Microsoft taps India’s Varaha for durable carbon removal offtake
Microsoft has entered a significant agreement with Indian startup Varaha to purchase over 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal credits through 2029. This deal expands Microsoft’s portfolio of projects aimed…
Indian SpaceX rival EtherealX hits 5x valuation as it readies engine tests
Bengaluru-based Ethereal Exploration Guild, operating as EtherealX, has significantly increased its valuation to $80.5 million following a successful $20.5 million Series A funding round. The Indian space tech startup is…
After Italy, WhatsApp excludes Brazil from rival chatbot ban
WhatsApp is reversing course on its new policy restricting third-party chatbots for users in Brazil, just days after the country’s competition regulator intervened. Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, will…
Tiger Global loses India tax case tied to Walmart-Flipkart deal in blow to offshore playbook
India’s Supreme Court has delivered a significant ruling against Tiger Global in a tax dispute related to its 2018 exit from Flipkart during Walmart’s acquisition. The decision, announced Thursday, reinforces…
Parloa triples its valuation in 8 months to $3B with $350M raise
Berlin-based customer service AI startup Parloa has secured $350 million in Series D funding, bringing its valuation to $3 billion. The investment, announced today, comes just eight months after a…
Spotify raises its subscription prices in the US again
Spotify has increased the price of its premium individual subscription plan in the United States to $12.99 per month, marking the third price hike in as many years. The change,…
US senators demand answers from X, Meta, Alphabet, and others on sexualized deepfakes
U.S. Senators are demanding answers from major social media companies regarding the proliferation of deepfakes, particularly those of a sexualized and nonconsensual nature. The bipartisan group sent a letter to…
How one startup is using prebiotics to try and ease the copper shortage
A potential global copper shortage looms, with some projections indicating demand could outstrip supply by 25% as early as 2040. This shortfall is driven by increasing demand from sectors like…
Wikimedia Foundation announces new AI partnerships with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity, and others
The Wikimedia Foundation is bolstering its financial sustainability through a new wave of commercial partnerships with major artificial intelligence (AI) companies. These agreements, centered around the Wikipedia content ecosystem, aim…
OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labs
OpenAI has made a significant investment in Merge Labs, a newly unveiled brain-computer interface (BCI) startup led by CEO Sam Altman, further fueling the race to connect the human brain…