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Hello everyone!
Here is your quick roundup of today’s biggest developments across chip stocks, AI data security, graduate finances, crypto security, and AI-led sales.
What’s New Today: Five stories are shaping the tech and business landscape today. Semiconductor stocks suffered a sharp sell-off on Oct. 30 after Intel gave a weak outlook. Capital One Ventures has invested USD 150 million in cybersecurity startup Sentra. Recent college graduates are finding new ways to save as inflation and a tough job market squeeze their budgets. Binance has reported a theft of about USD 6.3 billion, which may be the largest of its kind. Nooks has secured a USD 500 million funding commitment to grow its AI sales platform.
Chip stocks tumble: Semiconductor stocks fell sharply on Friday, Oct. 30, after Intel’s guidance came in well below expectations. Intel pointed to a declining personal computer (PC) market.
Index and stock moves: The PHLX Semiconductor Sector index dropped 7% in a single session. Nvidia fell more than 4%, while Broadcom and Micron Technology also pulled back substantially.
Sentra’s USD 150 million round: Capital One Ventures has invested USD 150 million in Sentra and will join its board. The startup helps companies find and protect sensitive cloud data, with a focus on data used by AI agents.
Founders and growth: Asaf Kochan, who headed Israel’s cyber intelligence Unit 8200 until early 2021, launched Sentra that year with Yoav Regev. The company reports more than 300% year-on-year growth and operates from New York and Tel Aviv.
Semiconductor stocks witnessed a brutal sell-off on Friday, Oct. 30, after Intel's guidance came in well below expectations due to a declining personal computer (PC) market.
The PHLX Semiconductor Sector index fell 7% in a single session. Shares of Nvidia (NVDA-3.17%) were down more than 4% on Oct. 30, while other popular semiconductor stocks, such as Broadcom (AVGO-2.00%) and Micron Technology (MU-7.00%), also pulled back substantially.
Asaf Kochan headed Israel’s cyber intel Unit 8200 until early 2021. Together with Yoav Regev, who had previously led the unit’s cyber division, he launched Sentra in 2021 to help companies locate and protect their sensitive cloud data.
Capital One Ventures just invested $150 million in Sentra and will be joining the board.
The announcement ties the funding to over 300% YoY growth. Based in New York and Tel Aviv, the company has five existing investors: Bessemer Venture Partners, Zeev Ventures, Standard Investments, Munich Re Ventures and Key1 Capital.
An unstable economy and labor market are leading recent college graduates to find ways to save money on major expenses.
Recent college graduates enter an economy with high inflation driven by tariffs and, more recently, by spiking energy costs from the war in Iran. Inflation has risen so quickly that it has eroded the wages of the college class of 2026. And that’s even if they have wages. Many are struggling to find work in a labor market that is harder for new grads than for other types of job hunters.
The cyberattack on crypto-asset exchange Binance is potentially the largest theft of its kind on record. Binance has estimated the assets stolen at an eye-watering US$6.3 billion (£4.7 billion).
On October 29, 2026, analytics firms reported that large amounts of crypto-assets had been moved from wallets used by the exchange across multiple blockchain networks – a digital system for recording transactions that is run collectively by its users. Most of the money was moved within a period of about 20 minutes.
Artificial intelligence is making deeper inroads into business operations, with sales emerging as the next area expected to undergo significant change. Nooks, an AI-powered sales automation startup, has secured a USD 500 million funding commitment from General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund to accelerate its expansion and introduce new products.
The funding arrangement comes as businesses increasingly explore AI tools to automate sales activities, improve productivity, and strengthen customer acquisition. Nooks believes sales will be among the next professions transformed by artificial intelligence.