☕ TikTok launches image-to-video tool, Trump Mobile debuts a gold smartphone & OpenAI wins $200M U.S. defense AI deal.
OpenAI-Microsoft relationship are reportedly widening & WhatsApp will soon show ads in Status updates.
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📬 What’s in store:
Today’s Picks: Billion-dollar market spotting, VC fundability guide, Steve Jobs on first-mover myth, AI UX bottlenecks, valuation tools, top investor Q&As, legal packs, and more.
The cracks in the OpenAI-Microsoft relationship are reportedly widening.
Taiwan tightens chip export rules, blocking Huawei and SMIC access.
Alibaba releases Qwen3 AI models optimized for Apple’s MLX architecture.
China brain trial patient plays games in three weeks.
TikTok launches its first image-to-video tool, “AI Alive”.
OpenAI secures $200M Pentagon contract to develop AI for national defense.
WhatsApp will soon show ads in Status updates globally.
Trump Mobile debuts $499 T1 gold smartphone.
VC & Startup Jobs: VC & investors backed startup hiring for remote roles.
⏱️ Read Time: 3 minutes
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🗞️ What else is brewing
Elad Gil’s framework for spotting billion-dollar markets before they look big.
What investors ask and how to answer: The only guide you need as a founder.
Steve Jobs: 'The half-truth of first-mover advantage'
How Venture Is Unbundling: A New Era for GPs and LPs.
The Real AI Bottleneck: Bad UX Plus: The race to design for agents, and a guide for AI in the workplace
Excel Template: Early Stage Startup Financial Model template.
Why VC firms with stronger networks produce higher returns
Startup Legal Document Pack – Essential Legal Docs for Founders.
A Science-based Guide to Thinking Creatively—With LLMs Creativity isn’t magic.
The Startup Valuation Guide For Founders
VC Fundability → Cold reachouts - Is a startup VC Fundable & how to cold email VCs ?
300+ Australian angel investors & venture capital firms contact database (Email + LinkedIn Link).
STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS
💰 Startup funding updates
Alta, a NYC-based company empowering shoppers with a personalized styling companion, raised $11M in Seed funding. The round was led by Menlo Ventures with participation from Aglaé Ventures (an investment firm backed by the Arnault family), Benchstrength Ventures, Conviction, Phenomenal Ventures, and a group of celebrity stylists, consumer tech founders.
Lumion, a Salt Lake City-based trade and technical schools operating platform, raised $10.7 million in seed funding. TTV Capital led the round and was joined by Tusk Venture Partners, CreativeCo Capital, Nine Four Ventures, and others.
Juniper Square, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of connected fund software and services for private markets, closed its Series D round and secured $130M in new funding, at $1.1 Billion valuation. The round was led by Ribbit Capital, with significant strategic investment from Fifth Wall, and additional participation from Redpoint Ventures, HighSage Ventures, Blue Owl Capital and others.
Sedai, a San Francisco, CA-based self-driving cloud company, raised $20M in Series B funding. The round was led by AVP (Atlantic Vantage Point), with participation from Norwest, Sierra Ventures, and Uncorrelated Ventures.
Slide, a Norwalk, CT-based provider of a BCDR (business continuity and disaster recovery) platform purpose-built for MSPs, raised $25M in Series A funding. The round was led by Base10 Partners, with participation from Outsiders Fund and Top Down Ventures.
WorkWhile, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI-powered labor platform that matches businesses with hourly workers, raised $23M in Series B funding. The round was led by Rethink Impact, with participation from previous investors Khosla Ventures, Reach Capital, Citi Impact Fund, GingerBread Capital, and Illumen Capital.
Studio555, a Stockholm, Sweden-based interior design game provider, raised €4M in funding. The round was led by HOF Capital, and Failup Ventures with participation from Timo Soininen, Mikko Kodisoja and Riccardo Zacconi.
PostHog, a San Francisco, CA-based startup offering online tools for software engineering teams, raised a $70M in Series D funding, at a $920M valuation. The round was led by Stripe, with participation from GV, Y Combinator, and Formus Capital.
Ellipsis Health, a San Francisco, CA-based AI voice agent sevice provider for the healthcare industry, raised $45M in Series A funding. The round was led by Salesforce, Khosla Ventures, and CVS Health Ventures. Previous investors, Mitsui Global Investment, Collier, E12, and AME Cloud Ventures also participated.
Yupp, a San Francisco, CA-based platform to discover, compare, and use AIs, raised $33m in seed funding. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Jeff Dean, Biz Stone, Evan Sharp, Aravind Srinivas, Kunal Shah, Dan Boneh, Chris Re, Nick McKeown, Balaji Prabhakar, Othman Laraki, Paul Grewal, Gokul Rajaram, and Coinbase Ventures, among others.
Cluely, a San Francisco, CA based provider of an in-browser AI assistance tool, raised $5.3M in funding. The Backers included Abstract Ventures and Susa Ventures.
Warp, a Los Angeles, CA-based tech-powered middle-mile logistics company, raised $10M in Series A funding. The round was led by Up.Partners and Blue Bear Capital.
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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET
🏦 Venture Capital updates
Circle & Co, a London, UK-based venture firm focused on early-stage consumer tech, raised £11.5M for its solo GP fund led by Sasha Trower. The fund will invest in marketplaces, consumer platforms, and consumerized SaaS across Europe and the U.S. Trower previously backed Runna, recently acquired by Strava, and has already made five investments from the new fund. LPs include exited founders and operators from leading consumer startups.
KEY STORIES IN TECH
📜 Latest in tech
The cracks in the OpenAI-Microsoft relationship are reportedly widening:
OpenAI has reportedly considered accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive behavior and seeking regulatory review of their partnership.
Tensions have escalated over OpenAI’s $3B acquisition of Windsurf, as OpenAI aims to block Microsoft from accessing its IP.
OpenAI is also reducing its reliance on Microsoft’s cloud services, signaling a shift in their once-synergistic alliance.
Taiwan tightens chip export rules, blocking Huawei and SMIC access:
Taiwan has added Huawei, SMIC, and 599 other foreign entities to its high-tech export control list.
Taiwanese firms will now require government approval to ship construction tech, materials, or equipment to these companies.
The move is expected to delay China's AI chip development and addresses broader national security concerns.
Alibaba releases Qwen3 AI models optimized for Apple’s MLX architecture:
Alibaba has launched new Qwen3 AI models designed to run on Apple’s MLX architecture across iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
The release broadens Alibaba’s AI footprint by aligning its models with Apple’s growing on-device AI ecosystem.
The models were announced via WeChat, marking a significant step in cross-platform AI compatibility between Chinese and U.S. tech ecosystems.
China brain trial patient plays games in three weeks:
A patient with tetraplegia in China played computer racing games and chess using only thoughts, weeks after receiving a wireless invasive brain-computer interface implant.
China's first clinical trial of brain-computer interfaces enabled a person with paralysis to mentally control electronic devices for complex tasks like computer gaming.
The Chinese-developed BCI is the world's smallest so far and over 100 times more flexible than Neuralink's system, according to the report.
TikTok launches its first image-to-video tool, “AI Alive”:
TikTok introduced tools for marketers to generate five-second video ad clips by simply uploading a product photo or providing a brief text description.
The new text- and image-to-video features now expand TikTok's Symphony product, a suite designed to help brands make ads using generative AI.
Alongside these, TikTok presented Symphony Digital Avatars, AI Dubbing for global translations, and its Symphony Collective to produce distinct TikTok-first content.
OpenAI secures $200M Pentagon contract to develop AI for national defense:
The U.S. Defense Department awarded OpenAI a $200 million contract to build AI prototypes for critical military and enterprise needs.
The contract work will run through July 2026, primarily in the Washington area, as part of broader national security tech efforts.
OpenAI’s growing federal ties come as it eyes a $40B funding round and reports a $10B annualized revenue run rate.
WhatsApp will soon show ads in Status updates globally:
WhatsApp is introducing ads on its Status screen, similar to Instagram Stories, using location and engagement signals.
Meta says no personal messages or phone numbers will be used for ad targeting; data from Meta's Account Center may influence ads.
Businesses can also promote Channels or charge for exclusive content, with global rollout expected in the coming months.
LAST COFFEE SIP
☕Other news
Trump Mobile debuts $499 T1 gold smartphone:
Trump Mobile announced its T1, a gold-colored smartphone priced at $499, which is slated to ship by August with a "Made in USA" claim.
This device offers a 6.8-inch Punch-Hole AMOLED display, 12GB memory, Android 15, and a 50MP main camera, yet its processor remains undisclosed.
Experts question the "designed and built in the United States" claim for the phone, as many components like screens must be imported from overseas.
HIRING ALERT: STARTUPS & VC ROLES
💼 Today’s VC & startup job opportunities
Corporate Development & Strategy - Figma Venture | USA - Apply Here
Investment Trainee - Hashkey Capital | USA - Apply Here
Associate - Omerse Venture | USA - Apply Here
Associate - Lightspeed | India - Apply Here
Principal - AI Fund | USA - Apply Here
Investment Intern - Stride Venture | Singapore - Apply Here
Investment Partner - Rookridge Venture | UAE - Apply Here
Investment Associate - Application Software - TCV | USA - Apply Here
Investment Associate - Schreiber Ventures | USA - Apply Here
All-In-One VC Interview Preparation Guide: With a leading investors group, we have created an all-in-one VC interview preparation guide for aspiring VCs. Don’t miss this. (Access Here)
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