🔋 Going nuclear: Standard Nuclear has come out of stealth with $42 million in funding. The company isn't exactly new; it was put together from assets bought at the bankruptcy auction of the Ultra Safe Nuclear Corp, and that background has given it a leg up towards securing $100 million in non-binding fuel sales for 2027. Read More
🦥 Slowing down: We'll have to wait a little longer for OpenAI's first open model in years. The company's CEO Sam Altman expects the model to be released after June, as OpenAI wants to "take a little more time" with it. He says it will be "very very worth the wait." Read More
🤔 But a new o3 pro is here: OpenAI launched what it says is its most capable reasoning model yet. O3-pro is a souped up version of the o3 reasoning model now available for ChatGPT Pro and Team. Read More
💰 On the up: TechCrunch has learned that Vast Data, a startup building an AI-friendly data storage platform, is hoping to raise a new round at a $25 billion valuation. That's a large leap from the $9 billion valuation it secured in December 2023. Read More
🪑 Musical chairs in VC Land: Vijay Pande, the man behind Andreessen Horowitz's Bio + Health strategy, is stepping down from his role. The strategy has so far raised four funds, including a $1.5 billion fund that closed in 2022, though this year it's targeting a more modest $750 million fund. Read More
