier versions and performs strongly on benchmarks related to knowledge work and computer use. The update also expands tool-use capabilities, allowing the model to integrate external resources more efficiently.

Source: Interesting Engineering

AI model predicts Alzheimer’s using MRI brain volume changes with nearly 93% accuracy

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute developed a machine-learning system that analyzes MRI scans to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease with 92.87% accuracy.

The model examined volume measurements across 95 brain regions using 815 MRI scans from patients with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s.

It identified significant shrinkage in regions including the hippocampus, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex as key indicators of disease progression. The researchers say the approach could help enable earlier diagnosis and guide treatment strategies.

Source: Medical Xpress

ChatGPT uninstallations surge after U.S. Department of Defense AI deal

ChatGPT uninstallations reportedly rose by 295% following news of OpenAI’s partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, which drew criticism from some users concerned about military applications of AI.

The agreement involves using AI systems to support defense operations, prompting backlash among individuals opposed to such uses.

Despite the spike in removals, analysts note that overall ChatGPT adoption remains strong across businesses and consumers. The response highlights ongoing debate over the role of advanced AI systems in government and military contexts.

Source: Techputs

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Cybervergent secures $3M seed funding to expand AI-driven compliance platform in Africa

Cybervergent has raised $3 million in seed funding to expand its AI-powered regulatory compliance platform across African markets. The platform helps organizations automate compliance monitoring, risk assessments, and cybersecurity management using machine-learning tools.

The company plans to use the funding to accelerate product development, expand its market reach, and grow its team. Demand for automated compliance solutions is increasing as businesses across Africa face more complex regulatory and data protection requirements.

Source: Tech Africa News

City Detect raises $13M in Series A

Startup City Detect has developed an AI platform that analyzes video from city cameras to identify safety hazards, vandalism, and sanitation problems in real time.

The system can detect issues such as illegal dumping, graffiti, damaged infrastructure, and suspicious activity, allowing municipal workers to respond more quickly.

By integrating with existing camera networks, the technology aims to reduce operational costs and improve city service efficiency. Several municipalities are currently testing the system as part of broader smart-city initiatives.

Source: Tech Crunch

AI cloud firm Iren orders 50,000 Nvidia B300 GPUs for large-scale data centers

AI cloud provider Iren has agreed to purchase 50,000 Nvidia B300 GPUs to expand infrastructure for large-scale artificial intelligence workloads. The chips will be deployed across new and existing data centers to support enterprise AI training and inference.

The order reflects surging demand for advanced GPU capacity driven by generative AI development. It also highlights increasing competition among cloud providers to secure high-performance hardware needed to run next-generation AI systems.

Source: Data Center Dynamics

Banking & payments services disrupted after Amazon UAE data centers hit in drone strikes

Escalating tensions involving Iran have raised concerns about drone attacks targeting infrastructure near major cloud data centers in the United Arab Emirates. Security analysts warn that facilities supporting companies such as AWS could face indirect risks if regional conflict spreads.

Although no major cloud disruptions have occurred, companies are reviewing contingency plans and strengthening physical security measures. The situation highlights the potential vulnerability of critical digital infrastructure during geopolitical conflicts.

Source: CNBC

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Nokia and AWS pilot AI automation for real-time 5G network slicing

  • Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank test agentic AI for trade surveillance

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Dutch AI inference chipmaker Axelera AI raises $250M

  • Y Combinator-backed AI insurance brokerage Harper raises $45M

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Google acquires 900-hectare site in Finland for data center development

  • Hyundai drives South Korea’s $6.3B AI push with data center energy plan

Nokia and AWS pilot AI automation for real-time 5G network slicing

Nokia and Amazon Web Services have unveiled a pilot deployment of an agentic AI-powered 5G-Advanced network slicing solution that uses AI agents to monitor live network conditions and automatically adjust resource allocation across virtual network slices.

The collaboration integrates Nokia’s AirScale and MantaRay platforms with AWS’s Bedrock AI to infer patterns from network KPIs and real-world data like events, traffic and weather, enabling intent-based service provisioning without manual reconfiguration.

Operators du and Orange are testing the system on live networks, aiming to deliver adaptive, premium connectivity for enterprise, mission-critical, and high-demand scenarios.

The innovation is designed to help carriers unlock new revenue streams and improve service level adherence by making slicing decisions in real time.

Source: AI News

Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank test agentic AI for trade surveillance

Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank are exploring the use of agentic artificial intelligence for trade surveillance, seeking to automate pattern detection and compliance workflows traditionally handled by humans.

The initiative reflects a broader shift within financial services toward leveraging autonomous AI agents to manage high-volume, rules-based processes like fraud detection and regulatory monitoring.

While early discussions highlight the potential for increased efficiency, banks are also focused on explainability and audit trails to ensure decisions made by AI are transparent and defensible.

Adoption at this stage is experimental, with firms still refining how agentic models integrate with existing systems and governance frameworks.

Source: AI News

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Dutch AI inference chipmaker Axelera AI raises $250M

Axelera AI, a Netherlands-based startup specializing in energy-efficient AI inference hardware and software, has raised $250 million in a funding round to accelerate the development and commercialization of its edge AI solutions.

The company focuses on low-power AI inference platforms for applications spanning security, automotive, industrial automation, IoT and healthcare.

The investment will support scaling operations and advancing its chiplet and software stack to meet growing demand for distributed AI compute outside traditional cloud environments.

Axelera AI’s growth reflects broader investor interest in specialized AI hardware optimized for performance and efficiency at the network edge.

Source: Silicon Angle

Y Combinator-backed AI insurance brokerage Harper raises $45M

Harper, an AI-native commercial insurance brokerage founded by Dakotah Rice and Tushar Nair, has secured $46.8–$47 million in combined seed and Series A funding led by Emergence Capital, with participation from Y Combinator and others.

The platform uses AI to automate labor-intensive brokerage tasks such as application processing, submission routing, and underwriter engagement, enabling coverage decisions in one to two days versus the traditional five-to-seven-day timeframe.

Harper currently serves over 5,000 small and mid-sized business clients across more than 160 carriers and plans to use the new capital to expand engineering, deepen carrier relationships, and scale operations.

Investors noted the round represents one of the largest publicly disclosed Series A financings by a Black founder.

Source: Tech Crunch

Google acquires 900-hectare site in Finland for data center development

Google has acquired approximately 900 hectares of land near Vaala in central Finland to support future data center development, marking a significant expansion of its infrastructure footprint in the region.

The site, located close to a major substation, positions Google to leverage Finland’s abundant land, renewable energy and strategic location for additional cloud and AI-oriented facilities, though specific development plans have not been disclosed.

Finland’s data center market has been attracting global operators due to cost-effective green energy and supportive local policies.

The acquisition builds on Google’s existing presence in the country, including long-standing sites in Hamina and other planned developments nearby.

Source: Data Center Dynamics

Hyundai drives South Korea’s $6.3B AI push with data center energy plan

Hyundai Motor Group is advancing a KRW 9 trillion (about $6.3 billion) investment to establish an integrated industrial hub in Saemangeum, South Korea, centered on AI data center infrastructure, robotics manufacturing, and clean energy production.

The plan includes building an AI data center with up to 50,000 GPUs, hydrogen and solar power facilities to support renewable energy generation, and an AI-enabled “Hydrogen Smart City” concept.

Hyundai’s strategy aims to create a closed-loop ecosystem linking physical AI development, manufacturing and energy, while boosting regional economic activity and advancing the company’s technological transformation beyond automotive manufacturing.

Construction of core data center and energy facilities is slated to begin in 2027 with completion targeted for 2029.

Source: Data Center Knowledge

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • AGI achievable in the next 5-8 years, says Google DeepMind’s co-founder and CEO

  • Google launches Gemini 3.1 Pro

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • OpenAI funding round nears record $100B raise, valuation targets $850B

  • AI chip startup Taalas raises $169m, unveils HC1 processor optimized for Llama 3.1 8B

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Micron invests $200 billion to overcome memory chip shortages in the AI era

  • Nvidia Secures Major AI Hardware Partnership with Meta

AGI achievable in the next 5-8 years, says Google DeepMind’s co-founder and CEO

Google DeepMind co-founder and CEO Demis Hassabis said artificial general intelligence could be achieved within five to eight years, citing rapid advances in large language models and multimodal systems.

He noted that current systems already demonstrate reasoning and problem-solving abilities that were once considered distant goals.

Hassabis emphasized the need for robust governance and safety frameworks alongside technical progress to manage risks associated with increasingly capable AI systems.

He added that collaboration between governments, industry, and academia will be essential as development accelerates.

Source: Businessline

Google launches Gemini 3.1 Pro

Google introduced Gemini 3.1 Pro, describing it as its most advanced AI model to date with improvements in reasoning, coding, and multimodal understanding.

The company said the model delivers stronger performance across benchmarks while offering more reliable outputs and longer context handling.

It is designed for enterprise and developer use cases, with enhancements aimed at complex problem-solving and large-scale deployment.

Google also highlighted ongoing efforts to improve safety, efficiency, and cost optimization for users.

Source: Google

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

OpenAI funding round nears record $100B raise, valuation targets $850B

OpenAI is reportedly nearing a funding round that could raise up to $100 billion and value the company at around $850 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The prospective deal would rank among the largest private capital raises in history and reflects strong investor demand for AI infrastructure and applications.

The report indicates that major institutional investors and technology partners are in discussions to participate.

The fundraising effort comes as OpenAI expands its product offerings and invests heavily in computing capacity and research.

Source: Blocknow

AI chip startup Taalas raises $169m, unveils HC1 processor optimized for Llama 3.1 8B

Taalas has raised $169 million in funding and introduced its HC1 processor, designed specifically to run Meta’s Llama 3.1 8B model efficiently.

The company said its architecture is optimized for inference workloads, aiming to reduce power consumption and improve performance compared with general-purpose GPUs.

Taalas positions its chip as a cost-effective alternative for enterprises deploying open-source large language models.

The funding will support further development and scaling of its hardware platform.

Source: DatacenterDynamics

Micron invests $200 billion to overcome memory chip shortages in the AI era

Micron Technology announced plans to invest $200 billion to expand memory chip production in response to surging demand driven by artificial intelligence.

The investment will fund new fabrication facilities and upgrades to existing plants, primarily in the United States, as part of efforts to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

Micron said advanced memory products such as high-bandwidth memory are critical to AI data centers and next-generation computing.

The move reflects broader industry efforts to address supply constraints and secure long-term capacity.

Source: Ageniza Nova

Nvidia Secures Major AI Hardware Partnership with Meta

Nvidia has secured a significant AI hardware partnership with Meta to supply advanced GPUs for large-scale artificial intelligence workloads.

The agreement strengthens Nvidia’s position as a leading provider of AI accelerators amid intensifying demand from major technology firms.

Meta is expected to use the hardware to support its expanding AI initiatives, including model training and inference at scale.

The partnership underscores continued investment by big tech companies in AI infrastructure.

Source: Ad Hoc News

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Alibaba unveils RynnBrain, an embodied AI model designed to power robotics

  • 64% of young people aged 16–24 in the EU used generative AI in 2025

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Anthropic raises another $30B in Series G, with a new value of $380B

  • Didero lands $30M to put manufacturing procurement on ‘agentic’ autopilot

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • AMD surpasses 40% share of server CPU revenue for the first time

  • Taiwan says relocating 40% of its semiconductor capacity to the U.S. is ‘impossible’

Alibaba unveils RynnBrain, an embodied AI model designed to power robotics

Alibaba’s Damo Academy has introduced RynnBrain, an open-source embodied intelligence AI model built on its Qwen3-VL architecture that enables robots to perceive, reason about and act within physical environments.

The model demonstrated advanced spatial understanding and task execution capabilities, reportedly setting new performance benchmarks in comparisons with systems from Google and NVIDIA.

Alibaba aims to position RynnBrain as part of its broader push into “physical AI,” an area of competition with major Western tech firms.

Its release signals an intensified focus on robotics and real-world AI applications in China’s technology landscape.

Source: CNBC

64% of young people aged 16–24 in the EU used generative AI in 2025

In 2025, 63.8 % of European Union residents aged 16–24 used generative artificial intelligence tools, nearly double the share of the broader population aged 16–74 at 32.7 %.

Usage for private and educational purposes was distinctly higher among this younger cohort, reflecting broader adoption trends of digital tools across life domains.

The figures, based on the survey published by Eurostat on 10 February 2026, highlight demographic differences in AI engagement within the EU.

These data contribute to understanding the penetration of AI technologies among various age groups across member states.

Source: Eurostat

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems!

Anthropic raises another $30B in Series G, with a new value of $380B

Anthropic has completed a $30 billion Series G financing round that values the AI startup at approximately $380 billion, more than double its prior valuation.

The round was led by Singapore’s GIC and investment firm Coatue, with participation from a broad set of global investors, underscoring strong capital inflows into AI development.

Funds are expected to support expansion of research, infrastructure and enterprise AI products amid intense competition with peers in the AI sector.

Anthropic also reported significant revenue growth, with an annualized run rate in the billions as enterprise adoption of its Claude models accelerates.

Source: Tech Crunch

Didero lands $30M to put manufacturing procurement on ‘agentic’ autopilot

Startup Didero has raised $30 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Chemistry and Headline, with participation from Microsoft’s M12, to deploy generative AI agents that automate complex manufacturing and distribution procurement tasks.

The company’s platform integrates with existing ERP systems and ingests natural language communications such as emails and orders to autonomously manage workflows like sourcing, negotiation, order tracking and updates.

Didero’s AI layer aims to replace much of the manual effort historically required for procurement, enabling teams to focus on strategic work.

The startup already counts dozens of customers, including sustainable packaging provider Footprint, as it targets supply chain automation for manufacturers and distributors.

Source: Tech Crunch

AMD surpasses 41.3% share of server CPU revenue for the first time

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has reached a record high in the server CPU market, capturing approximately 41.3% of server CPU revenue in the fourth quarter of 2025 according to industry data.

This milestone marks the first time AMD has exceeded the 40 % revenue share threshold in this segment, reflecting strong demand for its EPYC processors.

The company’s growth in revenue share outpaces its unit shipment share, indicating greater penetration in high-value server deployments.

This achievement underscores AMD’s increasing competitiveness against rivals in data center computing.

Source: VideoCardz

Taiwan says relocating 40 % of its semiconductor capacity to the U.S. is ‘impossible’

Taiwan’s Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun stated that moving 40% of the island’s semiconductor manufacturing capacity to the United States would be “impossible,” pushing back against U.S. proposals to significantly shift production overseas.

The government emphasized that the semiconductor ecosystem built up over decades cannot be relocated and that domestic production will continue to grow.

While Taiwanese firms may expand their presence in the U.S., core manufacturing and research will remain in Taiwan.

This position comes amid ongoing trade discussions and efforts to balance global chip production.

Source: Toms Hardware

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Anthropic’s launch of AI legal tool hits shares in European data companies

  • Claude and the Case Against Advertising in AI

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Fundamental raises $255M Series A with a new take on big data analysis

  • AI SRE Resolve AI confirms $125M raise, unicorn valuation

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Intel CEO says company will make GPUs, has hired lead executive

  • Memory Prices Surge Up to 90% From Q4 2025

Get the latest news in your inbox!

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems.

AI | Artificial Intelligence

Anthropic’s launch of AI legal tool hits shares in European data companies

Shares in major European publishing, data and legal software firms dropped sharply after Anthropic announced a new AI tool for corporate legal teams that can automate tasks like contract reviewing, compliance triage and legal briefings.

Relx, Wolters Kluwer, Pearson, London Stock Exchange Group and Experian all saw double-digit declines, while Nasdaq-listed Thomson Reuters fell significantly on investor concerns about AI disrupting traditional data-driven business models.

Anthropic said the tool does not provide legal advice and should be used with oversight from licensed attorneys.

Source: The Guardian

Claude and the Case Against Advertising in AI

Anthropic published a statement confirming that its Claude AI assistant will remain completely free of advertising, arguing that ads could distort the assistant’s usefulness and conflict with its role as a focused tool for thoughtful work.

The company framed the ad-free approach as core to maintaining trust and positioning Claude as a differentiated offering in a market where competitors are exploring ad-supported models.

This reflects a broader strategic choice about how AI products should balance monetization with user experience.

Source: Anthropic

VC | Startup & Funding

Fundamental raises $255M Series A with a new take on big data analysis

AI startup Fundamental raised $255 million in a Series A funding round to commercialize its Nexus model, designed specifically for analyzing large, structured datasets more efficiently than traditional transformer-based models.

The company’s architecture aims to handle massive enterprise datasets without the context limitations of conventional language models, and it has already secured several large contracts and strategic partnerships.

The funding values the company at roughly $1.2 billion and supports its push into complex business analytics applications.

Source: Tech Crunch

AI SRE Resolve AI confirms $125M raise, unicorn valuation

Resolve AI, a startup developing AI-driven tools for automating system reliability engineering (SRE), confirmed it has raised $125 million in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, giving the company a valuation of $1 billion.

The company uses artificial intelligence to detect and resolve production system issues, reflecting growing investor interest in operational AI solutions that streamline complex engineering workflows.

The confirmed funding solidifies Resolve AI’s position as a unicorn in the emerging AI operations space.

Source: Tech Crunch

HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

Intel CEO says company will make GPUs, has hired lead executive

Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan confirmed that the company plans to develop its own graphics processing units (GPUs), targeting the data-center and AI accelerator market.

Tan said Intel has hired a chief GPU architect, Qualcomm veteran Eric Demmers, to lead the effort and is already engaging with customers to define their needs.

The initiative is part of Intel’s broader strategy to compete with established players such as Nvidia in AI-focused hardware.

Source: CNBC

Memory Prices Surge Up to 90% From Q4 2025

Memory chip prices saw dramatic increases in the fourth quarter of 2025, with some segments up as much as 90% due to supply shortages and rising demand from AI and cloud infrastructure buildouts.

Both DRAM and NAND markets experienced tight inventories, leading to higher costs for manufacturers and potential inflationary effects on consumer electronics.

The surge reflects ongoing imbalances in semiconductor supply chains amid booming demand for data-intensive applicationsc

Source: Counterpoint

Share

Weekly Tech Pulse is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI in talks to merge, according to reports

  • Sandisk stock soars 14% after blowout earnings report shows overwhelming AI demand

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up

  • Amazon is reportedly in talks to invest $50B in OpenAI

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Apple’s new M6 chip could launch surprisingly soon, per report

  • Nvidia to reportedly shift 2028 chip production to Intel, reshaping TSMC strategy

Get the latest news in your inbox!

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems.

AI | Artificial Intelligence

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI in talks to merge, according to reports

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Tesla and xAI are engaged in early-stage discussions over potential merger scenarios that could fold at least one of the companies into SpaceX ahead of its planned IPO later this year.

One scenario under consideration would merge SpaceX and Tesla, while another could bring SpaceX and xAI together, potentially uniting assets from rockets and satellites to AI products like Grok under one corporate structure.

Recent corporate filings in Nevada for “K2 Merger Sub” entities suggest preparatory steps, but no formal agreements or public confirmations have been made by the companies involved.

Source: TechCrunch

Sandisk stock soars 14% after blowout earnings report shows overwhelming AI demand

SanDisk’s stock climbed sharply after the company posted fiscal second-quarter results that significantly outpaced analysts’ expectations, driven by booming demand for memory and storage tied to AI workloads.

The company reported adjusted earnings of $6.20 per share on $3.03 billion in revenue and forecasted even stronger fiscal third-quarter revenue and profit, with guidance well above consensus.

Surging data-center demand, particularly for AI applications, has tightened supply and supported higher pricing and margins across the memory market.

SanDisk also extended a major flash memory supply agreement, reinforcing long-term capacity amid ongoing industry shortages.

Source: CNBC

VC | Startup & Funding

Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up

Apple has acquired Israeli AI startup Q.ai, known for imaging and machine-learning technology including capabilities to interpret whispered speech and enhance audio performance.

The deal, reported to be worth nearly $2 billion, is among Apple’s largest AI acquisitions and brings Q.ai’s founders and engineering team into Apple.

Apple intends to leverage Q.ai’s technology across devices, particularly for audio features and future products like Vision Pro, as part of its broader push into AI innovation.

Source: Tech Crunch

Amazon is reportedly in talks to invest $50B in OpenAI

Amazon is reportedly negotiating a potential investment of about $50 billion in OpenAI as part of a large funding round that could value the AI company near $830 billion.

The discussions are being led by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, according to reporting, and include interest from sovereign wealth funds and other major tech firms.

A deal of this scale would make Amazon a major investor in OpenAI and deepen its strategic engagement in AI, even as it maintains significant ties to competing firms like Anthropic through AWS infrastructure partnerships.

Source: Tech Crunch

HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

Apple’s new M6 chip could launch surprisingly soon, per report

Apple’s next-generation M6 chip might arrive sooner than typical product cycles, potentially debuting in the near future despite coming shortly after the recent M5 rollout.

This accelerated timing would be unusual given Apple’s recent chip cadence, though it aligns with the company’s rapid silicon development pattern.

The M6 could appear in some configurations ahead of currently expected product launches, but specific devices and launch dates remain unclear.

Source: 9to5Mac

Nvidia to reportedly shift 2028 chip production to Intel, reshaping TSMC strategy

Industry reporting indicates Nvidia may diversify its 2028 AI chip manufacturing by using Intel’s fabrication and advanced packaging capabilities for certain components, potentially reducing reliance on TSMC’s advanced nodes.

The shift is framed as part of broader diversification amid cost, capacity and geopolitical pressures affecting the semiconductor supply chain.

Under the reported structure, Intel could handle portions of advanced packaging and non-core production while TSMC continues to produce primary dies. This adjustment reflects industry trends toward multi-sourcing in high-performance computing hardware.

Source: Digitimes

Share

Weekly Tech Pulse is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Gates Foundation and OpenAI test AI in African healthcare

  • ChatGPT users are about to get hit with targeted ads

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Data centers will consume 70 percent of memory chips made in 2026, spreading shortages

  • Intel stock plunges 13% on soft guidance, concerns about chip production

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Humans&, a human-centric AI startup founded by Anthropic, xAI, and Google alums, raised a $480M seed round

  • Elyos AI raises $13 million to build AI agents for trades and field services

  • NamiTech raises $4 million in funding

Get the latest news in your inbox!

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems.

AI | Artificial Intelligence

Gates Foundation and OpenAI test AI in African healthcare

The Gates Foundation and OpenAI are piloting AI tools in primary healthcare clinics in Africa, beginning with Rwanda, to support overburdened health workers.

The initiative focuses on administrative and clinical support tasks such as patient intake, triage assistance, and medical record management rather than autonomous diagnosis.

Organizers say the goal is to improve efficiency and access to care in regions facing severe staff shortages. The project will be evaluated for safety, effectiveness, and scalability before wider deployment.

Source: AI News

ChatGPT users are about to get hit with targeted ads

OpenAI has announced it will begin testing limited, topic-targeted advertisements within ChatGPT conversations for users on its free and Go tiers in the United States.

The ads will appear at the bottom of chats and be based on the subject of the conversation, though users will be able to dismiss ads, view explanations, and disable personalization.

OpenAI said ads will not influence chatbot responses, will not be shown to users under 18, and that user data will not be sold to advertisers. More expensive paid tiers, including Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise, will remain ad-free for now.

Source: TechCrunch

VC | Startup & Funding

Data centers will consume 70 percent of memory chips made in 2026, spreading shortages

Data centers are projected to consume about 70% of global memory chip production in 2026, driven largely by demand for AI and cloud computing infrastructure. Chipmakers are prioritizing high-margin server memory, limiting supply available for consumer electronics and industrial applications.

Analysts warn this imbalance could extend and broaden existing semiconductor shortages. The shift is expected to raise prices and delay product availability across multiple sectors.

Source: Toms Hardware

Intel stock plunges 13% on soft guidance, concerns about chip production

Intel reported fourth-quarter 2025 revenue of $13.7 billion, beating expectations, but posted a net loss of about $600 million and issued weak guidance for early 2026. The company forecast first-quarter revenue of $11.7 billion to $12.7 billion, below analyst estimates, citing supply constraints and manufacturing challenges.

Intel said it is struggling to meet surging demand for data center and AI-related chips despite running factories at full capacity. The outlook triggered a sharp decline in the company’s stock and highlighted ongoing pressure from rivals and production bottlenecks.

Source: CNBC

HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

Humans&, a human-centric AI startup founded by Anthropic, xAI, and Google alums, raised a $480M seed round

Humans&, an AI startup founded by alumni from Anthropic, xAI, and Google, has raised a $480 million seed round at a multibillion-dollar valuation. The company says it is developing AI systems designed to enhance human collaboration and decision-making rather than replace workers.

The unusually large early-stage round reflects strong investor confidence in alternative, human-centered approaches to AI. Backers include major technology investors and strategic partners.

Source: TechCrunch

Elyos AI raises $13 million to build AI agents for trades and field services

UK-based Elyos AI has raised $13 million to expand its AI agents designed for tradespeople and field service businesses.

The software automates tasks such as answering customer calls, managing messages, and scheduling jobs to reduce administrative workload.

The funding round was led by Blackbird Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator and Pi Labs. Elyos plans to use the capital to enhance its product and scale internationally.

Source: The Tech Founders

NamiTech raises $4 million in funding

Vietnam-based AI company NamiTech has raised $4 million in a funding round led by Japan’s Toho Gas, with participation from Thien Viet Securities.

The startup specializes in voice-based AI technologies, including biometric authentication and speech analytics for enterprises.

The new funding will support regional expansion and further development of its voice AI platform. The deal highlights growing investor interest in applied AI solutions in Southeast Asia.

Source: Vietnam Investment Review

Share

Weekly Tech Pulse is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.

• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • AI medical diagnostics race intensifies as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic launch competing healthcare tools

  • OpenAI signs deal, worth $10B, for compute from Cerebra

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Moroccan retail-tech startup Woliz raises $2.2m pre-seed funding round

  • Deepgram raises $130M at $1.3B valuation and buys a YC AI startup

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Gigabyte CEO explains Nvidia’s potential GPU supply strategy amid crushing memory shortages

  • Taiwan to invest $250B in US semiconductor manufacturing

Get the latest news in your inbox!

Join the newsletter for regular updates on artificial intelligence, venture activity, and core systems.

AI | Artificial Intelligence

AI medical diagnostics race intensifies as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic launch competing healthcare tools

OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have each unveiled specialised medical AI capabilities within days of one another, signalling competitive momentum rather than coincidence, though none of the tools has regulatory clearance or approval for clinical use.

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT Health with integrations for US users’ medical records, Google released MedGemma 1.5 with expanded imaging interpretation, and Anthropic launched Claude for Healthcare with compliance features targeting enterprise workflows.

All three systems focus on administrative tasks such as prior authorisation, claims, and documentation rather than direct patient diagnosis, emphasising privacy and disclaimers about clinical use.

Regulatory ambiguity, lack of clinical validation, and ongoing integration challenges temper adoption in healthcare settings.

Source: AINews

OpenAI signs deal, worth $10B, for compute from Cerebra

OpenAI announced a multi-year agreement with Cerebras Systems securing delivery of 750 megawatts of compute capacity through 2028 in a deal reportedly valued at over $10 billion.

The partnership aims to integrate Cerebras’s wafer-scale processors to accelerate low-latency inference and enhance the performance of OpenAI’s AI services for customers.

Both firms highlight the importance of real-time AI outputs and faster response times, positioning the deal as part of OpenAI’s broader compute diversification strategy.

The agreement also occurs amid Cerebras’s ongoing capital raises and delayed IPO plans, with OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman noted as an investor in the chipmaker.

Source: Tech Crunch

VC | Startup & Funding

Moroccan retail-tech startup Woliz raises $2.2m pre-seed funding round

Moroccan retail-tech startup Woliz has closed a $2.2 million pre-seed funding round led by Sanlam Maroc to accelerate the development of its AI-powered, fintech-enabled platform aimed at digitising neighbourhood retail.

Woliz’s platform provides small merchants with tools for digital stock ordering, sales tracking, and income verification, helping formalise operations and improve access to credit and financial services.

The investment will support team expansion and merchant onboarding across multiple Moroccan cities, with the company planning later expansion into other African markets facing similar retail infrastructure challenges.

Woliz’s approach places independent shop owners at the core of a unified ecosystem connecting commerce, finance, telecoms, institutions, and consumers.

Source: Disrupt Africa

Deepgram raises $130M at $1.3B valuation and buys a YC AI startup

Deepgram has secured $130 million in a Series C funding round led by AVP, valuing the voice-AI company at $1.3 billion.

The round included participation from existing investors such as Alkeon, In-Q-Tel, Madrona, Tiger, Wing, and Y Combinator, along with new investors like Alumni Ventures, Columbia University, Princeville Capital, Twilio, and SAP, bringing total funding to over $215 million.

The raise reflects strong enterprise demand for voice AI in applications like contact centres, sales, and customer support, where Deepgram’s speech recognition and conversational APIs are widely used.

Deepgram also acquired a Y Combinator-backed AI startup to bolster its offerings and plans to use the capital to expand global support, multilingual capabilities, and penetration into new sectors such as restaurants.

Source: Tech Crunch

HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

Gigabyte CEO explains Nvidia’s potential GPU supply strategy amid crushing memory shortages

Gigabyte’s CEO outlined how Nvidia might prioritise production of certain GPUs in 2026 amid constrained GDDR7 memory supplies, suggesting allocation decisions could hinge on gross revenue per gigabyte of memory.

With some RTX 50-series consumer GPUs being phased out or shifted to end-of-life status, Nvidia may favour segments that maximise revenue from limited memory resources, potentially affecting availability of mid-range cards.

The discussion comes against a backdrop of broader memory shortages and industry challenges in balancing supply, demand, and profitability.

Insights from a CES interview hint that product supply could be adjusted based on calculated revenue contributions per memory unit, influencing what models are produced and prioritised.

Source: Toms Hardware

Taiwan to invest $250B in US semiconductor manufacturing

A landmark trade deal between the United States and Taiwan will see Taiwanese semiconductor and tech firms invest $250 billion into US semiconductor, energy, and AI manufacturing capacity to boost domestic production.

The agreement, announced by the US Department of Commerce, includes substantial Taiwanese investments and credit guarantees, while the US commits to reciprocal investment in Taiwan’s semiconductor, defence, AI, telecommunications, and biotech sectors.

The pact aims to mitigate reliance on foreign supply chains and address national security concerns, noting that only about 10 % of semiconductors are currently produced in the United States.

Additional tariffs on advanced AI chips are also part of the broader strategy to reshape the global semiconductor landscape.

Source: Tech Crunch

Share

Foundations is written by the Axented team.

Axented works with companies around the world to design, build, and scale digital products, teams, and AI-driven systems.

If you’re building or scaling a technology-driven business and want to explore how these signals apply to your context, you can learn more about how we work at axented.com.