OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labs
OpenAI is participating in a $250 million seed round into Merge Labs, Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup. The startup is valued at $850 million.
The Download: Yann LeCun’s new venture, and lithium’s on the rise
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Yann LeCun’s new venture is a contrarian bet against large language models Yann LeCun is a Turing Award recipient and a top AI researcher, but he has long been a contrarian figure in…
January 2026
This Is the No. 1 Thing 1,300 Business Leaders Are Worried About Right Now
A World Economic Forum survey shows a surprising shift in what’s keeping executives up at night.
Wikimedia Foundation announces new AI partnerships with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity and others
The AI partnerships allow companies to access the org’s content, like Wikipedia, at scale.
How I Raised $1 Million in Just 6 Weeks — and What I Learned Along the Way
Fundraising, when done right, becomes the fastest way to evolve your narrative, your model and your strategy.
The Government Is Taking Up Too Much of Our Focus — Here’s Why
When you fixate on every government policy shift, you risk losing focus on long-term vision and growth by reacting to noise instead of leading with intention.
How one startup is using probiotics to try and ease the copper shortage
Transition Metal Solutions is applying a special cocktail to coax microbes into unlocking more copper from ore.
US senators demand answers from X, Meta, Alphabet on sexualized deepfakes
In a letter to the leaders of X, Meta, Alphabet, Snap, Reddit and TikTok, several U.S. senators are demanding the companies provide proof that they have “robust protections and policies” in place, and how they plan to curb the rise of sexualized deepfakes on their platforms.
Spotify raises its subscription prices in the U.S. again
Spotify’s new price for its individual plan is $12.99 per month
Parloa triples its valuation in 8 months to $3B with $350M raise
The massive round was led by existing investor General Catalyst, with participation from other returning backers.
Tiger Global loses India tax case tied to Walmart-Flipkart deal in blow to offshore playbook
Tiger Global’s case in India is being closely watched by investors.