BusinessDesignArena maker Intelligence raises $7.9M to scale human evaluation of AI outputsDesignArena — an app from the startup Intelligence that crowdsources human preferences for AI-generated media — has drawn 5.3 million users and secured a $7.9 million seed round led by Index Ventures.3 min read
BusinessSequoia-led $1B investment in Valar Atomics, Shaun Maguire joins boardValar Atomics announced a $1 billion equity financing led by Sequoia, with Sequoia partner Shaun Maguire joining its board, and a $200 million credit line from Erebor and other banks.2 min read
Businessgroundcover raises $100M backing BYOC observability model for AI-era telemetryObservability startup groundcover raised $100 million in a round led by One Peak, taking total funding to $160 million as it pushes a bring‑your‑own‑cloud (BYOC) architecture and eBPF-first collection for AI‑driven telemetry.4 min read
BusinessChinese tech giants shift focus to enterprise AI for revenue growthChina’s major technology companies are pivoting from a consumer-focused AI race toward selling AI products to businesses as a path to sustainable revenue.2 min read
BusinessMicrosoft posts stronger-than-expected quarterly results as Azure revenue tops $100B, shares jump sharplyMicrosoft reported quarterly results that surpassed analysts' expectations, driven by rapid growth in its Azure cloud business which pushed annual cloud revenue past $100 billion.2 min read
BusinessApple may offer paid iCloud+ tiers to expand Siri AI usageIn his final earnings call as CEO, Tim Cook said Apple is considering paid upgrades for its upcoming Siri AI through iCloud+ subscriptions, allowing users to purchase additional compute for heavier use.3 min read
BusinessApple posts strong quarter but flags supply risks as shares fallApple reported better-than-expected revenue and profit for the quarter ended in June, driven chiefly by strong iPhone and Mac sales, yet its shares fell nearly 7% in after-hours trading.3 min read
BusinessSmallest.ai raises $13M to build real-time, humanlike voice AI agentsSmallest.ai, founded in late 2024, raised $13 million in a Series A led by Seligman Ventures to develop small, voice‑focused AI models that operate in real time.3 min read
BusinessOpenAI cuts GPT‑5.6 Luna by 80% and Terra by 20% after internal optimizations with GPT‑5.6 SolOpenAI announced large price reductions for its GPT‑5.6 family: GPT‑5.6 Terra was discounted by 20% and GPT‑5.6 Luna by 80%.2 min read
BusinessMeta shares tumble amid costly AI push and weak guidanceMeta Platforms' shares fell about 8% on Thursday after the company reported disappointing earnings and revenue guidance, shaking confidence in CEO Mark Zuckerberg's AI strategy.2 min read
BusinessReddit posts strong Q2 results but AI-driven search shifts worry investorsReddit reported robust second-quarter financials with revenue of $805 million (up 61% year-over-year) and net income of $253 million (up 183%), and provided upbeat guidance for the next quarter.3 min read
BusinessAmazon boosts data-center and chip investments as AI demand growsAmazon reported stronger-than-expected Q2 results driven by 20% net-sales growth and 37% year-over-year AWS revenue growth to $42 billion, which lifted its stock nearly 10% in after-hours trading.3 min read
