Meta surges 4% on subscription launch while ARM tumbles 6%; cybersecurity names slide after Zscaler miss, SOXX -1.1%

• Vietnam recorded over $1 billion in total M&A deals during June, reflecting strong overall investment activity. • The technology sector remained largely absent, with only three deals totaling $0.6 million, accounting for less than 1% of the total value.

• Global startups raised over $6.9 billion in funding during August 2026, highlighting significant investor activity across various sectors. • A standout achievement included a record-breaking $20 million pre-seed round raised by a founding team before their product had even launched.

• In March 2026, the AI infrastructure tool LiteLLM suffered a security compromise involving a malicious upload to the PyPI repository. • The breach transformed developer tooling into a conduit for high-value attacks, including cloud intrusion and the theft of sensitive credentials.

• Between August 4 and August 10, 2026, 53 funding rounds were recorded globally, with the United States leading with 26 rounds totaling $4.58 billion. • Other significant regional activity included the United Kingdom ($388M), Israel ($230M), and India ($166M).

• Trump Media has launched a new fast-access data feed service this month, with more than 10 firms already paying up to $100,000 per month for access. • The initiative is designed to create a "meaningful" and "durable" revenue stream to offset the company's recent quarterly losses.

• A new study released Tuesday by Singapore's Ministry of Trade and Industry reveals that firms adopting artificial intelligence (AI) are experiencing growth in both revenue and employment. • Researchers analyzed firm-level data by linking online job postings with administrative records to measure the impact of AI adoption over a four-year period.

• Economists have upgraded Singapore's economic growth forecasts following a strong performance in the second quarter. • The positive outlook is driven by robust AI-related demand across the region, with supporting data from Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea.

• Singapore stocks reached an all-time high on Tuesday following an increase in the city-state's annual growth forecast, driven by an AI-powered economic boost. • Conversely, Southeast Asian currencies declined as oil prices hit one-week highs, fueled by fading hopes for a U.S.-Iran agreement and rising energy costs for net importers.

• ABI Research forecasts that the number of global data center facilities will grow from 8,821 in 2026 to over 12,000 by 2035. • The Asia-Pacific region is expected to lead growth with a 2.9% CAGR, fueled by hyperscaler investments and digitalization in India, China, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

• China is leveraging its $28 trillion capital markets to fund AI development, highlighted by CXMT raising $9.8 billion through a new listing. • State investors are actively propping up the Chinese market to ensure continued funding for critical technology sectors.

• Malaysia is emerging as a critical case study for Asia's impending "AI power crunch," highlighting that energy infrastructure is the true bottleneck for AI growth rather than chip availability. • While investors currently focus on semiconductors, cloud platforms, and model developers, the massive capital required for power grids and energy production is largely absent from AI investment products.

• Singapore has upgraded its economic growth forecast for 2026 to a range of 4.5% to 5.5%. • The upward revision is primarily driven by a powerful boom in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.