Daily Strategic Briefing

One of TikTok’s network boffins says it causes ‘massive data wastage’

China funded research could help video app's new American operators cut costs by 40 percent Before Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch put pen to paper to take over TikTok’s US operations from ByteDance, they might want to consider that one of the Chinese company’s network boffins thinks the app and others like it create “massive data wastage”.…

Stop runaway AI before it's too late, experts beg the UN

Signatories include 10 Nobel Prize winners ai-pocalypse  Ten Nobel Prize winners are among the more than 200 people who've signed a letter calling on the United Nations to define and enforce “red lines” that prohibit some uses of AI.…

AI gone rogue: Models may try to stop people from shutting them down, Google warns

Misalignment risk? That's an area for future study Google DeepMind added a new AI threat scenario - one where a model might try to prevent its operators from modifying it or shutting it down - to its AI safety document. It also included a new misuse risk, which it calls "harmful manipulation."…

Nvidia adds more air to the AI bubble with vague $100B OpenAI deal

Promises, promises analysis  OpenAI and Nvidia have signed a letter of intent wherein OpenAI agrees to buy at least 10 gigawatts of Nvidia systems for its datacenters, while the AI arms dealer returns the favor with an investment of up to $100 billion in the house that Altman built.…

Don't panic: H-1B visas will cost companies $100K only for new petitions

However, the changes could lead to more offshoring In a surprise announcement on Friday, President Trump issued a proclamation on the H-1B visas many tech companies use to import qualified foreign workers. The headlines mentioning a $100,000 fee caused panic among many visa holders, leading the White House to issue a clarification: Only new applicants will cost their companies this exorbitant price.…

Facebook is getting an AI dating assistant

Summary:

Facebook Dating’s AI assistant is supposed to help users build their profiles and find the matches they’re looking for.

The Oakland Ballers let an AI manage the team. What could go wrong?

Summary:

“Baseball is the perfect place to do an initial experiment like this, because it is so data-driven, and decisions are made very analytically,” Ballers owner Paul Freedman said.

Inside the mind of Elad Gil: Early-stage investing and next-gen innovation at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Summary:

Elad Gil shares his approach to early-stage investing, frontier tech, and spotting breakout potential at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 (Oct 27–29, Moscone West, SF). Register before Sept 26 to save up to $668.

The billion-dollar infrastructure deals powering the AI boom

Summary:

Here’s everything we know about the biggest AI infrastructure projects, including major spending from Meta, Oracle, Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI.

Nvidia plans to invest up to $100B in OpenAI

Summary:

OpenAI and Nvidia agreed to deploy 10 gigawatts worth AI chips to power the next generation of ChatGPT.

YC-backed Hyperbound raises $15M from Peak XV

The San Francisco-based startup builds AI-tools to help sales teams train, coach, and improve performance using simulated practises, analytics, and feedback.

Nothing raises $200M from Tiger Global, Nikhil Kamath, others at $1.3B valuation

UK-based smartphone maker Nothing crossed $1 billion in cumulative sales earlier this year, after shipping millions of devices and growing its revenue 150% in 2024.

Peak XV leads $48M investment in LA-based MarqVision

The deal marks one of Peak XV’s most visible moves in the US since its split from Sequoia Capital in June 2023, after the US-based investment giant divided its global operations.

Scalekit raises $5.5M to build authentication stack for AI agents

The round was led by Together Fund and Z47, with participation from operator-angels including Adam Frankl, Oliver Jay, and Jagadeesh Kunda.

Lucira raises $5.5M in seed funding Led by Blume Ventures

Lucira plans to use the funding to open new retail stores, expand its design studio, and invest in technology and hiring.

KEC Int'l Surges 7%, Volume 5.3x Avg

KEC International's trading volume is 5.3x the 2-week avg by 9:24 AM. 23 lakh shares worth Rs. 220 Cr traded on NSE; CMP Rs. 926.4, up 6.9%. Source: ScoutQuest

Indus Towers Stays Strong Amid Starlink Challenges

Indus Towers remains resilient amid Starlink spectrum tests, supported by Airtel and a vast network of 249,305 towers. Starlink faces regulatory hurdles, cost issues, and limited scalability, minimizing immediate threats to Indus Towers' dominance. Source: Trade Brains

Zaggle, Mastercard Partner for Prepaid Cards Launch

Zaggle signs pact with Mastercard to launch co-branded prepaid cards. Deal spans Sep 2025 to Sep 2030; Mastercard to incentivize promotion. Source: ScoutQuest

Maruti Suzuki Rises on GST Cut Boost; Hyundai Shines in Navratri Sales

Maruti Suzuki shares gained attention after strong sales post-GST rate cut. Hyundai Motor India also saw increased focus during Navratri sales. Source: ScoutQuest

Wendt India Profit, Sales Dip; Promoter Stake Cut

Wendt India reports declining profits, net sales, and reduced promoter stake. The company underperformed the broader market amid a bearish outlook. Source: Marketsmojo

Palm Oil Slumps to 6-Week Low

Country: Commodity, Description: Malaysian palm oil futures tumbled about 3.5% to below MYR 4,230 per tonne, reversing modest gains from the prior session and hitting a six-week low. The drop followed the Malaysian Palm Oil Council’s forecast of MYR 4,200–4,500 in the coming weeks, reflecting tight vegetable oil supply amid soft demand from key markets. Declines in rival edible oils on Dalian and Chicago exchanges added pressure. Peak output is expected between September and October due to favorable weather, while end-August stocks rose 4.2% from July to 2.2 million tonnes. Further losses were partly offset by a weaker ringgit. On the export front, shipments for September 1–20 are estimated up 8.3–8.7% from August. In top buyer India, demand is expected to remain strong ahead of the mid-October festive season, with imports likely above 800,000 tonnes in September after a 13-month high of 990,528 tonnes in August.

Indonesian Stocks Reach All-Time High in Morning Session

Country: Indonesia, Description: The IDX Composite rose 34 points, or 0.4%, in early trading on Tuesday, halting losses from the previous month and reaching a record high. The broader index followed a rally on Wall Street overnight, buoyed by gains in major tech megacaps. Ongoing foreign inflows, expectations of further US Federal Reserve rate cuts, and optimism over improved net profits in Q4 2025 also supported market sentiment. However, gains were capped by the latest government budget data for January–August, which showed revenues at only 57.2% of the annual target—down 7.8% compared to the same period last year. Government spending also reached just 55.6% of the target. Traders were also awaiting the outcome of the 2026 government budget decision meeting in parliament, scheduled for later today. The tech sector led the gains, followed by the manufacturing and financial stocks. Among the top performers were Adaro Energy (+5.1%), Bank Central Asia (+1.9%), Bank Danamon (+1.3%), and Jasa Marga (+1.2%).

South Korea Seeks Solution in U.S. Tariff Talks Amid FX Concerns

Country: South Korea, Description: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung acknowledged that ongoing tariff negotiations with the U.S. have raised concerns about instability in the country’s foreign exchange market but expressed confidence that a solution would be reached. In New York on Monday, during meetings with U.S. lawmakers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Lee noted that both sides are expected to find a commercially rational outcome. South Korea is working to finalize a trade deal aimed at lowering import duties imposed by President Donald Trump. Lee also warned that a major South Korean investment in the U.S., proposed as part of the agreement, could affect the nation’s foreign exchange reserves, highlighting the broader financial implications of the talks.

New Zealand Unveils Dual Residency Pathways to Boost Economy

Country: New Zealand, Description: New Zealand will introduce two new residency pathways for migrants starting mid-2026, aiming to support its struggling economy, which has seen negative growth in three of the past five quarters. Finance Minister Nicola Willis emphasized the importance of skilled and experienced migrants in addressing workforce gaps and driving business growth. The new pathways target skilled workers and tradespeople/technicians, requiring relevant experience both overseas and in New Zealand, along with salary or wage thresholds. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said the initiative helps employers retain workers “who are already contributing to New Zealand’s economy and have demonstrated value in their roles.” While net migration remains positive, it has declined from post-2022 highs amid a surge in New Zealanders leaving the country. The government has also rolled out other measures to stimulate growth, including efforts to attract foreign investment.

Trump to Certify TikTok U.S. Deal This Week

Country: United States, Description: President Donald Trump will declare this week that a deal to divest TikTok's U.S. operations from Chinese parent ByteDance meets the requirements of a 2024 law, a White House official said Monday. Under the plan, ByteDance will hold less than 20%, while TikTok U.S. will be controlled by a mix of existing U.S. and global firms alongside new investors unaffiliated with ByteDance. Oracle and Silver Lake are among the key investors, with Trump highlighting U.S. backers such as Lachlan Murdoch, Larry Ellison, and Michael Dell. Trump will sign an executive order certifying the deal’s legality, which mandates that U.S. user data be stored on Oracle-run cloud infrastructure. The official added that Washington is confident China has approved the deal and does not expect further talks with Beijing, though some paperwork remains to be completed on both sides.

Copenhagen Airport halts flights for hours after drone sightings

Summary: The Nordic region's busiest airport diverted over 50 flights after authorities spotted multiple large unidentified drones in restricted airspace., Description: Copenhagen Airport, the busiest in the Nordic region, was forced to halt all flights for nearly four hours on September 22 following sightings of multiple large unidentified drones, creating chaos for passengers and sparking heightened security concerns across Scandinavia. The incident, which began at 8:26 p.m. local time, prompted authorities to divert over 50 flights to alternate airports...

Trump names aide as interim replacement for fired US attorney

Summary: Lindsey Halligan takes over the Eastern District after Trump fired her predecessor for refusing to prosecute political opponents., Description: President Trump appointed Lindsey Halligan, his former personal attorney with no prosecutorial experience, as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia on Monday, just days after firing her predecessor for refusing to pursue charges against political opponents. Halligan, 36, was sworn in at the Justice Department to lead one of the nation's most prominent federal prosecutor...

Egypt frees Arab Spring activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah in rare pardon

Summary: Alaa Abd el-Fattah to be freed after nearly six years in prison following his mother's devastating 10-month hunger strike., Description: Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi granted a presidential pardon to prominent British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah on Monday, ending nearly six years of imprisonment for the 43-year-old blogger who became a symbol of Egypt's crushed Arab Spring uprising. The pardon comes after sustained international pressure and follows his mother's devastating 10-month hunger strike that brought...

Moldova arrests 74 in alleged Russian plot before Sunday vote

Summary: Raids targeted suspects trained in Serbia to incite unrest ahead of parliamentary elections viewed as crucial to the nation's European future., Description: Moldovan authorities carried out sweeping raids across the country on Monday, arresting 74 people in connection with an alleged Russian plot to incite mass unrest ahead of crucial parliamentary elections set for Sunday. The operation marks the latest escalation in what officials describe as an unprecedented campaign of Russian interference targeting Moldova's pro-European government. Police...

US student visa arrivals drop 19% to four-year low

Summary: Immigration restrictions and visa processing delays contributed to the fifth consecutive month of declines, threatening billions in economic impact., Description: US student visa arrivals plunged 19 percent in August to a four-year low, hitting just over 313,000 visitors according to data from the International Trade Administration. This marks the fifth consecutive month of declines and brings total student arrivals down nearly 12 percent for the year through August. The sharp drop represents the steepest decline since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, with...