News/Investing
Microsoft and OpenAI reshape $13B partnership as OpenAI eyes IPO
Microsoft and OpenAI have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to establish the "next phase" of their partnership, marking a significant shift in their collaboration structure. The deal reportedly modifies key provisions around technology access and revenue sharing, while paving the way for OpenAI's long-anticipated transformation from a nonprofit into a public benefit corporation. What you should know: The new agreement addresses how the companies will share technology and revenue from those technologies, though specific terms remain under negotiation. The deal modifies the original clause preventing Microsoft from accessing OpenAI's most advanced technology if the board determines it has achieved...
read Sep 11, 2025Young VCs, like young coders, question industry involvement
Dawn Capital partner Shamillah Bankiya warns of an "exodus" of young venture capitalists from the industry as the end of the 2022 bull run and AI's impact reshape investment dynamics. The 34-year-old, who becomes a full equity partner this week, believes the industry may be returning to its "artisanal roots" after years of excess, with young investors increasingly questioning whether venture capital remains the fastest path to wealth. The big picture: The venture capital industry is experiencing a significant talent drain as market conditions tighten and AI transforms traditional investment practices. Research by Pitchbook shows the number of active venture...
read Sep 11, 2025Chinese robotics startup AI2 eyes IPO after securing $70M robot deal
Chinese robotics startup AI2 Robotics plans to go public within one to two years, driven by explosive revenue growth from industrial demand for its humanoid robots. The company just secured a $70 million contract with semiconductor display manufacturer HKC Corporation for over 1,000 humanoid robots across three years—nearly five times its $15 million revenue from the first half of 2024. What you should know: AI2 Robotics is targeting aggressive growth as China's robotics sector capitalizes on long-term demographic challenges. CEO Eric Guo projects "10 times growth (in revenue) pretty much every year" as industrial automation demand accelerates. The startup has...
read Sep 10, 2025Musk, meet dust: Oracle’s Ellison becomes world’s richest person as AI boom lifts stock 40%
Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, has surpassed Elon Musk as the world's richest person, with his wealth reaching $393 billion compared to Musk's $385 billion. The shift comes after Oracle shares soared more than 40% following the company's surprisingly optimistic outlook for its cloud infrastructure business and AI deals, while Tesla stock has declined amid investor concerns over the Trump administration's EV policy changes. What drove the change: Oracle's stock surge directly boosted Ellison's net worth, which is closely tied to the company he co-founded five decades ago. Oracle projected that revenue from its cloud business will jump 77% this...
read Sep 9, 2025CoreWeave launches $1B+ venture fund to back AI startups
CoreWeave, a cloud infrastructure company specializing in AI workloads, has launched a venture capital arm called CoreWeave Ventures to invest in AI-focused startups. The announcement sent the company's stock surging 4.67% as investors see the move as a strategic expansion that could create a pipeline benefiting both earnings and future demand for computing power. What you should know: CoreWeave Ventures offers startups a comprehensive package beyond traditional funding, combining capital investment with technical resources and market access. The venture arm provides direct capital investment, compute for equity arrangements, and access to CoreWeave's AI-optimized cloud and production-grade testing clusters. Startups also...
read Sep 9, 2025Fermi files for Nasdaq IPO to build nuclear-powered AI data centers
Texas-based data center developer Fermi has filed for an initial public offering on Nasdaq under the symbol "FRMI," less than a year after its founding by former U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry. The company aims to build the world's largest data-energy complex powered by nuclear, natural gas, and solar energy to support AI workloads, representing the first major nuclear-related investment since President Trump's executive orders to accelerate nuclear project approvals. What you should know: Despite generating no revenue yet, Fermi has secured significant funding and strategic partnerships for its ambitious energy infrastructure project. The company raised $100 million in August...
read Sep 9, 2025Dutch ASML invests $1.5B in French Mistral AI, becomes largest shareholder
ASML, the Dutch semiconductor equipment maker, will invest 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) in French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, securing an 11% stake and becoming the company's main shareholder. The strategic investment also includes a partnership to integrate Mistral's AI models across ASML's product portfolio and grants ASML a seat on Mistral's strategic committee. Why this matters: The deal represents one of the largest corporate investments in a European AI startup, signaling ASML's commitment to integrating artificial intelligence into its semiconductor manufacturing equipment business while strengthening Europe's position in the global AI race. Key details: ASML's investment makes it...
read Sep 8, 2025US Census data reveals 2% drop in enterprise AI adoption
US Census Bureau data reveals AI usage among large companies dropped from nearly 14 percent in mid-June to under 12 percent in August—the largest decline since tracking began in November 2023. This represents a concerning trend for tech investors who have poured billions into AI development, expecting enterprise adoption to drive sustainable returns on their massive investments. What you should know: The decline affects companies across different sizes, with the steepest drop occurring among enterprises with over 250 employees. Data from over 1.2 million US firms shows AI usage fell most dramatically in large corporations, while very small businesses with...
read Sep 8, 2025Databricks hits $4B revenue as AI drives 50% growth with $1B funding
Databricks has projected $4 billion in annualized revenue, marking a 50% increase from the previous year, driven by surging demand for its artificial intelligence products. The milestone coincides with the company's successful $1 billion Series K funding round at a valuation exceeding $100 billion, positioning it as a leading candidate for a potential public offering. Key financial metrics: The analytics firm has achieved impressive growth indicators across multiple areas. The company surpassed a $4 billion revenue run rate in the second quarter, with AI products specifically reaching $1 billion in revenue Databricks is targeting net revenue retention above 140% and...
read Sep 5, 2025Broadcom scores $10B AI chip deal, shares surge 11% premarket
Broadcom shares surged 11% in premarket trading after the chipmaker announced a massive $10 billion AI chip order from a new customer, marking one of the largest deals in the company's history. The blockbuster agreement reinforces Broadcom's position as a leading custom chip provider as Big Tech companies seek alternatives to Nvidia's expensive and supply-constrained processors, while potentially adding over $160 billion to the company's $1.44 trillion market valuation. What you should know: The deal represents a significant milestone in Broadcom's AI strategy and could reshape competitive dynamics in the custom chip market. If premarket gains hold, Broadcom would cross...
read Sep 4, 2025Nightfood buys $80M in hotels to test and license AI robotics tech
Nightfood Holdings, a hospitality technology company, is pursuing an ambitious strategy that combines hotel ownership with artificial intelligence-powered automation. Rather than simply selling robotic solutions to existing hotel operators, the company is buying properties outright and using them as testing grounds for next-generation hospitality technology. This vertical integration approach—owning both the real estate and the technology—positions Nightfood at the intersection of two major trends: the hospitality industry's chronic labor shortages and the rapidly expanding robotics market, which analysts project will reach $107 billion by 2034. The strategy addresses a fundamental challenge facing traditional robotics companies: proving their technology works in...
read Sep 4, 2025Sam Altman blows more air into notion that AI stocks are in a dangerous bubble
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is once again cautioning investors about excessive artificial intelligence hype, warning that sky-high expectations for AI stocks could lead to significant disappointment. Despite being bullish on AI's transformative potential, Altman believes the market is currently overexcited about the technology's near-term impact, echoing concerns he first raised during GPT-4's development when he said "people are begging to be disappointed." The big picture: Altman acknowledges the market appears to be in an AI bubble, with many stocks trading at unsustainable valuations that don't align with current business fundamentals. "Are we in a phase where investors as a whole...
read Sep 2, 2025Anthropic raises $13B, valuation nearly triples to $183B
Anthropic has raised $13 billion in a new funding round that values the AI startup at $183 billion, nearly tripling its valuation from $61.5 billion just six months ago. The massive valuation surge reflects the unprecedented investor appetite for artificial intelligence companies, as tech giants and venture capital firms pour hundreds of billions into AI development amid questions about the sustainability of the current boom. The big picture: AI spending has reached record heights in 2024, with five major companies—Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and OpenAI—planning to spend over $300 billion combined on data centers for AI development before year-end.• That's...
read Sep 2, 2025Creative Runway AI expands into brass tacks robotics and self-driving car simulation
Runway AI, the $3 billion video generation company, is expanding beyond creative tools into robotics and autonomous vehicle training after receiving inbound interest from firms in those industries. The move leverages the company's existing world models to tap into rapidly growing simulation markets, with backing from major investors including Nvidia, Alphabet, and General Atlantic. The big picture: Runway's pivot reflects how generative AI is increasingly shaping robotics and self-driving development, positioning the company to capture demand in markets projected to grow from $16.5 billion combined in 2025 to over $51 billion by 2034. Market opportunity: The numbers underscore significant growth...
read Sep 2, 2025Israeli VCs embrace AI tools while maintaining human-first investing
Israeli venture capital leaders are adapting their investment strategies to incorporate AI tools while maintaining that human judgment remains irreplaceable in venture capital decisions. A new survey from CTech, an Israeli technology publication, reveals how three prominent firms—Red Dot Capital Partners, HiCenter Ventures, and Blumberg Capital—are using AI to enhance their operations while emphasizing that successful AI investments still depend on human trust, commercial focus, and long-term defensibility. What they're saying: Industry leaders consistently emphasize that AI enhances but doesn't replace human decision-making in venture capital. "AI is already woven into our daily work … helping us process information faster,...
read Sep 1, 2025Alibaba shares surge 19% as cloud growth and AI chip development fuel rally
Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed shares surged more than 19% on Monday following strong quarterly results driven by its cloud computing division and reports of new AI chip development. The rally represents the stock's highest level since March, as investors respond positively to the company's accelerating cloud growth and strategic AI investments that position it to compete with tech giants like Microsoft and Google. What you should know: Alibaba's cloud computing unit delivered impressive growth that exceeded previous quarters and fueled investor confidence. Cloud revenue jumped 26% annually, marking an acceleration from the previous quarter's growth rate. AI-related product revenue "maintained triple-digit...
read Sep 1, 2025Wedbush gives Serve Robotics $15 target as autonomous last-mile delivery heats up
Wedbush Securities has initiated coverage on Serve Robotics Inc. (NASDAQ:SERV) with an "Outperform" rating and a $15 price target, positioning the autonomous delivery company as a key player in the AI-driven last-mile delivery market. The rating reflects growing analyst confidence in robotics companies that can capitalize on enterprise demand for automated delivery solutions and operational efficiency. What they're saying: Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives sees significant potential in Serve's autonomous delivery platform and growth trajectory.• "We are initiating coverage on Serve Robotics with an OUTPERFORM rating and a $15 price target. In our view, Serve Robotics has established a pioneering autonomous...
read Aug 29, 2025MongoDB jumps 44% as software tech stocks capture AI boom profits too
MongoDB led a surge in enterprise tech stocks this week, with shares jumping 44% in their best week on record alongside strong gains from Pure Storage (33%), Snowflake (21%), and Autodesk (8.4%). The rally signals that AI's financial benefits are finally flowing to downstream software companies, easing Wall Street concerns about whether artificial intelligence would boost or displace traditional enterprise technology businesses. The big picture: While Nvidia and cloud giants like Microsoft and Google have dominated AI's early winners' circle, this week's earnings results suggest enterprise software vendors are starting to capture meaningful value from the AI boom. MongoDB CEO...
read Aug 29, 2025New AI ETF QBIG holds just 8 stocks—here’s why that matters
The Invesco Top QQQ ETF (QBIG) offers investors a streamlined approach to artificial intelligence investing by holding just eight stocks—the Magnificent Seven plus Broadcom. This actively managed fund, which launched last December, eliminates the complexity of stock-picking while providing exposure to mega-cap AI companies across multiple segments of the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape. What you should know: QBIG's concentrated portfolio strategy focuses on the biggest players in AI, positioning investors to benefit from the technology's continued expansion. The ETF holds eight stocks total: the seven "Magnificent Seven" companies plus Broadcom (AVGO), creating what's described as an efficient proxy for...
read Aug 29, 2025Marvell stock plunges 11% as AI chip demand goes from hot to cool
Marvell Technology's shares plummeted 11.3% in premarket trading after the chipmaker delivered a disappointing data center outlook that fell short of investor expectations. The decline reflects growing concerns about the AI chip market's cooling momentum, as even companies positioned to benefit from artificial intelligence infrastructure buildouts struggle to meet lofty growth projections. What you should know: Marvell's third-quarter data center revenue is expected to remain flat sequentially, despite investor bets on the company's custom AI chips for cloud giants. CEO Matthew Murphy attributed the weakness to normal "lumpiness" when large cloud providers build infrastructure, but didn't specify the source of...
read Aug 27, 2025Richtech Robotics stock rises 4.9% on Starbucks and Domino’s partnerships
Richtech Robotics Inc. stock surged 4.89% on August 27, 2025, following strategic partnerships with major brands including Starbucks, Domino's, and Airbnb for AI-driven automation solutions. The uptick reflects growing investor confidence in the company's ability to integrate cutting-edge robotics technology into mainstream business operations, despite underlying financial challenges that continue to pressure profitability metrics. Key financial metrics: Richtech Robotics, a publicly traded automation technology company, reported revenues of $4.24 million but continues to face profitability challenges with negative EBIT and net income measures. The company maintains strong liquidity with a current ratio of 120.2, indicating solid coverage of short-term financial...
read Aug 27, 2025Leveraged AI ETFs face $260B test as Nvidia earnings loom
The AI-driven boom in leveraged ETFs tied to individual stocks is set to face a critical test with Nvidia's Wednesday earnings report, as investors have poured billions into speculative products designed to amplify their AI-themed bets. This surge reflects unprecedented retail investor appetite for AI exposure, with 112 new leveraged ETFs launching in 2025 compared to just 38 in all of 2024, creating what analysts warn is an increasingly crowded and volatile market. The big picture: AI companies now dominate the leveraged ETF landscape, with more than half of all 190 single-stock leveraged and inverse ETFs in the U.S. connected...
read Aug 27, 2025Snowflake raises 2026 forecast to $4.4B as AI drives analytics demand
Snowflake raised its fiscal 2026 product revenue forecast to $4.40 billion, up from $4.33 billion, driven by strong enterprise demand for AI-powered data analytics services. The cloud analytics company's shares jumped 11% in extended trading as organizations increasingly prioritize artificial intelligence spending and modernize their data infrastructure. Key financial results: Snowflake's second-quarter performance met expectations while showing strong growth momentum. Product revenue reached $1.09 billion for the quarter ended July 31, aligning with analyst estimates compiled by LSEG, a financial data provider. Remaining performance obligations—a key metric for booked revenue—hit $6.9 billion, representing 33% growth year-over-year. The revised annual forecast...
read Aug 22, 2025SoundHound AI trades cheaper than Palantir despite tripling revenue growth
SoundHound AI and Palantir Technologies present compelling but different investment opportunities in the AI sector, with SoundHound trading at a significantly cheaper valuation despite faster growth rates. The growth trajectories: Both companies are capitalizing on AI adoption but in different market segments and scales.• SoundHound AI more than tripled its revenue to $43 million in Q2 2025, targeting the conversational AI market projected to reach $61 billion by 2032.• Palantir's revenue grew 48% to just over $1 billion in Q2, driven by its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) adoption across commercial and government sectors.• SoundHound raised its 2025 revenue guidance to...
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