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- 📈 Funding Freeze
📈 Funding Freeze
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VC funding just face-planted, and emerging markets are feeling the sting. While fintech clings to life, everyone else is begging for scraps as investors chase shiny AI toys. But hey, at least CES has cool gadgets, and Bitcoin’s having a worse day than your fantasy football team. Let’s unpack the chaos!
â–¼ | Nasdaq | $19,489.68 | -1.89% |
â–¼ | S&P | $5,909.03 | -1.11% |
â–¼ | Dow | $42,528.36 | -.42% |
â–² | 10-Year | 4.696% | +0.15 |
â–¼ | Bitcoin | $95,017.00 | -5.8% |
â–² | Oil | $74.32 | +0.09% |
Indices at 12:00 AM (ET)
The lowdown
Here’s what you missed while you shoveling snow:
📉 Shell cuts gas outlook. Shell lowered its integrated gas production forecasts, sparking a slide in share prices as investors weigh the impact of a weaker energy market outlook.
💬 Meta shifts to community notes. Meta is ditching traditional fact-checking in favor of X-style community moderation, raising eyebrows over how misinformation will be handled.
🤖 CES 2025 spotlights AI. Smart home tech, AI-powered devices, and futuristic cars are stealing the show as CES 2025 kicks off with a focus on next-gen innovation.
Featured story
VC Funding in Emerging Markets Hits a Wall
Emerging markets just hit a funding wall, with VC investments plunging over 40% in 2024. It’s a brutal reality check for regions like MENA and Southeast Asia, as investors ditch non-AI sectors and late-stage deals in favor of safer bets. Fintech managed to weather the storm, pulling in $3.9 billion, but for everyone else, the money taps are running dry.
MENA showed some fight, with early-stage deals dominating and investor numbers climbing 18%. But late-stage funding? Practically a ghost town, with exits down 32% globally and public markets still snoozing. It’s survival of the scrappiest—and smaller startups are taking their shot while the big players scramble.
MAGNiTT’s CEO says relief is on the way, predicting rate cuts and a funding rebound by mid-2025. But let’s be real—this slump has exposed just how fickle VC cash can be when the hype shifts. The next wave of innovation will need more than flashy buzzwords to win back investor love.
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The content we're consuming today
Here’s what we’re reading this week:
Business Insider: JetBlue passenger opens emergency exit. A JetBlue flyer shocked everyone by deploying an emergency exit mid-flight after an argument with their partner, taking in-flight drama to a new level.
The New York Times: Anthropic lands major AI funding. The AI startup raised a significant round, cementing its role as a leading competitor to OpenAI in the high-stakes race for artificial intelligence supremacy.
Time: Justice Department targets rent-fixing scheme. A lawsuit against major landlords for alleged price-fixing could disrupt the housing market and potentially ease financial pressure on renters.
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