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Retail
Potbelly, the Chicago-based sandwich shop chain, announced Wednesday that it will be acquired by convenience-store operator RaceTrac in a $566 million all-cash transaction. The deal, which values Potbelly shares at $17.12 apiece—a 47% premium to Tuesday’s closing price—is expected to close in the fourth quarter of
Talent Management
Mercor, the fast-rising startup that supplies domain experts to leading artificial intelligence companies, is in talks with investors for a Series C round that could value the company at more than $10 billion, according to documents viewed by TechCrunch and sources familiar with the discussions. Felicis, which led Mercor’s
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Microsoft is expanding its artificial intelligence partnerships, with plans to integrate Anthropic’s AI models into Office 365 applications, The Information reports, citing two sources familiar with the deal. The move marks a significant shift for Microsoft, which has so far leaned heavily on OpenAI’s technology to power its
Pharmaceutical
Novartis announced Tuesday that it will acquire U.S.-based Tourmaline Bio in a deal valued at roughly $1.4 billion, as the Swiss pharmaceutical giant seeks to expand its cardiovascular drug portfolio. Under the agreement, Novartis will purchase Tourmaline Bio shares at $48 each, valuing the clinical-stage biopharma company
Hardware
Apple today launched the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, introducing a redesigned body, upgraded camera system, and the company’s latest A19 Pro chipset. The new flagship models also feature larger batteries and start at higher base storage tiers. New Design and Thermal System In a departure
Hardware
Apple has officially unveiled the iPhone Air, its slimmest iPhone to date, measuring an astonishing 5.6mm in thickness. The launch represents not just a leap in design but also the start of a broader strategy to reinvent the iPhone lineup over the next three years. A New Design Benchmark
Hardware
At its “Awe-dropping” event on Tuesday, Apple introduced the long-anticipated third-generation AirPods Pro, marking the first major refresh of its flagship earbuds since 2022. Priced at $249, the new AirPods Pro bring health-focused sensors, smarter software features, and a sleeker design to Apple’s most advanced earbuds. Heart-Rate Tracking Arrives
Semiconductors
At its AI Infrastructure Summit on Tuesday, Nvidia announced a new GPU, the Rubin CPX, specifically engineered to handle context windows larger than 1 million tokens. The breakthrough marks a major step in enabling AI models to process and reason over unprecedented volumes of data. Built for long-context AI The
Military & Defense
The US Army has awarded contracts to two competing industry teams — one led by Anduril Industries Inc. in partnership with Meta Platforms Inc., and another led by Rivet Industries Inc. — to develop prototypes for a next-generation combat goggle system. While the Army did not disclose the total program value or
Business Insights
London-listed Anglo American and Canada’s Teck Resources unveiled plans on Tuesday to merge in a landmark deal that would create one of the world’s largest copper-focused mining companies. The all-share transaction, valued at more than $53 billion, is set to be the second-biggest mining M&A deal
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
ASML Holding, the Dutch semiconductor equipment giant, is making a bold bet on artificial intelligence by investing €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) in Paris-based startup Mistral AI. The deal, announced Tuesday, gives ASML an 11% stake in Mistral and values the two-year-old company at roughly €11.7 billion — making
Telecommunications
ReOrbit, a Finnish space technology startup focused on enabling nations to control their own satellites, has raised a record-setting €45 million (about $53 million) in a Series A funding round — the largest of its kind for a European space tech company. The round underscores how Europe’s space market is