Mark Bergen / Bloomberg:
How Nvidia, SK Hynix, TSMC, and ASML, with a combined $4T+ market cap, dominate the AI supply chain, each having an 80% to 100% market share in their fields — Since ChatGPT arrived, Nvidia and its key manufacturing partners have dominated the market for AI chips. Will it last?
Pranshu Verma / Washington Post:
Trump eliminating the USAGM cut the budget of the Open Technology Fund, launched in 2012 to let 24M+ people living in repressive regimes access the internet — The demise of the Open Technology Fund could put millions at risk of being targeted by authoritarian governments for their internet activity.
Luz Ding / Bloomberg:
Temu-owner PDD reports Q4 revenue up 24% YoY to ~$15.3B, below est., and net income up 18% YoY to ~$3.8B, after intensifying domestic competition and US tariffs — The e-commerce company reported revenue of 110.6 billion yuan ($15.3 billion) for the December quarter. Net income was up 18% to 27.4 billion yuan.
Bloomberg:
Huawei unveils the 6.3″ Pura X, which folds to a square clamshell with a 3.5″ display, its first flagship running HarmonyOS 5, launching in China for ~$1,036 — The 6.3-inch Pura X folds in half to a square clamshell with a 3.5-inch display on the exterior and was introduced …
Connie Loizos / TechCrunch:
Michael Seibel says he is leaving YC after 12+ years and moving to a “Partner Emeritus” role, after stepping back from “leadership responsibilities” in 2024 — Michael Seibel announced late Wednesday on X that after more than 12 years at Y Combinator, he is transitioning to a “partner emeritus” role.
New York Times:
A profile of longtime Elon Musk loyalist Steve Davis, who effectively runs DOGE after SpaceX, Boring Company, and X stints, based on interviews with 22 sources — Elon Musk declared last month that the federal government was engaged in “utterly insane” activity, claiming without evidence …
Michael R. Bloomberg / Bloomberg:
US schools spending billions on laptops, an idea supported by technologists and computer makers, has led to students’ worsening social skills and test scores — Technology should supplement, not substitute, traditional teaching methods. — Over the past two decades …
Anto Antony / Bloomberg:
Bakkt names ex-SoftBank rainmaker Akshay Naheta as co-CEO to help turn around the struggling US crypto trading and custody platform; BKKT is down 62%+ in 2025 — Naheta will also be part of the company’s board and will work with Andy Main, the firm’s current CEO, according to a statement …
Dan Milmo / The Guardian:
The UK’s NCSC urges large entities, including energy and transport firms, to introduce “post-quantum cryptography” by 2035 to protect against quantum hackers — Organisations including energy and transport firms told to guard systems against powerful new computers
Bloomberg:
A profile of Skydio, the US’ largest drone maker, after its first batch of drones proved disappointing in Ukraine and it competes with Chinese makers like DJI — Drones are getting smarter, deadlier and more indispensable. Skydio believes America should make its own.
