Daily Strategic Briefing

Codeberg beset by AI bots that now bypass Anubis tarpit

Nowhere to hide Codeberg, a Berlin-based code hosting community, is struggling to cope with a deluge of AI bots that can now bypass previously effective defenses.…

Oracle cuts cloud jobs with Seattle hit hard as AI spending soars

AI will take your salary in capex before it can take your job Oracle issued layoff notices for more than 300 people in Washington State and California this week, according to state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filings in those states.…

Typhoon-adjacent Chinese crew broke into Taiwanese web host

Is that a JuicyPotato on your network? A suspected Chinese-government-backed cyber crew recently broke into a Taiwanese web hosting provider to steal credentials and plant backdoors for long-term access, using a mix of open-source and custom software tools, Cisco Talos reports.…

No more Blocktoberfest? German court throws book at ad blockers

Could tinkering with a site’s code to hide ads count as infringement? A recent ruling by the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has reopened the possibility that using ad blocking software could violate copyright law in Germany.…

Ethernet switch vendors like Cisco are riding high on AI network economics

When one GPU translates into three to five of the fastest switch ports money can buy, can you blame them? Nvidia is expected to ship somewhere north of 5 million Blackwell GPUs in 2025. But before those GPUs can train the next GPT, Gemini, or Llama, they need to be networked — and that's quickly becoming big business for Ethernet switch vendors like Cisco, Arista, HPE ... and Nvidia itself.…

Sam Altman, over bread rolls, explores life after GPT-5

Summary:

At a dinner with reporters in San Francisco, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman spilled details on the company’s ambitions beyond ChatGPT.

Sen. Hawley to probe Meta after report finds its AI chatbots flirt with kids

Summary:

“Is there anything – ANYTHING – Big Tech won’t do for a quick buck?” Hawley wrote in a post on X announcing the investigation.

ChatGPT’s mobile app has generated $2B to date, earns $2.91 per install

Summary:

On average, the app is generating close to $193 million per month, up from $25 million last year.

US government is reportedly in discussions to take stake in Intel

Summary:

This deal would be meant to help Intel bulk up its U.S. chip manufacturing, including its much-delayed Ohio factory.

Cohere hits a $6.8B valuation as investors AMD, Nvidia, and Salesforce double down

Summary:

Cohere’s market proposition has always been to offer secure LLMs specifically geared for enterprise use, not for consumers.

Truemeds raises $85M to target non-metro markets

The Mumbai-based company said the capital will go toward tripling its national reach by adding fulfillment centers in high-demand non-metro markets, hiring top-tier engineering and product talent, and opening a new technology hub in Bengaluru.

Avendus Fund leads Rs 300 Cr investment in Aragen Life Sciences

Avendus’ Rs 300 crore bet on Aragen comes amid a surge in India’s CRDMO sector, as global pharma outsourcing accelerates and trade policy shifts raise questions over export exposure.

Darwinbox secures $40M from Teachers’ Venture Growth

The freshly raised capital will be utilised to fuel its expansion in the North American market and strengthen its agentic AI capabilities.

Early-stage VC firm Atomic Capital raises Rs 400 Cr for maiden fund

Atomic Capital will invest in startups that are focused on the consumer segment and aims to have 10-12 companies in its portfolio.

Aditya Birla Group's TMRW secures Rs 437 Cr from ServiceNow Ventures

TMRW's revenue grew 38% in the first quarter of FY26, even as its losses widened by 37% to Rs 63 crore.

One Point One Q1 Revenue Up 13%, Profit Jumps 24%

One Point One Solutions Q1 FY26 revenue up 13% YoY to ₹690.1m; net income rises 24%. Profit margin improves to 14% from 12% YoY; EPS steady at ₹0.36. Source: Simply Wall Street

AKG Exim Q1 EPS Falls 71%, Revenue Down 28%

AKG Exim Q1 2026 EPS fell to ₹0.02 from ₹0.07 in Q1 2025. Revenue dropped 28%, net income down 65%; profit margin halved to 0.3%. Source: Simply Wall Street

Paytm, BharatPe Eye Festive Lending Boost

Fintechs like BharatPe, Paytm, and NBFCs like Poonawala Fincorp, L&T Finance anticipate a festive-season revival in unsecured lending. Regulatory easing and RBI rate cuts aim to improve lending; Paytm and BharatPe prepare for growth in consumer lending. Source: The Economic Times

Srestha Finvest Q2 PAT Jumps 124%, Net Sales Dip

Srestha Finvest posted over 124% growth in PBT and PAT for Q2 FY25. The company reported a notable decline in net sales, indicating mixed performance. Source: Marketsmojo

Jagan Lamps Q1 Sales Hit 5-Qtr Low; EPS Drops to ₹0.51

Jagan Lamps reports Q1 FY25 net sales at Rs 8.98 crore, a 5-quarter low. Profit before tax fell to Rs 0.40 crore; EPS declined to Rs 0.51. Source: Marketsmojo

Crypto currencies

Country: Crypto, Description: Ether was among the decliners, falling -2.34% on the day.

Agricultural Commodities Updates: Coffee Soars by 5.23%

Country: Commodity, Description: Top commodity gainers are Coffee (5.23%), Palm Oil (2.54%) and Corn (2.47%). Biggest losers are Orange Juice (-1.56%) and Sugar (-0.73%).

Metals Commodities Updates: Platinum Falls by 1.19%

Country: Commodity, Description: Top commodity losers are Platinum (-1.19%), Silicon (-0.99%), Iron Ore CNY (-0.64%) and Gold (-0%).

Energy Commodities Updates: Natural Gas EU Dutch TTF Drops by 4.35%

Country: Commodity, Description: Top commodity losers are Natural Gas EU Dutch TTF (-4.35%), Natural Gas UK GBP (-3.69%), Germany Natural Gas THE (-3.41%), Crude Oil WTI (-1.28%) and Brent Crude Oil (-1.02%). Gains are led by Natural gas (2.83%) and Ethanol (1.16%).

FX Updates: Polish Zloty Appreciates by 0.60%

Country: Currency, Description: Top currency gainers are Polish Zloty (0.60%), Euro (0.44%), Japanese Yen (0.36%) and British Pound (0.12%). Biggest losers are Dollar Index (-0.40%) and Turkish Lira (-0.25%).

California Democrats release congressional redistricting maps

Summary: Governor Newsom unveiled maps responding to Trump's Texas push, setting up November vote that could reshape Congress., Description: California Democrats on Friday released their long-awaited congressional redistricting maps as part of an aggressive counterstrike against President Donald Trump's push for Republican-friendly maps in Texas, setting up a high-stakes ballot fight that could reshape the balance of power in Congress. Governor Gavin Newsom unveiled the proposal targeting five Republican House seats, calling it a...

Flash floods kill over 280 across India and Pakistan

Summary: Torrential monsoon rains triggered deadly flooding in mountainous regions, sweeping away homes and trapping hundreds of Hindu pilgrims., Description: Flash floods triggered by torrential monsoon rains killed over 280 people across India and Pakistan on Friday, creating widespread devastation in mountainous regions where cloudburst-driven waters swept away homes, pilgrims, and rescue personnel. The death toll climbed throughout the day as emergency teams struggled to reach remote villages buried under mud and debris. The highest casualties...

UN calls Israeli settlement plan a potential war crime

Summary: Israel approved nearly 7,000 housing units in the occupied West Bank that would effectively divide Palestinian territories and isolate East Jerusalem., Description: The United Nations human rights office declared Friday that Israel's plan to construct thousands of new settlement units in the occupied West Bank violates international law and constitutes a potential war crime. The condemnation came after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced approval of nearly 7,000 housing units that would effectively divide the West Bank and cut off East...

Trump tax law could trigger $491B Medicare cuts, CBO warns

Summary: Automatic spending cuts would begin next year unless Congress acts to offset the deficit impact from the tax legislation., Description: The Congressional Budget Office warned Friday that President Trump's tax law could trigger automatic Medicare cuts totaling $491 billion over the next decade unless Congress takes action to prevent them. The cuts stem from mandatory sequestration rules under the 2010 Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act, which requires spending reductions equal to a piece of legislation's negative impact on the budget...

Blue Origin delays NASA Mars mission launch to late September

Summary: The ESCAPADE probes will take an unconventional route to Mars, spending a year at a deep space observation point before arriving in 2027., Description: Blue Origin has pushed back the launch date for its second New Glenn rocket flight carrying NASA's ESCAPADE Mars mission to no earlier than September 29, marking another delay for the ambitious space venture. The company previously targeted August 15 for the NG-2 mission but announced the postponement after working closely with NASA on mission preparations. The twin ESCAPADE probes, which stand...