SignalPulse:

WHAT’S INSIDE

Breaking News: Walmart's OnePay App BTC Trading, Trump blocks $3M Emcore deal, Trump Media digital token, neocloud players, Fei-Fei Li’s “ChatGPT moment” for world models, SoftBank’s OpenAI deal and its $4B bid for DigitalBridge datacenter provider

Deals: SoftBank $40B OpenAI deal, Octopus Energy $1B deal, Moonshot $500M round, Biobeat $50M deal, Vyriad $25M for CAR-T, Knight Fintech $23.6M for banking, Tron raises $18M from Justin Sun, Dazzle AI rounds

Exit Watching: Nividia’s acquisition spree, acquires an Israeli AI lab AI21 & buys Groq & 4% of Intel, SpaceX & Anthropic IPOs, Honk Kong Chines AI IPO Boom + more

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BREAKING NEWS

Big tech moves, movers and trends to watch this week

Walmart's OnePay App is adding Bitcoin and Ethereum trading via ZeroHash integration, developed through a 2021 partnership with Ribbit Capital, now ranking top 5 in app stores.

President Trump blocked HieFo Corp's $3M acquisition of Emcore due to national security concerns over potential Chinese control. The CFI identified unspecified risks, requiring HieFo to divest.

SoftBank finalized a $22.5B investment in OpenAI as part of a larger $40B round to support Starlink data center. Now owns 11%. Also acquired DigitalBridge for $4B to bolster its AI data center infrastructure, with a 15% premium. DB: $108B AUM.

Nvidia Buys Up Large — Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire Israeli AI lab AI21 Labs for $2-3B. This follows a $20B deal with Groq Inc. to enhance AI capabilities and buying out a 4.4% stake in Intel for $5B.

Trump Media announced plans to distribute new digital tokens to shareholders via Crypto.com, offering one token per share. CEO Devin Nunes highlighted blockchain for transparency. Shares increased post-announcement, with details TBD.

ChatGPT Moment for World Models — Fei-Fei Li predicts a transformative "ChatGPT moment" for world models, highlighting the need for robust foundational tech like GPT-3.5.

[OPEN DEAL] WYDE’s $EAT Impact Token Special Feature

Startups, firms or funds actively raising capital this week

The WYDE $EAT Token Open Deal

We have been shouting from the rooftops these past few weeks about Wyoming Decentralized Exchange (WYDE), marking it as one of the key innovators we see in the crypto and blockchain sector as well as in the wider charity and impact space.

Since we first covered WYDE pre-launch in December, its first Impact Token, $EAT (End Hunger) has gone on to reach a $10M market cap at its peak, while already funding over 3600 meals for registered charities helping to combat food insecurity in the US. Here they are pitching Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong the concept, jump into the thread and help them to get his attention.

IN THE MONEY

Companies that raised money in the past week and why they matter

Massive Deals

OpenAI — SoftBank has completed a $40B investment in OpenAI, raising its stake to 11%. The final $22B tranche supports OpenAI's infrastructure and AI projects. SoftBank also acquired DigitalBridge for $4B to enhance its AI strategy.

Moonshot AI — A leading Chinese AI developer, raised $500M in Series C funding, boosting its valuation to $4.3B. Led by IDG Capital, the funds will enhance its AI infrastructure as it competes with OpenAI and Anthropic. Its model, Kimi K2 Thinking, outperforms rivals, increasing revenue and subscribers. No IPO plans announced.

Octopus Energy — The UK-based energy company raised $1B in its first standalone funding round, valuing its AI unit Kraken Technologies at $8.65B. D1 Capital Partners and Origin Energy contributed, with Octopus retaining a 13.7% stake. Kraken's annual recurring revenue has more than doubled in 18 months.

Large Deals

Biobeat Technologies — The Israeli medtech company raised $50M in Series B funding to expand its FDA-cleared, cuff-less 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring system. Led by Ally Bridge Group, OrbiMed Advisors, and Elevage.

CHAMP Titles — The Cleveland-based company, focused on modernizing state motor vehicle systems, raised $55M in its largest round. Led by W. R. Berkley, Point72, and ORIX, it aims to expand CHAMPgov, enhancing service for over 35M.

Smaller Deals

Vyriad — The Minnesota biotech closed a final $25M tranche of its Series B financing, totaling $85M. Led by Harry Stine, the funds will advance CAR-T candidate VV169 for relapsed multiple myeloma.

Knight Fintech — The Mumbai startup raised $23.6M led by Accel to offer tools for banks' co-lending and products like Aurix and Beacon. Aims to boost revenue to $85M by 2030, $50B+ AUM.

Tron Inc. — The blockchain firm received an $18M strategic investment from Justin Sun, founder of the TRON blockchain. This move aims to bolster its TRX treasury portfolio.

Dazzle AI — The Palo Alto company, founded by Marissa Mayer, secured $8M in seed funding at a $35M post-money valuation. The round was led by Kirsten Green of Forerunner.

Traini — The pet emotional intelligence startup raised $7.5M to develop the Cognitive Smart Collar, translating dog emotions into human-understandable language using AI.

EXIT WATCHING

Mergers & Acquisitions and IPOs

Nvidia — Nvidia is in advanced talks to acquire Israeli AI lab AI21 Labs for $2-3B. This follows a $20B deal with Groq Inc. to enhance AI capabilities and buying a 4.4% stake in Intel for $5B.

SoftBank — Acquiring DigitalBridge for $4B to bolster its AI data center infrastructure, with a $16 per share offer, a 15% premium. This aligns with its vision for 'ASI'. $108B in AUM.

Manus — Meta has acquired Singapore-based AI agent developer Manus for over $2B surpassed $100M ARR, strengthens Meta's AI strategy amidst rising competition.

Shanghai Biren Intelligent Technology Co. — Shanghai Biren, a Chinese graphics card supplier, raised $717M in its Hong Kong IPO, offering 284.8M shares at $19.6 each. Despite not yet being profitable, Biren reported $47.8M in sales last year and has about $300M in pending orders.

SpotHero — Uber is in talks to acquire SpotHero, a parking startup valued at $290M. SpotHero operates in over 400 North American cities, offering consumer and enterprise parking solutions.

SMIC — SMIC, a leading Chinese semiconductor firm, is acquiring the remaining 49% stake in Semiconductor Manufacturing North China Corp. for $5.8B to strengthen China's chip industry.

Verisk Analytics — Canceled its $2.35B acquisition of roofing software maker AccuLynx due to regulatory delays from the FTC over antitrust concerns.

OxyChem — Berkshire Hathaway has completed the $9.7B acquisition of OxyChem, a leading producer of essential chemicals like polyvinyl chloride and chlor-alkali, vital for industries such as water treatment and healthcare.

IPO Watch

Open or upcoming IPOs to watch:

SpaceX — Considering an IPO in 2026 to secure additional funding and solidify its market standing. This move aims to capitalize on its high private market valuation.

Anthropic — Plans an IPO in 2026 to bolster its financial resources and enhance its competitive edge, challenging its high private market valuation.

Shanghai Biren Technology — The Chinese AI and semiconductor company saw shares rise 76% during its Hong Kong IPO, raising HK$5.58 billion.

Z.ai — Chinese AI startup plans a $560M IPO on the HKSE on January 8. Despite facing U.S. sanctions, it sees revenue growth with high operating losses. The funds will enhance R&D for enterprise clients.

THE FUNDING BUZZ

VC & PE Activity To Watch

SoftBank — Finalized a $22.5 billion investment in OpenAI as part of a larger $40 billion funding round. This investment supports OpenAI's Starlink data center initiative. SoftBank now owns an 11% stake, following OpenAI's restructuring.

Dragoneer — Raised $4.3B for its seventh fund, surpassing its target. $30B AUM, focuses on investing in leading tech companies like OpenAI, Airbnb, Datadog, DoorDash, Spotify, and Uber.

S3 Ventures — Texas-based vc firm marks its 20th anniversary with a new $250M Fund VIII. It focuses on software and healthcare, emphasizing long-term p’ships.

Krafton — With Naver and Mirae Asset is launching a $670M Unicorn Growth Fund to support Indian technology startups. Plans to invest up to ₹60B expanding beyond gaming to fintech and digital markets.

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FOR INVESTORS
Open Deals
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For detailed pitch materials, please email invest@techbuzz.ai with your deck.
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