Congressman is investigating fintech Ramp’s attempt to win $25M federal contract

May 12, 2025
Rep. Gerald Connolly, ranking member of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, has initiated an investigation into whether expense management startup Ramp is receiving preferential treatment in its bid for a $25 million government contract. Connolly sent a letter to the General Services Administration (GSA) Acting Administrator, Stephen Ehikian, demanding information and documents related to the […]

Mercury’s CEO formalizes bets on early-stage founders with a $26M fund

May 12, 2025
Mercury co-founder and CEO Immad Akhund today announced the launch of a $26 million fund to back early-stage startups, a move that formalizes his extensive history of angel investing. Axios first reported in February. Akhund has been an active angel investor since 2016, backing over 350 startups at their earliest stages. His portfolio includes companies […]

Google launches new initiative to back startups building AI

May 12, 2025
On Monday, Google announced the launch of its AI Futures Fund, a new initiative that seeks to invest in startups that are building with the latest AI tools from Google DeepMind, the company’s AI R&D lab.  The fund will back startups from seed to late stage and will offer varying degrees of support, including allowing […]

Saudi prince launches AI venture as Trump, Musk, Altman, and Zuckerberg arrive for conference

May 12, 2025
Saudi Arabia’s ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, launched an AI company called Humain to bolster the country’s artificial intelligence sector. The company plans to build out the country’s AI infrastructure, including the construction of data centers. This news arrives as Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and Mark Zuckerberg are expected to attend a U.S.-Saudi investment forum on […]

Sam Altman apparently does not respect olive oil

May 12, 2025
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is using his olive oil inefficiently in an “offense to horticulture,” the Financial Times humorously reports. For its “Lunch with the FT” series, the paper joined Altman in his kitchen. He prepared a garlicky pasta and salad, taking a rare break from his demanding job of advocating for the disruption of […]