Wealt Roundup #72

Good morning ??

Welcome to the new edition of Wealt Weekly Roundup.

This week's highlights include SpaceX 's $40M defence contract, Neuralink & SpaceX deals still open, Anthropic 's AI policy moves, Groq 's $1.5B Saudi investment, Perplexity 's Super Bowl-driven growth, and major AI, fintech, and market updates, plus a deep dive into private markets in 2025.

Stay informed with Roundup – your guide to finance and tech trends!

Highlights from Wealt

?? 2 active deals - SpaceX & Neuralink

Want to be a part of Elon Musk’s revolution? SpaceX and Neuralink deals are open and waiting for you!

• SpaceX – The leader in commercial space exploration and satellite technology.
• Neuralink – Pioneering brain-computer interface technology.

?? Register your interest!

Don’t miss out! Download the App Store or Google Play app to access detailed investment information, including fact sheets and key deal insights, before these opportunities close.

Portfolio news

Elon Musk faced significant backlash after it was revealed that SpaceX secured a new $40 million defence contract. Critics highlight the tension between Musk's public stance on reducing federal spending and his companies' continued receipt of substantial government contracts.

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SpaceX is preparing for an overnight launch utilizing a Falcon 9 booster that has already completed 25 missions. This upcoming launch will mark the booster’s record-breaking 26th flight, underscoring SpaceX's advancements in reusable rocket technology.

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At the AI Action Summit in Paris, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei emphasized the need for democratic nations to lead in AI development, address security risks, and prepare for economic transitions due to rapid AI advancements. He urged for accelerated actions to match the technology's progression.

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Anthropic introduced the Anthropic Economic Index, aiming to analyze AI's effects on various occupations and tasks. Initial findings indicate that AI usage is prevalent in software development and technical writing, tending to augment rather than automate human tasks.

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Anthropic signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to explore how its AI model, Claude, can enhance public services. The collaboration aims to improve citizen interaction with government information and services online.

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Saudi Arabia committed $1.5 billion to Groq to expand its AI infrastructure, including developing a state-of-the-art data centre in Dammam. This investment is part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 to build an AI-powered economy.

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On its platform, GroqCloud announced the availability of new AI models, Qwen-2.5-32b and DeepSeek-r1-distill-qwen-32b. These models offer advanced capabilities, including long-context support and improved reasoning for complex tasks.

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Perplexity has launched "Deep Research," a tool that enables users to generate comprehensive research reports on any topic within 1-2 minutes, a task that would typically take human experts many hours. This feature is available for free, allowing up to five queries per day for non-subscribers.

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Perplexity discussed the importance of high-performance GPU memory transfer for optimizing AI workloads on AWS. The article highlighted the benefits of efficient data transfer for enhancing the performance of AI applications.

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Perplexity's Super Bowl-related tweet encouraging users to download its app and participate in a contest resulted in a 50% increase in app installs. The campaign helped engage users and boost the app's visibility.

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Market updates

• ??? Anduril has acquired the radar and command & control businesses of Numerica Corporation, strengthening its capabilities in advanced surveillance, defence automation, and aerospace tracking as it continues expanding its role in military and security technology.
• ?? Anduril is in talks to raise funding at a massive $28 billion valuation, signalling strong investor confidence in the defence tech firm's growth, particularly in AI-driven military applications and autonomous security solutions.
• ?? Klarna has partnered with J.P. Morgan Payments to expand its merchant services, improving its global payment infrastructure and offering businesses more flexibility in managing transactions.
• ?? Sam Altman has firmly stated that OpenAI is not for sale, pushing back against speculation fueled by Elon Musk’s criticism and reaffirming OpenAI’s commitment to independent research and development.
• ?? OpenAI has launched The Intelligence Age, an initiative exploring artificial intelligence's long-term societal, economic, and geopolitical impacts on global stability and technological evolution.
• ?? OpenAI has partnered with Schibsted Media Group to advance AI-driven journalism, enhancing content generation while ensuring editorial integrity and responsible AI use in news reporting.
• ???? Revolut has expanded financial services for Ukrainian residents, introducing new donation campaigns and launching a special edition ‘Clear Sky’ card to support humanitarian efforts.
• ?? Anduril and Microsoft have joined forces to enhance military AR, aiming to improve situational awareness and soldier training through the IVAS program.
• ?? OpenAI has detailed updates on its latest AI model, focusing on increased efficiency, safety enhancements, and improved performance across various applications.
• ?? The NYSE and Chicago Stock Exchange are reincorporating in Texas in response to business-friendly regulations, reflecting a broader trend of financial institutions shifting away from high-tax states.
• ?? JPMorgan Chase has announced around 1,000 layoffs, streamlining operations while continuing to hire for strategic roles in AI, cloud, and digital banking services.
• ?? Klarna’s CEO has suggested that the company may soon go public while exploring crypto services as part of its fintech expansion strategy.
• ?? Sam Altman has acknowledged that AI’s economic benefits may not be evenly distributed, reinforcing concerns about wealth concentration and access to advanced technologies.
• ???? The EU is expanding investments in AI innovation to strengthen its tech sector and compete with U.S. and Chinese AI advancements.
• ?? DeepSeek’s R1 AI model is more vulnerable to jailbreaking, raising security concerns over AI safety and misuse risks.
• ?? OpenAI is finalizing its first custom AI chip, reducing reliance on Nvidia and improving AI model efficiency.
• ?? Privacy advocates warn that the UK’s secret Apple iCloud backdoor order could set a dangerous precedent for digital security worldwide.
• ??? OpenAI has engaged with government officials to discuss the ongoing DeepSeek probe and potential AI regulation concerns.
• ?? Mistral is shifting its focus to enterprise AI solutions, targeting corporate clients to scale AI-powered automation and analytics.
• ??? Roblox, Discord, OpenAI, and Google collaborate to enhance online safety and introduce new tools to combat cyber threats and misinformation.
• ???? Apple has chosen Alibaba over DeepSeek for its AI expansion in China, prioritizing local partnerships for compliance.
• ?? Honda’s $60B merger with Nissan has collapsed, with disagreements over leadership and long-term strategy leading to the breakdown.

Wealt blog spotlight

This week’s selected blog is 2025 Private Markets Outlook: Reflecting on 2024 and Key Trends for 2025.

Private markets thrived in 2024, driven by AI, healthcare, and infrastructure growth. Companies stayed private for flexibility and capital access. ESG investing and tech innovations like AI and blockchain reshaped strategies while secondary markets expanded. In 2025, private markets are set to grow further, fueled by sustainability, AI, and infrastructure. And Wealt democratises access, making private investments more transparent and inclusive.

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With warm regards and enthusiastic spirits,

Wealt Team ???