Alphabet

Google is buying Wiz for $32B to beef up in cloud security, sources say

Enterprise /

Google is making the biggest acquisition in its history. The company’s parent company Alphabet is acquiring Wiz, the cloud security startup, for $32 billion, our sources say. The deal will still need regulatory and other approvals before closing. From what we can see, Google and Wiz have yet to confirm anything official. Other outlets are […]

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Google revives talks to acquire Wiz at higher valuation

Government & Policy /

Google’s parent company Alphabet is again in advanced talks to acquire cloud cybersecurity startup Wiz, a person familiar with the deal told TechCrunch. The two companies were close to securing a deal at a $23 billion valuation last summer, but the transaction failed to materialize.  This time, the price being discussed is higher, the person

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Alphabet praises DeepSeek, but it’s massively ramping up its AI spending

AI /

Booming AI budgets seemed at risk last week when DeepSeek crashed Nvidia’s stock based on speculation that its cheaper AI models would lower demand for AI chips and data centers. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has certainly noticed the Chinese AI company, praising its work as “tremendous” in Alphabet’s latest earnings call (while adding that some of Gemini’s models are

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FTC says partnerships like Microsoft-OpenAI raise antitrust concerns

Government & Policy /

The Federal Trade Commission said in a staff report issued Friday that there are potential competitive issues in partnerships between big tech companies and generative AI developers — specifically, Microsoft’s backing of OpenAI and Amazon and Alphabet/Google’s partnerships with Anthropic. “The FTC’s report sheds light on how partnerships by big tech firms can create lock-in,

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UK competition regulator clears Alphabet’s investment in Anthropic

Government & Policy /

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has okayed Alphabet’s partnership and investment in AI rival Anthropic, concluding that it doesn’t qualify for investigation under current merger regulations. The announcement comes a month after the CMA revealed it was launching a formal “stage 1” probe into Google’s parent’s various investments in Anthropic, a three-year-old San

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Wing begins delivering blood samples via drone in London

Biotech & Health /

Alphabet X spinoff Wing on Wednesday confirmed that it has started delivering blood samples via drone. The program, announced in September, is shuttling samples between London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals. Wing is running up to 10 deliveries a day, Monday through Friday. Each run can contain several different samples and takes around three minutes.

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UK competition regulator to investigate Alphabet’s investment in Anthropic

Government & Policy /

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is launching a formal probe into Alphabet’s investment in AI rival, Anthropic. The investigation comes three months after the CMA confirmed it was inviting “interested parties” to comment on Alphabet’s various investments in Anthropic, which includes a reported $300 million early last year followed by another reported $2 billion. The probe

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Eric Schmidt’s SandboxAQ aims for $5B valuation for its AI/quantum Google moonshot

AI /

VCs are spending gobs of money on AI startups – especially those run by big names in tech – so SandboxAQ is putting its hand out again, even though it raised a whopping $500 million in early 2023. The spinout from Google parent company Alphabet is reportedly seeking to raise another round that would value

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YouTube blocks videos from Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, others in dispute with SESAC

Media & Entertainment /

A number of YouTube videos featuring music from artists such as Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, and R.E.M. have been unplayable in the United States since Saturday. For example, if you try to play Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” (whether it’s the classic album recording or a live performance), you are instead told: “This

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