TL;DR

Meta buys 49% of Scale AI; Amazon invests $20B in AI data centers; SEC eases crypto rules.

Highlights

• Meta acquires 49% of Scale AI for $14.3B; CEO Alexandr Wang to lead Meta’s new superintelligence lab 1.
• Amazon to invest $20B in Pennsylvania AI data centers, securing 1.92 GW of nuclear power 4.
• OpenAI launches “o3 Pro” model for ChatGPT; Mistral, Meta, and ByteDance announce new AGI initiatives 5.
• Tencent explores $15B acquisition of South Korea’s Nexon, expanding its gaming portfolio 2.
• AST SpaceMobile secures 80-year, 45 MHz spectrum deal in US/Canada and raises $550M for direct-to-device satellite network 3.
• AstraZeneca and CSPC sign AI drug discovery partnership worth up to $5.3B 7.
• SEC withdraws Gensler-era crypto and ESG rule proposals; new leadership signals regulatory shift 10.
• Invesco and Galaxy file for Solana ETF; SEC accelerates crypto ETF reviews with a decision possible by July 15.
• China’s SAMR delays $35B Synopsys-Ansys merger amid US chip export controls 8.
• JetZero to invest nearly $5B in North Carolina for blended wing-body aircraft manufacturing, creating 14,500 jobs 6.
• Apple delays AI-enhanced Siri assistant to spring 2026 12.
• Paramount to cut 3.5% of staff amid Skydance merger delay; US State Dept. considers up to 80,000 layoffs 11.

Commentary

AI infrastructure and talent remain at the center of strategic activity, as Meta ’s $14.3B investment in Scale AI secures both high-value data assets and leadership talent 1. The move, combined with Amazon ’s $20B commitment to AI data centers powered by nuclear energy, highlights the capital requirements and operational scale now expected in the AI arms race 4. For VC-backed AI infrastructure and data startups, these transactions signal continued demand from strategic buyers and a competitive environment for exits, but also rising costs and expectations for differentiation.

On the application layer, OpenAI’s “o3 Pro” rollout and parallel AGI efforts from Mistral, Meta , and ByteDance point to sustained innovation cycles and rapid product iteration 5. Apple ’s delayed Siri upgrade may create short-term whitespace for startups building vertical or context-specific AI assistants 12. Meanwhile, Tencent’s potential Nexon acquisition and JetZero’s manufacturing expansion show that strategic acquirers are still active in gaming and aerospace, sectors where scale and IP matter 26.

Regulatory developments are shifting. The SEC’s reversal of crypto and ESG rules, along with the fast-tracking of Solana ETF reviews, could reduce compliance friction and attract more institutional capital to digital assets 1015. However, China’s delay of the Synopsys -Ansys merger underscores persistent geopolitical risk, especially for cross-border deep tech deals 8.

For VCs, the current environment favors differentiated AI infrastructure, capital-light applications, and digital asset platforms with regulatory clarity. Strategic M&A remains a viable exit path, but investors should remain cautious of regulatory and geopolitical headwinds in semiconductors and cross-border transactions.