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☆ SoftBank leads TravelPerk's $104 million fundraising, in a bet that AI will reshape corporate travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

TravelPerkBarcelona-based startup TravelPerk, which helps automate corporate travel and expenses, has raised $104 million in fresh funding from Japanese tech investing giant SoftBank and a flood of other names, to invest in artificial intelligence development and new products. SoftBank invested $70 million in TravelPerk's latest round, which the company said was an extension of its "D-1" funding round. The fundraising round shows SoftBank is placing a major bet on a company driving disruption in corporate travel through new technologies, such as AI — which has seen significant buzz since the November 2022 launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Whereas many travel agents operate on low single digits gross margins, Meir says that TravelPerk's profit margin stood at 60% last year. TravelPerk competes with American Express, BCD Travel, SAP Concur and Navan in the corporate travel management space.

Persons: Avi Meir, TravelPerk, Felix, SoftBank, that's, Meir, Roy Hefer Organizations: SoftBank Vision, Felix Capital, American, CNBC, American Express, SAP Locations: TravelPerk Barcelona, Navan, U.S

DAVOS, Switzerland — OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman said generative artificial intelligence as a sector, and the U.S. as a country are both "going to be fine" no matter who wins the presidential election later this year. Altman was responding to a question on Donald Trump's resounding victory at the Iowa caucus and the public being "confronted with the reality of this upcoming election." "I believe that America is gonna be fine, no matter what happens in this election. Trump won the Iowa Republican caucus in a landslide on Monday, setting a new record for the Iowa race with a 30-point lead over his closest rival. When asked whether there's a danger that AI furthers that hurt, Altman responded, "Yes, for sure."

Persons: Switzerland —, Sam Altman, Altman, Donald Trump's, We're, what's, Trump, we've, we're, Anna Makanju Organizations: Iowa, Bloomberg, Economic, Trump, Iowa Republican Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, America, Davos, Iowa, San Francisco, OpenAI

The hefty Davos promotions come after India surpassed China last year as the world's biggest country by population. Now India is touting its growing strength as a nation of innovation and as a global business hub in front of some of the world's richest and most powerful people. "As China's economy slows down, India's relatively rapid growth stands out as a clear opportunity for investors in Davos looking for bright spots." "We had an all-time revenue record in India," Apple CEO Tim Cook said on the company's latest earnings call in November, in response to an analyst's question about the company's momentum there. Hidary said Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani's smartphone company Jio will serve about 600 million people in India through a $12 device.

Persons: There's, Ravi Agrawal, Agrawal, Narendra Modi, that's, Tim Cook, Apple Tim Cook, Punit Paranjpe, Jack Hidary, Hidary, Mukesh, Ambani Organizations: India Engagement, Wipro, Infosys, Tata, Foreign Policy, CNN, CNBC, World Bank, International Trade Administration, Visual, Bank of India, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Apple, AFP, Getty, India, AMD, Nvidia, Micron, WEF Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Davos, India, China, CNN India, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, U.S, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gujarat

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, at the Hope Global Forums annual meeting in Atlanta on Dec. 11, 2023. DAVOS, Switzerland — Sam Altman said he was 'surprised' by The New York Times' lawsuit against his company OpenAI, saying its artificial intelligence models didn't need to train on the news publisher's data. According to Altman, OpenAI wanted to pay the outlet "a lot of money to display their content" in ChatGPT, the firm's popular AI chatbot. "We were as surprised as anybody else to read that they were suing us in the New York Times. "We are open to training [AI] on the New York Times, but it's not our priority," Altman said in front of a packed Davos crowd.

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI, isn't, it's, ChatGPT Organizations: Hope, The New York Times, New York Times, Economic, Microsoft Locations: Atlanta, DAVOS, Switzerland, ChatGPT, Davos

☆ UN chief calls for global risk management of AI, warns of 'serious unintended consequences'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

"It's good to be back and see Davos highlighting the global crisis in trust," Guterres said in his opening remarks. In a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Guterres warned that the rapid development of AI could result in "serious unintended consequences." "Every new interaction of generative AI increases the risk of serious unintended consequences. "These two issues, climate and AI, are exhaustively discussed by governments, by the media and by leaders here in Davos. "The reason is simple, geopolitical divides are preventing us from coming together around global solutions for global challenges.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Fabrice COFFRINI, FABRICE COFFRINI, WEF, Guterres, António Guterres, Satya Nadella, — CNBC's Ryan Browne Organizations: Economic, Getty, United Nations, Microsoft, International Monetary Fund, IMF Locations: Davos, AFP, Switzerland, U.S

☆ This startup has a different take on driverless cars. Now it's launching in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Vay operates what's called a "teledriving" service, where a car is driven remotely by a human rather than by a computer. German startup Vay on Wednesday launched its so-called "teledriving" solution in the U.S. for the first time, putting the company into direct competition with more richly funded and valuable American firms in the mobility technology space. Vay's service will enable people to get cars delivered to them directly by drivers in remote spaces operated by Vay. When they're done with the trip, they can choose in Vay's app to let one of the company's teledrivers take over, and then park the car. The company has already conducted tests on public roads in Europe and the U.S. with remote drivers and no one behind the wheel.

Persons: Vay, they're, Vay's teledriver, Thomas von der Ohe Organizations: Wednesday, Vay, CNBC Locations: U.S, Nevada, Las Vegas, Europe

☆ AI era is a 'seismic moment' in tech we've not seen in a decade, top Meta exec says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The new artificial intelligence era represents a huge moment for the tech industry that has not been seen in a decade, according to a top executive at Facebook parent company Meta Platforms. "This is a seismic moment," Mendelsohn said, in conversation with CNBC's Tania Bryer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. In her role at Meta, Mendelsohn leads relationships with top marketers and agencies. She is also a seasoned advertising executive, with past experience including partner and executive chairman at London advertising agency Karmarama, and non-executive director of alcoholic beverages firm Diageo. Last year also marked a major pivot toward artificial intelligence for Meta — an area where the company plays a key role with its LLaMA large language model.

Persons: Nicola Mendelsohn, Mendelsohn, CNBC's Tania Bryer, Mark Zuckerberg's Organizations: Facebook, Meta, Economic, Diageo Locations: Davos, Switzerland, London

☆ Tesla slashes car prices across Europe after similar cuts in China
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Tesla on late Tuesday trimmed prices for its Model Y cars across several countries in Europe, a week after announcing similar price cuts for its Model 3 and Model Y cars in China. In France, Tesla lowered prices on its Model Y cars by as much as 6.7%, while in the Netherlands, Tesla reduced prices for the Model Y by up to 7.7%. The reductions come after Tesla announced price cuts for its Model 3 and Model Y cars in China. The company has reduced prices for its cars aggressively in China over the past year or so, undercutting local competitor BYD. Tesla trimmed prices of the Model 3 by 6% compared to December last year, also taking prices for the Model Y down by 11%, according to data from JL Warren Capital.

Persons: Tesla, Warren Buffet Organizations: BYD, JL Warren Capital, Volkswagen, U.S Locations: Europe, China, Germany, France, Norway, Netherlands, Red, Iran, Berlin, Brandenburg

☆ Samsung announces new Galaxy S24 lineup with AI-powered photo editing, search features
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The device looks a lot similar to Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. As is standard with Samsung's flagship range now, the S24 range comes in three versions: the S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra. There's a pricier version of the S24 Ultra with 1-terabyte of storage, too, that'll set users back by $1,550. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra has a bright display that can reach 2,600 nits at peak brightness — making it gthe brightest on a Samsung phone to date, according to the company.

Persons: that'll Organizations: Samsung Galaxy, Samsung, Samsung Samsung, Galaxy Locations: Korean, London

☆ Winklevoss' crypto exchange Gemini gets nod to launch in France amid clash with U.S. regulators
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Tyler Winklevoss and Cameron Winklevoss (L-R), co-founders of crypto exchange Gemini, on stage at the Bitcoin 2021 Convention in Miami, Florida. Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has been awarded crypto registration to launch its services in France, the company told CNBC exclusively. The firm, which was founded and is owned by twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, said it was approved as a virtual asset services provider by French markets watchdog Autorite des marches financiers (AMF). "This latest regulatory approval in France represents a significant moment in our European expansion," Gillian Lynch, head of EU at Gemini, said in emailed comments. Institutional clients will get access to Gemini eOTC, Gemini's electronic over-the-counter trading solution.

Persons: Tyler Winklevoss, Cameron Winklevoss, Gemini, Tyler, Gillian Lynch Organizations: CNBC, AMF, EU, Gemini Locations: Miami , Florida, France

DAVOS, Switzerland — Bitcoin does nothing, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said Wednesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. "This is the last time I'm talking about this with CNBC, so help me god," Dimon said. "I defend your right to do bitcoin," Dimon added, saying, "I don't want to tell you what to do. When asked what he made of Larry Fink changing his view on bitcoin as BlackRock jumped into the spot ETF business, Dimon said, "I don't care. "I don't know what he would say about blockchain versus currencies that do something versus bitcoin that does nothing," Dimon added.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, bitcoin, Dimon, blockchain, Smart, Franklin Templeton, Larry Fink, I'm Organizations: JPMorgan, Economic, CNBC, SEC, WisdomTree, Chartered, BlackRock Locations: DAVOS, Switzerland, Davos, BlackRock, bitcoin

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, during an interview at Bloomberg House on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 16, 2024. DAVOS, Switzerland — OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman said the night he was pushed out by the board was "wild," and he felt "super confused" and was "super caught off guard." "I have no equity in OpenAI," Altman said in a May Senate hearing on artificial intelligence. Between the board and the non-profit sits a capped-profit company dubbed OpenAI Global, which Microsoft inked a $10 billion investment deal with in January last year. There are also a few other entities, including a holding company, that comprise the somewhat convoluted organization behind the biggest name in generative AI tech.

Persons: Sam Altman, Switzerland —, " Altman, Altman, —, Altman's, John Kennedy Organizations: Bloomberg House, Economic, OpenAI's, OpenAI Inc, OpenAI, Microsoft Locations: Davos, Switzerland, DAVOS, OpenAI

☆ Ripple CEO calls U.S. SEC Chair Gary Gensler a 'political liability' over lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Brad Garlinghouse, chief executive officer of Ripple Labs Inc., speaks during the Token2049 conference in Singapore, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse fired off criticism at U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler on Tuesday, calling the SEC chief a "political liability" amid an ongoing lawsuit. The crypto startup is fighting the SEC over allegations that the firm and its executives illegally sold XRP tokens in unregistered securities sales. A case against Garlinghouse and fellow executive Chris Larsen was dismissed in October. The SEC did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for comment.

Persons: Brad Garlinghouse, Gary Gensler, Garlinghouse, Chris Larsen Organizations: Ripple Labs Inc, U.S . Securities, Exchange, SEC, CNBC Locations: Singapore

☆ Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says global consensus on AI is emerging
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Executive Chairman and CEO of Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella attends a session during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 16, 2024. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Tuesday he sees global consensus emerging when it comes to artificial intelligence, and that, even though regulatory approaches to the tech may differ from one jurisdiction to another, countries are talking about AI in a similar way. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Nadella said he feels there is a need for global coordination on AI and agreeing on a set of standards and appropriate guardrails for the technology. "I think [a global regulatory approach to AI is] very desirable, because I think we're now at this point where these are global challenges that require global norms and global standards," Nadella said, speaking in conversation with WEF Chair Klaus Schwab. The Redmond, Washington-based tech giant has put billions of dollars into OpenAI, the firm behind the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT.

Persons: Microsoft Corporation Satya Nadella, Satya Nadella, Nadella, WEF, Klaus Schwab Organizations: Microsoft Corporation, Economic, Microsoft Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Redmond, Washington

☆ Ayo Edebiri: Why ‘The Bear’ star is ruling the red carpet
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Nicole Mowbray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The breakout star of hit series “The Bear,” has proven that her ability to dazzle extends well beyond the screen. Over the last two weeks, Ayo Edebiri has taken home a Golden Globe, a Critics’ Choice award and a Primetime Emmy for her portrayal of Sydney Adamu — swapping her chef’s whites for some seriously good red carpet looks. The 28-year-old, Boston-born actor has been bringing joy to the red carpet for a couple of years now, with her adventurous approach to red carpet dressing. Neilson Barnard/Getty ImagesThe Critics Choice Awards on January 14, 2024, called for a white suit by The Row. Amy Sussman/WireImage/Getty ImagesIn Thom Browne, one of Ayo Edebiri's labels of choice, this time with a train at the Critics Choice Awards on January 15, 2023.

Persons: ”, Ayo Edebiri, Sydney Adamu —, Danielle Goldberg —, Mary, Kate, Ashley Olsen —, Kaia Gerber, Olivia Rodrigo, Greta Lee, Thom Browne, Loewe, ” Edebiri, “, that’s, Edebiri, Louis Vuitton, Neilson Barnard, Bauer, Griffin, Versace, Rodin, Steve Granitz, Schouler, Michael Buckner, Dan Doperalski, Dimitrios Kambouris, Valentino, Frazer Harrison, la, —, Amy Sussman, WireImage, Bode, Rosie Assoulin, Giambattista Valli, Mike Coppola, Loewe's, Taylor, Gilbert Flores, suiting Organizations: CNN, Globe, “, W Magazine, Getty, BAFTA Tea Party, Dior Haute Couture, Motion, Arts & Sciences, Variety, Golden Globe, Prada, Lincoln Center, Axelle, Screen, HCA Locations: Boston, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and others accused by rivals of not respecting new EU competition rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The logos of Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft displayed on a mobile phone with an EU flag shown in the background. A raft of major technology and media companies have signed an open letter accusing tech giants of failing to bring their businesses into full compliance with incoming European Union digital competition rules. The signatories say that companies defined by the EU as "gatekeepers," including Google , Amazon , Apple , Meta , Microsoft , and TikTok owner ByteDance, haven't done enough to engage effectively with them and others in their industry. They are required to, for example, make their messaging apps work with those of rivals, and let users decide which apps come pre-installed with their devices. Another EU requirement is that these platforms do not implement practices that lead to the "self-preferencing" of their services over others.

Persons: ByteDance, — Organizations: Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Union, EU, Google, Meta, Big Tech Locations: EU

☆ Federal lawsuit accuses NY Knicks owner James Dolan, media mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

A woman has alleged that New York Knicks owner James Dolan sexually assaulted her a decade ago and then set her up to be molested by now-imprisoned film producer Harvey Weinstein, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles. When the tour traveled to Los Angeles, Dolan flew Croft there even though almost no tour members signed up for massage appointments, the lawsuit states. When she told Dolan of the alleged attack, he neither seemed surprised nor offered to help her report the assault to police, she alleges. Croft alleges that Dolan knew about Weinstein's misconduct toward women and told her "we all know" that Weinstein "has problems." Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for a rape and sexual assault conviction in New York that is under appeal.

Persons: James Dolan, Harvey Weinstein, Kellye Croft, Dolan, Croft, Weinstein, Danya Perry, Perry, Adam Silver, Silver, Jane Doe, Mr, Jennifer Bonjean, Anucha Browne Sanders, Isiah Thomas . Dolan, Thomas, Browne Sanders, David Stern, Charles Oakley Organizations: New York Knicks, The Eagles, JD, Associated Press, Madison, Garden Sports Corp, Knicks, NHL's Rangers, NBA, Garden, longtime Knicks, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, MSG, New York's Arts, Cultural Affairs Locations: Los Angeles, New York, Italian, Madison

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman has alleged that New York Knicks owner James Dolan sexually assaulted her a decade ago and then set her up to be molested by now-imprisoned film producer Harvey Weinstein, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles. When the tour traveled to Los Angeles, Dolan flew Croft there even though almost no tour members signed up for massage appointments, the lawsuit states. Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for a rape and sexual assault conviction in New York that is under appeal. The disgraced movie mogul also was found guilty in 2022 in Los Angeles and later sentenced to 16 years for the rape and sexual assault of an Italian actor and model known at the trial as Jane Doe 1. The Los Angeles case is also under appeal.

Persons: —, James Dolan, Harvey Weinstein, Kellye Croft, Dolan, Croft “, Croft, Weinstein, Weinstein “, ”, ” Dolan, Danya Perry, “ Kellye Croft, ” Perry, Adam Silver, Silver, Jane Doe, Mr, Jennifer Bonjean, Anucha Browne Sanders, Isiah Thomas . Dolan, Thomas, Browne Sanders, David Stern, Charles Oakley, __ Mahoney, Beth Harris Organizations: ANGELES, New York Knicks, The Eagles, JD, Associated Press, Madison, Garden Sports Corp, Knicks, NHL’s Rangers, NBA, Garden, longtime Knicks, Madison Square Garden Entertainment, MSG, New York’s Arts, Cultural Affairs Locations: Los Angeles, New York, Italian, Madison, Inglewood , California

Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, at the Hope Global Forums annual meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, US, on Monday, Dec. 11, 2023. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says concerns that artificial intelligence will one day become so powerful that it will dramatically reshape and disrupt the world are overblown. "It will change the world much less than we all think and it will change jobs much less than we all think," Altman said at a conversation organized by Bloomberg at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "Yes, for sure, I think that's something to think about," Altman said. WATCH: OpenAI, Microsoft and NYT will likely reach a settlement

Persons: Sam Altman, Altman, OpenAI's, StrictlyVC, Donald Trump's Organizations: Hope, Bloomberg, Economic, Microsoft, Iowa Republican Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, Davos, Switzerland, Iowa, OpenAI

And the stars appear to be out in force again for the 29th Critics Choice Awards, which this year returns to Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar. “I’m not always playing dark characters.” Michael Tran/AFP/Getty ImagesTracee Ellis Ross in Fendi. Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesMargot Robbie in custom Balmain. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images“May December” actor Charles Melton wore a red Valentino suit paired with a black skinny tie featuring a V-shaped metallic accent. Frazer Harrison/Getty ImagesTyler James Williams Jordan Strauss/Invision/APVanessa Morgan Michael Tran/AFP/Getty ImagesBrit Marling Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesTatanka Means Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Persons: Santa Monica, Barker, Margot Robbie, Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal, “ Rustin ”, Colman Domingo, Rosamund Pike Jordan Strauss, Jeremy Allen White Amy Sussman, WireImage, Jennifer Aniston Jordan Strauss, Lily Gladstone Michael Tran, Rustin, Valentino, ”, “ I’m, ” Michael Tran, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jordan Strauss, Pedro Pascal Frazer Harrison, Greta Lee Jordan Strauss, Allison Williams Jordan Strauss, Moorjani Christopher Polk, Moorjani Gilbert Flores, Rachel Brosnahan Alberto Rodriguez, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt Matt Winkelmeyer, Billie Eilish, Thom Browne, Michael Tran, Christina Ricci Frazer Harrison, Kieran Culkin, Martin Katz, Danielle Brooks, Monsoori, Frazer Harrison, Matt Winkelmeyer, Charles Melton, Chelsea Handler, Alex Perry, Quinta Brunson Frazer Harrison, Dominic Sessa Jordan Strauss, Singer Dua Lipa, Tyler James Williams Jordan Strauss, Vanessa Morgan Michael Tran Organizations: CNN, Globes, Hollywood, Santa, Golden Globes, Getty, Variety, Singer Dua, Tiffany Locations: AFP, Fendi, Balmain

☆ 'Very good chance' that U.S. passes stablecoin laws this year, Circle CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Justin Tallis | Afp | Getty ImagesThe CEO of Circle, the company behind popular stablecoin USD Coin, sees a strong chance that laws for stablecoin issuers like itself will come through in 2024. The U.S. is yet to pass federal crypto regulation, even as jurisdictions around the world are approving new crypto-focused laws. But Jeremy Allaire, Circle's boss and co-founder, hopes that things will change this year, stating that there is a "very good chance" U.S. lawmakers approve a stablecoin bill. "Stablecoins in particular remain the killer app for blockchain technology," Allaire told CNBC. "It's been a really powerful time for that and we think 2024, with things like the spot ETF and world regulatory clarity, is going to open this up even wider."

Persons: Justin Tallis, Jeremy Allaire, Circle's, Allaire, Crypto, Dante Disparte, Disparte, CNBC's MacKenzie Sigalos Organizations: Afp, Getty, CNBC, Economic, Treasury, Federal, House Financial, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Allaire Locations: London, U.S, Davos, Switzerland, United States

☆ Here's what a bitcoin ETF actually means for investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A false statement saying the regulator had approved a bitcoin ETF was published Tuesday on the SEC's social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter. CNBC runs through everything you need to know about the bitcoin ETF milestone. As crypto investors look to assess what the market impact of a bitcoin ETF might be, many are comparing Wednesday's news to the greenlighting of the SPDR Gold Shares ETF — the first-ever spot gold ETF — in 2004. A bitcoin ETF opens up the audience of people and institutions that can buy and sell bitcoin to those with little experience trading cryptocurrency. "There is now a U.S. bitcoin spot ETF, and bitcoin is no longer considered shady or infamous.

Persons: Vijay Ayyar, Ayyar, Kevin de Patoul Organizations: . Securities, Exchange, U.S, Ark, Twitter, CNBC, — Locations: BlackRock, Invesco, U.S

☆ UAE defies fintech slowdown with a 92% jump in funding — against a global plunge of 48%
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The data from Innovate Finance, a financial technology industry body, shows that investment in fintechs last year sank $51.2 billion, down 48% from 2022 when total investment in the sector totaled $99 billion. The total number of fintech fundraising deals also sank considerably, to 3,973 in 2023 from 6,397 in 2022 — a 61% drop. That marks the first time the UAE has made it to the top 10 list of most well-funded fintech hubs in 2023, according to Innovate Finance. "Some of the markets now adopting this technology, we're seeing that reflected in investment numbers," Innovate Finance CEO Janine Hirt told CNBC earlier this week. Hirt noted that the momentum in Asia and the Middle East offered an opportunity for the U.K. to boost cooperation and partnerships with countries in those regions.

Persons: Janine Hirt, Hirt Organizations: CNBC, Finance, United, East Locations: fintechs, United Arab Emirates, UAE, France, Germany, Asia

☆ Microsoft's multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI could face EU merger probe
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Microsoft 's multibillion-dollar investment in artificial intelligence firm OpenAI could face a full-blown merger investigation in the European Union, EU officials signaled Tuesday. The European Commission, which is the executive arm of the EU, said it was embarking on a competition investigation looking at the markets for virtual worlds and generative artificial intelligence. "The European Commission is checking whether Microsoft's investment in OpenAI might be reviewable under the EU Merger Regulation," the commission said in a statement on Tuesday. "Virtual worlds and generative AI are rapidly developing," Margrethe Vestager, European commissioner for competition, said in a statement Tuesday. The company has integrated some OpenAI technology into its Office, Bing and Windows products, and provides OpenAI with its own Azure cloud computing tools.

Persons: Margrethe Vestager Organizations: Microsoft, European Union, European Commission, European, EU, CNBC, Bing Locations: Redmond, Washington, OpenAI

☆ Crypto firms introduce risk assessments and finance tests in response to strict new rules in UK
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-05 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It comes ahead of tough new rules on the advertising of digital asset products in the country. If a customer fails to complete the tasks successfully, they will be prevented from trading with their crypto account. Coinbase said the changes were made "to ensure we are meeting UK investor protection standards, which require our users to have the necessary knowledge to make informed investment decisions." "We do not expect this to impact user activity in the UK and as always our customer service team is on hand to help with any queries," George Tucker, U.K. general manager of Crypto.com, told CNBC via email. "As an authorised Electronic Money Institution and registered cryptoasset business in the U.K., Crypto.com supports and complies with the FCA's rules and will continue to work with the regulator as we expand our product offering here," Tucker added.

Persons: Brian Armstrong, Daniel LEAL, DANIEL LEAL, Coinbase, George Tucker, Crypto.com, Tucker Organizations: Global Investment, Getty, Financial Services, Markets, Authority, FCA, CNBC Locations: London, Britain, cryptocurrency

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