Evening Scan

The Paramount-WBD deal closed after 13 months, ending Hollywood's largest takeover as speculation. Meanwhile, AI funding continued: DeepSeek is reportedly raising $12 billion, and Etched is fielding offers at double its last valuation.

$40B+ — The valuation at which AI chip startup Etched is reportedly fielding funding offers, double its last raise from a couple of months ago. (TechCrunch)

Connected World

The Paramount-WBD Deal Closes Today — Now What?

Paramount-WBD integration begins tomorrow after 13 months of negotiations. (Forrester)

DeepSeek reportedly nears $12bn funding round backed by Tencent and CATL

DeepSeek's round is at least 80 billion yuan—substantial capital for a lab built on efficiency. (The Next Web)

Connected World

Etched fields funding offers at $40B+ valuation, sources say

Investors are treating AI chip valuations as volatile, with Etched's valuation doubling in weeks. (TechCrunch)

OpenAI will start watermarking ChatGPT's text in the EU

OpenAI is complying with the EU AI Act by acknowledging that text editing can obscure invisible watermarks. (TechCrunch)