Top Stories | Nvidia released Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, an open mixture-of-experts model that it claims delivers substantially faster output. It comes alongside a router that assigns AI agents the best model for each task. — NVIDIA Spotify will begin labeling artist profiles that “do not represent a real person” as “AI Persona” in mid-September, using human review and AI tools. — The Verge OpenAI debuted GPT-5.6-Cyber to approved Daybreak partners, saying the model completed 95% of exploit-chain and privilege-escalation requests as it expands controlled access to AI capable of finding zero-day vulnerabilities. — OpenAI NVIDIA partnered with Apollo, BlackRock, Blackstone, Brookfield, Goldman Sachs, and KKR on financing platforms targeting $500B+, as AI compute continues its shift into an infrastructure asset class. — NVIDIA Newsroom House Democrats demanded OpenAI and Anthropic explain how their agents escaped containment during security tests, placing pressure on independent auditors. — Firstpost
| Top Funding Announcements | Neros — The defense startup raised $250M at a $2.5B valuation to accelerate drone development and production amid rising US government demand. — Bloomberg Tech Epicrispr Biotechnologies — Raised a $90M Series C co-led by Octagon Capital and Janus Henderson to advance its epigenetic-editing treatment for FSHD, expand its pipeline, and build the company. — BioPharma Dive River AI — The startup raised $1B, led by General Catalyst, to build home and small-business servers that run and customize AI models locally. — New York Times Bios Life — BioNTech veterans raised a $25M seed round for their virtual cancer surveillance startup, though the lead investor and planned use of funds were not disclosed. — Endpoints News Erebor — The crypto-friendly startup bank is raising $1.5B at an $8B valuation to strengthen its capital cushion and expand banking for AI, defense, manufacturing, and crypto companies. — Tech Arcade
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"Apple might be right… Do nothing and win. The Apple way,” comments Seattle-based SWE @JasonKim, noting that frontier labs are competitively racing to the bottom on token prices as Apple calmly waits to wrap someone else's open-weights model in their logo. American entrepreneur @PeterDiamandis optimistically states, “If you gave every human on Earth their own AI tutor…completely free, it would perhaps be the single greatest equalizer in the history of civilization”, leaning into conversations on AI impact into class. "Whether they want to admit it or not, many women have always been attracted to bad boys and risk-takers," snarked Bloomberg columnist @Matt_Levine. "I can't think of any archetype of man that fits that description more today than newsletter writers that put it all on the line every day."
| This Week in Startups |  | Zuck’s AI manifesto is a data center PR masterclass | E2323 |
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| Timestamps: 0:00 Why Zuck thinks the future is open source 1:41 Meta's roadmap: personal assistants and beyond 26:58 How to win the data center argument 38:39 X intros Original Content Rewards 51:13 The CLARITY Act faces new setbacks 1:00:01 AI agents are taking students' tests for them 1:08:52 LAUNCH is hiring! |
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| Today’s Fascinating Fact from Harmonic | Harvey AI is the brainchild of Winston Weinberg, a former practicing attorney with a JD from USC, and Gabe Pereyra, an Oxford-trained AI researcher formerly of DeepMind and Meta. These two coming together to develop an AI platform for legal professionals makes a certain kind of sense. The company now boasts 1,650 employees and they’re deep in GTM Mode, with sales staffers now outnumbering engineers. | Try it yourself at harmonic.ai | Subscribe to Us On Your Favorite Podcast Platforms | | | SF Live-Work Space Now Available | Need a flexible living and working environment in San Francisco? This thoughtfully designed loft-style residence at 787 Bryant St., the heart of the vibrant SOMA district and the city’s creative hub, is now available for rent or purchase. Check the listing for more details. | The TWiST500 newsletter is the new, updated, and improved TWiST Ticker. | | |
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