July 24, 2026
Friday Roundup
This week’s biggest stories, in one read
This week, the AI boom reshaped startup growth, chip strategy and preparations for the public markets.
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Key highlights:
- Mercor’s rapid growth comes with a major reliance on the biggest AI companies.
- Google is developing a new chip to ease one of its biggest AI bottlenecks.
- Anthropic is weighing an unusual approach to employee stock sales after an IPO.
Tech & AI
Chips, models and power plays
Exclusive
Mercor’s Fast Growth Relies on Biggest AI Companies, Documents Show
By Cory Weinberg and Julia Hornstein
Exclusive
Google Plans New ‘Frozen’ Chip to Run Its AI Models Much More Efficiently
By Erin Woo and Qianer Liu
AI Agenda
What the New Kimi K3 Model Really Means for the U.S.-China AI Race
By Alix Coutures, Rocket Drew and Aaron Holmes
Finance
Revenue, exits and new bets
Exclusive
Anthropic Considers Unusual Plan for Employee Stock Sales After It Goes Public
By Cory Weinberg
Exclusive
AlphaSense Tops $700 Million in Annual Recurring Revenue, Takes IPO Steps
By Kevin McLaughlin and Valida Pau
AI Agenda
Anthropic Investor in Talks to Fund New Lab Run By Two Stanford AI Professors
By Stephanie Palazzolo
Summer Essentials
Books, gear and summer fun
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AI Infrastructure
By Ann Davis Vaughan
Stay ahead of the AI infrastructure wars. Ann Davis Vaughan cover how tech titans are disrupting the energy sector and becoming accidental industrial giants to compete on the AI model battlefield.
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