☕ Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI, Google launched its deepest AI research agent yet & OpenAI fires back at Google with GPT-5.2.
DeepMind announces an ‘automated research lab’ & Startup seeks to reclaim Twitter trademarks.
Sir Isaac Newton invented the colour wheel in 1666.
Man explained gravity and basically invented “aesthetic.”
📬 What’s in store:
Today’s Picks: Startup legal docs for founders, investor Q&A prep kit, 2700+ US VC database, is AI in a bubble, MBA value in VC, 31 startup growth tactics for 2025, rise of forward deployed engineers.
OpenAI fires back at Google with GPT-5.2 after ‘code red’ memo.
Google launched its deepest AI research agent yet — on the same day OpenAI dropped GPT-5.2.
Altman’s World project launches its ‘super app’.
Disney and OpenAI ink a billion-dollar deal.
Bezos and Musk race to bring data centers to space.
DeepMind announces an ‘automated research lab’ to discover new materials.
Startup seeks to reclaim Twitter trademarks.
Disney hits Google with cease-and-desist claiming ‘massive’ copyright infringement.
Epic Games’ Fortnite is back in the US Google Play Store.
VC & Startup Jobs: VC & investors backed startup hiring for remote roles.
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🗞️ What else is brewing
Startup legal document pack – essential legal Docs for founders. (Link)
What investors ask and how to answer: A practical Q&A prep kit for founders. (Link)
2700+ US angel investors & VC firms contact database (Email + LinkedIn Link). (Link)
Is AI in a bubble? 5 charts show why investors are getting nervous. (Link)
Pitchbook Data: Is an MBA still worth it if you want to make it in VC? (Link)
31 ways to grow your startup fast in 2025. (Link)
Why Forward Deployed Engineers became the hottest job in tech in 2025. (Link)
Is freemium right for your SaaS product? Ask these 3 questions. (Link)
The unit economics Excel sheet template every founder should use. (Link)
STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS
💰 Startup funding updates
Serval, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a AI-native IT service management (ITSM) platform, raised $75m in Series B funding, achieving a $1 billion valuation. The round, which brings Serval’s total funding to $127 million was led by Sequoia, with participation from Redpoint, Meritech, First Round, General Catalyst, Evantic, and others.
On Me, a San Francisco, CA–based personalized digital gifting platform provider, raised $6m in seed funding. The round was led by NFX with participation from pre-seed investors Lerer Hippeau and focal.
Keeper Keeper, a NYC-based AI matchmaker service company, raised $4M in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by Lightbank and Lakehouse Ventures, with participation from Champion Hill Ventures, Goodwater Capital, and others.
Cyphlens, a NYC-based visual encryption company, raised $3.8M in Seed funding. Backers included Salesforce Ventures, Motivate Ventures, DCG, ex/ante, and Cambrian Ventures.
Stic, a Los Angeles, CA-based provider of a technology-enabled platform that connects brands with everyday drivers to power measurable out-of-home (OOH) advertising, raised a $10M Bridge funding. The round was led by Accretion Capital and entrepreneurs like Phil Hellmuth, Adam Waheed and Chris Detert. Advisory support came from Lucy Guo, Maurice Maschmeyer, Tanya Cohen, Collins Key, Devan Key, Kamo Jurn and the Global Wealth Solutions Group of Raymond James.
Allegria Therapeutics, a Basel, Switzerland-based biotech company developing therapies for mast cell-mediated diseases, raised $5.1M in Seed extension funding. The round was led by ALK Abelló, with participation of HighLight Capital (HLC), Lichtsteiner Foundation and co-founding investor Forty51 Ventures.
Double, a NYC-based modern close management and practice management platform for accounting and bookkeeping firms, raised $6.5m in Series A funding. The round was led by Album Ventures, with participation from returning investor Jack Altman, co-founder and CEO of Lattice, and Y Combinator.
Ritten, a Philadelphia, PA-based developer of an AI-powered system of record for behavioral health providers, raised $35M in Series B funding. The round was led by Five Elms Capital with participation from existing investors Threshold Ventures, 8VC, Bienville Capital, and others.
Harness, a San Francisco, CA-based AI software delivery platform company, raised $240M in Series E funding. The round comprised a $200M investment led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives and a planned $40M tender offer with participation from IVP, Menlo Ventures, and Unusual Ventures.
OnCorps AI, a Boston, MA-based provider of an agentic AI platform for fund operations, raised $55M in funding. The round was led by Long Ridge Equity Partners.
Realm.Security, a Boston, MA-based, AI-native security data pipeline platform provider, raised $2M in funding. Presidio Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Sumitomo Corporation, made the investment, which followed a $15M Series A round announced in October, led by Jump Capital with participation from Glasswing Ventures and Accomplice.
Safebooks Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based financial data governance solutions provider, emerged from stealth securing $15m in seed funding. The round was led by 10D, Propel Ventures, and Mensch Capital with participation from Moneta Venture Capital, Magnolia Capital, Cerca Fund, Blue Moon, and other strategic investors.
Impulse Dynamics, a Marlton, NJ-based medical device company, raised $158M in funding. Backers included Sands Capital, Braidwell, Redmile, Perceptive, Alger, and industry executives.
Relation, a London, UK-based biopharmaceutical company, raised additional $26M in funding. Backers included NVentures, DCVC and Magnetic Ventures.
Cynch AI, a San Francisco, CA-based company which specializes in AI-native tax automation, raised US$9M in funding. The round was led by TGV with participation from Permanent Capital, AI Capital, Clear Ventures, and Factory HQ.
Yonda Tax, a London, UK-based tax automation platform provider, raised $15M in funding. The round was led by Kennet Partners, with participation from NYO Capital and Portfolio Ventures.
Surf, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI-powered platform for digital assets, raised $15M in funding. The round was led by Pantera Capital with participation from Coinbase Ventures and Digital Currency Group (DCG).
Qargo, a London, UK-based transport management system (TMS) company, raised $33M in Series B funding. The round was led by Sofina, with participation from existing investor Balderton Capital.
Outset, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI-moderated research platform, raised $30M in Series B funding. The round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, as well as previous investors Y Combinator, Adverb Ventures, and 8VC.
Skydo, a Bengaluru, India-based registered cross-border payments platform for global exporters, raised over $10m in Series A funding. The round was led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, with participation from existing investor Elevation Capital.
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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET
🏦 Venture Capital updates
Integrity Growth Partners, a Los Angeles, CA-based growth‑equity firm focused on founder‑owned, growth‑stage technology companies, closed its $220m fund. LPs included StepStone Group, Oxford Financial Group, and Olympus Ventures, among others.
KEY STORIES IN TECH
📜 Latest in tech
OpenAI fires back at Google with GPT-5.2 after ‘code red’ memo
OpenAI launched GPT-5.2 in three versions (Instant, Thinking, Pro), positioning it as its most advanced model yet and a tool built for developers, professionals, and complex multi-step workflows.
The release follows an internal “code red” over Google’s rising competition, with GPT-5.2 delivering major improvements in reasoning, coding, math, long-context work, and tool use to counter Gemini 3’s momentum.
Despite escalating compute costs and a $1.4T infrastructure commitment, OpenAI is doubling down on high-reasoning models as it seeks to regain leadership — though a new image model is still pending for early 2026.
Google launched its deepest AI research agent yet — on the same day OpenAI dropped GPT-5.2
Google released a new version of Gemini Deep Research, powered by Gemini 3 Pro, letting developers embed its long-context research capabilities through the new Interactions API.
The agent will soon plug into Google Search, Finance, the Gemini app, and NotebookLM, reflecting Google’s shift toward agentic AI that performs complex information gathering without human search queries.
Google says the agent outperformed rivals on its new DeepSearchQA and Humanity’s Last Exam benchmarks, but OpenAI’s same-day release of GPT-5.2 quickly reshaped the comparison landscape.
Altman’s World project launches its ‘super app’
World — the identity project cofounded by Sam Altman — released a major new version of its app that adds encrypted messaging (similar to Signal) and expanded crypto payments, including paycheck deposits and bank transfers.
The new “World Chat” uses color-coded bubbles to show whether a user is verified via World’s iris-scan system, aiming to create a safer, bot-resistant social experience.
The expanded wallet lets users send, receive, and convert crypto more easily, as the company pushes for mass adoption; despite Altman’s goal of 1B verified users, fewer than 20M people have completed World’s verification.
Disney and OpenAI ink a billion-dollar deal
The Walt Disney Company has signed a three-year partnership with OpenAI that includes a $1 billion equity investment to bring its iconic characters to the Sora AI video generator and ChatGPT Images.
Users of the AI platforms can draw on over 200 iconic faces, costumes, and props from Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, although the collaboration excludes any talent likenesses or voices.
The agreement indicates the company will become a major customer by using APIs to build new experiences for Disney+, creating a contrast with how it sued Midjourney for violating intellectual property rights.
Bezos and Musk race to bring data centers to space
Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are now competing to launch orbital AI data centers that tap into solar power to avoid the headaches of securing energy for training models on Earth.
Blue Origin has assigned a team to build technology for the New Glenn vehicle, while SpaceX plans to host computing payloads on upgraded Starlink satellites designed to fit inside its massive Starship rocket.
Advocates believe these systems can use the sun to operate chips, though they face engineering hurdles like managing temperatures, shielding against radiation, and transferring information back to the ground without lag.
DeepMind announces an ‘automated research lab’ to discover new materials
DeepMind will open its first automated research lab in the UK next year to discover new materials like those used in batteries, semiconductors, medical imaging, solar panels, and chips.
The facility will use robotics to perform scientific experiments with minimal human intervention, though DeepMind did not share financial details or how many people will work there.
DeepMind will give British scientists priority access to four of its scientific models, including those for parsing DNA and predicting weather, as part of a broader partnership with the government.
Startup seeks to reclaim Twitter trademarks
A startup called Operation Bluebird filed a petition asking the US Patent and Trademark Office to cancel X Corp.’s ownership of the Twitter trademarks because they say Elon Musk abandoned the brand.
Led by a former Twitter attorney, the group wants to launch a social media site called Twitter.new that looks like the legacy platform but includes new tools for safety and AI moderation.
Legal experts warn that the effort might fail due to residual goodwill, since the public still associates the original logo with the company even after the owner changed the name to X.
Disney hits Google with cease-and-desist claiming ‘massive’ copyright infringement
Disney sent Google a cease-and-desist letter accusing the company of “massive” copyright infringement, alleging its AI models generate unauthorized images and videos of Disney characters — sometimes even branded with the Gemini logo.
The letter says Google is effectively operating as a “virtual vending machine” that reproduces and distributes copyrighted IP from franchises like Frozen, Moana, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Deadpool.
Google didn’t confirm or deny the claims but said it will engage with Disney; the move coincides with Disney signing a $1B deal with OpenAI to bring its characters to Sora.
LAST COFFEE SIP
☕ Other news
Epic Games’ Fortnite is back in the US Google Play Store
Fortnite has returned to the Google Play Store after Epic and Google reached a settlement in their antitrust battle, allowing developers to link to alternative payments with capped fees.
An appeals court partially reversed Epic’s earlier win against Apple, ruling Apple can limit how prominently developers display external payment links and can still charge a fee on off-App-Store purchases.
Epic celebrates its Google victory as a boost for Android openness, while developers see Apple’s ruling as a setback in efforts to avoid App Store commissions.
HIRING ALERT: STARTUPS & VC ROLES
💼 Today’s VC & startup job opportunities
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Associate, Secondary Investments - Adam Street Partner | USA - Apply Here
Chief of Staff – DeVC - Z47 | India - Apply Here
VC Investment Intern - First Momentum Venture | USA - Apply Here
VC Investor - Quamtum Light | UK - Apply Here
Head of Operations - Sagest Capital | USA - Apply Here
Portfolio Management Lead - Yzi Labs | Remote - Apply Here
Office Manager - Seedcamp | USA - Apply Here
(Senior) Investment Manager - Finch Capital | USA - Apply Here
Partner - a16z | USA - Apply Here
Investment Associate - Energy Impact Partner | London - Apply Here
VC Intern | lvlp Venture | Remote - Apply Here
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