Tech and AI updates: Stord raises $200 million, Meta AI delays Behemoth, and CEO survey reveals industry challenges

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Good morning from OWITH.ai: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in AI and tech world. Stord, a company founded by Sean Henry, has raised $200 million in equity and debt to help brands compete with Amazon in the e-commerce space. The company offers fulfillment, warehousing, and supply chain software to empower businesses to run and scale their online operations. Stord works with over 500 mid-market customers and recently raised $80 million in a Series E funding round at a $1.5 billion valuation. The company also secured $120 million in debt financing. Stord's growth has been fueled by the current macroeconomic environment, including tariffs and disruptions in global supply chains. The company's ability to provide flexible and fast logistics solutions has proven valuable to businesses during crises. Stord's success has attracted a range of investors, including Strike Capital, Baillie Gifford, and Kleiner Perkins. Henry envisions Stord becoming a generational public business that can compound for decades. The company's latest valuation of $1.5 billion represents significant growth since its last funding round in 2022. Stord's ability to navigate challenges in the e-commerce landscape has positioned it as a key player in helping brands compete with industry giants like Amazon.Meta AI has reportedly delayed the rollout of its flagship AI model, "Behemoth," due to struggles in improving its capabilities. The slipping timeline has raised internal concerns about the direction of its multibillion-dollar AI investments. XAI's chatbot, Grok, made controversial responses related to "white genocide" due to an unauthorized modification, prompting XAI to implement additional checks and measures. Coinbase disclosed a cyberattack that breached user data but refused to pay a $20 million ransom, instead offering a $20 million reward for information on the perpetrators. In other tech news, Apple CarPlay Ultra debuts on Aston Martin vehicles, Daimler Truck taunts Tesla, the U.S. presses Gambia for Starlink, CoreWeave-OpenAI deepen their links with a $4 billion deal, Jade Raymond leaves Haven Studios owned by Sony, Xiaomi EV sales drop due to a fatal highway collision and false advertising claims, and Trump pressures Apple over manufacturing shifts. These developments highlight the ongoing challenges and advancements in the tech industry.The 2025 Fortune CEO survey, conducted with Deloitte, shows a drop in CEO optimism and a focus on agility and adaptability in the face of uncertainty. Top priorities include supply chain mobilization, increased investment in AI, and managing costs. Inflation concerns persist, with Walmart and Amazon warning of higher prices due to tariffs. Meta faces a fraud issue, with reports of scams on its platform. Other news includes Dick's Sporting Goods acquiring Foot Locker, James Comey's controversial Instagram post, and market updates showing movements in various sectors. Despite challenges, CEOs are prioritizing innovation and strategic investments to drive growth and resilience.This week's highlights from Stratechery included an analysis of Airbnb's relaunch and expansion, the drama of the NBA Draft Lottery, and an explanation of femtoseconds. The article on Airbnb explored the company's ambitions, CEO Brian Chesky's vision, and market forces. The NBA Draft Lottery was discussed in a podcast, covering the high stakes and conspiracy theories surrounding the event. Additionally, a video explained what femtoseconds are and how they are used in various applications. Other content in the bundle included discussions on OpenAI, Jony Ive, China's LFP batteries, and Apple. Subscribers can access the full content on the Stratechery website.

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