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Silicon Valley and Wall Street stars are indulging Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s presidential campaign. RFK Jr. has said that vaccines cause autism – and the White House recently blasted him for sharing anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. This isn't the first time parts of Wall Street and Silicon Valley have backed an anti-establishment firebrand. In both 2016 and 2020, big names like venture capitalist Peter Thiel and Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman backed Republican candidate Donald Trump.
Persons: Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Jack Dorsey, SPAC, Chamath Palihapitiya, Bill Ackman, Kennedy, Jr, Twitter's, who's, Bill Ackman – who's, Jamie Dimon, , Ken Fisher, Mark Gorton, Chamath, David Sacks, Palihapitiya, Ackman, he'd, Peter Thiel, Stephen Schwarzman, Donald Trump Organizations: Twitter, RFK, White House, Service, CIA, Democratic, Pershing Square Capital Management, Fisher Investments, Research, CNBC, vax, Children's Health Defense, PayPal, Blackstone, Republican Locations: Silicon, Wall, Silicon Valley
Moritz, 68, will now focus on Sequoia Heritage, a $15 billion wealth management fund that he helped launch in 2010. The fund will be independent from Sequoia Capital, with focus on a diversified range of assets, according to the letter. A spokesperson for Sequoia Capital confirmed Moritz's exit and declined to comment on details. Sequoia Capital has been going through a generational transition as partner Roelof Botha took on the firm's global leadership position in July 2022. Economic challenges and geopolitical tensions have made venture capital fundraising and investment difficult, and eaten into global venture funds' returns.
Persons: Michael Moritz, Moritz, Roelof Botha, OpenAI's, Mike Vernal, Krystal Hu, Kanjyik Ghosh, Nilutpal, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty, Will Dunham Organizations: Sequoia Capital, Reuters, Sequoia Heritage, Google, PayPal, Sequoia, Venture, Silicon, Thomson Locations: Sequoia, United States, Europe, New York, Bengaluru
July 18 (Reuters) - Consultancy giant McKinsey said it had struck a partnership with artificial intelligence startup Cohere in an effort to provide AI solutions to its enterprise clients. We found Cohere to be one of the great solutions out there," Ben Ellencweig, senior partner at McKinsey, told Reuters in an interview. McKinsey said it was working with Cohere to build customized solutions to help improve customer engagement and workflow automation for clients. Cohere competes with OpenAI with a focus on generative AI solutions for enterprises. It also announced a partnership with Oracle, which will embed Cohere's generative AI technology in its products.
Persons: Ben Ellencweig, Cohere, Martin Kon, PwC, Bain, Krystal Hu, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Consultancy, McKinsey, Microsoft, Reuters, Google, Nvidia, Oracle, Salesforce Ventures, Cohere, Accenture, Company, Deloitte, Thomson Locations: New York
The Austin-based rocket builder and in-space services company is close to announcing the closure of an oversubscribed capital raise, its CEO Bill Weber told CNBC's Manifest Space. Firefly can currently launch its medium-launch rocket, Alpha, every two months. "Alpha has a demand signature for the next three to four years, which is more than good enough for what we want to do with it," Weber told CNBC. Weber told CNBC the company is also in talks with the intelligence community about classified payloads. The macro environment, which has largely stunned public space companies, will help to decide timing.
Persons: Firefly's, Bill Weber, CNBC's, Weber, Morgan Brennan, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Organizations: Firefly's Alpha, Vandenberg Space Force Base, Alpha, Firefly Aerospace, CNBC, Spaceflight Inc, Virgin Orbit, U.S . Space Force, Systems, NASA, Lockheed, Antares Locations: Austin, Austin , Texas, North Carolina, Ukraine, Russian
Telecoms contractor QualTek emerges from bankruptcy
  + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
July 14 (Reuters) - Telecommunications and power contractor QualTek Services said on Friday that it has emerged from bankruptcy after it reduced its debt by about $307 million through a restructuring deal. QualTek filed for bankruptcy in May this year armed with a restructuring agreement to cut its debt and provide $40 million of new loans to fund its post-bankruptcy operations. The telecom company will operate as a privately-held company under the ownership of its lenders and management. The company will be led by the existing management team alongside a newly-formed board. Reporting by Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: QualTek, Lavanya, Deepa Babington Organizations: Telecommunications, QualTek Services, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: U.S, Bengaluru
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Persons: Dow Jones, altman
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/sam-altman-backed-nuclear-startup-is-going-public-through-altmans-spac-cf1ae712
Persons: Dow Jones, altman
Trump-tied SPAC Digital World names Swider as permanent CEO
  + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
July 11 (Reuters) - Digital World Acquisition (DWAC.O) has named Eric Swider as CEO, handing the interim boss reins of the blank-check company that is looking to complete its planned merger with former U.S. President Donald Trump's media and tech company. The move comes nearly four months after the special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) ousted CEO Patrick Orlando, saying that a new management team was needed to tackle "unprecedented headwinds". Swider said on Monday the company's focus will continue to be on completing the merger with TMTG, as it is the "best option for shareholders". DWAC shares were up around 1% in premarket trading. Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons: Eric Swider, Donald Trump's, Patrick Orlando, DWAC, Swider, Jaspreet Singh, Maju Samuel Organizations: U.S, Trump Media & Technology, Justice Department, Securities and Exchange Commission, TMTG, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru
And if we get those, we'll be quite surprised about how different and how much better the future is," Altman told CNBC in a phone conversation on Friday. I think there's urgent demand for tons and tons of cheap, safe, clean energy at scale," Altman told CNBC. I mean, maybe we could get there just with solar and storage," Altman told CNBC. There's no lack of desire or need for this," Altman told CNBC. Some of that is the reactor's smaller size, but some of it is how the Oklo reactors have been designed.
Persons: Gensler, Sam Altman, Oklo, Jake DeWitte, Aurora, Altman, chatbot, Caroline Cochran, Jacob DeWitte, Y, OpenAI, Joel Saget, He's, We've, DeWitte Organizations: AltC Acquistion Corp, CNBC, Microsoft, Oklo, Y Combinator, Afp, Getty, Helion, Southern, Initiative, U.S . Department of Energy, Idaho National Laboratory, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC Locations: ramping, OpenAI, Paris, Georgia, U.S, Southern Ohio, Idaho
July 11 (Reuters) - Sapphire Ventures plans to invest over $1 billion in AI enterprise startups, doubling down on the technology's adoption by companies across the world, its president Jai Das said at the Reuters MOMENTUM conference in Austin on Tuesday. The $1 billion in capital will come from Sapphire's existing funds, which have $10 billion under management and about $3 billion waiting to the deployed. The majority will be a direct investment in AI startups, while some capital will also go to early-stage AI-focused venture funds through its limited partner fund. Over $40 billion has been invested into AI startups in the past six months, accounting for nearly a quarter of overall startup funding, according to PitchBook data. With headquarters in Austin, Texas, Sapphire has invested in AI-powered enterprise startups including Clari and DataRobot.
Persons: Jai Das, it's, Sapphire, Das, Krystal Hu, David Evans, Deepa Babington Organizations: Sapphire Ventures, Thomson Locations: Austin, Austin , Texas
Spacecraft engine manufacturer and small rocket builder Astra plans to conduct a reverse stock split at a 1 to 15 ratio, the company disclosed in a securities filing Monday. Astra also seeks to raise up to $65 million through an "at the market" offering of common stock, the filing said. Astra's filing said the reverse stock split is expected to take place on or before October 2, after its board approved the plan July 6. The company previously outlined a reverse split as part of its plan to avoid delisting by the Nasdaq exchange. Functionally, a reverse split, often done as a 1 for 10, would mean a $3 stock, for example, would become $30 a share.
Organizations: Astra, Nasdaq
SAN FRANCISCO, July 8 (Reuters) - Venture capital firm Headline used to be in one of San Francisco's most eye-catching skyscrapers: the pyramidal Transamerica building that has defined the skyline for decades. Venture capital firms are increasingly joining retailers and other businesses in finding homes outside downtown San Francisco. [1/5]People enjoy the afternoon in Presidio, a former military base-turned-national park in San Francisco California, U.S., July 7, 2023. They're actually really excited," said Eurie Kim, whose venture firm Forerunner left downtown for the Presidio in early 2022. "Mayor Breed continues to implement strategic initiatives to help stabilize existing businesses and recruit new ones as part of her Roadmap to Downtown San Francisco's Future plan.
Persons: Mathias Schilling, Schilling, Rex Salisbury, Carlos Barria, They're, Eurie Kim, CBRE, Lisa Petrie, Jon Rehagen, Molly Martell, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Breed, Colin Yasukochi, Krystal Hu, Peter Henderson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: FRANCISCO, Venture, Employees, Presidio, Westfield, San, Felicis Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Letterman, Cambrian Venture, San Francisco Bay Area, REUTERS, Presidio Trust, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Family Museum, Catalyst, Brand, San Francisco Mayor London, Downtown San, CBRE's Tech, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Presidio, San Francisco Bay, San Francisco's, There's, Sand, Silicon Valley, South, downtown San Francisco, San Francisco California, U.S, Marin, San Francisco ., South Park, Downtown
July 6 (Reuters) - Global tech investor Insight Partners has raised $118 million in its second 20/20 Vision Capital fund that aims to invest in venture capital funds led by diverse managers, the firm told Reuters. This new fund expands a strategy Insights first started in 2020, after its own employees pledged $15 million of their personal capital to diverse early-stage fund managers. The environment is especially challenging for first-time fund managers. Funds including Ansa Capital Management, Hannah Grey Ventures, and Wischoff Ventures have already received backing from the Vision Capital II. Richard Wells, Managing Director at Insight Partners, said it's too early to measure fund I returns, as seed investment is a long-term game.
Persons: Dionne Chingkoe, Hannah Grey, Richard Wells, it's, Wells, Krystal Hu, Chizu Organizations: Global, Partners, Vision Capital, Reuters, Vision, Insight Partners, Investment Management Board, Pennsylvania Public School, New, The, Ansa Capital Management, Hannah Grey Ventures, Wischoff Ventures, , Thomson Locations: Massachusetts, New York, The U.S
Investors poured more than $40 billion into AI startups in the past six months, the data showed. That includes a $10 billion investment by Microsoft (MSFT.O) in OpenAI and $1.3 billion in funding for rival Inflection AI. "I haven't written any checks in the past 18 months," said Kevin Colleran, a co-founder at early-stage firm Slow Ventures. PitchBook said large investors weren't actively participating in venture funding and outsized deals that had pushed deal values to records were no longer happening. Venture capital funding globally hit an annual record of $745.1 billion in 2021.
Persons: PitchBook, OpenAI's ChatGPT, Kevin Colleran, weren't, Mary D'Onofrio, Krystal Hu, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Venture, Investors, Microsoft, Slow Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, America, U.S, Europe, New York
Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailClean metal processing is crucial for sustainability targets, says Lifezone Metals' Chris ShowalterChris Showalter, Lifezone Metals CEO, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss Lifezone Metal's SPAC debut, the surge in metal demand brought on by EV development, and sustainable practices for processing rare earth metals.
Persons: Chris Showalter Chris Showalter Organizations: Lifezone Metals, EV
July 5 (Reuters) - ChatGPT, the wildly popular AI chatbot launched in November, saw monthly traffic to its website and unique visitors decline for the first time ever in June, according to analytics firm Similarweb. Worldwide desktop and mobile traffic to the ChatGPT website decreased by 9.7% in June from May, while unique visitors to ChatGPT’s website dropped 5.7%. ChatGPT set off a frenzied use of generative AI in daily tasks from writing to coding and reached 100 million monthly active users in January, two months after its launch. OpenAI also released the ChatGPT app on the iOS system in May, which could sap some traffic from its website. ChatGPT is free to use but also provides a premium subscription, where users can pay $20 a month to access OpenAI's more advanced model, GPT-4.
Persons: chatbot, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Bing, Bard chatbot, Sam Altman, Krystal Hu, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Microsoft, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, YipitData, New York
SoftBank-funded View Inc. has been dogged by regulatory troubles for more than a year and a half. The agency declined to fine View as the company self-reported the liability understatement, cooperated with the investigation, and "promptly undertook remedial measures." The SEC order did find that View violated several securities laws pertaining to negligence-based antifraud, internal accounting controls, and other matters. The firm's controversial CEO, Rao Mulpuri, has managed to raise cash for View multiple times when the company ran perilously low on cash, including from the now-bankrupt financier Greensill Capital. This is the second time View has been threatened with delisting since going public via SPAC in March 2021.
Persons: Vidul Prakash, Prakash, Rao Mulpuri, He's Organizations: Inc, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Greensill, New York Stock Exchange Locations: California, SPAC
July 5 (Reuters) - ChatGPT, the wildly popular AI chatbot launched in November, saw monthly traffic to its website and unique visitors decline for the first time ever in June, according to analytics firm Similarweb. Worldwide desktop and mobile traffic to the ChatGPT website decreased by 9.7% in June from May, while unique visitors to ChatGPT’s website dropped 5.7%. The amount of time visitors spent on the website was also down 8.5%, Similarweb data shows. "I think there are growing pains when you go from zero to 100 million users that quickly. OpenAI also released the ChatGPT app on the iOS system in May, which could sap some traffic from its website.
Persons: chatbot, OpenAI, ChatGPT, Bing, Bard chatbot, Sarah Hindlian, Bowler, Sam Altman, Krystal Hu, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Microsoft, Technology Research, Macquarie, Thomson Locations: OpenAI, YipitData, New York
Trump-tied SPAC reaches agreement with SEC staff over merger
  + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +1 min
July 3 (Reuters) - A blank-check firm, which was set to merge with former U.S. President Donald Trump's media company and under regulatory investigation, has reached an agreement with the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, a filing showed on Monday. The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC.O), said in the filing that the agreement was in principle and not yet definitive, and the terms were subject to the SEC's approval. In October 2021, Trump's newly formed media company, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), announced a deal to go public by merging with DWAC. But the SPAC deal was in doubt after the Justice Department and the SEC said they were investigating it. If the SEC approves the settlement, it will enter a cease-and-desist order finding DWAC violated certain antifraud provisions in connection with the proposed merger.
Persons: Donald Trump's, DWAC, Arshreet Singh, Shweta Agarwal Organizations: U.S, Securities and Exchange Commission, Trump Media & Technology, Justice Department, SEC, Thomson
Arrival, Nikola signal more pain for EV startups
  + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
July 3 (Reuters) - Arrival SA will terminate plans to merge with a blank-check firm and Nikola Corp will offload its newly acquired battery unit, the companies said on Monday, amplifying concerns over the struggles electric vehicle (EV) startups face in building scale. Meanwhile, Nikola Corp (NKLA.O) will liquidate the assets of Romeo Power, an EV battery maker it acquired less than a year ago, to energize the business. In contrast, electric vehicle behemoth Tesla (TSLA.O) and California-based Rivian Automotive (RIVN.O) beat market estimates for second-quarter deliveries. Arrival had in April bet that the second reverse merger would release $283 million of cash held in trust before redemptions. The EV startup in May reported a 37% slump in cash and cash equivalent at the end of the first three months of the year, from the preceding quarter.
Persons: Nikola Corp, Romeo Power, Tesla, Van, Akash Sriram, Sriraj Organizations: Nikola Corp, Kensington Capital, Corp, Romeo, EV, CIIG Merger Corp, United Parcel Service, Thomson Locations: British, Kensington, California, Charlotte , North Carolina, Bengaluru
The terms are not yet definitive, according to an SEC filing, and the final agreement is subject to approval by the commission. If it’s approved, the SEC will enter a cease-and-desist order with the company, finding DWAC violated “antifraud provisions” connected to initial public offering filings. Nearly two years ago, former President Donald Trump’s media group agreed to combine with DWAC to bring the company public through what’s known as a SPAC, or a Special Purpose Acquisition Corporation. TMTG is not a party to the settlement, according to the SEC filing, and did not consent to it. “TMTG may disagree and try to terminate the Merger Agreement,” the SEC filing said.
Persons: New York CNN —, it’s, Donald Trump’s, DWAC, “ DWAC, Matt Egan, Kara Scannell Organizations: New, New York CNN, Corp, Securities and Exchange Commission, Truth Social, Trump Media & Technology Group, SEC Locations: New York
Digital World said that under the tentative settlement with the S.E.C. Federal authorities had been trying to determine if Digital World’s talks with Trump Media before its initial public offering in September 2021 were substantive enough that they should have been disclosed before the SPAC sold shares to the public. In its I.P.O., Digital World raised $300 million from investors. But the long delay in completing the merger prompted a number of hedge funds to pull out of that financing deal. As part of the tentative settlement, which requires approval by S.E.C.
Organizations: Trump Media, Federal
The US Department of Justice charged three men with insider trading on Thursday. Prosecutors said the investors illegally made $22 million trading shares in a blank-check company in October 2021. The trio loaded up on shares in DWAC just days before it announced a plan to merge with Trump Media and Technology Group. Neither Trump nor Trump Media are accused of any wrongdoing. Authorities said that Garelick, who served on DWAC's board of directors in addition to his role as Rocket One's investing chief, gave "intelligence" about a potential merger with Trump Media to the Shvartsmans.
Persons: Prosecutors, , Donald Trump's, Michael Shvartsman, Gerald Schvartsman, Bruce Garelick, Garelick, DWAC didn't Organizations: US Department of Justice, Trump Media, Technology, Service, Department of Justice, Trump, Authorities, Federal Reserve Locations: DWAC
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/investors-are-charged-with-insider-trading-in-trump-social-media-spac-deal-682ab537
Persons: Dow Jones
Spain's startup scene has evaded some of the collapse in VC funding that has rocked Europe in 2023. Smaller check sizes and a lack of "ego" has somewhat protected the ecosystem, investors say. Smaller valuations, check sizes, and a distinct lack of ego helped Spain's startup scene evade some of the shocking collapse in venture capital funding that has rocked Europe so far this year. Smaller rounds give Spain's startups an edge in the downturnWhat correction was felt was eased by the fact there is less "ego" in Spain's ecosystem, according to Max Bray, an investor at early-stage firm K Fund. As well as the birth of local growth funds, investors see corporations playing a role in closing the funding gap.
Persons: SoftBank, Catalyst, Pablo Pedrejón, Max Bray, Dalia Silberstein, Pedro Arribas Gridilla, Juliette Simonin, Margarita Albors, Tasmin Lockwood, Bray, Marc Sabas, Fund's Bray, Wallbox cofounders Enric Asunción, Eduard Castañeda, Glovo, Wallbox, Oscar Pierre, Ship2B's Sabas, Danae Vara, Danae Vara Ship2B, hasn't, Sabas, CVCs, There's, Félix Ortega, K Fund's Bray, Sérgio Massano Organizations: Accel, Pedrejón, Venture, Fund, Esade Center, Social, Foundation, Spanish, K Fund, Investors, Danae Vara Ship2B Ventures, Investment, Corporations, Barcelona Activa, Telefónica, BBVA, Proeduca Locations: Europe, Spain, Madrid, France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Seaya, Bray, Vara, Barcelona, Silicon, London
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