Category Archives: Business

Business, Investing

Global Confidence in Germany Rises as Companies Commit Over $700 Billion in New Investments

Germany is regaining economic momentum. In a bold show of confidence, 61 companies—ranging from industrial powerhouses like Siemens to financial giants like Deutsche Bank—have pledged over $733 billion (631 billion euros) in investment over the next three years.

The announcement comes just months after Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office and vowed to revive Europe’s largest economy. Germany has endured two consecutive years of contraction and faces another stagnant year ahead. But Merz’s administration is tackling the crisis head-on, launching a $550 billion infrastructure fund and promising major reforms in digitization, bureaucracy, and investment policy.

On Monday, the chancellor met with executives under the “Made for Germany” initiative, which brings together companies committed to fueling domestic growth. The investments span a wide range of sectors and include both new developments and upgrades to infrastructure, research, and digital capability. Continue reading Global Confidence in Germany Rises as Companies Commit Over $700 Billion in New Investments →

Business, News

US Job Openings Fall to 7.4 Million in June as Labor Market Continues to Cool

The American job market is showing more signs of a slowdown. In June, employers posted 7.4 million job openings, down from 7.7 million in May, according to the Labor Department’s latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). It’s another signal that hiring appetite is softening as businesses navigate lingering economic uncertainty and rising costs.

Hiring fell slightly, and the number of workers quitting their jobs—often seen as a sign of confidence in finding better opportunities—dropped to its lowest level since December. Layoffs, however, remained largely unchanged and below pre-pandemic levels, indicating that while companies may be hesitant to hire, they’re also not rushing to cut staff. Continue reading US Job Openings Fall to 7.4 Million in June as Labor Market Continues to Cool →

Business, Finance, News

Dollar Surges After Trump–EU Trade Pact Eases Global Market Tensions

The U.S. dollar rallied sharply against major currencies on Monday following news of a trade deal between President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which eased fears of a full-blown trade war. The agreement slashed proposed tariffs on EU imports from 30% to 15%, bringing relief to investors and triggering a broader shift in global currency sentiment.

The euro, which initially jumped in Asia trading, reversed course and fell 0.81% to $1.1642—its biggest one-day drop since May. Analysts suggested the turnaround reflected a belief that the deal was heavily skewed in favor of the U.S., restoring investor appetite for dollar-denominated assets. As Macquarie’s FX strategist Thierry Wizman put it, “This isn’t a divorce—it’s marriage counseling. The U.S. is re-engaging with its allies.” Continue reading Dollar Surges After Trump–EU Trade Pact Eases Global Market Tensions →

Business, News, Technology

Elon Musk Confirms $16.5 Billion Tesla Chip Deal with Samsung

Elon Musk has announced that Tesla and Samsung Electronics have entered into a $16.5 billion chip deal, sending ripples through both tech and financial markets. The deal, which had been previously hinted at by Samsung but kept under wraps due to client confidentiality, will see Samsung manufacture Tesla’s upcoming AI6 chips at its new facility in Taylor, Texas.

Samsung’s stock jumped nearly 7% following the announcement—its highest since September of last year—while Tesla shares also edged up in U.S. premarket trading.

“This is a critical point,” Musk wrote on X. “I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress.” He also hinted that the actual value of the deal may far exceed the initial $16.5 billion estimate, calling it “just the bare minimum.” Continue reading Elon Musk Confirms $16.5 Billion Tesla Chip Deal with Samsung →

Business, News

Intel Slashes Jobs and Projects as New CEO Tries to Revive the Chip Giant

Intel Corporation is undergoing a major transformation. In an effort to bounce back from years of slipping market share and missed opportunities, the once-dominant chipmaker is laying off thousands of workers and scaling back global operations.

CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took the helm with a mandate to turn things around, announced that Intel will end the year with 75,000 core employees—down from 99,500 just a year ago. This 25% workforce reduction is part of what Tan calls “hard but necessary decisions” to boost efficiency, eliminate redundancy, and increase accountability at every level of the company.

The cuts won’t stop at staffing. Intel is also scrapping previously announced projects in Germany and Poland and relocating its assembly and test operations in Costa Rica to larger, lower-cost facilities in Vietnam and Malaysia. While Costa Rica will retain some corporate and engineering functions, it’s a clear sign of consolidation. Continue reading Intel Slashes Jobs and Projects as New CEO Tries to Revive the Chip Giant →

Artificial Intelligence, Business, News, Technology

Mayo Clinic Deploys NVIDIA SuperPOD to Accelerate GenAI in Healthcare

In a major leap toward AI-driven medicine, Mayo Clinic has announced the deployment of NVIDIA’s DGX SuperPOD infrastructure, integrating the powerful DGX B200 systems to support foundation model development for clinical applications. The announcement marks a critical step in Mayo Clinic’s broader strategy to build a scalable, platform-based approach to healthcare innovation.

The NVIDIA-powered setup, featuring the latest Blackwell architecture, enables Mayo Clinic to dramatically reduce the time required to train complex AI models. According to internal estimates, foundational pathology model development that once took four weeks can now be completed in just one week, significantly accelerating research and development timelines. Continue reading Mayo Clinic Deploys NVIDIA SuperPOD to Accelerate GenAI in Healthcare →

Business, Finance

PayPal Enables U.S. Merchants to Accept Over 100 Cryptocurrencies, Including Bitcoin, Ethereum—and Even Fartcoin

PayPal has significantly expanded its crypto payment capabilities, now allowing small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S. to accept over 100 digital assets as payment. The update includes major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), as well as more novel tokens such as the Trump-themed TRUMP memecoin and the humorously named Fartcoin.

The new functionality is now available to all merchants using PayPal’s online payment platform, the company confirmed today. As part of the rollout, PayPal is offering a promotional transaction fee of 0.99% for the first year, with a flat 1.5% fee applying thereafter—still lower than the average 1.57% U.S. merchants paid for credit card transactions in 2024, according to the Nilson Report. Continue reading PayPal Enables U.S. Merchants to Accept Over 100 Cryptocurrencies, Including Bitcoin, Ethereum—and Even Fartcoin →

Startups

French Startup Spiko Raises $22M as Tokenized Money Market Funds Take Off

Paris-based fintech startup Spiko has raised $22 million in a funding round led by Index Ventures, marking a major milestone for the fast-growing player in the tokenized money market fund (MMF) sector. High-profile angel investors in the round include Revolut co-founder Nikolay Storonsky, Kyriba founder Jean-Luc Robert, and Wise CTO Harsh Sinha.

Despite launching less than a year ago, Spiko has already amassed nearly $400 million in assets under management (AUM), placing it just outside the top five globally in tokenized MMFs. For comparison, fourth-ranked WisdomTree holds $489 million in AUM. Spiko’s stated goal of reaching $1 billion AUM by year’s end appears increasingly plausible given its rapid ascent. Continue reading French Startup Spiko Raises $22M as Tokenized Money Market Funds Take Off →

Business, Startups

Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Restructuring of Generative AI Division

Just one month after Meta invested $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in Scale AI, the data-labeling powerhouse has announced a major workforce reduction, cutting approximately 14% of its staff—about 200 full-time employees—along with 500 global contractors, as the company reassesses its generative AI strategy.

The announcement was confirmed by Scale spokesperson Joe Osborne, who told The Verge that the layoffs are part of a broader restructuring intended to streamline operations and reduce internal inefficiencies. The move follows a period of rapid hiring that CEO Jason Droege now says outpaced market demand.

“The reasons for these changes are straightforward: we ramped up our GenAI capacity too quickly over the past year,” Droege wrote in an internal memo viewed by reporters. “That created too many layers, excessive bureaucracy, and unhelpful confusion about the team’s mission.” Continue reading Scale AI Lays Off 200 Employees Amid Restructuring of Generative AI Division →

Business, Startups

LingoLina™ Launches A Groundbreaking New Way to Learn Languages—Naturally, Effortlessly, and Free

In a world filled with grammar drills, forgettable flashcards, and dropout-prone apps, a bold new language-learning method is turning the industry on its head. LingoLina™ launches a revolutionary platform that offers a completely natural and intuitive way to learn languages—without memorization, burnout, or boring beginner content.

Developed by award-winning writer and linguistic innovator Camille Sharon Kleinman, the newly launched LingoLina™ platform introduces a patent-pending system called NeuroFluent™ Immersion—a neuroscience-based approach designed to mimic the way the brain naturally acquires language. And it’s all completely free. Continue reading LingoLina™ Launches A Groundbreaking New Way to Learn Languages—Naturally, Effortlessly, and Free →