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

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The Briefing

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

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Recent Editions

Daniel Gross, left, and Nat Friedman. Photos via Wikipedia and Erin Beach.

The ‘Magic’ Breakthrough That Got Friedman and Gross to Bet $100 Million on a Coding Startup

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Amir Efrati · Feb 21, 2024 7:00am PST

Former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and his investment partner, Daniel Gross, raised eyebrows last week by writing a $100 million check to Magic, the developer of an artificial intelligence coding assistant. There are loads of coding assistants already, and the top dog among them is Microsoft’s GitHub Copilot. So what did Friedman and Gross see in... Former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and his investment partner, Daniel Gross, raised eyebrows last...

The People With Power at ServiceNow

By Akash Pasricha · Feb 21, 2024 6:00am PST

ServiceNow is the rare technology company not to have laid off employees in the past 18 months. The software maker, whose $154 billion market capitalization outranks better-known brands such as Shopify and Snowflake, avoided layoffs by hiring prudently: Revenue has grown faster than headcount each year for at least a decade. Hiring slowed... ServiceNow is the rare technology company not to have laid off employees in the past 18 months....

Vizio televisions on display at Walmart. Photo by Getty

Sequoia’s Swedish Drama; What Walmart-Vizio Deal Means for Amazon

By Martin Peers · Feb 20, 2024 5:00pm PST

You might not have expected Klarna, the Sweden-based original “buy now, pay later” lender, to be the setting for a “Succession”-caliber soap opera—but hey, Sweden also produces lots of dramas for streaming TV. The real-life one we’re talking about centers on Sequoia Capital’s ham-handed efforts to remove its highly respected former partner,... You might not have expected Klarna, the Sweden-based original “buy now, pay later” lender, to be...

Art by Mike Sullivan

ByteDance’s CapCut Could Cause New D.C. Headaches

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 20, 2024 2:56pm PST

Art by Mike Sullivan

Creator Economy

ByteDance’s CapCut Could Cause New D.C. Headaches

By Kaya Yurieff · Feb 20, 2024 2:56pm PST

Over the past few months, I've been hearing a lot more about ByteDance-owned CapCut, with many creators telling me they use the app as their main editing tool, which provides trendy templates and filters to spruce up videos. Some of this growth comes from its sister app TikTok, where users see videos made with CapCut and then get the app, making... Over the past few months, I've been hearing a lot more about ByteDance-owned CapCut, with many...

Matthew Miller. Photo by Sequoia.

Sequoia Retracts Request to Oust Moritz From Klarna Board

By Kate Clark, Maria Heeter and Cory Weinberg · Feb 20, 2024 12:48pm PST · 3 comments

Sequoia Capital has retracted its request to remove Michael Moritz as chairman of Klarna’s board, according to emails reviewed by The Information. Sequoia partner Matthew Miller, the director who in recent days had asked Klarna shareholders to remove Moritz, is instead leaving the Klarna board. Sequoia plans to appoint a new partner to the... Sequoia Capital has retracted its request to remove Michael Moritz as chairman of Klarna’s...

photo by Getty

Microsoft Develops AI Server Gear to Lessen Reliance on Nvidia

By Anissa Gardizy · Feb 20, 2024 8:00am PST · 1 comment

Microsoft is taking another step to reduce its dependence on Nvidia. The software giant is developing a networking card to ensure that data moves quickly between its servers, as an alternative to one supplied by Nvidia, said a person with direct knowledge. In addition to potentially saving Microsoft money, the company hopes the new networking... Microsoft is taking another step to reduce its dependence on Nvidia. The software giant is...

Photo via OpenAI.

With Sora, OpenAI Casts Shadow Over AI Video Startups

By Kalley Huang and Stephanie Palazzolo · Feb 20, 2024 7:00am PST · 3 comments

When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last week posted a series of ultrarealistic and cinematic videos made by Sora, his company’s latest artificial intelligence technology, we imagined alarm bells ringing across the technology industry and, perhaps, Hollywood. Most of all, the videos should put fear in the hearts of at least seven companies in our ... When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last week posted a series of ultrarealistic and cinematic videos made...

Art by Mike Sullivan

TikTok Executives Fretted About China Ties of CapCut Editing-App

By Juro Osawa · Feb 20, 2024 6:00am PST · 2 comments

Art by Mike Sullivan

TikTok Executives Fretted About China Ties of CapCut Editing-App

By Juro Osawa · Feb 20, 2024 6:00am PST · 2 comments

Last year, the second most downloaded free app in the U.S. on iPhones was CapCut, a video-editing app made by TikTok’s parent ByteDance and popular with TikTok users who use its templates and filters to create videos for the app. But CapCut—unlike TikTok itself—is directly run by ByteDance executives in China, a point confirmed... Last year, the second most downloaded free app in the U.S. on iPhones was CapCut, a video-editing...

Northvolt's gigafactory in Skelleftea, Sweden. Photo: Getty.

The Electric: A Few Companies Raise Funds, a Bright Spot in the Gloomy EV Industry

By Steve LeVine · Feb 19, 2024 4:30am PST · 1 comment

In 2021, Europe’s electric vehicle market was feverish. Seemingly every week, automakers announced new plans to spend billions developing EVs. Those EVs would require batteries, and Sweden’s Northvolt, the most ambitious of a small coterie of European battery manufacturing startups, made plans to triple the capacity of its new gigafactory near... In 2021, Europe’s electric vehicle market was feverish. Seemingly every week, automakers...

When You’re Really a Twitter, But You Want to Be an Uber

When You’re Really a Twitter, But You Want to Be an Uber

By Abram Brown · Feb 17, 2024 7:00am PST

Welcome to your Weekend!A couple days ago, Mark Zuckerberg had quite a lot to say about his company—and someone else’s. Specifically, he talked about how Meta Platforms’ virtual reality headset, the Quest (which starts at $499), compares to Apple’s VR headset, the Vision Pro ($3,499). “I expected Quest would be a better value for most people,”... Welcome to your Weekend!A couple days ago, Mark Zuckerberg had quite a lot to say about his...

Art by Clark Miller

The Best Vision Pro Apps (So Far)

By Abram Brown · Feb 17, 2024 5:00am PST · 7 comments

The anticipation that surrounded Apple’s Vision Pro, the multitrillion-dollar company’s nearly $4,000 virtual reality headset, sure made some die-hards go to substantial lengths to lay their hands on one. Tina Debove Nigro, for instance, flew from Paris to Boston via Reykjavík, Iceland, to acquire the device as soon as humanly... The anticipation that surrounded Apple’s Vision Pro, the multitrillion-dollar...

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on February 14 in New York City. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images.

AI Investor Rush Harks Back to ZIRP Days

By Martin Peers · Feb 16, 2024 4:05pm PST · 1 comment

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange during morning trading on February 14 in New York City. Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images.

AI Investor Rush Harks Back to ZIRP Days

By Martin Peers · Feb 16, 2024 4:05pm PST · 1 comment

It’s beginning to feel a bit like early 2021. Investor enthusiasm for AI startups has surged again, after a brief respite, as we reported today. One great example from our story: Perplexity AI has received unsolicited offers valuing the firm at more than $1 billion—just a month after its last funding round valued it at half that. Meanwhile, ... It’s beginning to feel a bit like early 2021. Investor enthusiasm for AI startups has surged...

7 Trillion Reasons Why

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 16, 2024 2:08pm PST · 6 comments

After a week of going full Vision Pro, the Lessins' reaction may surprise you. (It certainly surprised me.) This week's podcast covered all of that and zoomed out with some predictions about how this next tech battleground will play out. Plus, our take on the string of AI headlines this week. And the return of Pop Culture Corner! ... After a week of going full Vision Pro, the Lessins' reaction may surprise you. (It...

Iosotaluno photo courtesy of Match Group. Art by Clark Miller.

‘I Want My Daughters to Be on Tinder’: A New CEO Hopes to Make Everyone Fall in Love Again

By Annie Goldsmith · Feb 16, 2024 9:00am PST · 3 comments

Faye Iosotaluno initially envisioned her family’s December trip to New Zealand as a holiday-time sojourn, but a week before they left, she learned they’d have another reason to celebrate. She’d gotten the top job at Tinder, after a lengthy stretch as its chief operating officer. For Iosotaluno, the role would mean a plunge... Faye Iosotaluno initially envisioned her family’s December trip to New Zealand as a...

Pro Weekly: Rising Shares Lift Readers' Views of Tech Giants

Pro Weekly: Rising Shares Lift Readers' Views of Tech Giants

By Akash Pasricha · Feb 16, 2024 8:00am PST

Readers of The Information are optimistic about the tech sector: More than 62% of respondents to our most recent survey expect conditions to improve over the next six months, the highest such percentage since we began asking that question a year ago. The favorable outlook extends to most of the 14 big tech companies we ask about each... Readers of The Information are optimistic about the tech sector: More than 62% of respondents to...

Art by Shane Burke.

Scale, Anthropic Show Pickup in AI Venture Deals

By Cory Weinberg, Kate Clark, Natasha Mascarenhas and Stephanie Palazzolo · Feb 16, 2024 6:00am PST · 2 comments

Art by Shane Burke.

Scale, Anthropic Show Pickup in AI Venture Deals

By Cory Weinberg, Kate Clark, Natasha Mascarenhas and Stephanie Palazzolo · Feb 16, 2024 6:00am PST · 2 comments

For a brief period at the start of this year, it looked like venture capitalists’ hunger for artificial intelligence startups was ebbing, spooked by lofty prices and increasing competition from big companies like Google. But in recent weeks, investors have shown the kind of unbridled enthusiasm that colored much of last year—and... For a brief period at the start of this year, it looked like venture capitalists’ hunger...

Michael Moritz at a conference in 2019. Photo by Alex Flynn/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Sequoia Pressures Former Leader Moritz to Leave Klarna Board Seat

By Maria Heeter, Cory Weinberg and Kate Clark · Feb 15, 2024 7:11pm PST · 6 comments

Sequoia Capital is pushing for one of its most venerated former partners, Michael Moritz, to step down from his personal board position at the “buy now, pay later” company Klarna. Sequoia partner Matthew Miller in recent days asked shareholders at Klarna to remove Moritz from the board of directors, a person with direct knowledge of... Sequoia Capital is pushing for one of its most venerated former partners, Michael Moritz, to step...

Sam Altman. Photo by Sipa via AP Images.

So Where’s That New OpenAI Board?

By Jessica E. Lessin · Feb 15, 2024 5:08pm PST · 1 comment

Last November, one of the most important private technology businesses in the world—OpenAI—nearly collapsed overnight over a governance crisis. Its nonprofit board announced to the world that it had lost confidence in CEO Sam Altman’s ability to lead, and it ousted him. Most of the people who worked there threatened to quit. Altman was brought... Last November, one of the most important private technology businesses in the world—OpenAI—nearly...

Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images.

I Was Wrong. We Haven’t Reached Peak AI Frenzy.

By Kate Clark · Feb 15, 2024 4:16pm PST · 3 comments

After Sam Altman’s sudden firing last year, I argued the chaos that followed his short-lived ouster would inject a healthy dose of caution into venture investments in artificial intelligence companies. I figured we’d finally reached the peak of the AI venture capital frenzy when a threatened employee exodus from OpenAI risked sending the value... After Sam Altman’s sudden firing last year, I argued the chaos that followed his short-lived...

Creator Alix Earle (right) and her partner, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Braxton Barrios (left) at the 2024 Super Bowl. Photo by Getty Images.

MrBeast's Audience Is Big. The Super Bowl Is Bigger

By Sahil Patel · Feb 15, 2024 2:06pm PST

Creator Alix Earle (right) and her partner, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Braxton Barrios (left) at the 2024 Super Bowl. Photo by Getty Images.

Creator Economy

MrBeast's Audience Is Big. The Super Bowl Is Bigger

By Sahil Patel · Feb 15, 2024 2:06pm PST

Earlier this week Nielsen, the TV measurement firm, reported that 123.7 million people in the U.S. watched this year’s Super Bowl. The TV broadcast, which aired on CBS, averaged 120.3 million viewers, which made it the largest audience for a single telecast in U.S. TV history. (An additional 2.3 million viewers watched the Spanish-language... Earlier this week Nielsen, the TV measurement firm, reported that 123.7 million people in the...