SpaceX discloses Chinese investment in unsealed testimony. Newly released court testimony has revealed for the first time that SpaceX has accepted direct investment from Chinese investors, raising fresh concerns about foreign ownership in one of America's most sensitive defense contractors. #spacex #china #investors https://www.perplexity.ai/...

BlackRock Nears $40 Billion Data Center Deal in Bet on AI largest deals, as major investors race to capitalize on the artificial intelligence infrastructure boom. #AIInfrastructure #DataCenters #Cloudmputing #AIInvestment https://finance.yahoo.com/...

Stripe is in talks to repurchase shares from venture capital backers at a $106.7 billion valuation, signaling strong confidence after Sequoia bought $861M in shares at a $70B valuation in 2024. The move offers liquidity to investors without going public, reflecting Stripe's steady valuation growth. Details on share volume and employee inclusion remain flexible. #Stripe #StockBuyback #VC #TechFunding #Fintech

Perplexity AI, a rapidly growing artificial intelligence search engine startup, has made a significant move by proposing a merger with TikTok's U.S. operations as the platform confronts the possibility of a ban due to national security issues. This proposal arrives just ahead of a law that mandates TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations or face shutdown.

Key Aspects of the Merger Proposal

Structure: The merger seeks to form a new entity that integrates Perplexity AI, TikTok U.S., and New Capital Partners. This arrangement would enable most of ByteDance's current investors to maintain their equity stakes while enhancing Perplexity's services with TikTok's video content.
Valuation: TikTok is valued at approximately $50 billion, while Perplexity has seen its valuation soar from around $500 million at the beginning of 2024 to nearly $9 billion by year-end.
Regulatory Context: This merger proposal follows a Supreme Court ruling that requires TikTok to cut ties with ByteDance. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested a possible 90-day extension for TikTok to negotiate its future in the U.S.

Industry Implications

The proposed merger could dramatically alter the digital landscape by merging advanced AI search technology with a leading social media platform. If successful, Perplexity AI could position itself as a formidable competitor to established players like Google in the AI-driven search arena. However, regulatory challenges and public concerns about data privacy will be crucial factors in determining the success of this ambitious proposal. As discussions progress, the tech industry will be keenly watching how this potential merger evolves and its impact on both companies and their user bases.. #TechNews #AI #trump #tiktokban #tiktokbanusa https://nexth.zone/blog/pe...