☕ Nvidia unlikely to make further investments in OpenAI or Anthropic & OpenAI launches GPT-5.3 Instant.
Amazon cuts more jobs in robotics division & Apple unveils iPhone 17e, MacBook Neo, M5 laptops, and new displays
Breaking News
Apple unveiled a major lineup of new products including the $599 iPhone 17e, new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models powered by M5 chips, and the $599 MacBook Neo, a colorful entry-level laptop running the A18 Pro chip. The refresh also introduced upgraded Studio Displays with Thunderbolt 5 and new iPad Air models designed for stronger AI performance, signaling Apple’s push to bring AI capabilities across its entire device ecosystem while expanding into the budget laptop market.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said the company is unlikely to make further investments in OpenAI or Anthropic, noting that such opportunities typically end once AI labs move toward public markets. Nvidia previously invested $30B in OpenAI and $10B in Anthropic, but Huang emphasized that the company’s investments are strategic — aimed at strengthening the AI ecosystem that drives demand for Nvidia chips.
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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS
💰 Startup Funding Updates
PRE-SEED
Vivox AI, a London, UK-based technology company building regulator-ready, atomic AI agents for AML, KYB/KYC and financial crime, raised £1.3M in first funding. Backers included Axel Weber, Dan Cobley, Kos Stiskin, James Janis Berdigans, and other fintech and technology investors.
Mycoverse, a Copenhagen, Denmark-based agritech startup, raised €2.4M in Pre-Seed equity funding. The round was co-led by Future Food Fund and High-Tech Gründerfonds, with participation from PINC.
SEED
Navigara, a San Francisco, CA-based developer of an engineering performance measurement layer, raised $2.5M in Seed funding. The round was led by Inovo VC, with participation from Rockaway Ventures and QQ Capital.
NextWork, an Austin, TX-based platform helping people learn practical AI skills by building real projects, raised $4.45M in Seed funding. The round was led by Shakti VC with participation from Cake Ventures, GD1 VC, Blackbird Ventures, Icehouse Ventures, Phase One Ventures and angel investors.
GenFlux, a Denver, CO-based provider of a platform helping brands track and optimize how they appear in AI-generated answers, raised $4.2M in Seed funding. The round was led by Symbolic Capital, with participation from Borderless Capital, Frachtis, Dispersion Capital, Delphi Ventures, and Bigbrain Holdings.
IntelliGRC, a Fairfax, VA-based provider of a cybersecurity governance, risk, and compliance platform, raised $3.5M in Seed funding. The round was led by Kyle Hanslovan and Blu Ventures.
Worldscape.ai, a Seattle, WA-based developer of AI-powered geospatial intelligence software for defense, government, and enterprise applications, raised an undisclosed amount in Seed funding. The round was led by Scout Ventures, with participation from Radius and Washington Harbour Partners.
Alithea Genomics, a Lausanne, Switzerland-based large-scale RNA sequencing and transcriptomics company, raised an additional CHF3M in Seed funding. The round was led by Genku Ventures, joined by Novalis Biotech and Zürcher Kantonalbank.
GROWTH
PartsPulse, a Las Vegas, NV-based provider of an AI-powered platform for managing parts businesses, raised $3M in funding. The round was led by UP.Partners.
Spellbook, a Toronto, Canada-based provider of legal AI for transactional law, raised $40M in Debt funding from RBCx at a $350M valuation. This strategic capital comes shortly after its $50M Series B funding.
Unleash, an Oslo, Norway-based open-source FeatureOps company, raised $35M in Series B funding. The round was led by One Peak, with participation from Spark Capital, Frontline Ventures, and Firstminute Capital.
Artemis, a Houston, TX-based climate-tech company, raised $6M in funding. The round was co-led by Long Journey and Copec WIND Ventures with participation from Ludlow Ventures and other investors.
Crossover Markets, a Wilmington, DE-based digital asset trading technology firm, raised $31M in Series B funding at a $200M valuation. The round was led by Tradeweb Markets with participation from DRW Venture Capital, Ripple, Virtu Financial, Wintermute Ventures, XTX Markets, and Illuminate Financial.
Ualá, a Buenos Aires, Argentina-based neobank, raised $195M in equity financing at a $3.2B valuation. The round was led by Allianz X with participation from Stone Ridge Holdings Group, Tencent, TABLE Holdings, Soros Fund Management, and D1 Capital Partners.
Cyclops, a Miami, FL-based stablecoin and crypto infrastructure platform provider, raised $8M in funding. Backers included Castle Island Ventures, F-Prime and Shift4 Payments.
HawkEye 360, a Herndon, VA-based company specializing in signals intelligence data and analytics, raised an additional $23M in Series E funding. The round included participation from Ghisallo, Principia Growth, Sixty Degree Capital, and existing investors.
Shellworks, a London, UK-based bio-materials startup, raised $15M in Series A funding. The round was led by alter equity, with participation from Nat Friedman and JamJar alongside existing investors.
Poplar Therapeutics, a Cambridge, MA-based clinical-stage immunology company, raised $45M in Series A extension funding. The round was led by Janus Henderson Investors, with participation from RA Capital, SR One, Vida Ventures and affiliates of ArrowMark Partners.
NEW VCs IN THE MARKET
🏦 Venture Capital Updates.
Quantonation Ventures, a NYC and Paris, France-based venture capital firm focused on quantum and physics-based technologies, closed its second flagship fund, at €220m. LPs included Vertex Holdings; Fonds National d’Amorçage 2, managed by Bpifrance on behalf of the French State; and Bradley M. Bloom, co-founder and former Managing Director of Berkshire Partners, as well as new backers European Investment Fund, Grupo ACS, Novo Holdings, Planet First Partners, and Toshiba.
KEY STORIES IN TECH
📜 Latest In Tech
Google cuts Play Store commissions to 20% after Epic settlement
Google agreed to lower its Play Store commission on in-app purchases to 20%, with an additional 5% fee if developers use Google’s billing system, resolving a long-running dispute with Epic Games.
The settlement allows Fortnite to return to the Play Store globally and introduces a new “Registered App Stores” program, making it easier for users to install alternative app stores on Android.
The new fee structure and developer programs will begin rolling out in the U.S., U.K., and EEA by June 30, 2026, with global expansion planned by September 2027.
OpenAI launches GPT-5.3 Instant
OpenAI released GPT-5.3 Instant, a new model designed to cut down on the “cringe” and “preachy disclaimers” that made ChatGPT sound condescending, especially when users were just looking for information.
The GPT-5.2 Instant model annoyed users so much with phrases like “you’re not broken” and unsolicited reminders to breathe that some people canceled their subscriptions over the tone.
OpenAI said the GPT-5.3 update focuses on tone, relevance, and conversational flow — areas that don’t show up in benchmarks but directly affect how frustrating ChatGPT feels to talk to.
Amazon cuts more jobs in robotics division
Amazon has laid off at least 100 employees in its robotics unit, which designs automation systems and robots used in warehouse operations.
The move follows broader layoffs across the company, including about 16,000 job cuts earlier this year, as Amazon continues restructuring and emphasizing efficiency gains from AI.
Over the past year, Amazon has reduced around 30,000 corporate roles across divisions, while also pausing development of projects like the Blue Jay robotic arm designed for warehouse automation.
LAST COFFEE SIP
☕ Other News
Big tech backs Anthropic in Pentagon dispute over AI safeguards
A major tech industry group including Amazon, Nvidia, Apple, and OpenAI voiced concern over the Pentagon considering labeling Anthropic a “supply-chain risk.”
Investors and partners are urging CEO Dario Amodei to de-escalate tensions with the U.S. defense department while still maintaining the company’s safeguards banning autonomous weapons and mass domestic surveillance.
The dispute could impact Anthropic’s broader business if government contractors are forced to stop using its AI, even as demand for products like Claude and Claude Code continues to surge.
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