🕶️ Y Combinator slams Google in antitrust brief

Eight bullets of updates

1. 🤖 Amazon partners with Saudi-backed Humain to invest $5B+ in an “AI Zone” in Saudi Arabia, aiming to supercharge AI startups.

2. 🛠️ Elon Musk's Boring Co. in talks with Amtrak on a $6–$8.5B project; raises conflict of interest concerns.

3. 🇪🇺 EU’s Tech Sovereignty faces scrutiny as leaders push to balance digital independence with global collaboration.

4. 💽 Databricks to acquire Neon for $1B, integrating its AI-native, open-source database—80% of Neon DBs are spun up by AI.

5. 🏦 Chime files for IPO with $1.67B in 2024 revenue, aiming for $2B in 2025; discloses $33M Dallas Mavericks sponsorship deal.

6. ☁️ AI in Cloud Development: 54% of professionals say complexity is a top security concern; the landscape is high-risk, high-reward.

7. 🖼️ CryptoPunks sold to a nonprofit for $10M, aiming to preserve digital NFT art amid rapid web3 evolution.

8. 🧠 DeepMind’s AlphaEvolve makes LLMs smarter, boosting efficiency by 0.7% and helping optimize Google’s AI chip designs.

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David calls out Goliath: YC says Google’s killing the vibe

Y Combinator, the influential startup accelerator, has taken a bold stance against Google in a newly filed amicus brief supporting the U.S. government’s antitrust case. YC accuses Google of being a “monopolist” that has “stunted” innovation by creating a venture capital “kill zone” around search and AI—discouraging investment in startups that might otherwise challenge Google's dominance. While not calling for an immediate breakup, YC urges the government to curb Google’s anti-competitive practices, such as paying Apple to be the iPhone's default search engine. It also proposes unprecedented remedies, including opening up Google’s search index to allow others—especially AI developers—to train large language models. If Google fails to comply within five years, YC supports a forced divestiture, which CEO Garry Tan dubbed the “spinoff hammer.”

Despite YC’s close ties to Google—including past partnerships, acquisitions, and investments—it’s now pushing for major changes that some say would benefit OpenAI more than early-stage startups. Critics like VC Sheel Mohnot question YC’s motives, while both YC and Google have stayed quiet on direct responses. With remedies expected by August 2025, the case could reshape Google’s future—and the startup landscape around it.

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Every SaaS Acronym Explained

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These companies just raised money

1. 💸 Work-Bench raises $160M to fuel New York’s startup ecosystem, focusing on enterprise tech.

2. 📈 Bestow lands $120M Series D to expand SaaS offerings; ARR has tripled in 2024, backed by Goldman Sachs.

3. 🧠 TensorWave raises $100M to scale its AMD-powered AI cloud, eyeing a 20x revenue boost this year.

4. 📝 Granola, the AI note-taking app, raises $43M at a $250M valuation, growing users by 10% weekly.

5. ⚛️ Realta, a fusion startup, raises $36M to advance its Anvil reactor aiming for $40/MWh energy.

6. 🚀 Immad Akhund launches a $26M fund to invest in early-stage startups, building on his angel track record.

7. 🧪 Haemanthus, launched by Billy Evans (Elizabeth Holmes’ partner), raises $3.5M for a new blood-testing venture.

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KOSA: the bill that’s got everyone yelling online

The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) has been reintroduced in Congress, aiming to impose the most significant internet safety regulations since COPPA in 1998. If passed, it would hold social media companies legally accountable for failing to protect minors from harms like eating disorders, exploitation, and suicide. While it has support from Apple, Microsoft, Snap, and X, it faces strong opposition from civil liberties groups like the ACLU and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, who argue it could lead to censorship and government overreach. Despite amendments to address these concerns, major tech players like Google and Meta remain opposed, highlighting a deep divide over the bill’s implications.

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Startup Events and Deadlines

1. Startmate | Deadline: May 18 | Australia

2. Crash Course on Startup Fundraising with Caya (Slidebean CEO) l May 20 l Online

3. Slidebean’s Crash Course in Financial Modeling l May 22 l Online

4. Startup Battlefield 200 | Deadline: June 9 | Global

5. Entrepreneur First London - Summer | Deadline: July 1 | UK

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