D2C brands feel the pinch as consumers cut spending

Rising input costs and shrinking demand are squeezing smaller brands, with consumer spending projected to drop 5-6% next quarter. D2C brands face pressure as inflation and a weakening rupee push consumers towards essential purchases, impacting discretionary spending and average order values. Companies are absorbing costs or planning price hikes up to 10%.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

New York, California pension leaders oppose 'extreme' SpaceX control structure

US pension funds are raising significant red flags regarding SpaceX's imminent entry into the stock market. Leaders from California and New York have penned letters to Elon Musk, expressing their deep apprehensions about the governance framework that it affords him overwhelming influence. They urge for amendments to the voting rights and removal protections before the anticipated IPO takes place.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Ex-Peak XV trio launches Mettle Capital, targets $350–400 million fund to back Indian startups

Three former Peak XV Partners, Ashish Agrawal, Ishaan Mittal, and Tejeshwi Sharma, have launched Mettle Capital. The new venture capital fund aims to raise $350-400 million. Mettle Capital will invest in Indian startups at Series A and B stages, with selective seed bets. The fund plans to close its fundraising within the next quarter and begin deploying capital by September-October.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

OpenAI chief Altman has over $2 billion stake in companies that dealt with OpenAI: court filing

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's significant investments in companies doing business with his AI firm have come under scrutiny. Court documents revealed stakes worth over $2 billion. State attorneys general and Elon Musk have raised self-dealing claims. A congressional investigation is also underway. Altman has denied wrongdoing, stating he recused himself from key decisions.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Meta offers rival AI chatbots free access to WhatsApp for a month

Meta Platforms is offering rival AI chatbots free access to its WhatsApp messaging service for one month. This move comes as Meta discusses commitments with EU antitrust regulators. The European Commission had indicated it was inclined to order Meta to provide such access. Previously, Meta had restricted its own AI assistant to WhatsApp, later proposing a fee for rivals.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Anthropic expands Claude's AI tools for law firms, lawyers

Artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic has launched new tools for lawyers using its Claude AI assistant. These features offer specialized legal topic support and access to other legal research and AI products. Law firms can now securely connect Claude with platforms like Thomson Reuters for research and document management.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT

Riding the AI buck: Rising API, usage-based costs force a rethink

As enterprises rapidly scale AI adoption, soaring API and usage-based costs are forcing companies to rethink spending, introduce guardrails and, in some cases, hire humans instead. Swathi Moorthy weighs in.

from Tech-Economic Times
via IFTTT