OpenAI’s $300B Valuation Talks & Super Bowl Spotlight

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions for a new funding round that could push its valuation to $300 billion, solidifying its position as AI’s dominant force.
The company also made its Super Bowl debut with a 60-second ad showcasing AI as the next step in humanity’s technological evolution. Using a pointillism-inspired animation, the commercial traces innovations from fire and the wheel to modern breakthroughs like DNA sequencing and space exploration—culminating in ChatGPT helping with real-world tasks like business planning and language tutoring.
The ad, crafted under new CMO Kate Rouch, cost $14 million for its first-half placement. Notably, it steered clear of AGI and superintelligence, instead highlighting practical AI applications for everyday users.

Klarna Eyes Crypto & IPO Amid Market Buzz

Klarna is stepping into the crypto space, CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski revealed, just as speculation heats up over the company’s long-awaited IPO.
According to the Financial Times, Klarna is targeting an April listing at a $15 billion valuation, slightly above the $14.6 billion reported by Bloomberg in October. The move positions the buy-now, pay-later giant for a high-stakes public debut while expanding into digital assets.

Mistral Makes Moves: Defense, Mobile, and Macron’s AI Push

French AI startup Mistral is courting defense contracts across Europe, pitching its AI for military applications to officials in the UK, France, and Germany.
The company also launched Le Chat—a free mobile chatbot for iOS and Android, alongside a Pro plan ($14.99/month) and an Enterprise tier for private infrastructure. Le Chat is now France’s #1 free app, ahead of ChatGPT (#4) and DeepSeek (#8).
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a staggering €109B in private AI investments, including €30B–€50B from the UAE (MGX), €20B from Brookfield, and €10B from Bpifrance, signaling a massive bet on Europe’s AI future.

Groq lands $1.5B from Saudi Arabia

U.S. semiconductor startup Groq has secured a $1.5 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its AI inference chip delivery to the region. Founded by a former Alphabet AI chip engineer, Groq is making waves with its high-speed AI execution technology.

Mercury eyes a $250M raise

Digital banking startup Mercury is in talks to raise $250 million in fresh funding. With $500M in annualized revenue (over $40M per month), the company’s valuation could double from its 2021 $1.6B mark to around $3B or more.

Stripe & Plaid enable employee liquidity

Stripe is exploring a secondary share sale at an $85 billion valuation, allowing employees to cash out.
Plaid has tapped Goldman Sachs to arrange a $300M–$400M share sale for early investors and employees, helping offset taxes from expiring restricted stock units.

Launchbay Index Up 3% in January

The Launchbay25 Index rose 3% in January, driven by:
xAI (+22%)
Deel (+11%)
CoreWeave (+9%)
The Launchbay25 Index also dominated platform activity, accounting for 69% of total trading volume.