Six bullets of updates

1. 🔥 OpenAI in talks for a massive $25B investment from SoftBank, potentially valuing it at $250-$340 billion.

2. 🚀 Elon Musk applies his "Twitter playbook" to US government, prompting federal workers to return or resign by Feb 6.

3. 📢 Meta employees stage a tampon protest against Mark Zuckerberg's alignment with Trump's policies, sparking tech unrest.

4. ⚖️ Perplexity faces a trademark lawsuit from a Texas firm over its AI branding; infringement began in August 2022.

5. 🎤 Serial founder DIVINE, with hip-hop legend RAKIM, launches fintech app "Notes" for indie urban musicians.

6. 🔒 Melissa Kieling's hyve Security tackles $12B porch theft with a smart pod app, fostering community-based prevention.

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Startups Show Signs of Recovery with Higher Valuations and Revenue Growth

Despite economic uncertainty, startups are showing signs of strength with rising valuations and revenue growth, according to a new TechCrunch report. While funding remains tight, key players in the industry continue to secure major investments, such as OpenAI, which is reportedly in talks to raise $40 billion at a $340 billion valuation. Meanwhile, other sectors, including AI and fintech, are seeing renewed interest, with companies like Anthropic securing massive funding rounds.

This shift suggests that while the startup landscape remains difficult, companies with strong business models and revenue streams are still attracting investor confidence. Higher valuations and improved financial performance indicate that, even in a challenging market, the right startups can still thrive.

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Startup Events and Deadlines

1. Founders Run & Coffee! | February 4 | NYC

2. Entrepreneur First Bangalore - Core | Deadline: Feb 11 | India

3. Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator | Deadline: Feb 11 | NYC

4. Techstars New York City Accelerator | Deadline: Feb 11 | NYC

5. Y Combinator | Deadline: Feb 11 | Silicon Valley

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These companies just raised money

1. 💰 Motif launches with $46M to revolutionize AEC tools with cloud-native AI-driven design.

2. 🏦 French startup Swan adds $44M to its Series B, processing €1.5B monthly for 150 companies in embedded banking.

3. 🎵 Music.AI raises $40M Series A to enhance its 50 AI-powered tools for millions of musicians globally.

4. 🧬 Nucleus Genomics raises $14M to democratize genetic testing, unlocking insights from 800+ health conditions.

5. 🧘‍♂️ Nutrix raises $4M for CortiSense, a device to monitor stress, a problem costing US businesses $300B annually.

6. 📝 San Francisco's Taxflow raises $750K pre-seed to bring AI to the $144B tax industry, targeting 2024 growth.

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DeepSeek's AI: Innovation or Instrument of Propaganda?

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek has recently garnered significant attention for its advanced AI models, which rival leading Western technologies. However, concerns have emerged regarding the potential use of these models for disseminating state-sponsored narratives. Analyses indicate that DeepSeek's AI often aligns with official Chinese government positions, particularly on sensitive topics. For instance, when queried about events like the Tiananmen Square protests or the status of Taiwan, the AI either avoids the subject or echoes Beijing's official stance.

Further investigations have revealed that Chinese state-linked social media accounts actively promoted DeepSeek's AI launch, amplifying its reach and influence. This coordinated effort bolstered the platform's visibility and coincided with a notable downturn in U.S. tech stocks, suggesting a strategic component to its promotion.

These developments underscore the complex interplay between technological innovation and geopolitical strategy. As AI platforms become more integrated into global discourse, the potential for their use in shaping narratives and influencing public opinion becomes increasingly significant.

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The Silicon Valley Dystopia

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