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08 Jan 2026

Alphabet hits $4 trillion valuation as AI strategy and Apple deal reshape investor sentiment

Google's parent company reached a $4 trillion valuation for the first time, surpassing Apple to become the second-most valuable company globally. The milestone follows Apple's decision to use Google's Gemini AI model to power Siri, marking a dramatic shift in investor sentiment as Alphabet's stock surged 65% in 2025.

17 Sources

DeepSeek AI gains traction in developing nations as free models fuel adoption gap concerns

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek is rapidly expanding across the Global South, achieving 89% market share in China and significant adoption in Russia, Belarus, and Africa. A new Microsoft report reveals how the company's free and open-source models are reshaping AI adoption patterns while raising questions about geopolitical influence and the widening technology divide between advanced and developing economies.

6 Sources

CrowdStrike acquires SGNL for $740 million to secure AI agents and combat identity threats

CrowdStrike announced a $740 million deal to acquire identity security startup SGNL, aiming to protect against AI-powered cyberattacks. The acquisition brings continuous identity technology to CrowdStrike's Falcon platform, enabling real-time access control for human, machine, and AI identities as businesses increasingly deploy autonomous AI agents.

6 Sources

AI roles dominate LinkedIn's fastest-growing jobs, but human judgment remains essential

LinkedIn's 2026 Jobs on the Rise report reveals AI engineer as the fastest-growing role in the US, followed by AI consultant and strategist. The analysis of millions of jobs started between January 2023 and July 2025 shows that even the most technical AI roles depend heavily on human judgment, with data annotators and researchers highlighting how human skills remain central to training and improving AI systems.

3 Sources

Snowflake Acquires Observe for $1 Billion to Embed AI-Powered Observability Into Data Cloud

Snowflake confirmed plans to acquire AI-powered observability platform Observe in a deal reportedly valued at $1 billion. The acquisition integrates Observe's telemetry analytics and AI Site Reliability Engineer capabilities into Snowflake's AI Data Cloud, enabling enterprises to manage massive telemetry volumes while cutting observability costs by up to 60%. The move positions Snowflake to capture a larger share of the $51.7 billion IT operations management market.

5 Sources

MiniMax surges 90% in Hong Kong debut after $619M IPO, beating rival Zhipu AI

Chinese generative AI startup MiniMax soared as much as 90% on its first trading day in Hong Kong after raising $619 million. The Alibaba-backed company outperformed rival Zhipu AI, which rose just 13% a day earlier. Institutional investors including Baillie Gifford and GIC bid over 70 times for available shares, signaling strong demand for China's AI sector despite the company's $186 million adjusted loss.

11 Sources

Singapore launches AI bootcamp to retrain 35,000 bankers as agentic AI reshapes finance jobs

Singapore's government and major banks are retraining 35,000 domestic banking staff in AI skills over the next one to two years. The initiative aims to prevent mass layoffs while deploying agentic AI models that can complete tasks in 10 minutes that previously took an entire day. The Monetary Authority of Singapore works closely with financial institutions to implement safeguards and control the risks of AI adoption.

2 Sources

Samsung profit triples to record $13.8B as AI demand sends memory prices soaring 313%

Samsung Electronics forecasts record quarterly profits of $13.8 billion in Q4, triple the previous year's results, driven by explosive demand for AI servers. Memory prices have surged dramatically, with DRAM contract prices up 313% year-over-year and another 60% increase expected in Q1 2026. The memory chip shortage shows no signs of relief until at least 2027.

7 Sources

Applied Digital beats revenue estimates as AI data center demand surges, shares jump 7%

Applied Digital reported second-quarter revenue of $126.6 million, far exceeding Wall Street estimates of $88 million, driven by surging demand for AI data centers. The company secured billions in long-term leases with hyperscalers, including a $5 billion agreement for 200 MW at its North Dakota campus. Shares rose 7% in extended trading as the company positions itself to become a data center real estate investment trust.

3 Sources

Arm launches Physical AI division to expand presence in robotics and automotive markets

Chip design company Arm Holdings reorganized its business at CES 2026 to create a new Physical AI division focused on robotics and automotive technology. The UK-based firm now operates three core units, combining automotive and robotics under one umbrella due to shared requirements for power efficiency, safety and reliability.

5 Sources

07 Jan 2026

Anthropic seeks $10 billion funding at $350 billion valuation, nearly doubling in four months

The Claude chatbot maker is in talks to raise $10 billion led by Coatue Management and Singapore's GIC, nearly doubling its valuation from $183 billion just four months ago. The move comes as Anthropic prepares for a potential IPO while competing with OpenAI, which recently held talks at a $750 billion valuation.

10 Sources

Nvidia disputes upfront payment claims for H200 AI chips as China approval looms

Nvidia has refuted reports claiming it requires full advance payment from Chinese customers for H200 AI chips. The chipmaker stated it would never require customers to pay for products they don't receive, pushing back against Reuters reporting. Beijing is expected to approve H200 imports this quarter for select commercial use, with Chinese companies ordering over 2 million units despite ongoing US-China trade tensions.

19 Sources

Venture funding surges 30% in 2025 as AI investments dominate startup deals and valuations

Global venture funding reached $425 billion in 2025, up 30% from 2024, marking the third-highest year on record. The surge was driven by massive AI investments, with artificial intelligence capturing 50% of all funding. OpenAI's $40 billion round and SpaceX's $800 billion valuation set new records, while capital concentration intensified around the largest companies.

2 Sources

McKinsey and General Catalyst leaders declare the era of 'learn once, work forever' is over

Top executives from McKinsey and General Catalyst say AI is fundamentally reshaping how people work and learn. Speaking at CES 2026, they argued that the traditional model of 22 years of education followed by 40 years of work is broken. Workers must now embrace lifelong skilling and re-skilling to remain relevant as AI agents transform organizations at unprecedented speed.

3 Sources

xFusion hires Citic Securities for IPO as China's AI server market heats up

xFusion, China's leading AI server provider, has hired Citic Securities to prepare for an initial public offering. The former Huawei subsidiary recorded sales exceeding $5.72 billion in 2024 and joins a wave of Chinese AI chipmakers tapping into investor enthusiasm for AI companies amid U.S. technology restrictions.

2 Sources

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