Autodesk Invests $200M in AI Startup
Autodesk announced a $200 million investment in World Labs, marking the largest startup deal in its history. The funding pushes World Labs' total capital to $1 billion and backs its Marble platform, which creates 3D environments from images, video, or text. Autodesk will also serve as a strategic advisor, deepening its AI foothold in construction. The move follows a recent 7 % global workforce reduction at the con‑tech giant.
New 10pc US Tariff Keeps Aromatics Arbs Shut
The United States imposed a new 10% tariff on imports of benzene, toluene and mixed xylenes (BTX), effectively closing paper arbitrage opportunities despite sizable price premiums over South Korean supplies. With freight costs around $72 per tonne, the tariff neutralises...
AdApt Enhances AI-Driven Media Sales Platform With BIA Data
AdApt Media Sales has entered a strategic partnership with BIA Advisory Services to embed BIA’s local market revenue forecasts and category analysis into its AI‑enabled sales platform. The integration will give broadcasters and other local media organizations access to market‑level...
JPMorgan’s $20 Billion Tech Bet Could Shrink FinTech’s Innovation Edge
JPMorgan Chase disclosed a $19‑$20 billion annual technology budget, earmarked for AI, cloud infrastructure, and data integration. More than 80% of its applications now run on modern platforms, with over 70% in public or private clouds, enabling real‑time processing and automated...
Heron Power Snares $140 Million Series B
Heron Power announced a $140 million Series B round to launch gigawatt‑scale production of solid‑state transformers for data centers and the electric grid. The round, led by Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism Fund and Breakthrough Energy Ventures, follows a $38 million Series A raised in...
AI Tools Are Being Prepared for the Physical World
Google unveiled Project Genie, an experimental AI model that converts text or image prompts into fully interactive, three‑dimensional simulations. The system can render realistic environments or reinterpret artistic styles, letting users explore a park rendered in pointillist technique or a...
Moody’s: Port Import Gains From Supreme Court Tariff Ruling May Prove Fleeting
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, potentially unlocking refunds on more than $90 billion of duties and lowering landed costs for importers. Moody’s expects a short‑term surge in cargo volumes at major...
Vast Data Integrates AI OS Into Nvidia GPU-Powered Servers
Vast Data and Nvidia have launched the CNode‑X, a GPU‑powered server that embeds the Vast Data AI Operating System directly onto Nvidia hardware. The integrated solution is optimized for AI pipelines, high‑performance analytics, vector search, retrieval‑augmented generation and agentic workloads....
DOE Delivers $26.5 Billion in Loans to Southern Co. For 16 GW in Projects, Including New Nuclear
The U.S. Department of Energy is finalizing a $26.5 billion loan package for Southern Company that will support more than 16 GW of baseload projects, including 5 GW of new gas, 6 GW of nuclear upgrades, battery storage, and over 1,300 miles of transmission. The...
Can Project Vault Fortify the US Industrial Base Against Mineral Chokepoints?
In February 2026 the U.S. Air Force faced F‑35 radar delays because gallium supplies were blocked by China, prompting the launch of Project Vault, a $12 billion strategic critical‑mineral reserve backed by the Export‑Import Bank and private investors. Unlike the historic...
Legendary Alum Deborah Kaufmann Joins Sipur
Deborah Kaufmann, a former senior vice president of literary affairs at Legendary, has been appointed chief of global content at Sipur Studios. The newly created role tasks her with steering worldwide content development and creative leadership. During her decade at...
RTP Network Marks Record 2 Million Transactions in a Day
The Clearing House’s Real‑Time Payments (RTP) network set two historic milestones, processing 2.05 million transactions in a single day on Feb. 13 and reaching a daily value peak of $8.36 billion on Feb. 18. The surge reflects accelerating adoption among retail users, digital‑wallet transfers,...
How to Launch a 1-Person Business on a Near-Zero Budget — and Still Win Big
Launching a one‑person business on a near‑zero budget hinges on spending only when a clear return is evident. Service‑or knowledge‑based models are favored because they require little capital and can generate revenue quickly. Entrepreneurs are urged to secure the first...
A More Intelligent Android on Samsung Galaxy S26
Google is embedding its Gemini AI into Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 series, debuting new features that automate everyday tasks, enhance visual search, and protect against phone scams. A beta version lets users delegate rides, meals and grocery orders by long‑pressing...
Let Gemini Handle Your Multi-Step Daily Tasks on Android.
Google is previewing Gemini’s new beta feature that lets Android users delegate multi-step daily tasks to the AI. The functionality, rolling out on Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S26 devices, will initially support food, grocery and rideshare apps in the United...
Why Wall Street Panicked over a Sci-Fi Blog Post
Wall Street’s recent tumble was triggered by a speculative memo from Citrini Research that painted a dystopian AI future where productivity booms coexist with massive white‑collar job loss and collapsing consumer demand. The Substack‑style piece, framed as a 2028 science‑fiction...
EU Consults on State Aid, Including for Hydrogen, CCS
The European Commission is consulting on revised state‑aid rules that will replace the current framework before it expires on 31 December 2026. The proposal, embedded in the General Block Exemption Regulation, streamlines approvals and exempts climate‑related aid under €30 million per firm or...
Venezuela's US Crude Flows Far Shy of Trump's Claims
President Donald Trump claimed the United States received over 80 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, a figure far exceeding reality. Vortexa ship‑tracking data shows U.S. imports of Venezuelan oil totalled about 17.7 million barrels, roughly 300,000 barrels per day, in January and...
Why AI May Cause a Lot of Ad Tech Companies to Duck and Cover
At the 12th Kochava Summit, the company unveiled its AI‑driven Atlas Performance platform, aiming to merge measurement with media buying. CEO Charles Manning predicts AI agents will replace much of the ad‑tech middleware, triggering consolidation and a shift toward IO‑level...
Can Canada Find Digital Sovereignty in the Fediverse?
At the inaugural FediMTL conference in Montreal, Canadian developers and activists gathered to champion the Fediverse as a path to digital sovereignty. The decentralized social web, built on the open‑source ActivityPub protocol, offers alternatives to US‑owned platforms such as Facebook,...
Spotlight Series: Outrigger Hospitality Group
Outrigger Hospitality Group’s president and CEO Jeff Wagoner highlighted the critical role of leadership in navigating today’s volatile hospitality landscape. He emphasized the brand’s commitment to authenticity, arguing that genuine guest experiences drive loyalty and revenue. Wagoner also detailed the company’s...
US to Allow Resale of Venezuelan Oil to Cuba
The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced it will approve third‑party applications to resell Venezuelan crude and refined products to Cuba. Transactions must follow the same conditions as U.S.-authorized sales to Venezuela's state oil firm, including depositing...
Helika and Avalanche Bring Accelerator Demo Day to San Francisco Featuring Top Studios and a First Look at Helika’s Publishing...
Helika and Avalanche are co‑hosting a joint Accelerator Demo Day at Pocket Gamer Connects in San Francisco on March 9, 2026, concluding a 12‑week program that equips game studios with funding, mentorship, and Helika’s data‑driven publishing support. The event will debut Helika’s AI‑powered...
OpenAI COO Says Ads Will Be ‘an Iterative Process’
OpenAI has begun serving advertisements to users on its free and Go ChatGPT tiers, initially rolling them out to U.S. customers. COO Brad Lightcap described the rollout as an iterative process that must prioritize user privacy and trust. The company...
ZaiNar Emerges From Stealth With $100M Funding
ZaiNar has emerged from nine years of stealth with a Physical AI platform that transforms any wireless network into a continuous, low‑power sensing system, eliminating the need for satellites, cameras, or dedicated beacons. The technology provides precise, real‑time location data...
The New Age of Western Industrial Policy: Is There a New Playbook?
A virtual “Trade Winds” event on March 11, 2026 gathered top economists and policymakers to assess the resurgence of Western industrial policy. Speakers outlined a growing toolbox—including procurement preferences, subsidies, and public‑private partnerships—driven by competitiveness, innovation, and economic‑security concerns. The measures aim...
The Trump Administration's America First Investment Pledges
The Trump administration announced an "America First" investment drive that has secured more than $5 trillion in pledges from foreign governments for projects across defense, technology, energy and infrastructure. The deals are framed as reciprocal arrangements, linking tariff relief to partner...
AI + Work: Understanding AI's Impact on the Labor Market
Leading research institutions—Yale's Budget Lab, Brookings' Hamilton Project, and the Peterson Institute for International Economics—are convening a virtual event to dissect AI's influence on employment. The discussion will spotlight the most informative data sources, from real‑time job postings to wage...
The State of US-Japan Economic Relations in a Changing Global Economy
A recent webinar examined the evolving economic partnership between the United States and Japan, highlighting trade, investment, and supply‑chain dynamics amid shifting global patterns. Experts discussed how post‑pandemic realignments and technological change are reshaping bilateral ties. The dialogue also addressed...
NASA Seeks IBM Partner to Manage Agency's Software Portfolio
NASA has issued a request for information (RFI) to find an IBM Platinum Partner that will manage its extensive software portfolio. The agency intends to establish a five‑year blanket purchase agreement covering licenses, subscription support, expert lab services, and remote...
Younger, High-Quality Portfolios Gain Ground in LP-Led Market – NEXUS
The secondary market is increasingly dominated by LP‑led transactions that target younger, high‑quality private‑equity portfolios. Ardian’s Wilfred Small described the environment as one of “asset selection and cherry picking” rather than bulk sales. Limited partners are allocating capital to these...
Great Clips Taps Into Quarterback Kirk Cousins’ Love for Value Haircuts in New Campaign
Great Clips leveraged NFL quarterback Kirk Cousins as a brand spokesperson in a January 2026 promotion tied to the College Football Playoffs, offering a $9.99 haircut coupon. The 24‑day campaign generated an 11.6% sales lift and a 7.4% rise in...
Onity Group Adds a Former Truist Executive to C-Suite
Onity Group announced the appointment of Aulene Wessel, a former executive vice president at Truist, as its new chief accounting officer. Wessel replaces Francois Grunenwald, who will exit after a transition period. Her résumé includes senior roles at SoFi, Silicon...
Is Perplexity's New Computer a Safer Version of OpenClaw? How It Works
Perplexity unveiled Computer, a multi‑agent orchestration platform that combines more than a dozen cutting‑edge AI models into a single digital worker. The system, currently limited to Perplexity Max users, uses Claude Opus 4.6 for core reasoning and delegates specialized tasks...
Why Venture Capital Is Moving Into African Solar Microgrids
Venture capital in Africa is pivoting from fintech to solar microgrid projects as investors chase more predictable, asset‑backed returns. After a fintech boom between 2016‑2021, market saturation, rising customer‑acquisition costs and tighter regulation have eroded margins. Solar microgrids, backed by...
Roots Appoints Rosie Pouzar as Chief Commercial Officer
Toronto‑based premium outdoor brand Roots has appointed Rosie Pouzar as its new Chief Commercial Officer, elevating her from Head of Omnichannel Growth. Pouzar, who previously led Sephora Canada’s retail expansion, will oversee commercial strategy, operations, and customer insight across Roots’...
Bahri Charters Five Supertankers as Rates Approach $200K/Day
Saudi Arabia’s largest oil shipper, Bahri, provisionally chartered five very large crude carriers as daily charter rates neared $200,000, the highest level since 2020. The vessels are slated to move Saudi crude to Asian markets, chiefly China, in the coming...
Guidance for EU IM Model Application for ISDA SIMM®
EU financial and non‑financial counterparties using ISDA SIMM must have filed an initial IM model application with their competent authority or the ECB, and those that have already applied need to submit an updated version by 31 March 2026. The update must reference...
What Each Generation Really Wants From B-to-B Events—And What the Data Says
New research reveals that B‑to‑B event attendees across four generations share a strong appetite for micro‑communities, authenticity, and local culture, while still demanding distinct experiences. AI‑powered networking is favored by 66% of respondents, and 84% say they want to bring...
SPS Commerce Introduces MAX, Embedded AI for Supply Chain Workflows
SPS Commerce has launched MAX, an AI‑driven set of capabilities embedded in its supply‑chain network that currently operates in an advisory mode, surfacing anomalies and recommending actions within existing EDI workflows. The system is designed to improve supplier compliance, order...
British Charm Offensive on 'Made in Europe' Under Way as London Seeks Closer EU Ties
British Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle is leading a diplomatic push to embed the United Kingdom in the EU’s new “Made in Europe” procurement framework. The effort follows a stalled attempt to join the €150 billion Security Action for Europe...
Georgia Tech Researchers Highlight Vulnerabilities in Threat Intelligence Sharing
Georgia Tech researchers have uncovered critical weaknesses in the global threat‑intelligence supply chain, highlighting how inconsistent data quality and limited sharing impede rapid response. Their study, presented at the NDSS Symposium, found that while 67% of vendors sandbox suspicious binaries,...
Klaviyo Partners with Google
Klaviyo, a B2C CRM provider, announced a partnership with Google to deliver AI‑driven, autonomous customer experiences across the entire commerce lifecycle. The collaboration merges Google’s search, advertising, AI and messaging capabilities with Klaviyo’s real‑time data platform, which processes 3.4 billion daily...
New Ways to Create and Refine Content in Flow
Google Flow has rolled out a major upgrade that folds its image‑generation experiments Whisk and ImageFX directly into the platform, while embedding the Nano Banana model for instant high‑fidelity image‑to‑video conversion. The redesign adds a flexible asset grid with Collections, drag‑and‑drop...
5 Business Technology Trends Leaders Can’t Ignore in 2026
In 2026 business technology shifts from experimentation to measurable outcomes, with AI at the core. Agentic AI evolves from chatbots to autonomous workflow agents, while robotics‑as‑a‑service makes physical automation accessible to midsize firms. Small, task‑specific language models replace large models...
Alkermes’ Richard Pops to Step Down After Three-Decade Run as CEO
Richard Pops will step down as Alkermes CEO on July 31 after a 32‑year tenure, remaining as board chair. COO Blair Jackson will succeed him and join the board during the transition. Under Pops, Alkermes shifted from drug‑delivery to commercial...
NationGraph Raises $18M in Series A Funding
NationGraph, an AI-native intelligence platform helping businesses win government contracts, announced an $18 million Series A round. The financing was led by Menlo Ventures and included Perplexity’s Fund, XYZ Venture Capital, Reach Capital, and several angels. The capital brings the company’s total...
The Baltimore Beat Experiments with Pay-What-You-Can Ads
Baltimore Beat, a nonprofit news outlet, is introducing pay‑what‑you‑can advertising options. The tiered pricing lets mom‑and‑pop shops pay $50, brick‑and‑mortar stores $150, and larger investors $300 per ad. The paper, which distributes 20,000 free print copies twice a month and...
Michigan House Speaker Suggests Nearly $5B in Property Tax Cuts
Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall unveiled a property‑tax reform that would cut roughly $4.9‑$5 billion in revenue by eliminating the State Education Tax, personal‑property tax, real‑estate transfer tax and the so‑called pop‑up tax. Hall said schools and local governments would be...
Patientdesk AI Raises $1M Pre-Seed Backed by Y Combinator to Modernize Dental Front Desks
Patientdesk AI, a Y Combinator W26 startup, secured a $1 million pre‑seed round led by Y Combinator and E2VC to build an AI‑powered front‑desk system for dental practices. The platform automates the entire patient intake flow—answering calls, qualifying prospects, scheduling appointments,...