Netflix paid $587M for Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking startup

Startups • Anthony Ha

"Netflix recently disclosed paying $587 million in cash to acquire InterPositive, an AI startup co-founded by Ben Affleck. The company's tools assist filmmakers with post-production challenges, including lighting and background replacements. As part of the deal, the InterPositive team joined Netflix, with Affleck serving as a senior advisor. This move aligns with Netflix's growing use of generative AI, which has already been integrated into approximately 300 titles.".

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Startups • Aisha Malik

"A U.S. District Judge has issued a 14-day pause on Paramount Skydance’s proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery following a lawsuit from 12 state attorneys general. Led by California, the coalition argues the merger would stifle competition in theatrical film distribution and basic cable licensing, harming audiences and theaters. The delay threatens Paramount's strategy to compete with Netflix by consolidating major studios and streaming platforms.".

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Business • Team Inc42

"Paytm's board has rejected a proposal to issue bonus shares, deciding instead to prioritize compounding growth and profitability to enhance long-term shareholder value. This decision follows the announcement of the company's Q1 FY27 financial results, which showed a significant 78.8% year-on-year increase in consolidated net profit to ₹220 crore and a 27.6% rise in operating revenue, reaching ₹2,448 crore for the quarter.".

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Business • Team Inc42

Paytm reported a strong financial performance for Q1 FY27, with consolidated net profit surging 78.8% year-on-year to ₹220 crore. The fintech major's operating revenue grew 27.6% to ₹2,448 crore, while total income reached ₹2,630 crore. Despite these gains, total expenses increased by 18.2% to ₹2,383 crore. Sequentially, profit rose 20.2% from the previous quarter, reflecting steady growth in the company's overall financial trajectory.

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Startups • Your story

Being less judgmental involves understanding human complexity and replacing assumptions with curiosity. The article recommends seven books, including "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "Humankind," to help readers develop empathy and recognize shared humanity. These works, ranging from memoirs to philosophy, illustrate how hidden struggles and unconscious biases shape behavior. Ultimately, exploring these diverse perspectives encourages a more compassionate approach to others by revealing their untold stories.

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Startups • Ivan Mehta

Adobe is updating its experimental iOS camera app, Project Indigo, with new AI-powered features. These include LLM-driven photo critiques, capture and edit suggestions, and advanced object removal using deterministic toggles. The app also introduces depth of field generation and style transfer options. Powered by Google’s Gemini-based Nano Banana, these tools are currently in a testing phase for select users to refine photography skills and editing.

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Startups • Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai

Two critical security flaws in WordPress’ software have given hackers the chance to remotely take over tens of millions of websites, according to an estimate by a cybersecurity researcher.

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Startups • Sarah Perez

YouTube has updated its monetization policies to combat "AI slop" and low-quality content farming. The revised guidelines identify three types of inauthentic content ineligible for the YouTube Partner Program: repetitive template-based videos, distressing or manipulative content, and AI personas discussing sensitive topics like finance or health. These changes, effective July 16, aim to protect platform quality and ad revenue by discouraging mass-produced, low-value content.

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Startups • Dominic-Madori Davis

AI infrastructure startup Infinity has raised $15 million at a $100 million valuation to challenge Nvidia's market dominance. Founded by Jeremy Nixon, the company is developing a universal inference library and an AI agent called Ignition that automatically writes and optimizes low-level kernel code for various chip architectures. This software aims to provide a CUDA-like stack, enabling diverse hardware to run AI models more efficiently and rapidly.

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Startups • Your story

"Hyderabad-based Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group has raised $40 million in a Series B funding round led by Norwest and Skegen Asset Management. The company plans to use the capital to expand its manufacturing footprint in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This investment will also accelerate the development of its Hyderabad campus and strengthen its propulsion, autonomous systems, and mission systems businesses within the growing defense sector.".

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Startups • Zack Whittaker

"U.K.-based healthcare billing software provider Craneware reported a cyberattack resulting in the theft of a significant volume of customer, employee, and partner data. While the company believes hackers have been expelled, an investigation into the breach remains ongoing. Craneware's software is used by thousands of U.S. healthcare providers, highlighting a growing trend of cyberattacks targeting the technology infrastructure supporting the American medical sector.".

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Startups • Your story

"Seeking approval is a natural human instinct rooted in survival, but over-reliance on external validation can hinder authenticity and mental well-being. Five influential books—The Courage to Be Disliked, The Gifts of Imperfection, Attached, Self-Compassion, and Quiet—explore the psychological roots of this behavior. Together, they suggest that lasting confidence and freedom are achieved by prioritizing self-acceptance and personal values over the desire for social approval.

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Business • Shrishti Bisht

Wealthtech startup Veriqus Group has raised ₹387 crore in a funding round led by Norwest to develop an AI-powered wealth and asset management platform. Founded by Ashish Gumashta and Roshi Jain, the firm will provide advisory, lending, and investment services to high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Veriqus plans to utilize an open-architecture model and expand its presence into India's fast-growing Tier-II cities to serve affluent investors.

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Startups • TechCrunch Events

Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley will speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco from October 13-15. He will address the tension between public safety and privacy regarding AI surveillance. Despite achieving a $7.5 billion valuation and significant funding, Flock Safety faces intense criticism from privacy advocates and has lost partnerships with Amazon Ring and the LAPD. The session aims to explore the future of surveillance technology.

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Business • Akshit Pushkarna

Omnichannel jewellery major BlueStone reported a profit after tax of ₹6 crore in Q1 FY27, recovering from a ₹34.8 crore loss in the same period last year. However, PAT fell 81% sequentially from ₹31.2 crore in Q4 FY26. Operating revenue grew 50% year-on-year to ₹736.9 crore, while total income reached ₹751.8 crore. Total expenses for the quarter increased by 38% year-on-year, totaling ₹744.8 crore.

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Startups • Zack Whittaker

Hugging Face recently disclosed a security breach where internal datasets and service credentials were compromised. Attackers exploited a vulnerability via a malicious dataset to gain system access. While the company fixed the flaw and rotated credentials, it is still investigating potential customer data theft. Hugging Face attributed the attack to an external AI agent and utilized a local large language model to analyze logs after commercial AI guardrails blocked them.

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Business • Anne Florentyna

Travel-focused fintech startup Scapia has launched a ₹20 crore ESOP buyback program, allowing eligible employees to liquidate up to 10% of their stock options. This move follows a recent $63 million funding round, bringing the company's total raised to over $135 million. Scapia, which offers travel-centric co-branded credit cards, aims to reward its team and improve retention, mirroring a growing trend of liquidity events among Indian startups.

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Startups • Morgan Little

StrictlyVC is returning to New York City on September 10 at Ideal Glass Studios in the West Village. Tickets are available for $180. The event comes amid significant growth in NYC's startup ecosystem, which raised $16 billion in the first half of the year. Featured speakers include Craig Shapiro and Tristan Walker, focusing on community and reinvention. The gathering aims to connect founders, venture capitalists, and dealmakers.

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Business • Shrishti Bisht

"Hyderabad-based Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group (RVAG) has raised $40 million in a funding round led by Norwest and Skegen Asset Management. The company plans to use the capital to expand manufacturing capacity across India, the UK, and the US, while enhancing its deeptech and mission systems businesses. With an order book exceeding ₹2,500 crore, RVAG supplies precision components to global aerospace and energy leaders.".

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Startups • Your story

Coratia Technologies, a Rourkela-based startup, develops indigenous remotely operated and autonomous underwater vehicles to replace dangerous human diving tasks. Specializing in AI-based inspection for infrastructure and defense, the company serves clients like Indian Railways and Tata Steel. A significant milestone includes a Rs 66 crore Indian Navy contract, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. The startup aims to bolster India's blue economy through homegrown deep-sea robotics.

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Startups • Your story

Founded in 2020, InsideFPV develops indigenous first-person-view drones for the Indian armed forces to reduce import reliance. The Surat-based company specializes in kamikaze drones and GPS-denied systems capable of operating in extreme temperatures. After securing a Rs 10 crore Ministry of Defence contract and winning the Him Dron-a-thon, the profitable startup is expanding its facility to scale production and aims to serve global allied nations.

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Categories

Netflix paid $587M for Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking startup

Judge pauses $110B Paramount-Warner Bros merger

Paytm’s Board Shoots Down Proposal To Issue Bonus Shares

Paytm Mints ₹220 Cr Profit In Q1, Revenue Up 28% To ₹2,448 Cr

7 Books that teach you how to become less judgmental

Adobe camera app’s new feature will critique your photos using AI

Hackers are exploiting recently patched WordPress bugs, putting millions of websites at risk

YouTube clarifies policies around AI slop and upsetting videos

Inference startup Infinity raises $15M from Touring Capital, OpenAI and Athropic researchers

Raghu Vamsi Aerospace bags $40M to expand manufacturing, defence tech

Hackers stole ‘significant’ amount of data from tech firm relied on by thousands of US hospitals and pharmacies

5 Books that explain our need for approval and validation

Wealthtech Startup Veriqus Raises ₹387 Cr To Build AI-Led Investment Platform

Watch Flock Safety CEO Garrett Langley discuss the future of surveillance at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

BlueStone Q1: Profit At ₹6 Cr, Revenue Jumps 50% YoY To ₹737 Cr

Hugging Face confirms breach affected internal datasets and credentials, urges users to take action

Scapia Announces ₹20 Cr ESOP Buyback

StrictlyVC returns to New York City September 10 to celebrate a huge year for the city’s startup community

Norwest Capital Co-Leads $40 Mn Round In Raghu Vamsi Aerospace

Coratia Technologies builds underwater robots in Odisha, and just signed a Rs 66 crore Navy deal

Surat's InsideFPV builds India's own combat drones and delivered 100 to the Army in 60 days