Manus raises $500M at $4B valuation post-Meta split

Vantora raises $100M for proprietary physical AI startups

Vantora’s $100M raise signals a pivot from open startup incubation to building proprietary AI ventures exclusively for corporate partners like Porsche and J.B. Hunt. This model allows companies to retain sovereignty over sensitive physical AI applications, such as retrofitting industrial hardware for autonomy, without exposing intellectual property to competitors. By shifting to a 'proprietary M&A pipeline,' Vantora unlocks high-value use cases that were previously too strategic to commercialize broadly. It represents a growing trend where enterprises prefer internal AI development over external vendor solutions for critical infrastructure.

CRB Questions Phonorecords V Settlement Independence

The Copyright Royalty Board is refusing to rubber-stamp the Phonorecords V Subpart B settlement, demanding proof that the negotiated rates reflect true arm's-length bargaining. Judges are specifically probing whether common corporate ownership between major publishers and record labels invalidates the 'willing buyer/willing seller' standard, while also questioning why inflation adjustments were excluded from the base rate. This intervention signals a rigorous review of who actually sat at the negotiating table and whether independent voices were sidelined. It sets a precedent that statutory rates cannot simply be imposed via private deals among industry giants without transparent economic justification.

OpenAI and Microsoft internal docs admit web 'doom loop'