.png){kind=logo}
What’s New Today: Biren Technology, the Chinese AI-chip maker, secures ¥1.5 billion as it gears up for a Hong Kong IPO this Q3.
Fast-Track Insights: Indian startups raised $4.8 billion in H1 2025—a 25% drop from last year—amid reduced late-stage funding and cautious investment.
Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest tech headlines making waves today. Let’s dive into the top stories shaping the tech world—from Biren’s big raise to India’s funding slowdown.
Chinese AI‑chip maker Biren Technology secured ¥1.5 billion (~$207 million) from state‑linked investors and plans a Hong Kong IPO in Q3 2025. The firm, founded in 2019 by former executives from SenseTime, Qualcomm, and Huawei, pivoted from a mainland listing amid tighter regulations. Despite a ¥400 million revenue in 2024 and U.S. export restrictions, its BR100 GPU targets domestic AI demand.
Indian startups raised $4.8 billion in the first half of 2025, marking a 25% decline from the same period in 2024, according to Tracxn. The slowdown reflects cautious investor sentiment, especially in late-stage deals. Despite this, fintech and enterprise applications remained the top-funded sectors, with a slight rise in early-stage investments.
Graduating in 2025 has proven especially difficult for U.S. college students. Jobless rates for degree holders aged 22–27 have surged to around 5.8%, the worst in over a decade. Entry-level positions, particularly in tech, finance, and law, are shrinking due to economic uncertainty, hiring freezes, and the increasing use of AI for automation. Consequently, many grads are underemployed or accepting lower-level roles.
Pi Network’s native token climbed roughly 38% this week amid speculation of an AI integration, possibly involving Google, as anticipation builds for the Pi2Day event in June. The rally followed co‑founder Nicolas Kokkalis’ participation in a generative AI panel and a teaser post. Despite soaring interest, no official partnership has been confirmed, leaving the true impact contingent on the Pi2Day announcement.
Russia’s Central Bank has confirmed that its CBDC, the digital ruble, will go live nationwide on September 1, 2026. Major commercial banks will begin offering full digital‑ruble services from that date, while smaller banks and regional lenders are expected to follow: large ones by 2027, and all others by 2028. The rollout follows an indefinite delay earlier this year.
