Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA

SpaceX has captured the attention of media, investors, and the public for years now — interest propelled by the company’s reusable rocket launches, the rise of its Starlink satellite network, and, of course, for its founder and CEO Elon Musk. But in its 24-year history, nothing quite compared to its initial public offering. Everyone seemed interested — perhaps because of the sheer size of the IPO. The company priced its 555.6 million shares at $135 each to raise $75 billion, making it the largest IPO in history and turning Musk into the world’s first trillionaire. TechCrunch has followed SpaceX’s start,…

The White House’s move to restrict access to Anthropic’s newest AI models could hand one of Europe’s leading AI startups exactly the opening it has been preparing for.On Friday, US officials imposed export controls on Anthropic’s cybersecurity-focused models, Mythos 5 and Fable 5. They cited national security concerns that safeguards meant to prevent misuse of Fable 5 could be bypassed.The restrictions block any foreign national from accessing the two models. Anthropic responded by suspending access to the systems altogether, creating uncertainty around who ultimately controls access to frontier AI.The episode has the hallmarks of a scenario Mistral’s CEO, Arthur Mensch,…

Anthropic is at the center of another showdown with the Trump administration — this time over the recent release of the artificial intelligence company’s latest AI models, Fable 5 and Mythos 5.For those catching up on the flurry of news over the weekend, here’s what you need to know about the clash, what’s at stake, and what industry insiders are saying about the dispute.What’s the drama about?On Friday, the White House imposed strict export controls on the AI models, banning their use by foreign nationals. Anthropic said that ultimately forced Anthropic to pull them offline “to ensure compliance.”In a blog…

How much would you pay to help your employees have a good night sleep?Last year, the CEO of AI startup Factory took an unusual talent management tactic: buying everyone pricey sleep tech.Factory has grown rapidly since its 2023 founding. Factory now has 120 employees and raised $150 million in April, backed by Khosla Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and Blackstone.CEO Matan Grinberg shared on “20VC” that he gave every employee a $3,000 Eight Sleep mattress cover when the startup had 30 employees. “The decadence of startups, right?” he said.Eight Sleep’s mattress covers use internal liquid to cool and heat a bed. The…

Leucine is an essential amino acid. It can’t be made by the body itself, but it can be found in protein rich foods like meat, dairy, beans, and lentils. While many health benefits associated with leucine, a branch-chain amino acid, are already known—like building and repairing muscle mass—a new discovery has shown that it can also help to boost our energy at the cellular level, powering up the mitochondria and even helping in the fight against disease. New Study Reveals How Leucine Boosts Mitochondrial Energy Production Scientists have long theorized that nutrients play an integral part in the proper functioning…

A group made up of dozens of cybersecurity experts, including several well-known veterans of the industry, published an open letter to the U.S. government asking it to lift the export control order on Anthropic’s Fable and Mythos models. According to the open letter, “this action has taken the best models away from [cybersecurity] defenders” who now can’t use the models to find vulnerabilities and make their software and products more secure.  “To pull the best capabilities away from defenders without a good reason when our adversaries are rapidly advancing is dangerous,” read the letter. On Friday, the U.S. government ordered…

Salesforce announced on Monday that it will acquire AI customer service platform Fin for $3.6 billion. Formerly known as Intercom, Fin offers an AI agent that can resolve customer queries across channels, using live chat, WhatsApp, SMS, phone calls, Slack, and more. Salesforce says it wants to use Fin’s team and technology to improve Agentforce, its existing enterprise platform that businesses can use to build custom AI agents that automate tasks. “Fin brings proven agent technology, a deep commitment to customer success, and an incredible AI team that will complement Agentforce with powerful service agent capabilities,” said Salesforce CEO Marc…

Sarvam has raised $234 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, the company announced on Monday. The Bengaluru-based company is now India’s newest AI unicorn, as governments and companies seek greater control over critical artificial intelligence technologies and computing infrastructure. $150 million of that money will come from HCLTech, the IT subsidiary of Indian conglomerate HCL Group and lead strategic investor in the round. Bessemer Venture Partners also participated alongside existing backers Khosla Ventures and Peak XV Partners. Sarvam hopes to raise a total of $300 million for its Series B round. The investment comes more than two years after Sarvam…

Cybersecurity startup NewCore emerged from stealth with $66 million in funding on Monday, aiming to solve a challenge it believes many companies will soon face as they deploy AI agents: how to authenticate, govern, and control them at scale. The seed round was led by cybersecurity-focused venture firm Cyberstarts, with participation from Index Ventures and Evolution Equity Partners, valuing NewCore at $300 million after investment. Companies are increasingly treating AI agents as workplace participants rather than software tools. Goldman Sachs last year tested AI coding agent Devin as a new employee, while McKinsey said earlier this year that 25,000 AI…

You made history. Now what?SpaceX’s high-profile IPO lived up to the hype. Elon Musk’s rocket company’s record-breaking public debut surged as much as 30%. It ended the day roughly 20% above its IPO price, right in the sweet spot for a new public company.The process included a lot of fanfare, and plenty of people got very rich, including minting the world’s first trillionaire. First Trade’s Joe Ciolli and I had a fun discussion about it on Friday. You can watch it here.The debate around SpaceX isn’t over. Now it’s about whether the stock can maintain its day-one momentum, its impact…