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Telecommunications Policy

EU Eyes Legal Ban on Huawei and ZTE in Telecom Networks

The European Commission is intensifying efforts to secure Europe's telecom networks, urging member states to phase out equipment from Huawei and ZTE in 5G and next-gen networks. A proposal by EC Vice President Henna Virkkunen aims to turn the 2020 recommendation to avoid 'high-risk' vendors into binding regulation, potentially leading to financial penalties for non-compliance. This initiative aligns with broader efforts to limit China's influence on key infrastructure, following similar moves by Germany and Finland to restrict or ban Huawei and ZTE components. The U.S. has also influenced allies like the U.K. and Sweden to restrict Huawei over security concerns.

Artificial Intelligence

Yann LeCun Reportedly to Depart Meta for AI Startup Venture

Meta's chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, is reportedly planning to leave the company to establish his own startup focused on world models, according to the Financial Times. LeCun, also a professor at New York University and a Turing Award winner, is in discussions to raise capital for his venture.

His departure comes at a time when Meta is restructuring its AI organization, Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL), after investing heavily in talent and resources. Meta's AI strategy has shifted in response to competition from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic.

LeCun has expressed skepticism about the current marketing of AI technology, particularly LLMs, suggesting that AI systems have a long way to go before they can solve complex problems.

Artificial Intelligence

Robyn: AI Companion Launched by Former Physician for Emotional Support

Jenny Shao, a former Harvard physician, launched Robyn, an AI assistant designed to be an empathic and emotionally intelligent companion. Robyn aims to support users by understanding their emotional patterns and fostering self-connection. The app, available on iOS, personalizes interactions through an onboarding process and provides insights into users' emotional traits. While prioritizing user safety with crisis line support, Robyn avoids replacing clinical practitioners and focuses on enhancing emotional intelligence. The startup raised $5.5 million in seed funding and is now launching in the U.S. with a subscription model.

Venture Capital & AI Startups

Navigating the AI Investment Landscape: Insights from Jennifer Neundorfer

Jennifer Neundorfer from January Ventures discusses the current AI-driven market and offers advice for founders seeking funding. She emphasizes the importance of creating entirely new experiences with AI, rather than incremental improvements.

Neundorfer highlights the challenge of standing out amidst AI startup fatigue, advising founders to clearly differentiate themselves and demonstrate the unique value they bring. She also anticipates a market correction, stressing the need for founders to build category-defining companies by staying ahead of technological advancements and understanding customer needs.

Drawing from her experience at YouTube and 21st Century Fox, Neundorfer shares her passion for technology and supporting early-stage founders, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and focusing on building sustainable businesses. Her advice to diverse founders is to ignore market noise and prioritize building a strong company.

Artificial Intelligence

Navigating the AI Infrastructure Bet: Between Boom and Bottleneck

The rapid development of AI software and the slower pace of data center construction create a complex situation, potentially leading to an AI bubble. Despite massive investments from companies like Oracle, Meta, and SoftBank in AI infrastructure, there's uncertainty regarding the actual demand for AI services and potential bottlenecks in energy, semiconductor design, and power transmission.

A McKinsey survey indicates that while most firms are using AI, few are doing so on a large scale, with limited impact on overall business. Satya Nadella has expressed concerns about running out of data center space rather than chips, and existing data centers struggle to meet the power demands of new chips.

The electrical grid and built environment's slower pace compared to AI advancements could lead to expensive bottlenecks, even if other factors align positively. The question remains whether the AI infrastructure investments are sustainable given these uncertainties.

Business & Finance

Rad Power Bikes on the Brink: Facing Shutdown Without Funding

Rad Power Bikes is facing a potential shutdown in January if it fails to secure new funding or an acquisition. An internal email reveals the company's leadership is actively seeking solutions to continue operations. A promising deal recently fell through, exacerbating financial challenges stemming from a post-pandemic drop in consumer demand and ongoing tariffs.

The company has already undergone multiple rounds of layoffs and recently appointed a new CEO to turn things around. Despite these efforts, Rad Power may be forced to cease operations by January 9, 2026, potentially affecting all locations and departments. Rad Power leadership is exploring partnerships and funding opportunities to avoid closure.

Rad Power's struggle reflects broader challenges in the e-bike and micromobility industry, with several companies facing bankruptcy or restructuring.

Artificial Intelligence

Gamma Achieves $100M ARR and $2.1B Valuation in Series B Round

Gamma, an AI-driven platform for creating presentations, websites, and social media content, has secured $68 million in a Series B funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, valuing the company at $2.1 billion.

The company has reached $100 million in ARR with 70 million users and achieved profitability, having previously reached $50 million profitably in its initial two years. Gamma's Series A round of $12 million was led by Accel in 2024.

Founded in late 2020 and launched in 2022, Gamma has maintained a conservative fundraising approach, achieving a double-unicorn valuation with approximately 50 employees and a total funding of around $90 million. The round included a $20 million secondary offering.

Participation in the latest round also came from Accel and Uncork Capital, along with backers such as South Park Commons and Hustle Fund.

Technology

Wikipedia's Strategy for AI Era: Paid API and Attribution

Wikipedia is urging AI developers to use its content responsibly by attributing contributions and accessing content through the Wikimedia Enterprise platform.

The paid platform allows companies to use Wikipedia's content at scale while supporting the organization's non-profit mission.

Wikipedia has observed that AI bots have been scraping its website, leading to a decline in human page views.

The organization emphasizes the importance of attribution to credit human contributors and maintain the quality of content.

Wikipedia released its AI strategy, which focuses on using AI to assist editors with tasks like translation and workflow optimization, rather than replacing them.

Business & Finance

Carbon Direct Acquires Pachama: A Sign of Consolidation in the Voluntary Carbon Market

Carbon management startup Carbon Direct has acquired Pachama, a carbon credit startup, signaling consolidation in the voluntary carbon market. Pachama, which had raised $88 million, faced layoffs this summer due to a softening market. The acquisition comes amid uncertainty and volatility in the carbon markets, with concerns over the effectiveness of nature-based carbon credits. Carbon Direct, which advises companies on carbon footprint tracking and offsetting, counts Microsoft, Shopify, and American Express among its customers. The deal's terms were not disclosed.