Waymo appears to pause San Francisco service amidst power outage

Startups • Anthony Ha

"Waymo has temporarily paused its robotaxi service and disabled freeway routes in San Francisco following a power outage affecting approximately 7,000 customers. This incident follows previous service disruptions caused by blackouts in December and July. Consequently, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is calling for stricter state regulations to ensure autonomous vehicles can operate safely and effectively during major planned or unplanned city-wide incidents.".

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Business • Gargi Sarkar

India's largest stockbroker, Groww, is diversifying beyond brokerage to become a full-stack financial services company. To counter slowing customer growth and regulatory shifts, Groww is expanding into wealth management, asset management, lending, and US stocks. The company is leveraging AI to scale these verticals efficiently. In Q1 FY27, Groww reported a 94.3% jump in net profit to ₹735 crore, signaling strong financial momentum during this transition.

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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 • Kate Park

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visited Tokyo to forge strategic partnerships aimed at advancing "physical AI" in Japan's industrial sector. Key initiatives include Noetra, a sovereign AI factory powered by Nvidia chips, and collaborations with robotics giants like Fanuc and Toyota. Japan aims to deploy 10 million AI-equipped robots by 2040, leveraging Nvidia's hardware to reduce foreign dependence and capture a significant share of the global robotics market.

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Startups • Anthony Ha

"Apple has filed a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging a pattern of misconduct to obtain confidential information from former Apple employees. OpenAI denies the claims, but the legal battle could disrupt its plans to launch hardware products and pursue an initial public offering. With over 400 former Apple staff now at OpenAI, the case may cause development delays and impact investor confidence ahead of the company's IPO.".

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Startups • Kirsten Korosec

Uber and Waymo are clashing over a proposed Washington, D.C. bill regarding autonomous vehicle operations, with Uber arguing the legislation would grant Waymo a monopoly. Meanwhile, Uber is expanding its global delivery reach through a $14.8 billion acquisition of Germany's Delivery Hero. Other industry updates include funding rounds for Senra and Self Inspection, Lucid Motors denying bankruptcy rumors, and SpaceX aborting a Starship rocket launch.

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Startups • Anthony Ha

"Director Christopher Nolan describes AI as a 'transparent Trojan horse,' praising the public's deep skepticism toward the technology, particularly among young people. The 'techno-skeptic' filmmaker argues that questioning both the tools and the motives of their creators is essential for progress. While embracing certain innovations, Nolan remains committed to traditional film, emphasizing that new technology should not replace viable existing systems in the creative process.".

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Startups • Kate Park

Current AI, a nonprofit funded with $400 million, is developing open-source AI infrastructure to provide a public alternative to private tech giants. By partnering with governments and organizations, it launched Suno Sutra, an offline device supporting 22 Indian languages. The organization also provides grants for community-led AI projects in Africa and South America, focusing on data sovereignty and the preservation of endangered languages and cultures.

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Business • Gargi Sarkar

Tata-backed BigBasket is shifting its strategy to prioritize sustainable profitability over rapid expansion. Facing intense competition from quick commerce rivals like Blinkit and Zepto, the company is reportedly reducing its operational footprint to focus on high-density urban markets. Under new CEO Amit Nanda, BigBasket aims to improve operational efficiency and leverage private labels to offset significant losses and compete in a crowded delivery market.

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Startups • Your story

"The Art Bengaluru Collective is hosting its 11th annual exhibition, ABC Chitra-Colors 2026, at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath. Featuring 300 works from over 45 artists, the show includes mixed media, acrylics, and charcoal art. Founded by Rasheed Kappan and Ranji David, the collective aims to democratize art access and support creators by charging no commission on sales, fostering a vibrant, inclusive cultural community in Bengaluru.".

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Startups • Your story

General Fusion debuted on the Nasdaq, aiming for fusion power plants by 2035 to meet AI energy demands. Meanwhile, Google employees are seeking layoff protections as AI shifts the tech landscape. In India, Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched the Vikram-1 orbital rocket, and Shunya Labs is developing multilingual voice AI. Additionally, US protesters oppose data center expansion, while Meta explores leasing computing capacity to AI startup Anthropic.

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Startups • Your story

"YourStory’s 241st edition of Lateral Sparks highlights five entrepreneurial solutions to real-world problems. Elevate Education addresses educational relevance through industry-aligned training, while Saregama Carvaan provides a retro music player for older users. The Sweet Change offers natural sweeteners for diabetics, MetaGO provides a metabolic health platform for obesity, and Gabit introduces a smart ring for comfortable health tracking, showcasing diverse innovations across various sectors.".

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Startups • Anthony Ha

Moonshot AI has released Kimi K3, an open-source model demonstrating performance competitive with leading proprietary AI. The announcement triggered a dip in chip stocks and reignited debates over the US-China AI race. While some critics warn of "AI communism" and the risks of distillation, others argue that US regulatory hurdles hinder progress. The release highlights ongoing tensions regarding national security and the future of open-weight models.

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Startups • Kirsten Korosec

Honda has discontinued the Prologue, marking a broader retreat of electric vehicles from the U.S. market. Factors like the end of federal tax credits, tariffs, and shifting consumer preferences have led several automakers to cancel models. Companies including Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Nissan are reducing their EV lineups, while Polestar faces regulatory bans. Despite these exits, some new entries and a slow sales recovery continue.

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Startups • Anthony Ha

The Department of Justice announced that federal employees may now download TikTok on government devices, reversing a 2022 ban. This change follows a deal transferring TikTok's U.S. operations to a joint venture backed by Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX, with ByteDance retaining a minority stake. President Trump authorized the move for Executive Branch agencies, though individual agencies maintain discretion over the app's use according to workplace policies.

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Startups • Tim De Chant

Public EV charging infrastructure in the United States has seen significant improvements in both availability and reliability. Recent data shows that the number of DC fast chargers has more than doubled since 2023, while reliability rates have risen from 85% to the mid-90s. This progress, driven by Tesla opening its network and increased competition, has transformed the road-trip experience for electric vehicle owners, making long-distance travel more seamless. (69 words) -.

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Startups • Your story

Happiness is often fleeting and tied to external circumstances, whereas peace is a sustainable state rooted in acceptance and inner stability. Five influential books, including works by Alan Watts and the Dalai Lama, explore this distinction. They suggest that while happiness is valuable, practicing mindfulness, stillness, and presence allows individuals to maintain a steady sense of peace regardless of life's inevitable challenges and unpredictable changes.

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Business • Vandana Batra

Inc42 has launched the eighth cohort of its D2CX accelerator, welcoming 50 early-stage direct-to-consumer brands across various categories. The 12-week program offers mentorship and tactical playbooks to help founders navigate the "D2C 3.0" era. With India's D2C market projected to reach $310 billion by 2031, D2CX aims to bridge operational gaps and improve unit economics for over 400 founders since its inception.

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Business • Akshit Pushkarna

Most of the 58 new-age tech companies tracked by Inc42 saw declines this week, with 39 stocks ending in the red and cumulative market capitalization dropping to $142.41 billion. While Go Digit was the worst performer, Fino Payments Bank surged 29.16%. Despite overall caution, several companies hit 52-week highs. Other key updates include PhysicsWallah's stake increase in Sarrthi IAS and Zepto's anticipated IPO at a lower valuation.

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Business • Akshit Pushkarna

Over 60 Indian new-age tech companies have gone public, reaching a cumulative market capitalization exceeding $161 billion. Fintech, enterprise tech, and ecommerce lead the listings, with 64% of these companies now reporting profitability. Geographically, Delhi NCR is the primary hub, hosting 25 listed firms and contributing $89.5 billion to the total market cap. This trend reflects a broader shift toward financial sustainability within India's startup ecosystem.

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Categories

Waymo appears to pause San Francisco service amidst power outage

Why Groww Wants To Be Everything At Once

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

What to watch for after Jensen Huang’s Japan visit

Can an Apple lawsuit derail OpenAI’s hardware plans?

TechCrunch Mobility: The battle over robotaxi rules

‘Odyssey’ director Christopher Nolan calls AI an obvious ‘Trojan horse’

Nonprofit Current AI is racing to build the World Wide Web of AI, free for all

BigBasket’s Retreat

Art Bengaluru Collective kicks off its 11th annual art exhibition

Liftoff for Skyroot’s Vikram-1; Building AI voice infra for Indian languages

Education, AI, health: test your business creativity with Edition 241 of our weekly quiz!

Kimi: Threat or menace?

All the EVs that were discontinued or killed off in the U.S. this year

Federal employees can download TikTok on their work phones again

A 600-mile road trip (and data) proves EV charging doesn’t suck anymore

5 Books that tell the difference between happiness & peace

Meet The 50 D2C Brands From D2CX By Inc42’s 8th Cohort

New-Age Tech Stocks: Fino Payments Bank Surges 29%, Go Digit Leads Weekly Losers

Indian Listed New-Age Tech Company Tracker: Market Cap, Revenue & More