@Techmeme@techhub.socialSources: AI video startup Runway is looking to raise ~$500M at a $5B pre-money valuation; rival Luma AI aims to raise $1.1B at a $3.2B pre-money valuation (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/runway-luma-talks-mul…
@cdarwin@c.imCapital & Main
is an award-winning nonprofit publication that reports from California
on the most pressing economic, environmental and social issues of our time
https://capitalandmain.com/about-capital-and-main
@tante@tldr.nettime.org"Worse, this reframing of capital-as-creativity has captured politicians and regulators at every level."
(Original title: Moguls Moving Money Isn’t the Same as Building a Business)
https://anildash.com/2025/08/20/moving_money_ain’t_building_a_busines…
@paulwermer@sfba.socialBuilding (or rebuilding) a manufacturing ecosystem - the skilled workforce and complex supply chain - takes time and money. I haven't seen much evidence that this is recognized, or supported, in #47's world, or indeed the "market" (the private investment that will take years to show a return on capital).
Interesting contrast between Foxconn in India:
@PaulWermer@sfba.socialBuilding (or rebuilding) a manufacturing ecosystem - the skilled workforce and complex supply chain - takes time and money. I haven't seen much evidence that this is recognized, or supported, in #47's world, or indeed the "market" (the private investment that will take years to show a return on capital).
Interesting contrast between Foxconn in India:
@seeingwithsound@mas.to @Techmeme@techhub.socialSource: OpenAI raised $8.3B at a $300B valuation, months ahead of schedule, as part of plans to raise $40B this year; 5M business users pay for ChatGPT (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/business/dealbook/openai-ai-mega-funding-deal.html…
@Techmeme@techhub.socialSources: Vy Capital, which has ~$15B of AUM and is a top backer of Elon Musk's companies, told external investors that it will not raise further outside money (Ivan Levingston/Financial Times)
https://www.ft.com/content/a33f7366-d8a1-4bb9-a175-e8daa2381d6b
@Techmeme@techhub.socialIsraeli observability startup Coralogix raised a $115M Series E led by NewView Capital at a $1B valuation, and plans to invest ~$100M in India over five years (Jagmeet Singh/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2025/06/17/obse
@pre@boing.worldRead "What went wrong with capitalism" by Ruchir Sharma.
A mildly interesting description of the major events in world an US economics in the last 50 years. Might
be a fair summary for anyone who didn't live through it or has a poor memory.
In short he thinks what went wrong was government bailing out failure leading to massive debts and increa
sed inequality.
Governments took over all the things instead of letting capitalism sort them out, he reckons, and wheneve
r a big industry or company fails you just get socialism for the rich and a bail-out from new printed money.
Easy cheap money, constant bail-outs, government intervention, leading to zombie companies racking up every larger debt to exist, billionaires who can't fail due to government support, and a stock market that's up-only bringing a flood of inefficiently-allocated capital.
Is he right? I mean, maybe, sort of. But when an industry really can't be allowed to fail, say water supply and waterway management, allowing private capital to extract maximum resources from it isn't the best method to manage it in the first place. No wonder they need bail-outs. Capitalism fails here because capitalism isn't the right solution here. We need publicly owned national services, not robber barons without
bailouts.
So, you know, half right. Perhaps these are some of the reasons why capitalism fails, but also we shouldn't even be trying to apply capitalism to every single thing in the first place.
#reading #capitalism #economics #RuchirSharma
@unchartedworlds@scicomm.xyzStonking evidence-based piece from @…, available in either text or video -
"Why are the wealthy so wealthy?"
"The short answer? The UK tax system is stacked in their favour. From low capital gains rates to massive ISA and pension subsidies, we're handing the wealthy thousands each year while working people shoulder the load. I break down the numbers, show how tax reliefs pour money into the pockets of the top 20%, and reveal why your taxes are effectively funding luxury lifestyles."
#tax #UK #UKPol #TaxWealthNotWork
@chris@mstdn.chrisalemany.caToronto Star: “New numbers reveal 10,000-plus Ontario college layoffs, 600 programs cancelled or suspended over past year”
The bloodbath in our higher education system in Canada has gotten NO press even though provincial governments and likely federal KNOW. This is the first in depth article I have seen. ALL governments micro-manage university and college policy/finances, no matter what they might say to the contrary.
Here are some truths you need to know:
Yes, I am biased as a 25 year employee of a University.
Yes, my University has also had completely unprecedented cuts in the past 12-24 months, with more coming.
Yes, it is because of the loss of International Students and their tuition revenue. Without that loss, many domestic enrollment numbers have actually been growing, but the money per student is orders of magnitude less. (ie. International was a cash cow)
Yes, faculty and even many admin, have been warning about the government downloading funding onto International tuitions for decades.
Yes, government will claim they are “investing more than ever”, but this is usually about Capital expenses (buildings, residences, infrastructure) or meeting contractual increases for staff salaries, *not* operating expenses.
Yes, in BC in the 1980s 80-90% of a University or College operating budget was covered by “base funding” from the province. Now, it is often below 50%. (If this makes you ask… is it still a “public University system”, please do!!)
And finally, yes, if we want to consider ourselves a modern country, we cannot possibly think this kind of contraction in educational opportunity (while domestic tuitions continue to increase!) is at all healthy for our society as a whole.
Toronto Star: #canpoli #cdnpoli #education #internationalEd #immigration #postsecondary #educationShouldBeFree
