PitchBook: the biggest US private startups raised $150B in 2025, surpassing the previous high of $92B in 2021, boosted by large funding rounds by AI startups (George Hammond/Financial Times)
Client Challenge
Techmeme
PitchBook: the biggest US private startups raised $150B in 2025, surpassing the previous high of $92B in 2021, boosted by large funding rounds by AI startups
By George Hammond / Financial Times. View the full context on Techmeme.
A Kapwing study of the 15,000 top YouTube channels finds 278 of them have only posted AI-generated "slop" videos, amassing 63B+ views and 221M+ subscribers (Aisha Down/The Guardian)
the Guardian
More than 20% of videos shown to new YouTube users are ‘AI slop’, study finds
Low-quality AI-generated content is now saturating social media – and generating about $117m a year, data shows
Techmeme
A Kapwing study of the 15,000 top YouTube channels finds 278 of them have only posted AI-generated “slop” videos, amassing 63B+ views and 221M+ subscribers
By Aisha Down / The Guardian. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources: SoftBank is in advanced talks to buy NYSE-listed DigitalBridge, a private equity firm that invests in data centers and digital infrastructure operators (Bloomberg)
Bloomberg.com
SoftBank Nears Deal for Data Center Investment Firm DigitalBridge
SoftBank Group Corp. is in advanced talks to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc., a private equity firm that invests in assets such as data centers, a...
Techmeme
SoftBank agrees to acquire NYSE-listed DigitalBridge, a private equity firm that invests in data centers and digital infrastructure operators, for $4B in cash
From Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
Since the GENIUS Act's passage in July, the total value of stablecoins circulating rose from ~$250B to $300B+, as they become the "respectable" face of crypto (Joel Khalili/Wired)
WIRED
In Cryptoland, Memecoin Fever Gives Way to a Stablecoin Boom
In a year that began with a memecoin trading frenzy, stablecoins have emerged as the respectable face of the crypto industry.
Techmeme
Since the GENIUS Act
By Joel Khalili / Wired. View the full context on Techmeme.
Sources and a memo: the US DOJ is using a novel reading of a federal anti-fraud law to probe contractors, including Google and Verizon, over their DEI programs (Lydia Wheeler/Wall Street Journal) https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-doj-dei-fraud-investigations-93213d52
Techmeme
Sources and a memo: the US DOJ is using a novel reading of a federal anti-fraud law to probe contractors, including Google and Verizon, over their DEI programs
By Lydia Wheeler / Wall Street Journal. View the full context on Techmeme.
Big Tech got almost everything it wanted from President Trump, as he backs policies that allow the industry to grow unfettered, worrying some conservatives (Cecilia Kang/New York Times)
From A.I. to Chips, Big Tech Is Getting What It Wants From Trump
The president has backed policies that allow the industry to grow unfettered. The mutually beneficial alliance is causing concern among some conser...
Techmeme
In 2025, Big Tech got almost everything it wanted from President Trump, as he backs policies that let the industry grow unfettered, worrying some conservatives
By Cecilia Kang / New York Times. View the full context on Techmeme.
How tech worker activism has grown more cautious as companies crack down and once-privileged workers realize they don't have much leverage (Noam Scheiber/New York Times)
Despite Crackdown on Activism, Tech Employees Are Still Picking Fights
They increasingly see themselves as rank-and-file workers who have traditional gripes with their companies.
Techmeme
How tech worker activism has grown more cautious as companies crack down and once-privileged workers realize they don
By Noam Scheiber / New York Times. View the full context on Techmeme.
Global hotel groups are intensifying efforts to get customers to book directly, as they seek to save on online platform commissions and prepare for AI agents (Stephanie Stacey/Financial Times)
Client Challenge
Techmeme
Global hotel groups are intensifying efforts to get customers to book directly, as they seek to save on online platform commissions and prepare for AI agents
By Stephanie Stacey / Financial Times. View the full context on Techmeme.
Lou Gerstner, a former IBM CEO and chairman credited with turning the company around, died at 83; IBM's market value rose from $29B to ~$168B during his tenure (Patrick Oster/Bloomberg)
Bloomberg.com
Louis Gerstner, CEO Credited With Turning Around IBM, Dies at 83
Louis Gerstner, who took over International Business Machines Corp. when it was on its deathbed and resuscitated it as a technology industry leader...
Techmeme
Lou Gerstner, a former IBM CEO and chairman credited with turning the company around, died at 83; IBM
By Patrick Oster / Bloomberg. View the full context on Techmeme.
How executives at humanoid robot startups like Agility Robotics and Weave Robotics are managing safety risks and tempering expectations for the technology (Sean McLain/Wall Street Journal) https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/humanoid-robot-hype-use-timeline-1aa89c66?st=6fsdG7&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Techmeme
How executives at humanoid robot startups like Agility Robotics and Weave Robotics are managing safety risks and tempering expectations for the technology
By Sean McLain / Wall Street Journal. View the full context on Techmeme.