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AI brokers raising big. Teens talking to chatbots. Meta locking in chips like it’s hoarding oil.
The theme? Control. Over payments, data, infrastructure, and distribution. The rails are shifting, and everyone wants leverage.
Here’s what’s moving the board.
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Six bullets of updates
🗺️ U.S. diplomats are being asked to push back on global data rules affecting how American companies handle foreign user info.
🤖 Faster code reviews are here: AI now automates up to 60% of pull request checks with fewer bugs sneaking through in Google’s latest toolkit update.
🚕 Human drivers still steer 100% of "autonomous" rides as the technology remains years from full self-driving.
🤖 About 12% of U.S. teens now turn to AI chatbots for emotional support, raising questions from mental health pros.
🧠 Swiss startup secures €2.5M to bring real-time brain imaging to neurosurgery and speed up operating room innovation.
🐕🦺 A sharp accountant won $50k by spotting hype-driven bets against Dogecoin on Kalshi’s prediction market.
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AI Startup Funding Targets Scalable Insurance and Fintech Solutions
Credit: harperinsure.com
An AI-native insurance brokerage just pulled in $47M (seed + Series A) fresh out of YC W25, with a simple pitch: turn the industry’s paperwork nightmare into software that feels like autocomplete.
If they can shrink submission-to-bind time and do more with fewer brokers, the economics shift fast. Brokers control distribution; carriers hold the risk. Squeeze the ops layer and legacy agencies/MGAs start sweatingSMBs get faster service, assuming carriers cooperate.
The hard part is licensing across states, E&O risk, carrier appetite mismatches, and messy data pipes. Real defensibility will come from tight carrier integrations, niche focus, and lower CAC; not AI branding.
Watch the basics: policies bound per employee, retention, and days-to-bind. If those improve meaningfully, this isn’t just a YC glow-up, it’s a margin machine in the making.
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Why unprofitable startups are popular again
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The Lithium Boom is Heating Up
Thanks to growing demand, lithium stock prices grew 2X+ from June 2025 to January 2026. $ALB climbed as high as 227%. $LAC hit 151%. $SQM, 159%.
This $1B unicorn’s patented technology can recover 3X more lithium than traditional methods. That’s earned investment from leaders like General Motors.
Now they’re preparing for commercial production just as experts project 5X demand growth by 2040. They’ve announced what could be one of the US’ largest lithium production facilities and have rights to approximately 150,000 lithium-rich acres across North and South America.
Unlike public stocks, you can buy private EnergyX shares alongside 40,000+ other investors. Invest for $11/share by the 2/26 deadline.
This is a paid advertisement for EnergyX Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energyx.com. Under Regulation A, a company may change its share price by up to 20% without requalifying the offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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♿ Minor tweaks can snowball into barriers across dozens of pages; accessibility is ongoing ops, not one-and-done.
💡 Start a 1-person biz on ~$0: tap existing skills, keep costs lean, and close your first sale within weeks.
🧪 OpenClaw’s creator says AI builders learn faster when they play more and give themselves time to improve .
Startup Investor Finder
Slidebean’s Investor Finder helps startups find and track the right investors faster. Filter by stage, industry, and location, organize outreach, and manage your fundraising pipeline in one streamlined workspace.
No random spreadsheets, no scattered LinkedIn tabs; just a focused system to turn research into real fundraising traction.
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Meta Expands AI Data Center Capacity with Major AMD Chip Deal
Photo by Mariia Shalabaieva on Unsplash
In a multiyear pact, Meta is snapping up billions in AI accelerators; an up to $100B deal and tying it to a 160M‑share warrant. Translation: more racks, fewer single‑supplier jitters; GPUs are the new oil.
The move doubles down on a GPU diversification push, giving leverage on pricing and supply while validating AMD’s MI300‑class roadmap. The warrant structure signals volume commitments and long‑term alignment.
Nvidia still sits on the throne, but the grip loosens. AMD gains mass, momentum, and a seat at the grown-ups’ table. As more racks come online, the cost of compute may finally exhale.
For builders, that means more chips to choose from and fewer supply headaches. The stacks get messier, more plural. CUDA won’t disappear tomorrow; but the monopoly vibes just took a hit.
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Startup Events and Deadlines
😎 TODAY! - How to Find your Startup Valuation l Feb 26 l Webinar 😎
Startup Funding Rounds in the AI Era l March 5 l Webinar
Web Agents Hackaton l February 28 - March 1 l San Francisco
AI Tech & Startup Night — San Francisco l Feb 25 l San Francisco
How to Pitch an AI Company to Investors l March 12 l Webinar