a16z brings growth fund to $8.5B days after launching new $1.1B fund

Andreessen Horowitz held out its hand and returned with billions more in new funds to invest in startups.
A group funded by Andreessen, Horowitz, and Brockman plans data center ads to sway midterms

Build American AI plans to lobby voters in select states about the virtues of data centers by spending millions of dollars on ads.
FTC accuses Amazon of running a ‘secret ad surcharge scheme’ in new lawsuit

Amazon is facing a new lawsuit from the FTC and 22 states for allegedly secretly charging businesses more for advertising.
The Pentagon now has its own version of ChatGPT and Grok

Versions of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and SpaceXAI’s Grok will join Google’s Gemini on the Pentagon’s central portal for AI tools.
Instagram puts new limits on undisclosed AI profiles

As frustration over AI influencers has been growing, Instagram is limiting the reach of undisclosed AI profiles.
Apple’s top App Store exec, Phil Schiller, follows wave of exits as CEO Tim Cook steps down

The longtime executive won’t be leaving Apple just yet but staff at the company say it’s a step closer to Schiller retiring.
Meeting notetaker Circleback adds a free tier to attract more customers

Circleback is also introducing new pricing plans starting from $14 per month
The U.S. is building barriers around drones and robots, but China has scale to get around them

The U.S. is shutting out more foreign-made drones and robots. China’s scale means the global competition may simply move elsewhere.
Grindr wants to be the everything app for gay men; investors are still deciding whether it can pull it off

George Arison is done letting Wall Street’s “Grindr discount” go unchallenged — in a wide-ranging Q&A, the CEO walks us through how AI, a controversial $350-plus EDGE tier, and a bet on healthcare and long-distanc…
Liux’s Big microcar bets on sustainability to take on Chinese rivals

The Liux Big microcar is made in Spain. The startup thinks it can compete in a crowded market with its tiny electric car built around sustainability.