OWITH.ai - Only What's Important to Hear around AI and Tech

Good morning from OWITH.ai, the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the AI and tech world.

In the first quarter of 2026, Hong Kong's stock exchange experienced a significant surge in capital raised, reaching nearly $14 billion—a 490% increase from the previous year. This growth reinforces Hong Kong's leading position in global IPO rankings, following a prosperous 2025 where the city amassed $35 billion from over 100 new listings. Initially driven by secondary listings of Chinese giants seeking international capital, the focus in 2026 has shifted towards AI-driven enterprises. Notable AI IPOs include Minimax, Knowledge Atlas, Biren Technology, and Insilico Medicine, with upcoming listings like Manycore and Victory Giant. Speculation surrounds companies like Moonshot AI, Rokid, and Kunlunxin. Commentators such as Drew Bernstein from Marcum Asia note that Hong Kong and Beijing are striving to emulate Nasdaq's success in nurturing internet firms within the AI sector. Despite challenges such as geopolitical tensions influencing listing preferences, China's tech stocks are regaining favor after regulatory hurdles.

In venture capital developments, Elorian secured $55 million in seed funding led by Striker Ventures; PeakMetrics obtained $6 million in Series A funding led by Moneta Ventures; and Round raised $6 million from Alstin Capital. In private equity news, Bregal Sagemount acquired a majority stake in Redgate Software. Several companies have also filed for IPOs on U.S. exchanges, including Blackstone Digital Infrastructure Trust and Hawkeye 360.

Turning to major tech advancements as of April 13, 2026, anticipation surrounds Apple's forthcoming launch of AI smart glasses designed to compete with Meta's successful variants. These glasses promise diverse frame styles and advanced functionalities such as photo capture, calls, music playback, and smartphone synchronization, all enhanced by an advanced Siri assistant. A release is expected by late 2026 or early 2027. Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is negotiating settlements with major ad firms over potential antitrust law violations concerning social media platform boycotts.

Additionally, the U.S. faces a "brain drain" in the AI sector due to restrictive immigration policies and rising tensions with China. Elite talents are reportedly moving to China, where compensation for top AI researchers has become increasingly competitive.

Further tech updates include incidents at Sam Altman's San Francisco home, fierce competition between Flipkart and Amazon in India, price increases by agentic AI due to resource rationing, and Victory Giant's upcoming public debut on April 21 in Hong Kong. Anthropic has introduced Claude for Word to challenge Copilot's dominance, while a survey reveals significant European distrust towards U.S. tech firms regarding personal data privacy.

WeWork's journey has seen it rise again after its dramatic fall from a $47 billion valuation. Now operating privately and at penny stock levels under CEO John Santora's leadership, WeWork is adopting an asset-light business model with "WeWork Go," private office pods for high-traffic areas such as airports and hotels. This strategy reflects WeWork's attempt to cater to busy professionals while maintaining its entrepreneurial essence on a smaller scale.

In other industry movements, Intuit's early integration of AI didn't shield it from investor concerns about AI's impact on software companies' stocks.

On the geopolitical front, President Donald Trump announced a U.S. Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following unsuccessful peace talks with Iran amid soaring crude prices.

In real estate trenSupport the show
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin

Good morning from OWITH.ai: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the AI and tech world. Let's dive into the latest insights from the Stratechery newsletter from April 6, 2026. This edition explores major developments in tech and media, focusing on Anthropic's rise as a leader in AI, The New York Times' strategic navigation of the digital era, and a profile on Sam Altman.

Anthropic's newest model, Claude Mythos, is both powerful and potentially hazardous, drawing parallels to past incidents of withheld technology. The company is preparing for an IPO and has strategically decided to withhold Claude Mythos due to its high-risk potential. This selective deployment through Project Glasswing aims at enhancing cybersecurity in collaboration with major tech companies such as Amazon and Apple. The approach mirrors OpenAI’s precedent in 2019 with GPT-2, demonstrating leadership in mitigating AI risks while strengthening ties with enterprise customers. Despite its strategic advantage, challenges such as resource limitations persist due to Claude Mythos' size and cost. Anthropic's $30 billion annual revenue run rate positions it strongly against competitors like OpenAI. Additionally, Anthropic's partnership with Google underscores its need for computational resources, leveraging Google's vast capabilities.

In other advancements, Meta introduces Muse Spark, a robust multimodal model marking its return to closed-model development. Z.ai’s GLM-5.1 sets out new coding benchmarks, while Anthropic rolls out Claude Managed Agents for scalable task deployment. Data from A16z maps real enterprise AI adoption across industries like coding and healthcare. Google's Gemma 4 for offline tasks on mobile devices and new Chrome features further push boundaries in tech advancements.

The New York Times continues to adapt its strategies for an AI-driven media landscape. Insights from an interview with Meredith Kopit Levien highlight the importance of human expertise as a competitive edge against digital aggregators.

OpenAI's acquisition of TBPN raises questions about its strategic fit amidst the disruption of existing tech services by AI technologies.

Shifting focus to the Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 conference, set for June 8-10 in Aspen, Colorado. This event will feature prominent speakers from diverse industries discussing AI and technological advancements. Noteworthy updates include Amazon’s AI initiatives generating substantial revenue and Anthropic considering designing its own AI chips due to market shortages.

Moreover, XAI has filed a lawsuit against Colorado’s legislation on algorithmic discrimination. As discussions continue around potential threats from new AI models like Claude Mythos, Google commits to Intel CPUs for data centers amidst various global tech updates.

Lastly, discussions on U.S. military spending raise concerns about economic sustainability despite potential short-term benefits for defense contractors. Amidst geopolitical tensions and evolving global orders prompted by conflicts like Iran’s, the AI revolution poses challenges impacting employment and productivity. Mixed financial market performance reflects broader considerations about economic stability and strategic priorities. Emerging work patterns hint at a shift towards a three-day workweek by 2031 as technological advancements redefine traditional roles.

In conclusion, these developments showcase exciting opportunities alongside significant challenges across multiple disciplines as AI technologies evolve. Ethical implications and societal impacts remain critical considerations as industries navigate this transformative landscape.Support the show
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin

Each Saturday we take the headlines of daily podcast and ask ChatGPT to create a Sci-Fi story inspired by the news. The outcome for this week is this short story.Support the show
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin

Good morning from OWITH.ai, the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the AI and tech world.

The global demand for GPUs is reshaping the AI landscape, significantly impacting industry leader Nvidia. Within Nvidia, there is a scarcity of GPUs, hindering AI research and development projects. This scarcity has prompted a push for efficiency in GPU usage, exemplified by Nvidia's Nemotron models that are both open-source and GPU-efficient. This approach supports Nvidia's ecosystem and indicates a shift in the company's role within the AI sector, emphasizing its active participation in future developments. The GPU shortage is a broader industry issue, with companies like OpenAI describing the allocation of GPUs as challenging. Despite these hurdles, the demand for AI models persists, driving innovation within resource constraints.

Shifting gears to drone technology, Manna, an Irish startup specializing in drone delivery, recently secured $50 million in a Series B funding round led by ARK Invest. This funding will help expand its operations in the U.S. and Europe. Manna has completed over 250,000 successful deliveries of various items and partners with companies like Uber and DoorDash. Its competitive edge lies in cost efficiency, with drone deliveries costing only cents in electricity compared to traditional road deliveries. Regulatory changes from the FAA are paving the way for commercial drone deliveries at scale, benefiting companies like Manna.

Moving on to recent tech developments, Meta unveiled its first AI model under Chief AI Officer Alexandr Wang. Named Muse Spark, this model aims to enhance user engagement and ad targeting on Meta's platforms. Meanwhile, a legal battle unfolds between Anthropic and the U.S. military after Anthropic was blacklisted for refusing to alter its chatbot for military use.

Greece plans to ban social media access for children under 15 starting January 2027, reflecting a growing trend among countries. Speculation about Bitcoin's creator continues, with new investigations pointing to Blockstream CEO Adam Back.

In another sector, Michelle Gass is leading Levi Strauss to significant success following her challenging tenure at Kohl's. Under her leadership, Levi's reported substantial revenue growth and improved stock performance. Her strategic focus on innovation and expanding Levi's retail presence has been key to this success. In contrast to her role at Kohl's that required a turnaround strategy, Levi's was already stable when she joined.

These updates highlight the dynamic nature of the tech industry and underscore the importance of strategic leadership and adaptability in achieving success amidst challenges.Support the show
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin

Good morning from OWITH.ai, the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in the AI and tech world.

Infinite Machine, a startup backed by a16z, is venturing into urban transportation with its innovative e-bike, the Olto. Designed to navigate both roads and bike lanes, this 176-pound e-bike challenges traditional concepts by resembling a moped. While it adheres to class 2 e-bike regulations, its moped-style seating and throttle enabling speeds up to 20 mph spark debates about safety and the potential disruption of bike lanes. The CEO of Infinite Machine emphasizes their commitment to working closely with regulators, arguing that cars and trucks pose greater safety risks than e-bikes. With $14.2 million in funding from notable investors, the company is also exploring other vehicle designs, including potential autonomy features.

In recent venture capital developments, several companies have secured significant funding across diverse sectors: E2 raised $80 million for medical technology, True Footage secured $40 million for residential appraisals, and Membrane Technology & Research acquired $27 million for industrial membranes. Additional investments include Hexembio's $10.4 million for blood stem cell rejuvenation therapy and Conxai's €5 million for AI in construction workflows. Other notable deals involve Flora Fertility with $5 million for fertility insurance platforms and Felix with $1.7 million for AI workflow platforms.

Transitioning to tech news, Anthropic has unveiled Project Glasswing, which utilizes its AI model Claude Mythos to identify and fix software bugs. This initiative has already identified thousands of severe vulnerabilities across major operating systems and web browsers. Major companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia collaborate with Anthropic to leverage AI's coding capabilities in enhancing cybersecurity defenses.

On another front in consumer electronics, Apple is preparing to launch its much-anticipated foldable iPhone in September. Despite facing manufacturing challenges as reported by Nikkei Asia, Bloomberg indicates Apple's intention to introduce the device alongside new non-foldable models. As Apple enters the foldable phone market later than competitors like Samsung and Chinese manufacturers, anticipation grows regarding whether Apple's version will meet user expectations and justify a rumored $2,000 price tag.

Shifting focus to financial maneuvers in media and finance sectors, Kalshi has struck a deal with Fox News to integrate its prediction market platform into Fox's programming. This partnership encourages viewers to forecast global events, thus expanding Kalshi's influence in public discourse. While existing collaborations with CNBC and CNN are ongoing, Kalshi faces legal challenges over allegations that its services constitute gambling under certain state laws.

In additional tech updates, federal officials have warned of Iranian hackers targeting U.S. infrastructure. Simultaneously, skepticism persists among Silicon Valley investors regarding Annual Recurring Revenue metrics as Google's AI claims are described as 100% authoritative but only 90% accurate.

In business investments news, Bill Ackman from Pershing Square Capital Management is making headlines with his ambitious $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group. Ackman's strategy draws comparisons to Warren Buffett’s investment style at Berkshire Hathaway as he aims to create a modern conglomerate focused on long-term value. Despite similarities in achieving substantial returns since 2004 amid more volatility due to his activist investing style, Ackman’s public persona contrasts with Buffett's more understSupport the show
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin