Daily Strategic Briefing

AWS still cares enough about Intel to order up a fresh batch of custom Xeons

Memory bandwidth boost appears to be the secret sauce in chips used for new memory optimized instance types Amazon Web Services has revealed it’s started running some custom cuts of Intel’s Xeon 6 processors.…

Top AWS chip designer reportedly defects to Arm as it weighs push into silicon

Rami Sinno led Trainium and Inferentia development at Amazon British chip designer Arm Holdings has reportedly recruited one of Amazon Web Services' top chip engineers.…

Don't want drive-by Ollama attackers snooping on your local chats? Patch now

Reconfigure local app settings via a 'simple' POST request A now-patched flaw in popular AI model runner Ollama allows drive-by attacks in which a miscreant uses a malicious website to remotely target people's personal computers, spy on their local chats, and even control the models the victim's app talks to, in extreme cases by serving poisoned models.…

Like burglars closing a door, Apache ActiveMQ attackers patch critical vuln after breaking in

Intruders hoped no one would notice their presence Criminals exploiting a critical vulnerability in open source Apache ActiveMQ middleware are fixing the flaw that allowed them access, after establishing persistence on Linux servers.…

Vision AI models see optical illusions when none exist

When is a duck not also a rabbit? When it's a canard Vision language models exhibit a form of self-delusion that echoes human psychology – they see patterns that aren't there.…

Meta is shaking up its AI org, again

Summary:

On Friday, The Information reported that Meta was preparing to tear down its existing AI org and reorganize it into four new groups. Four days later, the change has been made official with an internal memo.

Meta rolls out AI-powered translations to creators globally, starting with English and Spanish

Summary:

The new feature, which is available in any market where Meta AI is available, allows creators to translate content into other languages for a broader audience.

Your next customer is on the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 expo floor — will they find you or your competitor?

Summary:

There’s still time to book your exhibit table, but space is disappearing fast. The brands that move now will be the ones getting the face time, the leads, and the traction that matters most.

AI crawler Firecrawl raises $14.5M, is still looking to hire agents as employees

Summary:

Firecrawl nabbed Shopify’s CEO Tobias Lütke as an investor from a gutsy email after they discovered he was using the product.

Eight Sleep raises $100M to expand its AI-powered sleep tech

Summary:

The sleep tech company raised from HSG, Valor Equity Partners, Founders Fund, Y Combinator, and big F1 names like Charles Leclerc and Zak Brown.

Nikhil Kamath backs Goldi Solar with Rs 137 Cr investment

Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath bets Rs 137.5 crore on Goldi Solar to power India’s clean energy push with new solar cell capacity and expanded module production.

AI startup Refold AI scores $6.5M funding led by Eniac Ventures, Tidal Ventures

The San Mateo- and Bangalore-based firm plans to use the fresh funds to expand its 20-member engineering team, deepen product integrations, and support its enterprise client base.

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.

The Wealth Company backs Amnex Infotechnologies with Rs 460 Cr investment

Amnex Infotechnologies has developed more than 18 proprietary platforms that combine IoT, GIS, AI/ML, blockchain, and analytics to support large-scale, mission-critical operations.

Zepto secures Rs 400 Cr from Motilal Oswal Financial Services

Zepto's Rs 400 crore infusion from Motilal Oswal comes as the platform looks to boost domestic shareholding to side step FDI norms and prep for its public debut.

Nazara Tech Dips as PL Cuts Target Post Gaming Bill

Nazara Tech shares face scrutiny post Online Gaming Bill approval. PL has significantly reduced its target for Nazara Technologies. Source: ScoutQuest

Kilburn Gains 2% on Pact with Komline

Kilburn Engineering rose 1.97% to Rs 555.75 after signing a pact with Komline-Sanderson Corp. The agreement involves Kilburn offering manufacturing, engineering, field, and sales services to Komline-Sanderson. Source: Business Standard

Aditya Infotech Q1 Revenue Up 16%, PAT Jumps 46%

Aditya Infotech reported Q1 FY26 revenue of Rs. 740 Cr, a 16.4% YoY increase. EBITDA grew 47.5% YoY to Rs. 64.9 Cr; PAT rose 46.1% YoY to Rs. 32.9 Cr. Source: BSE

V-Guard Sees ₹154 Cr Block Deal at ₹370

V-Guard witnessed a block deal of 41.5 lakh shares, 0.95% equity. Shares traded at ₹370 each, totaling ₹154 crore. Source: ScoutQuest

India Ratings Gives 'IND A' to JSW Renew Energy

India Ratings assigns IND A Stable rating to JSW Renew Energy Three. The rating applies to bank loan facilities, reflecting a stable credit profile. Source: ScoutQuest

Silver Declines on Stronger Dollar

Country: Commodity, Description: Silver prices slid toward $37 per ounce on Wednesday, marking their lowest level in more than two weeks as the dollar firmed ahead of key Federal Reserve events. Investors are awaiting the release of the July Fed meeting minutes, which will be closely scrutinized after the gathering saw the first policy dissents since 1993. Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman favored a quarter-point rate cut over leaving rates unchanged, underscoring divisions within the committee. Focus will then shift to Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks at the Jackson Hole symposium, with markets watching for any attempt to temper expectations for easing. Traders currently assign an 85% probability of a September rate cut and are pricing in about 54 basis points of reductions by year-end. Adding to the bearish tone, easing geopolitical risks tied to ongoing Ukraine peace negotiations and fading concerns over a global trade war further weighed on safe-haven demand for precious metals.

Bitcoin Hovers Near 6-Week Low

Country: other, Description: Bitcoin traded around $113,000 in late August, holding most of its losses following a sharp sell-off that pushed it near a six-week low. The decline reflected crypto’s correlation with tech stocks, as investors rotated out of growth-oriented assets ahead of the Federal Reserve’s Jackson Hole symposium, seeking guidance after stronger-than-expected US producer inflation and retail sales data dampened expectations of aggressive Fed easing. The sell-off intensified further after reports that the Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating potential fraud and stock manipulation at Alt5 Sigma, fueling broader risk-off sentiment across speculative markets. Bitcoin has now erased its gains for the month and is more than 2% down since last week, after briefly hitting a fresh record high supported by institutional inflows and favorable regulatory developments.

Australia 10-Year Yield Eases

Country: Australia, Description: Australia’s 10-year government bond yield dropped to 4.29% on Wednesday, retreating from an over two-week high hit in the prior session as investors continued to assess the Reserve Bank’s policy outlook. Last week, the central bank cut the cash rate by 25bps to 3.60% as expected but stayed cautious on the outlook, leaving markets to anticipate a three-month pause before any further easing. This view was supported by an upbeat July jobs report, which eased concerns about a downturn in the country’s labour market and reduced pressure on the RBA to deliver another cut next month. Investors currently expect the central bank to resume easing with a larger 50bps reduction, likely in November. On the global front, traders look ahead to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium for further clues on US policy, as well as to a potential Russia-Ukraine meeting that could influence risk sentiment.

China 10Y Yield Falls on PBOC Hold, Trade Truce Progress

Country: China, Description: China’s 10-year government bond yield fell to around 1.76% on Wednesday, as investors digested the People’s Bank of China’s latest monetary policy decision alongside developments in the ongoing US-China trade truce. At its August meeting, the central bank held its key lending rates at historically low levels for the third consecutive month, in line with market expectations. The one-year Loan Prime Rate (LPR) was left unchanged at 3.0%, while the five-year LPR remained steady at 3.5%. The decision came amid recent economic data suggesting a potential slowdown in domestic activity, reinforcing expectations that monetary policy will remain accommodative. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated on Tuesday that Washington has held “very good talks” with Beijing regarding tariffs, as both countries work toward a possible agreement during the current 90-day suspension of new tariff measures.

Morocco Inflation Rate at 3-Month High of 0.5%

Country: Morocco, Description: The annual inflation rate in Morocco accelerated to 0.5% in July 2025, up from June’s 12-month low of 0.4%. It marked the highest rate since April, driven primarily by a rise in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices, which increased by 0.9%—the sharpest gain in four months—compared to 0.8% in June. Inflation also accelerated for furnishings (0.8% vs 0.4%), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (3.5% vs 3.4%), and miscellaneous goods and services (1.5% vs 1.4%). Meanwhile, inflation held steady for housing and utilities (0.6%), clothing and footwear (0.7%), healthcare (0.2%), and education (2.3%). In contrast, inflation eased for restaurants and hotels (3.4% vs 3.8%), while transport prices declined at a slower pace (-2.9% vs -3.4%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices edged down 0.1% in July, following a 0.4% increase in June.

Catalyst discovery slashes costs for green hydrogen

Summary: Researchers screened 156 million nanoparticles in one afternoon to discover a four-metal catalyst that costs one-sixteenth the price of iridium., Description: Northwestern University researchers have developed a "megalibrary" tool that discovered a cheaper alternative to iridium for clean hydrogen production in just one afternoon, marking a potential breakthrough in renewable energy technology. The team, led by nanotechnology pioneer Chad Mirkin and materials scientist Ted Sargent, used their nanomaterial "data factory" to screen 156 million distinct...

140,000-year-old skull reveals earliest human-Neanderthal hybrid

Summary: Israeli cave discovery pushes back evidence of interbreeding by more than 100,000 years, challenging theories about when our ancestors first met., Description: An international research team led by Tel Aviv University and the French National Centre for Scientific Research has identified the world's earliest evidence of interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals in a 140,000-year-old child's skull discovered in Israel's Skhul Cave. The groundbreaking study, published this month in the journal L'Anthropologie, challenges long-held assumptions...

Trump orders entire border wall painted black to deter climbers

Summary: The coating will absorb heat in desert temperatures, making the structure too hot to climb, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced., Description: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that the entire US-Mexico border wall will be painted black at President Donald Trump's direct request, a move designed to make the structure too hot for migrants to climb in desert temperatures. Speaking during a press conference at the border wall in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, Noem explained that the black coating will absorb more heat...

Netanyahu blasts Australian PM as 'weak' amid Palestine row

Summary: The Israeli PM called Australia's leader a betrayer of Jews after Australia announced it would recognize Palestinian statehood., Description: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched an unprecedented personal attack on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday, calling him "a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews" following Australia's decision to recognize Palestinian statehood and escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations. The explosive criticism, posted on Netanyahu's...

NASA and Army Guard complete specialized lunar landing training

Summary: The four-year program uses high-altitude flights to simulate the challenging conditions Artemis astronauts will face on the Moon's South Pole., Description: NASA and the Colorado Army National Guard reached a training milestone this month, finalizing a specialized helicopter-based flight training course designed to prepare Artemis astronauts for lunar landings. The course, developed over four years at the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, addresses the unique challenges astronauts will face when...

Musk abandons 'America Party' political plans to focus on Tesla and SpaceX

Summary: The Tesla CEO wants to avoid alienating Republicans and may instead support JD Vance's potential 2028 presidential bid., Description: Tesla CEO Elon Musk is stepping back from his plans to launch a third political party and instead wants to concentrate on his companies while avoiding potential conflicts with influential Republicans, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Tuesday. The tech billionaire, who announced the formation of the "America Party" in early July following his opposition to President Donald...

Americans fear AI will cause mass job losses

Summary: A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 71% worry AI will put "too many people out of work permanently" despite current unemployment at just 4.2%., Description: A new Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals deepening American anxiety about artificial intelligence's impact on employment, with 71% of respondents expressing concern that AI will put "too many people out of work permanently." The six-day survey of 4,446 US adults, which concluded Monday, underscores growing unease as AI technology rapidly advances across industries. The poll findings position job...