• AI | Artificial Intelligence

  • Meta jumps into AI coding market in effort to chase Anthropic and OpenAI

  • Global push for AI governance amid warnings of ‘catastrophic harm’

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • AI post-training startup Bespoke Labs raises $40M in funding

  • AI Start-Up Kaon AI Raises $60 Million in Funding Round in Quest to Build a ‘Personalized Story Engine’ for Users

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Meta is building its first big Canadian data center as AI expansion crosses the border

  • Micron Breaks Ground on $9 Billion Japan Fab Expansion

Meta jumps into AI coding market in effort to chase Anthropic and OpenAI

Meta has launched Muse Spark 1.1, an upgraded artificial intelligence model focused on coding and autonomous agent tasks, while opening a public preview of its API through a new developer portal.

The company is introducing paid access to the model, offering $20 in free credits before charging usage-based token fees, as it seeks to compete more directly with OpenAI and Anthropic and generate returns on its growing AI investments.

AI chief Alexandr Wang said the model was designed to work with widely used developer tools and outperforms competitors in some coding tasks, while confirming that an open-source variant is still in development and that a more powerful model, code-named Watermelon, is being trained.

Source: CNBC

Global push for AI governance amid warnings of ‘catastrophic harm’

Governments, technology companies, researchers and civil society groups are gathering in Geneva for the UN’s Global Dialogue on AI Governance to discuss international rules for artificial intelligence as its capabilities advance faster than existing oversight.

Participants, including AI researcher Yoshua Bengio and journalist Maria Ressa, warned that AI poses risks ranging from misinformation and democratic erosion to potentially catastrophic outcomes if governance fails to keep pace.

The discussions also focus on narrowing the global AI divide, ensuring developing countries share in the technology’s benefits, and building internationally accepted guardrails informed by the UN’s first independent scientific assessment of AI.

Source: United Nations News

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AI post-training startup Bespoke Labs raises $40M in funding

Bespoke Labs has raised $40 million to expand its platform for AI post-training, including $31.75 million in a Series A round led by Wing VC after an earlier $8.25 million seed round backed by investors including Google DeepMind chief scientist Jeff Dean.

The startup develops software that automates the creation of reinforcement learning environments, helping developers improve AI models’ reasoning and task performance more efficiently than manual workflows.

The company also maintains open-source projects for prompt optimization and supervised fine-tuning datasets, and says the new funding will be used to enhance its reinforcement learning platform and advance AI data research.

Source: Silicon Angle

AI Start-Up Kaon AI Raises $60 Million in Funding Round in Quest to Build a ‘Personalized Story Engine’ for Users

Kaon AI has raised $60 million from investors including B Capital, Redpoint Ace, Goodwater Capital and DCM to expand its generative AI platform for interactive, personalized storytelling.

The company says its flagship product, Emochi, enables users to create and shape AI-driven story worlds that adapt to their emotions and creative direction rather than simply simulating conversations.

Kaon reported $45 million in annual recurring revenue, more than 2 million daily active users, and plans to further develop what it describes as an AI-native entertainment platform centered on customized, evolving experiences.

Source: Variety

Meta is building its first big Canadian data center as AI expansion crosses the border

Meta will invest about $9 billion to build its first large-scale Canadian data center, a 1-gigawatt AI-optimized facility in Alberta that is expected to take two to three years to complete.

The company selected the site for its energy availability, electrical infrastructure and supportive regulatory environment as it accelerates investment in AI computing capacity.

The project is also part of Meta’s broader strategy to support future AI services and a planned cloud computing business, while promising local infrastructure investment and thousands of construction jobs.

Source: CNBC

Micron Breaks Ground on $9 Billion Japan Fab Expansion

Micron Technology has begun construction on a ¥1.5 trillion ($9.3 billion) expansion of its Hiroshima semiconductor facility to increase production of advanced memory chips, including high-bandwidth memory used in AI processors.

The project is expected to receive up to ¥500 billion in support from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, with manufacturing equipment scheduled for installation beginning in the second half of 2028.

The investment reflects growing demand for AI-focused memory technologies and Japan’s broader effort to strengthen its domestic semiconductor industry.

Source: Bloomberg

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

  • Meta pops 9% as company makes cloud push to sell excess AI compute power capacity

  • Microsoft commits $2.5 billion and 6,000 employees to new AI implementation unit

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • South Korea unveils $880bn chip and AI investment plan

  • US start-up Capsa AI scores $18m in Series A funding

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Brazil’s Odata lifts Mexico data center investment to US$1.2bn

  • The memory shortage is expected to get even worse

Meta pops 9% as company makes cloud push to sell excess AI compute power capacity

Meta’s shares rose nearly 9% after the company confirmed plans to build a cloud business that will sell excess AI computing capacity to external customers, creating a new revenue stream from its heavy investment in AI infrastructure.

The company is considering whether to offer customers access to AI models hosted on its systems or sell raw computing power, placing it in direct competition with established cloud providers such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and CoreWeave.

The move comes as Meta plans up to $145 billion in capital expenditures this year for AI infrastructure and aims to monetize unused capacity, easing investor concerns about the scale of its spending.

Source: CNBC

Microsoft commits $2.5 billion and 6,000 employees to new AI implementation unit

Microsoft is investing $2.5 billion to launch Microsoft Frontier Co., a new subsidiary that will embed approximately 6,000 engineers, consultants, support staff, and sales employees with customers to help deploy artificial intelligence solutions.

The initiative reflects growing demand for hands-on AI implementation services and follows similar forward deployed engineering programs introduced this year by Amazon, Anthropic, and OpenAI.

Microsoft says the new unit will help organizations evaluate AI models, integrate them with existing systems, and build secure AI platforms tailored to their operations, while expanding the company’s long-standing enterprise services business.

Source: CNBC

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South Korea unveils $880bn chip and AI investment plan

South Korea will invest at least $880 billion to expand its semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence infrastructure, and robotics capabilities under a national initiative known as the Three Mega Projects.

President Lee Jae Myung said the plan aims to strengthen the country’s competitiveness in AI while revitalizing regional economies by building new chip production hubs and data centers outside Seoul.

Announced alongside Samsung and SK Hynix executives, the strategy comes as governments and technology companies worldwide accelerate investments in AI infrastructure amid surging demand for advanced semiconductors.

Source: BBC

US start-up Capsa AI scores $18m in Series A funding

UK-founded fintech Capsa AI has raised $18 million in a Series A funding round co-led by TX Ventures and Pivot Investment Partners, bringing its total funding to $20 million since launching in 2023.

The company develops AI-powered software for private capital firms that supports deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio monitoring, and back-office operations by making institutional knowledge searchable across large datasets.

Following the opening of its New York headquarters earlier this year and rapid annual recurring revenue growth, Capsa AI plans to expand its services to major enterprises across the US and Europe.

Source: Fintech Futures

Brazil’s Odata lifts Mexico data center investment to US$1.2bn

Brazilian data center operator Odata will increase its total investment in Mexico to approximately $1.2 billion by committing an additional $400 million to expand its Querétaro campus, its largest project in Latin America.

The expansion will primarily enhance the QR03 facility, which currently has 200MW of energized capacity and room to double that, while additional upgrades are planned for the company’s other Mexican campuses.

Odata said it remains committed to growing its presence despite ongoing electricity transmission constraints, citing sustained demand from hyperscale cloud providers and AI workloads as the main driver of long-term investment.

Source: BNAmericas

The memory shortage is expected to get even worse

The global shortage of memory chips is expected to intensify through 2027 as AI data centers consume a growing share of production capacity, driving higher costs for consumer electronics and increasing pressure across technology supply chains.

Analysts and industry executives say memory manufacturers are prioritizing high-margin demand from major AI companies, leaving device makers facing tighter supply, rising component prices, and further price increases for products such as PCs, smartphones, tablets, and game consoles.

Although manufacturers are expanding production, industry leaders caution that new capacity will take time to come online, meaning supply is likely to remain constrained even as AI infrastructure investment continues to accelerate.

Source: Business Insider

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 and Anthropic face new AI reality as users shift from ‘tokenmaxxing’ to efficiency

  • Anthropic accuses Chinese rival Alibaba of illicitly extracting AI capabilities

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Amazon adds new funding, lifting India AI and cloud investment to $48 billion

  • Prosus leads €480 million funding round in Alan, to shape the future of AI-powered healthcare

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Tech companies would have to pay AI data center energy costs under bill moving in Congress

  • Data center frenzy is spurring a jobs boomlet for blue-collar workers

OpenAI and Anthropic face new AI reality as users shift from ‘tokenmaxxing’ to efficiency

Businesses are increasingly scrutinizing AI spending, prompting some customers to replace expensive frontier models from OpenAI and Anthropic with lower-cost alternatives or adopt model-routing strategies that reserve premium models for more complex tasks.

Analysts say this shift toward efficiency could slow the rapid revenue growth of both companies as they prepare for potential IPOs, while enterprises introduce spending controls and demand clearer returns on AI investments.

At the same time, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google are expanding lower-cost AI offerings, intensifying competitive pressure by emphasizing affordability alongside performance.

Source: CNBC

Anthropic accuses Chinese rival Alibaba of illicitly extracting AI capabilities

Anthropic has accused Alibaba-linked operators of conducting a large-scale “distillation attack” that used thousands of fraudulent accounts to make nearly 29 million interactions with its Claude AI model in an effort to replicate its capabilities.

In a letter to US Senators Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren, the company called for stronger penalties and safeguards to prevent the theft of American AI technology, arguing that such attacks undermine billions of dollars in research investment and could have national security implications.

Alibaba has not responded to the allegations, while Anthropic said the activity targeted Claude’s advanced reasoning and long-context abilities amid growing competition between US and Chinese AI developers.

Source: BBC

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Amazon adds new funding, lifting India AI and cloud investment to $48 billion

Amazon will invest an additional $13 billion to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure in India, increasing its planned investment to $48 billion between 2026 and 2030 and $88 billion overall since entering the country in 2010.

The funding will expand AWS data center capacity in Mumbai and Hyderabad, providing startups, businesses, and government agencies with access to AI chips, managed AI services, and cloud infrastructure.

The announcement underscores intensifying competition among global technology companies to establish AI infrastructure in India, where government incentives and rapidly growing data center demand are attracting major investments.

Source: CNBC

Prosus leads €480 million funding round in Alan, to shape the future of AI-powered healthcare

Prosus is investing €400 million as the lead investor in a €480 million funding round for health technology company Alan, valuing the business at €5.5 billion and supporting its international expansion and AI product development.

Alan combines health insurance, preventive care, and healthcare services on an AI-powered platform, reporting more than €800 million in annual recurring revenue, profitability in France, and over 1.1 million members.

The companies said the partnership will help Alan expand into new markets while strengthening Prosus’ broader AI-driven consumer ecosystem, subject to regulatory approval.

Source: Prosus

Tech companies would have to pay AI data center energy costs under bill moving in Congress

A bill advancing in the U.S. House of Representatives would require technology companies to bear more of the costs associated with the electricity demand and infrastructure upgrades driven by AI data centers.

The “Ratepayer Protection Act” would direct state utilities to consider a “large load standard” that shifts grid expansion expenses to data center operators rather than local consumers.

Lawmakers supporting the measure argue it would prevent households and small businesses from subsidizing the rising energy burden of AI infrastructure, which includes major operators such as Amazon, Google, and Microsoft.

The proposal has bipartisan backing but still must pass committee, both chambers of Congress, and the White House before becoming law.

Source: CNBC

Data center frenzy is spurring a jobs boomlet for blue-collar workers

The rapid expansion of AI-driven data centers across the U.S. is generating a short-term surge in construction and related blue-collar employment, even as broader automation trends pressure white-collar jobs.

Experts note that most of these roles are temporary, centered on building facilities that require large numbers of construction workers, electricians, and technicians before transitioning to relatively small permanent staffs.

While long-term operating jobs are limited, data centers are expected to support hundreds of thousands of maintenance and technical positions, including specialized roles such as data center technicians.

Analysts also point out that the economic impact extends beyond direct employment, as large construction projects stimulate local service industries during buildout phases.

Source: CBS 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

  • Anthropic opens Seoul office and announces new partnerships across the Korean AI ecosystem

  • xAI releases Grok Imagine Video 1.5

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Sarvam becomes India’s newest AI unicorn with $234 million funding round led by HCLTech

  • Agentic marketing AI startup Gradial grabs $65M in fresh funding

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Nearly 80% of data center capacity is at elevated risk to climate hazards like flooding and fire

  • Nothing CEO says phone prices are going to keep going up

Anthropic opens Seoul office and announces new partnerships across the Korean AI ecosystem

Anthropic has opened a Seoul office and announced a series of partnerships with Korean companies, research institutions, and public-sector organizations to expand adoption of its Claude AI models.

The company also signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT focused on AI safety, cybersecurity, and model evaluation in Korean.

Major organizations including NAVER, Samsung SDS, LG CNS, Nexon, and Hanwha are deploying Claude products, while Anthropic is extending support to researchers through the National AI Research Lab consortium.

The move reflects Anthropic’s effort to deepen its presence in one of its fastest-growing international markets.

Source: Anthropic

xAI releases Grok Imagine Video 1.5

xAI has released Grok Imagine Video 1.5, a new version of its image-to-video generation model that the company says improves motion quality, physics simulation, audio generation, and speech synchronization.

The update is now generally available through the Imagine API, while a faster variant has been rolled out on Grok’s web and mobile apps.

xAI says the new model can generate six-second 720p videos in roughly 25 seconds, significantly faster than the previous version.

The company also introduced workflow features such as projects, parallel generation agents, and searchable media libraries.

Source: xAI

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Sarvam becomes India’s newest AI unicorn with $234 million funding round led by HCLTech

Indian AI startup Sarvam has raised $234 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, making it the country’s newest AI unicorn.

The funding round is led by HCLTech, which is contributing $150 million and plans to help commercialize Sarvam’s technology through its enterprise customer network.

Sarvam develops AI models, infrastructure, and applications tailored to Indian languages and industries, and says its products are already deployed across government, financial services, agriculture, and defense.

The company plans to use the funding to advance research in agentic AI, coding, cybersecurity, and expanded computing infrastructure.

Source: Tech Crunch

Agentic marketing AI startup Gradial grabs $65M in fresh funding

Gradial, a startup developing AI agents for marketing operations, has raised $65 million in new funding as investor interest in enterprise AI automation continues to grow.

The company focuses on automating tasks such as campaign execution, content production, and workflow management, aiming to reduce manual work for marketing teams.

The investment is intended to support product development and expansion as businesses increasingly adopt agent-based software tools.

The deal highlights continued venture capital activity around AI systems designed to handle complex business processes.

Source: Silicon Angle

Nearly 80% of data center capacity is at elevated risk to climate hazards like flooding and fire

A recent study found that the environmental footprint of data centers has grown to a scale comparable with some of the world’s largest countries, driven in part by rising demand for artificial intelligence.

Researchers estimate that global data centers consumed more electricity than all but a handful of nations in 2025, while also generating substantial carbon emissions and water consumption.

The report projects that energy use, emissions, and associated environmental impacts could roughly double by 2030 if current growth trends continue.

The findings add to concerns about the sustainability challenges posed by rapid AI infrastructure expansion.

Source: CNBC

Nothing CEO says phone prices are going to keep going up

Nothing CEO Carl Pei says smartphone prices are likely to continue rising because of escalating memory costs, with RAM now accounting for more than half the hardware cost of some devices.

Pei said memory prices for the company’s Phone 4A doubled between development and launch and have since doubled again, reflecting a broader industry shortage.

He warned that consumers should not expect the same level of discounts during the holiday shopping season and predicted further price increases into next year.

Other smartphone makers, including Samsung and Google, are also expected to face higher costs tied to memory components.

Source: The Verge

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

  • Apple unveils Siri AI makeover as Tim Cook bids farewell

  • Anthropic CEO calls for stronger regulation of AI

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Antwerp-based Pitchdrive closes €60 million Fund IV to back AI-native early-stage startups

  • AI startup Flourish reportedly raises $500M round backed by Jeff Bezos

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Meta agrees to Indian AI data center deal as hyperscaler bolsters its infrastructure

  • Majority of US’s new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land

Apple unveils Siri AI makeover as Tim Cook bids farewell

Apple used its annual Worldwide Developers Conference to introduce Siri AI, a major upgrade that will make the assistant more conversational, context-aware and integrated across Apple’s ecosystem, while emphasizing privacy and on-device intelligence.

The company also announced new child-safety features in iOS 27, including expanded parental controls and automatic filtering of potentially harmful images sent to children.

The event marked Tim Cook’s final WWDC keynote before stepping down as CEO in September after 15 years leading Apple, with hardware chief John Ternus set to succeed him.

Source: BBC

Anthropic CEO calls for stronger regulation of AI

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei urged governments to take a more active role in overseeing advanced AI systems, including the ability to block deployment of models deemed unsafe after independent review.

He argued that current safety measures are not keeping pace with the technology’s rapid progress and outlined potential policy responses to AI-driven labor disruption, including stronger social supports and new forms of taxation.

Amodei also announced a $200 million initiative to study AI’s societal impact while maintaining that the technology could deliver major benefits, particularly in biomedical research.

Source: ABC News

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Antwerp-based Pitchdrive closes €60 million Fund IV to back AI-native early-stage startups

Belgian venture capital firm Pitchdrive has closed a €60 million fourth fund focused on backing AI-native startups at the pre-seed and seed stages.

The fund, financed entirely by private investors, will support roughly 25–30 companies and emphasizes businesses whose products or economics are fundamentally shaped by AI rather than those adding AI as a secondary feature.

Pitchdrive said it intentionally capped the fund size to maintain a concentrated portfolio and hands-on involvement with founders, while continuing its strategy of investing across Europe and beyond.

Source: EU Startups

AI startup Flourish reportedly raises $500M round backed by Jeff Bezos

Flourish, a startup developing brain-inspired artificial intelligence systems, has reportedly raised $500 million at a $2.5 billion valuation.

The funding round includes backing from Jeff Bezos, alongside investors such as GV, Lux Capital, and Catalio. Founded by former Amazon executive Rob Williams and neuroscientist Thomas Reardon.

The company is pursuing AI architectures designed to consume far less energy than today’s large language models and plans to use advanced neuroscience research to guide its work.

Source: Silicon Angle

Meta agrees to Indian AI data center deal as hyperscaler bolsters its infrastructure

Meta has partnered with Reliance Industries to secure its first AI-focused data center capacity in India through a 168-megawatt facility in Jamnagar, Gujarat.

The project reflects growing competition among major technology companies to expand AI infrastructure in India, where data center capacity and investment are rising rapidly.

Reliance will build and operate the site, which is expected to use renewable energy and desalinated seawater for cooling, while Meta leases capacity to support its global AI operations.

Source: CNBC

Majority of US’s new AI datacenters to be built on drought-hit land

A Guardian analysis found that most planned U.S. data centers intended to support AI development are being built in regions already experiencing water stress or drought.

The expansion has intensified concerns about the large volumes of water and electricity required to cool and operate AI infrastructure, particularly in communities facing resource constraints.

Researchers, environmental groups, and local residents warn that rapid growth in data center construction could worsen existing pressures on water supplies as demand for AI computing continues to increase.

Source: The Guardian

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 filing marks AI maturing into enterprise utility

  • Microsoft testing wearable AI gadget aimed at office workers

• VC | Startup & Funding

  • Apoha raises $36 million Series A after emerging from stealth

  • Legal AI startup Wordsmith raises $70 million Series B

• HI | Hardware & Infrastructure

  • Erin Brockovich shares new tool to track impact of AI data centers

  • Nvidia announces new AI chip for personal computers

Anthropic IPO filing marks AI maturing into enterprise utility

Anthropic has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering, a move that follows a funding round valuing the company at roughly $965 billion and underscores how rapidly enterprise AI has become a mainstream business market.

The company is expanding its partner ecosystem and enterprise offerings as it seeks to demonstrate sustainable growth and large-scale commercial adoption.

Industry observers view the filing as a major test of investor appetite for AI companies and a sign that the sector is shifting from experimental technology toward critical business infrastructure.

Source: AI News

Microsoft testing wearable AI gadget aimed at office workers

Microsoft has revealed two experimental AI-powered devices aimed at workplace users: a wearable access badge and a small desktop cube, both designed to provide quick interaction with AI agents outside of traditional computers.

The prototypes, currently being tested by several hundred Microsoft employees as part of Project Solara, connect to Microsoft software and allow users to manage AI-driven tasks through touch, voice commands, and, in the badge’s case, a built-in camera.

The company describes the devices as a new category of computing hardware, reflecting its push toward AI assistants that operate continuously alongside workers.

The announcement follows Microsoft’s earlier challenges in wearable technology and comes as major technology companies increasingly promote AI agents as a core part of office productivity.

Source: BBC

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Apoha raises $36 million Series A after emerging from stealth

AI startup Apoha emerged from stealth with a $36 million Series A funding round, positioning its technology around what it calls “liquid intelligence” for enterprise applications.

The company aims to help organizations deploy AI systems that can reason across complex data and workflows rather than operate as isolated tools.

The funding will support product development and expansion as competition intensifies among startups building next-generation enterprise AI platforms.

Source: Fortune

Legal AI startup Wordsmith raises $70 million Series B

Wordsmith has secured a $70 million Series B round, bringing total funding to about $100 million as demand grows for AI tools designed for in-house legal teams.

The Edinburgh-based company helps corporate legal departments automate tasks such as contract review, policy management, and workflow coordination, reducing reliance on outside law firms.

The new capital will be used to expand internationally, particularly in the U.S., and accelerate hiring and product development.

Source: Nonbilable

Erin Brockovich shares new tool to track impact of AI data centers

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has launched a public reporting platform that maps AI-related data centers and collects community concerns about their local impact.

The initiative focuses on issues such as water consumption, electricity demand, noise, and transparency surrounding proposed and existing facilities.

Brockovich says residents often learn about projects late in the process and hopes the crowdsourced database will improve public awareness and accountability as AI infrastructure expands across the United States.

Source: MSN

Nvidia announces new AI chip for personal computers

Nvidia has unveiled the RTX Spark chip, a new AI-focused processor designed for Windows PCs, marking a significant push into consumer computing beyond its traditional role as a supplier of graphics and AI hardware.

The chip will power a new generation of PCs from manufacturers including Lenovo, HP, Dell, Microsoft Surface, Asus, and MSI, with Nvidia positioning these devices as platforms for AI agents that can act as digital collaborators rather than simple software tools.

Analysts say the move expands Nvidia’s influence from chip supplier to broader PC platform provider, increasing competition with Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, and Apple, while reinforcing its strategy of keeping AI developers within its hardware and software ecosystem.

The announcement comes as the United States tightens export restrictions on advanced AI chips to Chinese companies and their overseas subsidiaries.

Source: BBC

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 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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.