The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica E. Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica E. Lessin and the team at The Information

Get smarter about the day’s news in tech, media and finance by following Silicon Valley’s most-read executive newsletter.

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Recent Editions

Google Challenges Meta With Smarter Glasses

By Martin Peers · May 20, 2025 5:00pm PDT

With its Ray-Ban smart glasses, Meta Platforms has had the high-tech eyewear market pretty much to itself. But Google’s unveiling on Tuesday of its own glasses, using software developed with Samsung and to be made in conjunction with Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, an edgy Korean eyewear brand, signals there’s a new kid on this block. Now all... With its Ray-Ban smart glasses, Meta Platforms has had the high-tech eyewear market pretty much...

Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, Calif. Photo via Getty

The Hot New Job in VC: Portfolio Pruner

By Cory Weinberg · May 20, 2025 3:30pm PDT

All the glory within venture capital firms goes to dealmakers who find the next big investments. But a new group that also focuses on selling rather than just buying is now playing a crucial role in the firms as they struggle to return cash to their clients. Former bankers or private equity investors at large VC firms such as New Enterprise... All the glory within venture capital firms goes to dealmakers who find the next big investments....

Photo via Shutterstock

Creator Economy

The Startup Helping TV Shows Act Like Creators

By Catherine Perloff · May 20, 2025 3:15pm PDT

Creators have been cashing in on the ecommerce boom for at least a decade, by recommending links to products and taking a cut of any resulting purchase. It’s been harder for TV firms to take advantage. Shopsense AI, a startup founded early last year by former Amazon and Klarna executives, is trying to change that. The company has been... Creators have been cashing in on the ecommerce boom for at least a decade, by recommending links...

A doctor uses the Abridge listening and transcription app while meeting with a patient. Photo via Getty.

Abridge in Talks to Raise at $5 Billion Valuation as AI Health Startups Draw Investors

By Stephanie Palazzolo, Natasha Mascarenhas and Sri Muppidi · May 20, 2025 3:01pm PDT

A doctor uses the Abridge listening and transcription app while meeting with a patient. Photo via Getty.

Abridge in Talks to Raise at $5 Billion Valuation as AI Health Startups Draw Investors

By Stephanie Palazzolo, Natasha Mascarenhas and Sri Muppidi · May 20, 2025 3:01pm PDT

Abridge, a seven-year-old startup that sells artificial intelligence software for transcribing physicians’ conversations with patients, is in discussions with investors to raise hundreds of millions of dollars at around a $5 billion valuation before the investment, according to two people with knowledge of the plans. The funding would nearly... Abridge, a seven-year-old startup that sells artificial intelligence software for transcribing...

Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday at Google I/O. Photo by Getty

Google Unveils New AI Features to Help Defend Its Search Business

By Erin Woo and Ann Gehan · May 20, 2025 1:17pm PDT

Google on Tuesday unveiled a partnership with Warby Parker to introduce smart glasses, posing a major threat to Meta Platforms’ market lead in smart glasses. The glasses were among a slew of new products and features announced at its I/O developer conference on Tuesday. Much of Tuesday’s presentation showed how Google is moving ahead on... Google on Tuesday unveiled a partnership with Warby Parker to introduce smart glasses, posing a...

Photo via Shutterstock

Why Databricks Is Paying for an AI Sales Coach

By Jon Victor · May 20, 2025 10:16am PDT

Microsoft, Salesforce and numerous startups have talked up the idea of an artificial intelligence–powered coach that gives feedback to salespeople about their pitches to customers. Databricks is one of the few companies to actually use such a product at scale. Earlier this year, the data-analysis software provider gave 1,000 employees in... Microsoft, Salesforce and numerous startups have talked up the idea of an artificial intelligence...

Elon Musk. Photo via Getty

XAI Moves Closer to Starting an Enterprise and Government Business

By Kevin McLaughlin and Stephanie Palazzolo · May 20, 2025 7:00am PDT

How Elon Musk’s xAI plans to make money is one of the big questions in the AI world right now. Musk hasn’t said much and even investors in the company don’t seem to know many details, given the vague statements they made when asked about it at our Financing the AI Revolution conference last month. We have one answer: XAI plans to use... How Elon Musk’s xAI plans to make money is one of the big questions in the AI world right now....

An Amazon Fulfillment center in New Jersey. Photo via Getty.

Amazon Caps Warehouse Inventory Amid Tariff Turmoil

By Theo Wayt · May 20, 2025 6:00am PDT

An Amazon Fulfillment center in New Jersey. Photo via Getty.

Amazon Caps Warehouse Inventory Amid Tariff Turmoil

By Theo Wayt · May 20, 2025 6:00am PDT

For many merchants selling on Amazon, a 90-day pause in steep U.S. tariffs on China should be a chance to stockpile inventory. But Amazon has already grown cautious about letting goods pile up in its warehouses, as it tries to keep its massive logistics and commerce business running efficiently amid trade turmoil. In recent weeks, Amazon told... For many merchants selling on Amazon, a 90-day pause in steep U.S. tariffs on China should be a...

Satya Nadella returns to the stage after a pre-recorded interview with Elon Musk at the Microsoft Build conference. Photo via Getty.

What We Learned About xAI’s Grok From Microsoft Build

By Martin Peers · May 19, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Uh-oh. We’re in conference hell, one of those periods of the year when tech companies try to seize control of the news cycle with a seemingly never-ending stream of product announcements (many incomprehensible to ordinary folks) and/or partnership deals. Today Microsoft kicked off its Build developer conference (not to be confused with its... Uh-oh. We’re in conference hell, one of those periods of the year when tech companies try to...

Photo via Getty

What’s Helping Perplexity’s 60% Gross Profit Margin

By Laura Mandaro and Sri Muppidi · May 19, 2025 7:31am PDT

Earlier today we published a deep dive on Perplexity’s financials. The three-year-old startup’s AI powered search engine has made it one of the most highly valued and fastest growing AI startups. Supporting that growth is expensive. As a sign of its growing popularity, the number of questions people have asked the search engine increased... Earlier today we published a deep dive on Perplexity’s financials. The three-year-old startup’s...

Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of Perplexity. Photo via Getty

For Google Challenger Perplexity, Growth Comes at a High Cost

By Sri Muppidi · May 19, 2025 6:00am PDT · 14 comments

Artificial intelligence–powered search engine Perplexity has rapidly increased its subscription revenue and users in the past year, despite tough competition from the free AI search tools of Google and OpenAI. Previously unreported financials show the cost of that growth. Perplexity generated $34 million in revenue last year. But it burned... Artificial intelligence–powered search engine Perplexity has rapidly increased its...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. (Getty Images)

Nvidia in Talks to Invest in Quantum Startup PsiQuantum

By Anissa Gardizy · May 18, 2025 6:41pm PDT · 1 comment

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. (Getty Images)

Quantum Computing

Nvidia in Talks to Invest in Quantum Startup PsiQuantum

By Anissa Gardizy · May 18, 2025 6:41pm PDT · 1 comment

Nvidia is in advanced talks to invest in PsiQuantum, a quantum computing startup, according to a person involved in the discussions. The investment would be the latest signal that Nvidia has shifted its stance on quantum computing after CEO Jensen Huang earlier this year seemed to cast doubt on the field, saying it was likely two decades... Nvidia is in advanced talks to invest in PsiQuantum, a quantum computing startup, according to a...

Art via Clark Miller

Behind Microsoft Layoffs, Automation Efforts Boom

By Aaron Holmes · May 17, 2025 1:29pm PDT · 8 comments

Jeff Hulse, a Microsoft vice president who oversees roughly 400 software engineers, told the team in recent months to use the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot, powered by OpenAI, to generate half the computer code they write, according to a person who heard the remarks. That would represent an increase from the 20% to 30% of code AI... Jeff Hulse, a Microsoft vice president who oversees roughly 400 software engineers, told the team...

Art: Clark Miller

Is Brian Chesky’s Big Bet Big Enough?

By Abram Brown · May 17, 2025 7:00am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The AI euphoria—and peril—driving ServiceNow’s Bill McDermott• The Top 5: Silicon Valley’s most exotic fitness goals• Plus, our Recommendations: A wager to save a dad; “Fargo” in Maine; and a band of brothers from Down UnderLately, I’ve lived exactly as Brian Chesky might want. Yet the... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The AI euphoria—and peril—driving...

Art by Clark Miller

The Exotic Fitness Goals of the Tech Elite

By Nick Wingfield · May 17, 2025 6:00am PDT · 9 comments

When normies want to set lofty fitness goals for themselves, they train for half- or full-marathons. If they’re feeling ambitious, perhaps they shoot for a triathlon or a Tough Mudder. For the type A personalities of tech, though, those events are sometimes warmups, literally, for even more extravagant athletic feats. Last Friday night, for... When normies want to set lofty fitness goals for themselves, they train for half- or...

John Malone. Photo via Getty

Why the Charter-Cox $34.5 Billion Cable Deal Matters

By Martin Peers · May 16, 2025 2:30pm PDT

John Malone. Photo via Getty

Why the Charter-Cox $34.5 Billion Cable Deal Matters

By Martin Peers · May 16, 2025 2:30pm PDT

Misery loves company, as they say. Friday’s announcement that two of the three biggest cable-broadband firms, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, are combining is a logical next step in the consolidation of a stagnant but still significant industry. Charter, whose biggest shareholder is controlled by aging cable magnate John Malone,... Misery loves company, as they say. Friday’s announcement that two of the three biggest...

Clark Miller

Bots or Bust: ServiceNow’s Bill McDermott Makes an All-In Bet on AI

By Akash Pasricha · May 16, 2025 9:02am PDT · 2 comments

Late on a Friday night in March, Bill McDermott, ServiceNow’s CEO and chairman, walked off a flight in San Jose, Calif., and then immediately asked his chief of staff to get his top sales and engineering execs on the phone. He had a task for them. McDermott had just spent a week in New York meeting with customers, including the heads of banks... Late on a Friday night in March, Bill McDermott, ServiceNow’s CEO and chairman, walked off a...

Databricks CEO Ali Ghodsi. Photo via AP

Pro Weekly: AI M&A Heats Up

By Akash Pasricha · May 16, 2025 8:00am PDT

One of the most exciting stories in tech lately is just four letters long: AI M&A. On Wednesday, Databricks said it was paying around $1 billion to buy Neon, a database software startup that can be used to develop AI agents. Then, on Thursday, Salesforce said it was buying AI agent developer Convergence. And OpenAI has reportedly been... One of the most exciting stories in tech lately is just four letters long: AI M&A. On...

Chime headquarters in San Francisco. Photo via Shutterstock

Chime’s Approach to Payday Lending Is Costly—for Chime

By Cory Weinberg · May 16, 2025 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Last summer, banking app Chime introduced a lending product that let customers borrow small amounts to get them through to their next paycheck. Typical payday lenders charge exorbitant fees, but Chime was making the loans largely for free. The fintech’s big bet is that fronting cash to customers—and only charging people that want... Last summer, banking app Chime introduced a lending product that let customers borrow small...

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via Getty

Why YouTube Should Say How Much Money It Makes

By Martin Peers · May 15, 2025 5:00pm PDT

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via Getty

Why YouTube Should Say How Much Money It Makes

By Martin Peers · May 15, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Video-streaming and TV executives were out in force in New York this week, as outlets pitched their program schedules to marketers at lavish star-studded presentations. None other than Lady Gaga performed at YouTube’s party in Lincoln Center, for instance. There’s no doubt YouTube has come a long way since its founding 20 years ago. It now has a... Video-streaming and TV executives were out in force in New York this week, as outlets pitched...