Tech funding nearly triples, but mega-rounds mask uneven recovery - The Korea Times

• South Korea's Financial Services Commission has officially launched an ₩880 billion (approximately $630.9 million) Ultra-Long-Term Technology Investment Fund. • The fund is specifically designed to provide capital for up to 16 years to companies developing foundational and advanced technologies that require extended timelines for commercialization.

• OpenAI is expanding its ChatGPT advertising footprint to 31 European countries starting next week. • The rollout includes major markets such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Austria.

• New startup funding statistics for 2026 compare venture funding, deal counts, and mega-round concentrations against 2025 data. • Israel has emerged as one of the world's most capital-dense markets, securing an estimated $16.7 billion across 801 funding rounds.

• OpenAI has slowed the training of its latest models, including a two-week pause in reinforcement learning (RL) for models intended for deployment. • The company officially attributes this pacing to cybersecurity risks, opting to run smaller, contained evaluation rounds before proceeding with its largest planned frontier RL run.

• OpenAI is launching an advertising program for ChatGPT users in the Netherlands starting next week. • This rollout expands to 31 European markets, including major economies such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Austria.

• AIA Group reported a 10% increase in its new business value for the first half of the year, with positive growth across all reportable segments except Thailand. • The insurer maintains a broad operational footprint across 18 Asian markets, including mainland China, Singapore, and South Korea, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

• Palo Alto Networks has officially launched a new AI-driven defense program designed to enhance cybersecurity capabilities. • The initiative focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence to proactively detect and neutralize sophisticated cyber threats.

• Asian AI and semiconductor stocks experienced a sharp decline as rising yields sparked renewed concerns over company valuations. • Major South Korean indices were hit hard, with the KOSPI plunging 5.2%, while Samsung Electronics fell 7.5% and SK Hynix Inc dropped 10%.

• Rapid7 warns that the surge in AI-driven vulnerability disclosures and accelerated exploitation speeds are overwhelming traditional patching cycles. • Security defenders are being forced to shift their strategy, prioritizing actual exposure and risk over standard CVSS severity scores.

• Venture capital firms, including Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, and Tiger Global, are shifting their investment focus as of August 18, 2026. • Investors are moving away from generic AI software to fund deeper technology stack components such as specialized silicon, energy efficiency, and biological science.

• OpenAI confirms the launch of ChatGPT Ads in 31 European countries next week. • The ads will go live in countries including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and others.