TopTechTrends

EU looks to the private sector to help fund ‘AI Gigafactories’, eyeing the frontier AI race

February 11, 2025

The European Union is courting the private sector as it looks to step up compute capacity for training large AI models. Giving a speech at the AI Action Summit in Paris on Monday, the EU’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, talked up the potential of homegrown AI startups but said the region’s developers must have […]

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QED leads $11M investment in Nigerian fintech Raenest

February 11, 2025

As Africa’s tech ecosystem booms, more local talent is landing remote jobs with Big Tech firms and global startups. But getting paid remains a challenge for many of these freelancers and remote workers. They struggle to open accounts that accept US dollars, with foreign employers using incompatible payment platforms, and face slow invoicing and payment […]

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Two senior partners are leaving Peak XV amid strategy shift

February 11, 2025

Two senior partners are leaving Peak XV, the largest India-focused venture capital firm, four sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.  Shailesh Lakhani, a 17-year veteran of the firm, and Abheek Anand, who co-led Southeast Asian investments, are departing, said the sources, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. The exits follow Peak […]

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Google changed the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Maps

February 11, 2025

Google Maps officially updated the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Monday. Among many other executive orders, President Donald Trump decreed on the day of his inauguration that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the Gulf of America. This executive order also reverses an Obama-era move to rename […]

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Zeta valued at $2B in new funding

February 11, 2025

Zeta, a provider of banking software to banks and fintech startups, has raised $50 million from a strategic investor at a $2 billion valuation. The new investment from American healthcare company Optum marks a 70% increase in the Bangalore-based startup’s valuation from the $1.15 billion price tag (pre-money) it earned in 2021, when it raised […]

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Plaid working with Goldman Sachs on raising $300M to $400M in tender offer

February 11, 2025

Plaid, a company that connects bank accounts to financial applications, is working with Goldman Sachs on a deal to allow early-stage investors and employees to sell existing shares, which will raise between $300 million and $400 million, Bloomberg reported citing sources. The tender offer, as such deals are called, will likely value the company lower […]

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These are the investors funding Musk’s $97 billion OpenAI takeover attempt

February 11, 2025

As if Elon Musk doesn’t have enough going on, a consortium of investors led by him announced plans Monday for what appears to be a hostile takeover of OpenAI. The investor group offered nearly $97.4 billion to buy all of OpenAI’s assets and is “prepared to consider matching or exceeding higher bids,” it said in […]

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These are the investors funding Musk’s $97 billion OpenAI take over attempt

February 11, 2025

As if Elon Musk doesn’t have enough going on, a consortium of investors led by him announced plans Monday for what appears to be a hostile takeover of OpenAI. The investor group offered nearly $97.4 billion to buy all of OpenAI’s assets and is “prepared to consider matching or exceeding higher bids,” it said in […]

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Is AI making us dumb?

February 10, 2025

Researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University recently published a study looking at how using generative AI at work affects critical thinking skills. “Used improperly, technologies can and do result in the deterioration of cognitive faculties that ought to be preserved,” the paper states. When people rely on generative AI at work, their effort shifts […]

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