Anthropic, the startup behind Claude, has seen a sharp rise in its valuation since 2023, when it was reportedly valued at around $4.1 billion. Its valuation jumped from $61.5 billion in March 2025 to $183 billion in September 2025. Valued at $380 billion in February 2026, it is targeting a $900 billion valuation in an upcoming round, as per reports.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said most AI agents remain "too complex" for everyday users, failing his "mother test" of simplicity. Speaking during Meta's earnings call, he noted many tools require technical setup, citing Sam Altman-backed OpenClaw as an example. Zuckerberg said that Meta is focused on building simpler and more accessible AI tools for users and not just for developers.

German online takeaway firm Delivery Hero reported higher-than-expected first-quarter growth, with gross merchandise value rising 8.8% to €12.5 billion, beating forecasts. The performance was driven by its shift to "Everyday App" model and expansion in quick commerce. It expects 2026 earnings at top end of €910 to €960 million, while continuing strategic review of operations across global markets.

Colossal Biosciences has announced plans to bring back extinct bluebuck through genome editing. Prized for the unique colour of their hides, the antelope once roamed South Africa's southern coast until European settlers hunted them to extinction around 1800. The US-based startup also plans to resurrect the woolly mammoth, dodo, thylacine and moa.

India’s fintech sector raised $513 million in the January-March quarter, up 2% from $503 million a year earlier but down 9% from the previous quarter, as per Tracxn. The number of funding rounds dropped 54% from 99 to 45 in Q12026. Four of the five biggest deals, including Weaver, Ecofy, Easy Home Finance, and IDfy, were from Mumbai-based firms.

Karnataka on Friday launched India's first state-led Centre of Excellence for Space Technology in Bengaluru. The move aims to bridge the gap between research and market-ready solutions through applied innovation, talent development, and ecosystem building. Its main focus areas will include advanced research in space tech, industry training, startup incubation, and cross-sector applications.

Indian-origin engineer Apurva Shrivastava and Tyson Chen's AI startup Avoca hit $1-billion valuation in three years. Avoca builds AI agents for physical services businesses, including HVAC firms, to receive calls, schedule jobs and run dispatch. They were initially building an AI to handle missed calls for eateries, but later realised the opportunity the service had for home services businesses.

Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Wadhwa said India no longer needs its diaspora as it's building itself and, in fact, it's the diaspora that needs India. Wadhwa was responding to billionaire Sridhar Vembu's recent X post, calling on Indians to return to India from the US. He said the US immigration system "has become toxic" as Indian professionals are being "pushed out".

Iran lost $4.8 billion (over ₹45,000 crore) in just 19 days of the US' blockade of Iranian ports as 31 tankers carrying 5.3 crore barrels of oil remain stranded, Pentagon estimates. The blockade has redirected over 40 vessels attempting to pass through with Iranian oil. Analysts estimate Iran has up to a month before it'll need to shut oil production.

Companies adopting AI led to an increase in efficiency, which has likely backfired as they're getting paid less to deliver same or even greater volume of services, Moneycontrol reported. The resultant "AI deflation" will shave nearly $10 billion off Indian IT firms' revenues, analysts estimate. A $100-million deal could not fetch just $80 million, HCLTech CEO C Vijayakumar recently said.