Sapiom raises $15M to help AI agents buy their own tech tools
The startup — with backing from Accel — is building a financial layer that handles the authentication and micro-payments required for AI agents.
The Download: plastic’s problem with fuel prices, and SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO
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. Fuel prices are soaring. Plastic could be next. As the war in Iran continues, one of the most visible global economic ripple effects has been fossil-fuel prices. But looking ahead, further consequences could…
Reddit looks to AI search as its next big opportunity
Reddit says its search business, including AI answers, is an “enormous” opportunity.
AWS revenue continues to soar as cloud demand remains high
AWS recorded its best quarter, in terms of revenue growth, in 13 quarters in Q4 2025 as AI drives AWS adoption.
Amazon and Google are winning the AI capex race — but what’s the prize?
In 2026, Amazon plans to spend $200 billion in capex. Google is just behind at $175 billion to $185 billion. It’s a lot of money!
The Washington Post is retreating from Silicon Valley when it matters most
The Bezos-owned newspaper gutted its San Francisco bureau and coverage of tech — including journalists reporting on Amazon and Blue Origin
A16z VC wants founders to stop stressing over insane ARR numbers
A16z VC Jennifer Li, who oversees some of the firm’s fastest growing AI companies, warns founders not to believe every ARR claim made on X.
AI Is Devouring Website Traffic — But I Hit Record Leads Last Year Anyway. Here’s How.
AI is up, and traffic is down. Here’s how I set a new all-time high for leads last year despite AI offering summaries on 21% of all searches.
OpenAI launches new agentic coding model only minutes after Anthropic drops its own
The new model is build to accelerate the capabilities of Codex, the agentic coding tool OpenAI launched earlier this week.
Local Markets Resisting Your Global Brand? Here’s What You’re Missing.
Global brands often mistake local pushback for execution failure. From the inside, it is usually a sign that trust and credibility have not yet been earned.
Digital Fatigue Is Real — ‘Retailtainment’ Is How Brands Win Customers Back
Retailers are shifting from transactions to experiences, as gamification, social connection and community combat digital fatigue and drive growth.