Japanese tech investment firm SoftBank promises to invest $100bn during Trump's second term to create 100,000 AI-related jobs
News Fund raising
AI Start-Up Basis Raises $34m For Accountancy Agent
Start-up Basis raises $34m in Series A funding round for AI-powered accountancy agent to make up for shortfall in human CPAs
Meta Donates $1 Million To Donald Trump Inauguration Fund
Weeks after CEO Mark Zuckerberg met with Donald Trump privately at Mar-a-Lago, comes news of donation to his inauguration fund
US Awards Micron $6.1 Billion From US Chips Act
Biden administration awards $6.1 billion subsidy from US Chips Act for Micron's Idaho and and New York plants
GM Kills Cruise Robotaxi Business, After Funding Is Pulled
General Motors kills Cruise robotaxi ambitions, after halting funding for the loss-making autonomous vehicle unit
Former OpenAI Researcher Raises $40m For AI Voice Start-Up
Former co-developer of voice mode for OpenAI's ChatGPT launches WaveForms AI to make AI voice interactions feel more intuitive
OpenAI Seeks To Remove Commercial ‘AGI’ Constraint
ChatGPT developer OpenAI reportedly discussing removal of provision that blocks Microsoft from accessing super-intelligent AI
Elon Musk’s xAI Closes $6bn Funding, Plots Colossus AI Supercomputer Expansion
SEC filing reveals that Elon Musk’s AI firm, xAI, has raised another $6 billion, as it pledges to expand Colossus supercomputer
Germany Shoulders €600 Million Of Northvolt Debt
Lender KfW is to be reimbursed by the German government more than €600 million ($629 million) of Northvolt debt
Intel Says $7.86bn Grant From US Will Restrict Foundry Spin-off
Chip giant's plan for Intel Foundry to be spun off as independent subsidiary will be restricted after US government grant
OpenAI Allows Staff To Sell $1.5 Billion Stock To SoftBank – Report
SoftBank is to acquire more OpenAI shares, after the AI startup allows staff to sell their shares to Japanese tech giant
Biden Administration To Loan Rivian $6.6 Billion For EV Factory
Consequence for Elon Musk? Biden administration provisionally agrees $6.6 billion loan to Rivian, so it can construct EV factory in Georgia
Amazon To Pump Another $4bn Into AI Start-Up Anthropic
Amazon to invest a further $4bn into AI start-up Anthropic, doubling its investment as it vies against stiff competition
Northvolt Appoints Restructuring Expert For Main Battery Plant
Restructuring expert appointed to oversea Northvolt's main facility in northern Sweden, amid financial worries
CMA Halts Google Anthropic Investigation
British competition watchdog decides Alphabet's partnership with AI startup Anthropic does not qualify for investigation
SpaceX Prepares Tender Offer At $250bn Valuation
SpaceX to begin tender offer in December valuing company at $210bn, as Elon Musk's xAI raises $5bn at $45bn valuation
Northvolt Mulls US Bankruptcy Protection – Report
Troubled battery maker Northvolt reportedly considers Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States as possible option
VW, Rivian Launch Joint Venture, As Investment Rises To $5.8 Billion
Volkswagen and Rivian officially launch their joint venture, as German car giant ups investment to $5.8 billion, depending on certain milestones
Amazon Mulls New Multi-Billion Dollar Investment In Anthropic – Report
Amazon is reportedly in talks to pump billions of dollars more into AI start-up Anthropic, but with one condition
James Dyson Says ‘Spiteful’ Budget Will Kill Start-Ups
James Dyson delivers most high-profile criticism so far of Labour's first Budget that raises £40bn in taxes, largely from businesses
Autumn Budget Hikes Business Taxes, Seeks Growth
First Labour Budget in 15 years includes increased payouts from businesses and capital gains, as government looks to promote growth
White House Finalises China Tech Investment Curbs
Administration publishes final restrictions on US investment into Chinese tech sectors including AI, chips, quantum computing
Latest Funding Round Values Start-Up Sierra AI At $4.5bn
Start-up Sierra AI, co-founded by former Salesforce co-chief Bret Taylor, sees valuation more than quadruple in new funding round
TSMC Arizona Chip Plant Yields 4 Percent Higher Than Taiwan
TSMC says production yields at delayed plant in Arizona are 4 percent higher than comparable factories in Taiwan, in boost for US efforts
Shein Profits Drop 70 Percent
Direct-from-China e-commerce firm sees profits plummet 70 percent in first half of 2024 amidst stiff competition from Temu, as it plans IPO
Intel To Invest More Than $28 Billion In Ohio Chip Factories – Report
Troubled chip giant Intel will invest more than $28 billion to construct two new chip factories in Ohio, to take fight to TSMC
CMA Begins Probe Into Alphabet Partnership With Anthropic
UK competition regulator begins phase one investigation into Alphabet's partnership with AI startup Anthropic
Former OpenAI Mira Murati Raising Capital For New AI Startup – Report
Cos the world needs another AI startup. Former CTO at OpenAI, Mira Murati, reportedly fund raising for her new AI startup
Microsoft Invests €4.3 Billion In Italy For AI, Cloud
Data centre and AI spending spree continues over at Microsoft, with Italy earmarked for €4.3 billion investment
ChatGPT Maker OpenAI Raises $6.6bn In Funding
OpenAI closes $6.6bn funding round from big name backers, but reportedly asks them not to finance rival AI startups