This Week's 5 Biggest Tech Stories
By Jose Ruiz · · 5 min read
Hello crowd,
Jose here.
This week wasn't subtle.
Five different stories that each rewrote the market, all happening simultaneously.
Nvidia making a move that changes who wins the AI race.
China's robotics companies raising billions.
Apple finally entering the foldable market.
The infrastructure race getting desperate.
Let's break it down.
Read time: 5 mins
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FRESH NEWS
AI |
🔌 1. NVIDIA JUST BECAME THE AI KINGMAKER (AND IT'S WINNING) |
What happened: Nvidia is considering taking part in a new funding round for artificial intelligence startup Perplexity, valuing the company at more than $30 billion. The new funding would be worth billions of dollars.
Perplexity's annualized revenue has risen to more than $750 million from under $250 million at the start of the year, due partially to Perplexity Computer, an AI agent professionals use to automate computer tasks.
What it signals: Nvidia isn't just selling chips anymore. Nvidia is repeatedly investing in companies that are building their AI businesses on the same infrastructure the chipmaker sells.
This is the playbook: Sell hardware to everyone, but own equity in the winners. Control the entire stack.
The real story: Perplexity was valued at $20B last year. Now? $30B+. That's a 50% increase on $750M annual revenue. The AI search market just tripled in value overnight.
Jose's take: Nvidia figured out something most chipmakers miss: the money isn't in the chips. It's in owning the companies building on top of the chips. Nvidia is now doing both.
ROBOTICS |
🤖 2. CHINA'S ROBOT COMPANIES JUST WENT INTO OVERDRIVE |
What happened: China's XPeng just raised more than $900 million for humanoid robots while building autonomous systems that are now competing globally.
Why it matters: XPeng is bankrolling humanoid robots. Not as a side project. As their primary AI bet.
$900M+ means: Factory buildout. Mass production. Thousands of robots, not dozens.
The signal: Multibillion-dollar AI funding frenzies in Hong Kong and Tokyo are pulling capital away from the West and concentrating it in Asia for robotics.
China is betting everything on physical AI. Robots that work in factories, warehouses, construction. Not consumer robots. Working robots.
Jose's take: This is the real threat to Western AI dominance. Not models. Not chatbots. Physical systems that can actually do work in the real world.
APPLE |
📱 3. APPLE'S FOLDABLE PHONE JUST LEAKED (AND IT'S REAL) |
What happened: Apple's foldable device is expected to feature a nearly crease-free 7.8-inch inner screen and 5.5-inch cover display. Feedback highlights strong performance as a camera viewfinder and solid results in gaming, productivity, and entertainment.
The timing: Launch timing remains tied to potential September 2026 alignment with other iPhone models.
What it signals: Apple is about to enter the foldable market. For real this time. Not a prototype. Shipping hardware.
Positive internal reactions suggest Apple may finally enter the foldable market with refined hardware after years of development.
Jose's take: When Apple enters a market, they own it within 18 months. Samsung's been shipping foldables for years. Apple ships one phone next month, and by 2027, they're the market.
AI VIDEO |
🎬 4. ALIBABA JUST WEAPONIZED AI VIDEO + INFRASTRUCTURE |
What happened: Alibaba is pairing a new AI video model with billions in infrastructure spending.
The strategy: Alibaba isn't just building a video model. They're building the entire infrastructure stack to run it. Compute, storage, distribution.
Vertical integration at scale.
The implications: Chinese companies are now building integrated AI stacks (hardware + software + infrastructure) while Western companies are still separating all three.
Jose's take: This is how you win tech wars. Not by being first. By owning the entire chain.
INFRASTRUCTURE |
⚡ 5. INFRASTRUCTURE IS BECOMING THE CHOKEPOINT (AND COMPANIES ARE BUYING POWER) |
What happened: The AI buildout is reshaping everything around it: Amazon is raising device prices as component costs climb, and power-infrastructure companies are becoming acquisition targets.
Why it matters: Electricity is now the limiting factor in AI. Not models. Not GPUs. Power.
Companies are paying premiums for sites with reliable power. Acquisition targets are power-infrastructure companies.
The real story: Bitcoin miners built massive power infrastructure. Now AI companies are buying those sites and converting them to data centers.
The infrastructure crisis is real. It's expensive. And it's limiting who can scale AI globally.
Jose's take: If you can't solve the power problem, you can't build AI at scale. This is why infrastructure companies are the unsexy winners.
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🎯 WHAT THIS WEEK ACTUALLY TOLD US
Pattern 1: The AI race is consolidating around infrastructure.
Nvidia owns the chips. Perplexity owns the agents. Amazon owns the devices. But none of it matters without power.
Pattern 2: China just went all-in on physical AI.
Humanoid robots, vertical integration, infrastructure bets. Not competing on models. Competing on execution.
Pattern 3: Apple is about to remind everyone why they win.
One foldable phone from Apple > 5 years of Samsung foldables. Market consolidation incoming.
Pattern 4: The winners won't be AI companies. They'll be infrastructure + AI combos.
Alibaba (infra + AI). Amazon (devices + infra + AI). Nvidia (chips + software + investments).
Companies that own multiple layers win. Everyone else is just a component.
📊 THE NUMBERS THAT MATTER
Perplexity: $250M → $750M ARR in 6 months (200% growth)
Perplexity valuation: $20B → $30B+ (50% increase)
XPeng raising: $900M+ for robots
Apple foldable: Coming September 2026
Power crisis: Companies now acquiring power infrastructure
☕ HUNT ACCORDINGLY
This week was about consolidation and infrastructure.
Companies that own multiple layers (chips + software + infrastructure) are winning. Companies that only own one layer are becoming components in someone else's system.
The AI race isn't about models anymore. It's about owning the entire stack: power, compute, software, deployment.
That's the real game.
Jose
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