M&A Trends in Tech - Acqui-hires are increasingly common in AI, with companies valuing the talent and expertise of acquired teams [2][3][4] - Smaller investments and acqui-hires can be viewed more favorably by regulators from an antitrust perspective [5] - M&A activity is picking up, with buyers in AI and digital infrastructure becoming more active [8] - Private equity firms have significant dry powder and are looking for deals [9] Factors Influencing M&A - Geopolitical conditions, tariffs, and events in Ukraine and the Middle East are key factors [10] - Interest rates are a key determinant of M&A activity; stabilization or improvement in the forward curve could boost deals [10] - Predictability in antitrust regulations is adding positive momentum to the M&A outlook [11] - Improvement in IPO markets is needed to provide private equity firms with exit opportunities [12] - A disconnect between buyers and sellers on valuation, influenced by interest rates, remains a challenge [14] Specific Areas of Activity - Traditional media companies are restructuring and reevaluating their portfolios due to the disruption of streaming [16] - Sports have become an area of growth and interest, driving up sports franchise values [17] - AI is a dynamic force in M&A, particularly in specialized hardware and hardware integration (software meeting silicon) [18] - Data center deals have doubled in 2024 compared to 2023, driven by the need for greater infrastructure and cloud services [21] Regulatory and Political Environment - The DOJ and FTC are signaling an openness to considering transactions with remedies [24] - The administration is focused on "America First" initiatives and ensuring equality of messaging, particularly for conservative viewpoints [26] - Companies need to understand the administration's objectives and incorporate government relations early in the deal planning [27] - Regulators are focused on tech, particularly regarding free speech issues, but are showing optimism by considering remedies [30]

What is the true value of Tesla. It is one of the hottest questions that has puzzled stock market investors for nearly a decade now. Some try to answer it by using math.Others say capturing the potential of a possibly worldchanging technology requires departing from the state-old ways in which Wall Street values other companies. And with the launch of the company's robo taxi on June 22nd, that question has taken on a new urgency. There is a debate on Wall Street when it comes to how much Tesla should be wor ...

Cybersecurity Threat - US officials warn of low-level cyberattacks by Iran following airstrikes on the country's nuclear facilities [1] Media Channels - Bloomberg Technology is available on YouTube with daily podcasts and full episodes featuring Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow [1] - Bloomberg Business can be found across various social media platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok [1]

Industry Problem & Solution - Wire harness industry relies on manual processes, unchanged since the Cold War, hindering scalability [2][6] - Current design process uses Excel and PowerPoint, lacking industry standards and causing inefficiencies [4] - AMP design tool aims to enable wire harness design in minutes, streamlining the process [5] - Company automates manufacturing, reducing technician training time from 12 months [6] Business Growth & Strategy - Company headquarters is in Southern California, Redondo Beach, utilizing data to streamline manufacturing [6] - Scaling manufacturing to meet increasing demand, exceeding current facility capacity [8] - Focus on software design tool development (AMP) and manufacturing expansion [7] - Targeting emerging customers needing fast iteration and high-quality harnesses [13] Funding & Market Opportunity - Received $25 million in funding to scale manufacturing and software development [7] - Capital markets are interested in industrial supply chain improvements [14] - Addressing the struggles of 800+ mom and pop shops in the wire harness industry [13] - Capital markets are very excited for the new incumbents in the space [14]

Tesla Inc. rolled out its long-awaited robotaxi service to a handful of users following almost a decade of hype from Elon Musk, kicking off a precarious new era for the carmaker. Some online influencers were invited to take a ride. A human "safety monitor" rode in the front passenger seat. -------- Like this video? Subscribe to Bloomberg Technology on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrM7B7SL_g1edFOnmj-SDKg Watch the latest full episodes of "Bloomberg Technology" with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow he ...

Now the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, recently announced plans to train millions of people in AI over the next five years, while Europe is aiming to mobilise €200 billion for investments in the technology. But is it too little too late. With me to discuss, I'm very pleased to say, is Carina Namih, partner at VC firm, Plural, Laura McGinnis, principal at Balderton, and Tommy Stadlen, co-founder and general partner at Giant Ventures.All, of course, VC firms that are backed some really serious names in Euro ...

Coal for Stephen Powell, the power behind the Industrial Revolution, the world's next industrial revolution isn't being powered by coal or oil. This time the most valuable resource is artificial intelligence. And while Silicon Valley often steals the headlines, Europe certainly is not out of the race.From London to Lyon, Munich to Milan, a new generation of AI startups is emerging. But the money and the scale is often smaller. Last year, America's A.I. companies secured more than seven times the funding of ...

Business Expansion & Partnerships - The company is expanding its autonomous delivery service to more urban areas, currently operating in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and Helsinki, with plans for further expansion [1] - The company has established partnerships with DoorDash, Uber Eats in the US, and Waltz in Helsinki, Finland, indicating a collaborative approach to market penetration [2] - The company aims to build the best autonomous vehicle to move goods around cities, making it cheaper for customers and merchants [1] Technology & Cost - The company emphasizes the importance of technology working well enough to deliver goods at a high quality, particularly for time-sensitive items like food and groceries [3][4] - A key requirement is for the cost of autonomous delivery to be lower than that of human drivers to make economic sense [4] - The company has achieved technological readiness in Los Angeles and is now focused on scaling up the service to reach more people [4] Regulatory & Public Perception - The company has good relationships with the cities it operates in, and half the states in the US have passed legislation to allow autonomous vehicle operation [5] - The company is seeing a trend in Europe to adopt autonomous delivery due to driver shortages and high delivery costs [5] - The company actively manages public perception, even geofencing areas with active protests, and has observed positive community interactions with its robots [11][12] Competitive Landscape & Market Dynamics - The company acknowledges that the current competition primarily consists of gig workers using cars for delivery [13] - The company believes the timing is right for autonomous delivery due to advancements in AI, increased consumer demand, and rising delivery costs [14][15][16] - The company reports seemingly unlimited demand for its product and is focused on rapidly increasing production [16] Data & AI - The company has accumulated millions of miles of delivery data, including over 500,000 deliveries in challenging urban environments [17] - The company leverages a rich dataset, including video data and remote operator interventions, to train its AI system for reliable food delivery [18] - The company emphasizes that the AI must be highly effective, as even a 20-minute delay would render the service impractical [19]

You think this is perhaps more of a marketing ploy. Yeah, that's that's where the, you know, the skeptic in me thinks it's it's a little bit more of that. I mean, you never want to underestimate SoftBank.And when it comes to A. I. and robotics, I think there's a lot of interest, particularly from the capital markets.But, you know, the size and the scale seem a little bit trumped up, so to speak. I think in the timing I would question as well, like and that's why I don't think you're seeing the stocks move a ...

Quantum Computing Roadmap & Technology - IBM aims to achieve quantum computing milestones by 2029 with IBM Sterling, following a technology roadmap with year-after-year advancements [1][3] - The roadmap includes error-corrected memory, operations across multiple memories, and a large-scale system for universal control [3] - IBM has been offering access to quantum computers on the cloud since 2016, starting with a 5-qubit machine and scaling to multiple 100+ qubit machines like the Heron processor [5][6] - IBM is working towards achieving "quantum advantage" in the next few years, where quantum computers, combined with classical computers, can outperform classical computers alone [8][9] Ecosystem & Partnerships - IBM has built a quantum ecosystem with over 500,000 users [6] - The IBM Quantum Network includes nearly 300 institutions, companies, startups, national laboratories, and academia [7] - Third-party startups are building functions within IBM's ecosystem to drive verticals in optimization, chemistry, and machine learning [17] - IBM provides an open-source software development kit (Qiskit) to appeal to a broader set of users [15] Competition & Strategy - IBM's strategy is to provide a differentiating computing platform with hardware and software, building an ecosystem around it [15] - The company emphasizes the efficiency of quantum computing, requiring a fraction of the power compared to high-performance supercomputers for certain problems [13] - There is a technological race between the US and China in quantum computing, with government funding in the US [18] - IBM envisions a quantum-centric supercomputing architecture where CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs work together [11][12]