The rise of AI startups is renewing interest in founders who leave school early to build companies. Investors say the dropout label matters less than execution, timing, and defensible products.
Chinese AI startup MiniMax plans a Hong Kong IPO, aiming to raise over $600 million with backing from Alibaba and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The move positions MiniMax as a key player in China’s generative AI market.
Octopus Energy plans to spin out its AI software unit Kraken Technologies, following a $1 billion funding round that values the business at $8.65 billion. The move sets the stage for a potential public listing.
SoftBank has finalized its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, increasing its stake above 10%. The funding supports AI infrastructure initiatives, joint ventures, and OpenAI’s broader growth, including plans for a potential IPO.
Goldman Sachs and Newmark Group are raising capital to develop private power sites for AI data centers in Texas. The effort reflects growing Wall Street focus on AI-driven energy infrastructure.
Investors expect enterprises to increase AI budgets in 2026 while cutting back on experimentation. Spending is likely to concentrate among fewer vendors that demonstrate clear returns.
Meta Platforms has agreed to acquire Singapore-based AI startup Manus for about $2 billion, gaining a rare revenue-generating AI agent platform. The deal strengthens Meta’s AI strategy as investor scrutiny grows around heavy infrastructure spending.
Indian startups raised $10.5 billion in 2025, with fewer deals and tighter investor selectivity. AI funding grew modestly, diverging sharply from capital concentration trends in the U.S.
Nvidia has signed a non-exclusive licensing deal with AI chip developer Groq and will hire its founder and senior executives. The agreement highlights Nvidia’s push to expand AI computing capabilities amid rising competition.
Lemon Slice has introduced a diffusion-based model that enables AI agents to interact through real-time video avatars. The startup aims to expand chatbots beyond text into interactive visual experiences.
Goodman Group and CPP Investments have formed a AUD 14 billion joint venture to develop large-scale data centers across major European markets. The partnership targets rising demand driven by cloud computing and AI workloads.
Biren Technology aims to raise HK$4.85 billion in its Hong Kong IPO, targeting AI chip development and intelligent computing growth amid strong investor interest.
AI empowers teenage founders to build startups worldwide, reducing development costs and skill thresholds, and enabling revenue and funding even before graduation.
Chinese generative AI startups MiniMax and Zhipu AI have disclosed their financials ahead of potential Hong Kong listings, highlighting modest revenues and mounting losses compared with U.S. peers.
OpenAI is in talks to raise up to $100 billion in new funding, a deal that could value the ChatGPT maker as high as $830 billion. The discussions reflect rising capital needs as AI development and infrastructure costs accelerate.