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• Influence Media has emerged as the winning bidder for Anthem’s music assets with an offer exceeding $650 million. • This successful sale follows two previous failed auction attempts by Anthem in 2017 and 2022 that did not meet the company's valuation. • The deal is significant as it includes high-profile national touchstones, most notably the catalog of the legendary rock band Rush.

Agreement is first by federal government to resolve enforcement claims against a major Pfas manufacturerThe Trump administration on Wednesday reached a multi-state settlement with chemical giant Chemours Co over years-long, illegal discharges of synthetic “forever chemicals” used to make products resistant to water, grease and stains. The settlement is the first by the federal government to resolve enforcement claims against a manufacturer of harmful chemicals known as Pfas.Under the agreement, filed in federal court in West Virginia, Chemours will pay a civil penalty of $22.5m for alleged violations and spend $90m over 15 years to mitigate Pfas discharges in three states: West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey. Continue reading...

• Groq has raised $650 million in new funding to transition its business model from a chip startup to a data center operator. • The investment round was led by the hedge fund Infinitum and the growth-focused firm Disruptive, both of which currently hold seats on Groq's board. • This shift focuses on AI inference, moving the company toward providing the infrastructure necessary to run AI models rather than just designing the hardware.

US spy-tech company to challenge London mayor’s intervention after he raised concerns over breach of procurement rulesPalantir intends to sue the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, after he blocked a contract between the US spy-tech firm and the Metropolitan police.The Met had planned to use Palantir’s software to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations, until Khan intervened in late May, sparking a row between the UK’s largest police force and the mayor’s office. Continue reading...

• Cyera has acquired Genie Security for approximately $50 million to strengthen its cybersecurity defenses against data leaks. • The deal marks an unusually rapid exit for Genie, which had previously raised only about $3 million in funding. • The acquisition integrates Genie's endpoint-based data loss prevention technology to stop sensitive information from leaking via employee devices and generative AI tools.

• OpenAI’s non-profit foundation will allocate $250 million toward research analyzing how artificial intelligence affects the global economy. • This initiative marks the first specific deployment of funds following the organization's March pledge to distribute $1 billion over a 12-month period. • The research is critical for understanding the systemic shifts in labor markets and economic productivity caused by the rapid adoption of AI.

London mayor accused of ‘putting politics above public safety’ for rejecting deal to use AI in intelligence analysisPalantir has accused Sadiq Khan of “putting politics above public safety” after the London mayor blocked its £50m contract with the Metropolitan police in a move that has also led to tensions inside Labour over its involvement with the US tech company.Louis Mosley, who heads Palantir in the UK and Europe, accused Khan of politicising procurement after he rejected a two-year deal for Scotland Yard to use AI to process intelligence in criminal investigations, as first revealed by the Guardian. Mosley said: “What Londoners value is not being mugged, not being raped by a serving police officer.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: Scotland Yard had been in talks to use Palantir’s AI technology to automate intelligence analysisA £50m Met police deal with the controversial US tech company Palantir has been blocked by the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, with City Hall citing a “clear and serious breach” of procurement rules.Scotland Yard had been in talks, revealed by the Guardian last month, to use Palantir’s AI technology to automate intelligence analysis in criminal investigations. But Khan intervened on Thursday to stop the flagship contract, which would have been Palantir’s largest yet in British policing. Continue reading...

Yindjibarndi Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation label federal court ruling against mining giant’s Solomon Hub iron ore operation ‘unsatisfactory’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastYindjibarndi traditional owners are considering an appeal against the federal court’s record $150m compensation payout, saying it is “unsatisfactory” and will not cover the cultural and financial losses suffered since Fortescue began mining their land.On Tuesday, mining company Fortescue was ordered by the federal court to pay compensation to Yindjibarndi traditional owners for cultural losses caused by its multibillion‑dollar Solomon Hub iron ore mine, plus $100,000 for economic losses – the largest compensation payout in native title history. Continue reading...

• London-based Recursive Superintelligence, founded in 2025 by former leaders from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Meta AI, and Uber AI, has raised $650 million at a $4.65 billion valuation in a round led by GV and Greycroft with participation from AMD Ventures and NVIDIA. • The startup's core technology approach focuses on automating the AI research process itself, developing systems capable of improving their own architecture, training methods, and evaluation processes without continuous human oversight. • The company currently operates from San Francisco and London offices with over 25 researchers and engineers, and plans to use fresh funding to secure large-scale compute infrastructure and run its first Level 1 autonomous training system.

Federal court found miner’s Solomon Hub iron ore mine caused cultural and social harm, including the destruction of 140 heritage sitesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMining company Fortescue has been ordered to pay $150m in compensation to traditional owners over cultural losses caused by the multibillion-dollar Solomon Hub iron ore mine – the largest compensation payout in native title history.The mine, which has extracted millions of tonnes of iron ore and generated an estimated $80bn in revenue for Fortescue since operations began in 2013, was approved by the Western Australian government without the consent of the Yindjibarndi traditional owners. Continue reading...

• AI agent startup Sierra Technologies announced a $950 million funding round at a $15 billion valuation, just eight months after closing a $350 million Series A round. • Alphabet Inc.'s GV venture capital arm and Tiger Global led the investment round, joined by Benchmark, Sequoia, Greenoaks, and several other investors. • The rapid $15 billion valuation reflects investor confidence in Sierra's AI agent capabilities for enterprise applications.

Exclusive: Brainchild of Dominic Cummings, Aria is aimed at funding ‘crazy’ scientific projects to benefit the UKBritain’s “invention agency” has pledged £50m of UK taxpayer money to US tech companies and venture capital projects.Dreamed up by Dominic Cummings to fund “crazy” ideas, the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) is meant to “restore Britain’s place as a scientific superpower”. Continue reading...

Musician Chris Martin, tennis star Iga Świątek and footballer Robert Lewandowski join Piotr Garkowski in epic fundraiserA Polish social media influencer has raised more than £50m after a nine-day, non-stop online stream during which he was joined by a parade of celebrity guests to help a charity supporting children battling cancer.Streaming from a studio flat in right-bank Warsaw, social media influencer Piotr Garkowski, 23, nicknamed Łatwogang, listened to a charity song dedicated to children battling cancer on loop for nine days straight, filling time with entertaining dares and celebrity appearances. Continue reading...

• Factory, a three-year-old startup, raised $150 million led by Khosla Ventures, achieving a $1.5 billion valuation on April 17, 2026. • The funding targets AI coding tools that automate software development for enterprises, freeing developers for complex tasks. • This round reflects booming investor interest in AI automation amid US tech sector's push for efficiency.

• Alcatraz, a physical security startup founded by a former Apple Face ID engineer, completed a $50 million Series B funding round on April 13, 2026. • The company focuses on privacy-first artificial intelligence solutions for the physical security sector, leveraging expertise from its founder's background in biometric technology. • The funding reflects growing investor confidence in AI-powered security solutions and privacy-preserving technology approaches.

• Defense aviation startup Hermeus secured $350 million in funding on April 7, 2026, to develop autonomous hypersonic fighters following supersonic flight demonstrations. • The investment supports advancement toward operational hypersonic aircraft, targeting U.S. military applications in next-generation aviation. • This funding underscores surging interest in hypersonic tech amid geopolitical tensions, positioning Hermeus as a key player in defense innovation.

• Linx Security secured $50 million in funding to expand its artificial intelligence-driven identity platform amid rising identity-based attacks on enterprises. • The investment targets enhancements in AI capabilities as companies face intensified threats from identity exploitation in cybersecurity incidents. • This funding round underscores growing demand for advanced identity security solutions in the US tech sector, enabling scalable protection for enterprise environments.

• Linx Security secured $50 million in funding to expand its AI-driven identity platform amid rising identity-based attacks on enterprises. • The funding supports growth as companies face intensified threats bypassing traditional security perimeters. • This investment highlights the surging demand for AI solutions in cybersecurity, positioning Linx to compete in a market projected for rapid expansion.

• Finnish quantum hardware company IQM secured a €50 million financing facility from BlackRock-managed funds to fuel R&D and U.S. market expansion. • The funding supports IQM's preparations for a potential US stock market listing, enhancing its position in quantum computing technology. • This investment underscores growing Wall Street interest in quantum breakthroughs amid competition in advanced computing sectors.