IBM is set to boost its AI services with a bold move by acquiring Confluent in an $11B cash deal. The strategic acquisition is intended to strengthen IBMs digital transformation portfolio, sending a clear signal to the market. Meanwhile, Nvidia is on track for a regulatory green light as US officials prepare to allow the export of its advanced H200 chip to China (chip export update).
In the media and legal arenas, Paramount is making waves with its aggressive hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery (hostile takeover bid). At the same time, the NYT has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity AI over allegations of copyright infringement (copyright concerns), highlighting the growing friction in digital content and intellectual property rights.
The tech sector continues to churn with innovation as Google unveiled plans for its first AI-powered smart glasses integrating the Gemini chatbot (AI smart glasses). In another sign of industry collaboration, Apple and Google are joining forces to simplify cross-platform device switching (cross-platform collaboration), while ChatGPT is venturing into commerce by enabling in-app grocery purchases via its Instacart integration (AI grocery checkout).
Additional business moves include strong funding rounds and strategic expansion. Global fintech firm Airwallex has secured major backing to fuel its Silicon Valley base (Airwallex funding), while the Helsinki-based startup Freepress raises seed capital for international growth (Freepress funding). In the automotive arena, LG Energy Solution lands a 2 trillion-won battery contract with Mercedes-Benz (battery contract), and Apple extends its Fitness+ service globally with new AI-driven dubbing features (Fitness+ expansion).