Business

• Ciridae heeft $20 miljoen aan seedfunding opgehaald onder leiding van durfkapitaalmaatschappij Accel om AI-besturingssystemen te ontwikkelen die zijn afgestemd op middelgrote bedrijven in de industriële sector en de dienstensector. • De financiering zal Ciridae in staat stellen om AI-gestuurde operationele platforms te bouwen en te implementeren, ontworpen om processen in productie- en dienstverleningssectoren te stroomlijnen. • De investering weerspiegelt de groeiende marktvraag naar toegankelijke AI-oplossingen die specifieke uitdagingen in verticale markten aanpakken, voorbij de algemene AI-platforms.

• Het reële BBP groeide op geannualiseerde basis met 2% in Q1 2026, gedreven door bedrijfsinvesteringen die het snelste tempo in bijna drie jaar bereikten door uitgaven aan AI-apparatuur en software. • De consumentenbestedingen stegen bescheiden met 1,6%, een daling ten opzichte van de 1,9% van het vorige kwartaal, beïnvloed door slecht winterweer en pieken in de energieprijzen in maart. • De ISM Manufacturing PMI bereikte 52,7 en de Services PMI 53,6 in april, wat wijst op aanhoudende groei, terwijl de Prices Paid Index stabiel bleef op 70,7, wat duidt op aanhoudende inflatiedruk.

• OCBC announced the acquisition of HSBC's Indonesia wealth and retail banking operations for $6.6 billion, marking a major expansion in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. • The deal is expected to increase OCBC's Indonesian subsidiary's assets under management by approximately 25%, significantly strengthening its regional presence. • This acquisition reflects OCBC's strategic focus on wealth management and retail banking growth across Southeast Asia amid competitive market dynamics.

US president pauses ‘Project Freedom’ to work on ‘final agreement’ with Tehran; stocks also ride high on AI euphoriaGood morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.Asian stock markets hit record highs, following in Wall Street’s footsteps, and oil prices retreated after Donald Trump hailed “great progress” towards a “final agreement” with Tehran.on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran”.Investors bought and continue to add to positioning in the 2026 winners. There has been some buying in S&P 500 materials stocks, but it’s tech that continues to attract the bulk of flows, notably in Apple and the memory plays.9am BST: Eurozone services and composite PMIs for April9.30am BST: UK services and composite PMIs for April1.15pm BST: US ADP employment change for April Continue reading...

• Startup TextWeave secured $10 million in seed funding last month to leverage LLMs for generating marketing copy for small shops. • The platform addresses niche needs in content creation, demonstrating how specialized AI fixes fuel startup growth. • This funding aligns with enterprise adoption trends, where generative AI tops technology startup news for tasks like automated writing.

• FOX Business Network (FBN) surpassed CNBC in viewership across business day, market hours, and total day programming during April 2026, according to Nielsen Media Research data released April 29. • FBN's flagship shows "Varney & Co." and "Kudlow" maintained their positions as the top two business programs on television, achieving their 50th and 55th consecutive months of outperforming CNBC counterparts respectively. • The ratings victory underscores FOX Business's competitive dominance in the financial news market during a period of significant Federal Reserve policy announcements and market volatility.

Partner of soldier accused of war crimes says the couple discussed possibility of moving overseas to ‘create some normalcy in our lives’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastBen Roberts-Smith was planning to leave Australia to live overseas and had a business class flight out of the country booked in four days’ time when he was arrested at Sydney airport this month, court documents allege, with investigators telling a court “his willingness to return to Australia to face prosecution cannot be judged”.Roberts-Smith was ultimately granted bail last week under strict conditions, a move opposed by prosecutors who said there was potential concern he was a flight risk and might try to avoid ever having to face trial for a series of alleged murders he committed in Afghanistan. Continue reading...

• The number of small businesses in the United States continues to grow amid entrepreneurial optimism. • Owners report increasing difficulty securing startup capital needed to launch and expand operations. • Policies associated with President Trump are cited by business leaders as dampening access to financing for new entrepreneurs pursuing the American Dream.