Warner Bros. Discovery Rejects Paramount’s $108 Bn Hostile Offer, Backs Netflix Deal
Board says David Ellison’s $30-per-share bid undervalues the company and carries financing and execution risks.
North America
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Matthew McConaughey brings his voice to ElevenLabs AI as creator and investor
Matthew McConaughey revealed at ElevenLabs’ first Summit that he has been an investor for years and is now using the company’s AI to expand his Lyrics of Livin’ newsletter into Spanish audio, voiced by him.
Boston-based Pryzm raises $12.2 Mn for to help small businesses win federal contracts
The seed funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz. Pryzm offer and AI-backed platform to help startups and small businesses track federal opportunities, funding priorities, and stakeholders, leveling the playing field in government procurement.
Trump’s decision to sell Nvidia H200 AI Chips to China sparks bipartisan backlash
Lawmakers warn that Trump's decision could weaken U.S. national security and undo years of export control policy. Warren also renewed her call for Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before Congress.
Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI, licenses 200+ characters for Sora and ChatGPT
Disney to invest $1 billion in OpenAI and license 200+ characters to OpenAI’s Sora and ChatGPT Images under a three‑year deal that excludes talent likenesses and voices.
Fal raises $140 Mn from Sequoia and Nvidia, hits $4.5 Bn Valuation
Fal has secured $140 million in a Sequoia-led round that includes Nvidia’s Nventures, tripling its valuation to $4.5 billion. CEO Burkay Gur says enterprises are rapidly adopting its image, video, and audio AI tools.
New York’s Oboe Raises $16 Mn to Transform Personal Learning with AI
Oboe has raised $16 million in Series A funding led by a16z to expand its AI-driven course generation platform, adding new product features, pricing tiers and plans for mobile and multilingual expansion.
AI startup Harness scores $240 Mn Series E funding, hits $5.5 Bn valuation
The fresh Series E round includes a $200 million primary investment led by Goldman Sachs and a planned $40 million tender offer with participation from IVP, Menlo Ventures, and Unusual Ventures.
Unconventional AI secures $475 million seed funding at $4.5 billion valuation
The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Lux Capital, DCVC, Jeff Bezos, Databricks and Rao himself - marking the biggest early stage fundraises in the AI hardware sector this year
The Voice of Hind Rajab: Kaouther Ben Hania’s Film Earns Golden Globe Nomination
Kaouther Ben Hania’s The Voice of Hind Rajab earns a Golden Globe nomination, expanding global attention on the film’s emotional retelling of a five-year-old Palestinian girl’s final moments and its acclaimed festival journey.
Trump Criticises Paramount’s $108 Billion Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery as Jared Kushner Emerges Among Backers
Donald Trump has criticised Paramount’s $108 billion hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery as Jared Kushner and Gulf sovereign funds emerge as key backers of Paramount, adding new political friction to an already heated takeover battle with Netflix.
Netflix Deal Under Threat: Paramount Launches $108.4 Bn Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount has launched a $108.4B hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros Discovery, challenging Netflix’s earlier deal and triggering a fierce industry, political and regulatory showdown that could reshape Hollywood’s future.