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Finance

Checkout.com's Valuation Reaches $12 Billion Amid Employee Stock Buyback

Fintech company Checkout.com has reached a $12 billion valuation through an employee stock buyback program. This valuation follows a period where it was valued at $40 billion in 2022 but later reduced to $11 billion. The current valuation is based on a 409A valuation by an independent third party. Checkout.com, a payment company popular among large e-commerce sites like eBay and Pinterest, is on track for full-year profitability in 2025 and processes about $1 billion in e-commerce payments daily. The company has also expanded its workforce to 2,000 employees across 19 global offices.

Business & Finance

Electronic Arts Poised for Landmark $50 Billion Acquisition

Electronic Arts (EA) is reportedly nearing a $50 billion acquisition by an investor group including Silver Lake and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The deal, potentially the largest leveraged buyout in history, could see EA, known for franchises like Madden NFL, FIFA, The Sims, and Battlefield, go private. News of the potential acquisition led to a 15% surge in EA's stock price.

Entertainment

The Social Reckoning: A Sequel to 'The Social Network' Focusing on Facebook's Controversies

Aaron Sorkin is set to write and direct 'The Social Reckoning,' a sequel to 'The Social Network,' slated for release on October 9, 2026. Jeremy Strong will replace Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, while Mikey Madison will play Frances Haugen.

The film will center on Haugen's 2021 leaks of internal documents, which revealed Facebook's awareness of Instagram's negative impact on teenage girls' mental health and the company's prioritization of profits over user well-being.

The leaks also exposed that Facebook under-resourced content moderation in non-English languages and that the majority of spending was toward English language content

Social Networking

Friendship Apps Rise to Combat Loneliness and Foster Social Connections

As loneliness and social isolation increase, friendship apps are gaining popularity. These apps aim to provide platforms for individuals to form platonic connections based on shared interests and hobbies. According to Appfigures, local-focused friendship apps in the U.S. have generated approximately $16 million in consumer spending and 4.3 million downloads in 2025.

Several apps cater to this growing demand, including 222, Bumble BFF, Clyx, Les Amis, Meetup, Meet5, Pie, Timeleft, and Wyzr Friends. These platforms offer features like personality-based matching, group event organization, and activity-based connections to help users find meaningful friendships and build local communities.

From major players like Meetup, established in 2002, to newer apps like Pie, these platforms address the need for accessible and less awkward ways to initiate friendships. The apps often provide curated environments where users can be open about seeking friendship, reducing the intimidation factor.

Energy Tech

Anode Technology Company: Moxion's Founder Relaunches with $9M Seed Funding

Paul Huelskamp, co-founder of the bankrupt battery startup Moxion Power, has launched a new company, Anode Technology Company, with $9 million in seed funding led by Eclipse. Anode aims to replace diesel generators at festivals, construction sites, and EV charging locations. The startup will use contract manufacturers, a key difference from Moxion's in-house manufacturing approach. Anode's mobile battery is designed to be smaller and more cost-effective, optimizing for the lowest cost of delivered energy. The company plans to use AI to optimize operations, aiming to drive down costs close to grid electricity parity.

Data Security

Data Spill Exposes Sensitive Indian Bank Transfer Records

A data spill from an unsecured cloud server exposed hundreds of thousands of sensitive bank transfer documents in India, revealing account numbers, transaction figures, and individuals’ contact details. Cybersecurity firm UpGuard discovered the publicly accessible Amazon-hosted storage server containing 273,000 PDF documents. The exposed files contained transaction forms intended for processing via the National Automated Clearing House (NACH). The data was linked to at least 38 different banks and financial institutions. NuPay confirmed that it addressed a configuration gap in an Amazon S3 storage bucket that contained the bank transfer forms. UpGuard disputed NuPay’s claims, stating that only a few hundred files appeared to contain test data or had NuPay’s name on the forms.

Clean Technology

Anode Technology Company: Moxion's Founder Relaunches with $9M Seed Funding

Paul Huelskamp, co-founder of the bankrupt battery startup Moxion Power, has launched Anode Technology Company with $9 million in seed funding. Anode aims to replace diesel generators at construction sites and live events, similar to Moxion's goal.

Anode's focus is on optimizing the cost of delivered energy by using contract manufacturers, a lesson learned from Moxion's in-house manufacturing struggles. The company has designed an inverter suitable for EV charging, construction sites, and live events.

Anode will use AI to optimize its operations, including charging and delivery, with the goal of reducing costs to approach parity with grid electricity. Investors are drawn to the project due to the learnings from Moxion's previous challenges.

Data Security

Unsecured Server Exposes Sensitive Indian Bank Transfer Data

An unsecured cloud server exposed hundreds of thousands of sensitive bank transfer documents in India, revealing account numbers, transaction figures, and individuals’ contact details. Cybersecurity firm UpGuard discovered the publicly accessible Amazon-hosted storage server containing 273,000 PDF documents related to bank transfers of Indian customers. The exposed files contained completed transaction forms intended for processing via the National Automated Clearing House (NACH). The data was linked to at least 38 different banks and financial institutions. UpGuard notified Aye Finance and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). The exposed data was eventually secured after UpGuard alerted India’s computer emergency response team, CERT-In. However, nobody seems to want to take responsibility for the security lapse.

Environmental Policy

Tesla Defies Automakers, Urges EPA to Maintain Emissions Standards Amidst Climate Change Doubts

Tesla has requested the EPA to uphold current vehicle emission standards, diverging from other major automakers seeking eased regulations. This request coincides with President Trump's skepticism towards climate change, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk's past support. Tesla also defends the 2009 Endangerment Finding, crucial for environmental regulations. While advocating for maintaining standards, Tesla is open to streamlining mechanisms. Tesla benefits financially from stricter regulations through emissions credit sales to automakers falling short of goals.

Music Streaming

Spotify Clarifies Terms of Use Amid Misinformation

Spotify has addressed misinformation regarding its terms of use, clarifying that recent updates do not affect artists' distribution rights. The company stated that the new terms apply to features like user-created playlist covers and comments, not the rights of artists, podcasters, creators, and authors. This announcement follows criticism over artist compensation, with ongoing debates about streaming royalties. Despite these concerns, Spotify claims to have paid out $10 billion to the music industry in 2024.