Venture Capital

🌐 China is reportedly open to Elon Musk acquiring TikTok US

Chinese officials are reportedly considering the possibility of selling TikTok's U.S. operations to Elon Musk if the Supreme Court upholds a law banning the app. While the Chinese government prefers that TikTok remains under ByteDance's ownership, discussions about a sale to Musk are seen as part of a strategy to engage with the incoming Trump administration.

If the acquisition occurs, Musk’s company, X, would gain access to TikTok's 170 million American users and significant advertising revenue. However, a TikTok spokesperson dismissed the report as "pure fiction." The extent of ByteDance and TikTok's awareness of these discussions remains unclear, suggesting potential Chinese influence over the platform.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

‼️ UK in-home healthcare provider Cera raises $150M to expand its AI platform

Cera, a UK in-home healthcare provider, has raised $150 million in a mix of debt and equity to expand its AI-driven platform. This funding comes amid increasing pressure on public healthcare systems, particularly the NHS, which is struggling post-pandemic. The investment was led by funds affiliated with BDT & MSD Partners and Schroders Capital.

Cera's platform utilizes proprietary AI modeling to analyze patient data, which has reportedly led to significant reductions in hospitalizations, patient falls, and faster hospital discharges. The company claims to be EBITA-positive and free cash flow positive, indicating a shift towards self-sustainability. With this new funding, Cera aims to enhance its services and technology, positioning itself as a major player in the home healthcare space, covering approximately 30 million people in the UK. Cera's success highlights its role in alleviating pressure on the NHS while providing comprehensive home healthcare services.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

😥Microsoft to pump $3 billion into cloud and AI push in India

Microsoft plans to invest $3 billion in India to enhance its cloud and AI capabilities, aiming to expand Azure services and upskill 10 million people by 2030. CEO Satya Nadella announced this initiative during an event in Bengaluru, highlighting the growing demand for Microsoft’s technologies among Indian clients, including firms like Infosys and Air India.

This investment is part of a broader strategy by American tech giants to establish a significant presence in India, which has become a crucial market for technology development. More than 17 million developers in India utilize Microsoft's GitHub platform, showcasing the company's significant footprint in the region.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔻 Nvidia unveils $2,000 RTX 5090 GPU

Nvidia has unveiled its new RTX 5090 GPU during CES 2025, priced at $2,000. This GPU features 92 billion transistors, 4,000 AT TOPS, 380 ray-tracing TFLOPS, and 1.8 TB/s bandwidth, promising to outperform its predecessor, the RTX 4090, by up to 2x. The RTX 5090 is part of the Blackwell family, which aims to enhance gaming and creative applications through AI-driven rendering technologies.

In addition to the RTX 5090, the lineup includes the RTX 8050, 5070 Ti, and 5070, priced at $999, $749, and $549, respectively. Laptops equipped with these GPUs will start at nearly $3,000 and will be available beginning in March. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, emphasized the GPU's role in revolutionizing graphics technology, likening it to past innovations in computer graphics.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔵 Accel could raise billions for India, but it’s sticking to $650 million

Accel has opted to maintain its India fund size at $650 million for its eighth vehicle, despite opportunities to raise significantly more. Partner Shekhar Kirani explained that while other firms are increasing their funds, Accel believes that exceeding $650 million makes it challenging to generate high-quality returns. The firm has a history of strong performance in India, exemplified by early investments in successful startups like Swiggy.

Accel's strategy focuses on investing in approximately 40 companies annually from a pool of around 300 emerging startups. The firm is particularly interested in wealthtech and AI-driven software companies, as well as opportunities in smaller towns and villages, which it refers to as "Bharat." This approach aims to tap into the significant spending power of the top income quintile in these areas.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🚨 OpenAI is losing money on its pricey ChatGPT Pro plan, CEO Sam Altman says

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that the company is currently losing money on its $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro plan due to higher-than-expected usage. Despite raising around $20 billion since its inception, OpenAI is not profitable, projecting losses of about $5 billion against $3.7 billion in revenue for the previous year. Operational costs, including staffing and AI training, contribute to these losses, with expenses for ChatGPT reaching approximately $700,000 daily.

As OpenAI seeks to attract new investments through corporate restructuring, it may consider increasing subscription prices to achieve profitability. The company optimistically projects its revenue could reach $100 billion by 2029.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

📱 Microsoft to spend $80 billion in FY’25 on data centers for AI

Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion in fiscal year 2025 to build data centers specifically designed for artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. More than half of this investment will be allocated in the United States. The new AI-enabled data centers aim to train AI models and deploy cloud-based applications globally. Microsoft Vice Chair Brad Smith emphasized that AI is set to drive innovation and productivity across various sectors.

Additionally, there have been discussions between Microsoft and OpenAI regarding a facility to house an AI supercomputer called Stargate, which could cost over $100 billion to construct. As the demand for AI technology grows, concerns about power shortages for data centers due to AI's high energy consumption are also anticipated.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔺 Lyft will credit NYC riders for congestion fee throughout January

Lyft will credit New York City riders for the new congestion fee throughout January 2025. This fee, aimed at reducing traffic in lower Manhattan and funding mass transit, charges $1.50 per ride for services like Lyft and Uber during peak hours, in addition to an existing $2.75 fee for rides that begin, end, or pass through Manhattan below 96th Street.

Lyft's credits can be used for future rides or Citi Bike rentals, which the company describes as a gesture to help users adjust to this new expense.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🫶 New ship, new year: SpaceX to deploy model Starlink satellites on next Starship launch

SpaceX is set to enhance its Starship test flight program with an upcoming launch that will deploy 10 model Starlink satellites. These simulators will mimic the size and weight of the next-generation V3 satellites, which are expected to significantly increase the Starlink network's capacity. The V3 satellites will have over 10 times the downlink and 24 times the uplink capacity compared to the previous V2 Mini satellites.

The launch will also showcase various upgrades to the Starship, including improvements to its propulsion system, avionics, and heat shield. Additionally, SpaceX aims to successfully "catch" the Super Heavy booster during this test, a feat they achieved in a previous launch. The deployment of the V3 satellites will mark a critical step in SpaceX’s plans to expand its satellite constellation using Starship, which can carry more payload than the Falcon 9 rocket currently in use.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

⚠️ Generative AI funding reached new heights in 2024

In 2024, funding for generative AI reached unprecedented levels, totaling $56 billion across 885 deals, a 192% increase from 2023's $29.1 billion. Major investments included Databricks' $10 billion Series J and OpenAI's $6.6 billion round. Despite a surge in funding, concerns about market saturation and sustainability arise, as many startups focus on similar verticals.

The U.S. dominated this investment landscape, attracting the majority of funds, while notable international players like Moonshot AI and Mistral also secured significant backing. Looking ahead, experts warn that technical challenges and high operational costs may hinder less-funded startups, especially as investor scrutiny on revenue growth intensifies. The infrastructure layer of generative AI, including data center startups, continues to thrive amid rising demand.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔔 Cloudflare’s VPN app among half-dozen pulled from Indian app stores

More than half a dozen VPN apps, including Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1, have been removed from India’s Apple App Store and Google Play Store following government intervention. The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs issued orders for the removals, citing violations of Indian law. This action is part of the enforcement of a 2022 regulatory framework requiring VPN providers to maintain extensive records of users, including personal information and transaction histories.

The move has sparked backlash from major VPN providers, with some, like NordVPN and ExpressVPN, ceasing to market their services in India while still maintaining operations. This marks the first significant application of the new regulatory rules, which have raised concerns in the industry regarding privacy and compliance.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

⚡️ Peter Thiel-backed venture debt firm Tacora raises $268.7M for new fund

Tacora Capital, a venture debt firm backed by Peter Thiel, has raised $268.7 million for its second fund. This follows an inaugural fund that raised about $350 million in 2022, which included a significant investment from Thiel. While it’s unclear if Thiel participated in this latest round, Tacora’s CEO, Keri Findley, noted the new fund aims to address demand for flexible financing solutions.

Tacora specializes in providing loans to startups, particularly in capital-intensive sectors like fintech and hardware, allowing founders to secure funding without diluting equity. The firm focuses on lending against strong assets to mitigate the risks associated with venture debt.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔄 Robinhood, already a ‘comeback’ stock, has even more aggressive plans for 2025

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev is celebrating the company's recognition as Yahoo Finance's "comeback stock" of the year after a tumultuous period following its 2021 IPO. The company plans to leverage a favorable regulatory environment anticipated with a potential second Trump administration, focusing on cryptocurrency and new trading strategies like copytrading and prediction markets.

Tenev highlighted the success of their recent presidential election market, which generated significant trading activity. Looking ahead, Robinhood aims to expand into event contracts related to various sectors, including politics and economics, potentially reshaping how users engage with financial markets.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

❗ Accel closes $650 million for new India fund

Accel has raised $650 million for its eighth India fund, marking a significant expansion of its investment strategy in the South Asian market. This fund follows its previous one from March 2022. Accel has a strong track record in India, having invested in notable companies like Flipkart and Swiggy.

The firm aims to capitalize on the evolving Indian startup landscape, which has seen increased public listings and a focus on rural markets. Accel remains one of the few Silicon Valley firms that maintains its Indian unit, contrasting with competitors like Sequoia and Matrix, who have separated their India operations.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔸 Elon Musk’s promises for Tesla in 2024, from robotaxis to Optimus bots

In 2024, Elon Musk made several ambitious promises for Tesla, despite a history of missed deadlines. Key highlights include:

1. $25,000 EV: Musk initially pledged to unveil a low-cost electric vehicle but later scrapped the idea, claiming it was "pointless." He indicated that future vehicles would focus on autonomy instead.

2. Cybercab Production: Musk announced plans to start production of the Cybercab, a robotaxi without traditional controls, by 2025 or 2026. He aims for a price under $30,000 and an operating cost of $0.20 per mile.

3. Robovan Development: A prototype Robovan is in development, although specific plans remain unclear.

4. Unsupervised FSD: Musk stated that Tesla would introduce an "unsupervised" Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature and a ride-hailing service in California and Texas by 2025.

5. Optimus Robots: Musk promised that Tesla would begin limited production of the Optimus humanoid robot in 2025, with over 1,000 units expected to be operational.

Overall, while Musk's promises are ambitious, the feasibility of these plans remains to be seen, especially given regulatory challenges and past delays.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🚨 A Waymo robotaxi and a Serve delivery robot collided in Los Angeles

On December 27, 2024, a Waymo robotaxi collided with a Serve delivery robot in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Video footage shows the Serve bot attempting to navigate onto a sidewalk when it was struck by the Waymo vehicle, which was making a right turn. Despite claims that the Serve robot may have run a red light, this was not confirmed by the footage.

Waymo stated that its Driver system recognized the delivery robot as an inanimate object and acted defensively, applying hard brakes before the low-speed collision at 4 mph. Fortunately, neither vehicle was damaged, and they continued on their way shortly after.

This incident marks the first collision between a Serve robot and a robotaxi, with Serve confirming that its bot was under remote supervision at the time. Both companies are discussing ways to prevent similar incidents in the future, although specific liability details for future collisions remain unclear.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

❕ ByteDance appears to be skirting US restrictions to buy Nvidia chips: Report

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, plans to invest $7 billion in Nvidia chips in 2025, despite U.S. restrictions on Chinese companies acquiring U.S. AI technology. The company is reportedly navigating these restrictions by using a loophole: instead of bringing the chips directly to China, ByteDance intends to store them in data centers located in other regions, such as Southeast Asia.

This approach allows them to technically comply with U.S. regulations while still gaining access to valuable AI chips. ByteDance also operates Doubao, a popular AI chatbot in China with 51 million active users.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔸 From AI agents to enterprise budgets, 20 VCs share their predictions on enterprise tech in 2025

In a recent discussion, 20 venture capitalists shared their predictions for enterprise technology in 2025. Despite the hype around AI, many enterprises have been slow to adopt it due to budget constraints and the experimental nature of the technology. Key trends to watch include increased AI adoption driven by better data, modernization of code for cloud applications, and the rise of automation in traditionally high-cost sectors.

Investors are particularly interested in areas such as enterprise resilience, data sovereignty, and task-specific AI models. They anticipate that enterprises will increase their tech budgets, especially for AI and cybersecurity solutions. The conversation also highlighted the importance of time-to-first-value (TTFV) as a metric for implementation ease.

Looking ahead, VCs expect a shift towards technology that creates enterprise value while reducing friction. The exit environment is predicted to see increased M&A activity as companies seek AI capabilities, although the IPO market may remain cautious. Overall, optimism for tech spending and AI adoption is prevalent among investors.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

🔸 India’s mobile payments dilemma

India's payments regulator is poised to decide whether to limit the market share of major players like Walmart's PhonePe and Google Pay in the rapidly growing mobile payments sector. This decision revolves around the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which has revolutionized digital transactions in India. Currently, PhonePe holds 47.8% and Google Pay 37.1% of UPI transactions, and a proposed rule would cap any company's share at 30%.

The uncertainty surrounding these regulations has complicated PhonePe's plans for an IPO, as the company fears potential market share reductions could impact its valuation. The regulator has delayed enforcing these limits multiple times, and the outcome could significantly affect fintech startups seeking to compete in the market. This situation reflects India's challenge in balancing innovation with regulatory oversight in the digital economy.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures

⚙️ Nvidia’s next move: powering humanoid robots

Nvidia is set to deepen its involvement in robotics in 2025 by launching a new generation of compact computers for humanoid robots called Jetson Thor. This initiative is part of a long-term strategy to support the vast number of robot manufacturers globally, rather than directly competing with companies like Tesla.

The push is driven by advancements in generative AI models and the ability to train robots in simulated environments. Nvidia's efforts come amid significant customers, such as Amazon and Google, working to reduce their reliance on Nvidia's AI chips by developing their own technologies.

💬 Source

📌 Powered by V3V Ventures