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March 15, 2023
ARWAY CORP. SIGNS MULTIPLE NEW SDK DEALS FOR INDOOR POSITIONING (IPIN) & AUGMENTED REALITY NAVIGATION
ARway Corp. has signed five new deals for its software development kit (SDK), which showcases the increasing demand for this disruptive technology. Since its SDK was released on Jan. 31, 2023, the company has been experiencing a wave of demand from resellers, enterprise corporations and brands, which is expected to drive significant revenue in 2023.
According to research from Technavio, the $44-billion global indoor positioning and indoor navigation (IPIN) market will grow by $23.03-billion (U.S.) from 2020 to 2025, and the growth momentum of the market will accelerate at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 33.21 per cent during the forecast period. The market growth will be led by North America, as this region will account for 40 per cent of the market's growth during the forecast period.
New deals:
- MPSKIN -- SDK partner: Using the ARway platform for existing map management of virtual tours, and implementing new augmented reality tours on site at museums and art galleries;
- The TRIBE -- SDK partner: Using ARway to build a custom AR (augmented reality)-powered app for its marketing agency to showcase capabilities to clients;
- Suggesto -- SDK partner: Using ARway for a new experiential location-based game for its local customers in Italy;
- ENCORE EAS: Entertainment technology provider based in MENA (the Middle East and North Africa). Using ARway in airports for wayfinding and guided tours;
- Rayqube -- SDK partner: Agency based in Dubai building an experiential AR app for some of its select client locations to drive social engagement/sharing.
These SDK deals range in size from $600 to $10,000 based on the usage of the platform, and are within various industries, representing a wide range of use cases for ARway technology. The company is especially seeing significant and accelerating deals from augmented reality agencies. These creative agencies already work with dozens or even hundreds of customers and brands that want and need Arway's wayfinding technology. By subscribing to the ARway platform the agency can demonstrate the ARway capabilities to its clients and act as a reseller for ARway's solution.
ARway's SDK contains code libraries and API (application programming interface) information that allows developers to build their own white-label and private-label mobile apps on both iOs and Android, leveraging ARway's technology and creator tools to build AR wayfinding and spatial experiences. Creators and agencies will be able to develop white-label and private-label apps and access ARway APIs to author maps using the web creator portal.
About ARway Corp.
ARway is an AI (artificial intelligence)-powered augmented reality navigation platform for the real-world metaverse. It enables AR-enhanced indoor navigation and wayfinding solutions for large, multipurpose venues enabled by marker-based tracking using QR (quick response) codes. Visitors can access a venue map by scanning a QR code with their smart phone upon entering the venue to navigate to any point of interest (POI) with step-by-step directions, learn information about those POIs, and interact with rich AR content and experiences along the way.
The ARway offering has an unlimited number of use cases for augmenting physical spaces in the metaverse, consisting of indoor navigation with AR activations to improve the visitor experience in large and complex spaces. With value propositions spanning multiple industries and use cases, ARway leverages Nextech's 3-D/AR technology solutions to new substantial markets, for use by creators, brands and companies.
We seek Safe Harbor.
28 March
Tech 5: CoreWeave IPO Falls Short, OpenAI Close to Completing US$40 Billion Funding Round
This week brought a fresh set of challenges to the tech sector, beginning with an announcement from the US Bureau of Industry and Security on Tuesday (March 25) of new export restrictions targeting 80 companies across Asia and the Middle East, impacting some of Big Tech’s key customers.
Consumer confidence weakened, further dampening market sentiment.
This was evidenced by the release of the Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index report on Tuesday, and the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment survey, released on Friday (March 28).
Also on Friday, the latest US personal consumption expenditures price index data showed underlying inflation rising by 0.4 percent, renewing concerns over stagflation.
Combined, the latest data weighed on equities, and tech stocks led a broad market selloff on March 28 (Friday).
NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) ended the week 8.52 percent lower from its opening price on Monday (March 24), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) logged losses of 6.22 percent and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) declined by 4.2 percent.
Meanwhile, Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) share price pulled back by a modest 1.41 percent for the week.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) saw its price stage a bit of a recovery, ending the week 2.12 percent above Monday’s opening price, while other automotive companies like Ford Motor (NYSE:F) and General Motors (NYSE:GM) nursed losses following US President Donald Trump’s implementation of a 25 percent tariff on all auto imports.
Here's a look at other key events that made tech headlines this week.
1. BYD shares Q4 results, Tesla sentiment improves
BYD (OTC Pink:BYDDF,SZSE:002594), China’s top car brand, reported its fourth quarter results on Monday, with net profits totaling 15 billion yuan (US$2.1 billion), a 73.1 percent increase compared to the previous year, and revenue growth of 52.7 percent to 274.85 billion yuan (US$37.89 billion) for the same period.
Looking ahead, BYD expects to ship up to 5.5 million vehicles in 2025.
The company also said this week that 500 of the approximately 4,000 super-fast charging stations needed to support its electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in China will be ready by April.
These projections from BYD come as rival EV maker Tesla staged a partial comeback this week after suffering a roughly 25 percent decline in its share price earlier this month.
Investor sentiment may have been lifted by analysis from CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson, who said Tesla is the “least exposed” to Trump’s sweeping 25 percent automobile tariffs, announced on Wednesday (March 26).
According to Nelson, Tesla, which builds its cars in the US, stands to benefit from a projected reduction in consumer choices coupled with an increase in the prices of foreign-made vehicles.
“There are very few winners,” Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, said in an interview with Bloomberg. “Consumers will be losers because they will have reduced choice and higher prices.”
Analysts are projecting that Trump’s auto tariffs could severely impact the economy.
“I think yesterday’s [tariff announcement on automobiles] is a bigger deal than the market is making it out to be," Ajay Rajadhyaksha, global chairman of research at Barclays, told CNBC on Thursday (March 27). "I think it reduces the risk that April 2 is something that markets can dismiss," he added. "I think we will be negatively surprised."
2. Big Tech companies make AI advances
This week also saw significant advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) image generation and reasoning with the introduction of enhanced product offerings from some of Big Tech’s most prominent players.
OpenAI released 4o Image Generation to replace DALL-E 3 as the default image generation model for ChatGPT.
According to the company, the model can generate more realistic images than older image-generating models, as well as create lengthy, detailed, and precise text strings within images.
Meanwhile, Microsoft unveiled "deep reasoning agents" for 365 Copilot, powered by OpenAI's o1 and o3-mini models, featuring "agent flow" for enhanced reliability. Elsewhere, Google's (NASDAQ:GOOGL) DeepMind introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro, which it claims has superior reasoning capabilities over older iterations and competing models
3. CoreWeave downsizes IPO
CoreWeave's initial public offering (IPO) journey concluded on Friday, following significant market scrutiny.
The company initially filed for a New York IPO on March 3, targeting a US$4 billion raise and a valuation exceeding US$35 billion. Its filings revealed US$1.9 billion in 2024 revenue but also substantial debt and escalating net losses, reaching US$863 million. This expansion was fueled by US$14.5 billion in debt and equity financing.
On March 20, CoreWeave announced the launch of its IPO, registering 49 million Class A shares with a projected price range of US$47 to US$55. The company was aiming to raise up to US$2.7 billion in an offering led by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), with 11 other advisers participating. Analysts at CNBC projected the deal would value CoreWeave at US$26.5 billion, although that figure could go as high as US$32 billion.
However, the company opted to decrease the size and price of its IPO, setting levels at US$40 per share for 37,500,000 shares, resulting in a valuation of approximately US$23 billion.
CoreWeave's lower IPO was due to a confluence of factors that dampened investor enthusiasm, including market conditions and financial concerns. A confidential investor survey reported by the Information found that 90 percent of respondents do not consider CoreWeave a favorable long-term investment.
“One respondent summed up a broader perception about CoreWeave: ‘It’s radioactive, and I think every investor knows that,’” market analyst Cory Weinberg wrote.
4. OpenAI revenue and funding rumors circulate
It was a big week for OpenAI, marked by reports on its expansion and projected financial growth.
According to a Wednesday report from the Information, OpenAI is exploring the construction of its first data center, which would be located in Texas near the Stargate data center site.
Concurrently, Bloomberg cited an anonymous source projecting OpenAI's revenue to potentially triple to US$12.7 billion this year and reach $29.4 billion in 2026, driven by its paid software plans. Additionally, reports surfaced of a record-breaking funding round worth US$40 billion led by Stargate co-contributor SoftBank Group (TSE:9984). The deal is reportedly near completion and would double OpenAI’s valuation, bringing it near US$300 billion.
These developments emphasize OpenAI's position as a dominant force in the AI landscape
5. Microsoft reportedly cuts data center plans
Shares of Microsoft closed down on Wednesday after an analyst note from TD Cowen alleged that the tech conglomerate had abandoned plans for new data centers in the US and Europe, citing potential oversupply.
According to Bloomberg, Google and Meta have taken over some of the affected leases, although neither company has responded publicly to the note. In a statement from Microsoft obtained by the publication, the company said “significant investments” have left it “well positioned to meet our current and increasing customer demand.”
“While we may strategically pace or adjust our infrastructure in some areas, we will continue to grow strongly in all regions,” the spokesperson said. “This allows us to invest and allocate resources to growth areas for our future.”
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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26 March
Global AI Stocks: 9 Biggest Companies in 2025
As the artificial intelligence (AI) market continues to grow, there are many AI stocks for investors to choose from on top exchanges like the NASDAQ, TSX and ASX.
AI technology has made strong inroads into several key industries, including logistics, manufacturing, finance, healthcare, customer service and cybersecurity.
The technology has been around for a long time, but this current wave of buzz comes after the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, a generative AI platform. This intelligent chatbot shows how quickly generative AI is advancing, and it has led to many other major tech firms entering the space with their own generative AI offerings or including AI technology into their innovative products.
On a global scale, Fortune Business Insights predicts that the AI industry will experience a compound annual growth rate of 29.2 percent between 2025 and 2032 to reach a market value of more than US$1.77 trillion.
Here the Investing News Network profiles some of the biggest AI stocks by market cap on US, Canadian and Australian stock exchanges. Data for this AI stocks list was gathered on March 20, 2025, using TradingView’s stock screener.
American AI stocks
According to Tracxn Technologies, the number of US AI companies has more than doubled since 2017, with over 84,950 companies working in the sector today.
One of the major factors fueling growth in the American AI market, states Statista, is “the growing investments and partnerships among technology companies, research institutions, and governments."
Below are three of the top US AI stocks by market cap. For more US AI stocks, check out our list of 12 generative AI stocks and 5 AI ETFs.
1. NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Market cap: US$2.89 trillion
Share price: US$118.53
The global leader in graphics processing unit (GPU) technology, NVIDIA is designing specialized chips used to train AI and machine-learning models for laptops, workstations, mobile devices, notebooks and PCs.
The company is partnering with a number of big-name tech firms to bring various key AI products to market.
Through its partnership with Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL), NVIDIA is developing AI applications for enterprises, such as language-based services, speech recognition and cybersecurity.
The chipmaker has also been instrumental in the buildout of Meta Platforms’ (NASDAQ:META) AI supercomputer. Called the Research SuperCluster, it reportedly uses a total of 16,000 NVIDIA GPUs.
In early 2024, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM) and NVIDIA released the world's first multi-die chip specifically designed for AI applications: the Blackwell GPU. Blackwell’s architecture allows for the increased processing power needed to train larger and more complex AI models.
At its March GTC 2025 conference, dubbed the AI Woodstock, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang made a series of important announcements including the Blackwell Ultra AI chip and its next-generation Vera Rubin platform.
2. Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)
Market cap: US$2.88 trillion
Share price: US$386.84
Microsoft has committed billions to OpenAI, but the tech behemoth has also built its own AI solutions based on the chatbot creator’s technology: Bing AI and Copilot. OpenAI officially licensed its technologies to Microsoft in 2020.
In late May 2024, Microsoft unveiled its Copilot+ Windows PCs, its first range of AI-equipped PCs. According to the company, they are the “fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built.”
After receiving criticism over security flaws, Microsoft announced in late September that it had made changes to the Copilot+ exclusive Recall software, which used AI to create screenshots of everything users do on their computers.
An update to Windows 11 in October 2024 included upgrades to the Copilot artificial intelligence platform capabilities, including the introduction of the ability to speak directly to the AI helper.
Microsoft’s moves into generative AI have translated into higher revenues for its Azure cloud computing business and a higher market capitalization — the tech giant pushed past the US$3 trillion mark in January 2024 and its managed to maintain that level up until the recent stock sell-off as a result of tariffs and trade wars by US President Donald Trump.
In January 2025, Microsoft announced an US$80 billion investment in US-based AI infrastructure, followed by the integration of AI tools into Microsoft 365.
3. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)
Market cap: US$2.0 trillion
Share price: US$162.80
Alphabet holds court with both Microsoft and NVIDIA as part of the tech sector’s Magnificent 7, and its foray into AI has similarly brought the tech giant much success. The company has created the AI chatbot Gemini, formerly known as Bard, which is integrated into products such as its Google Suite, the Chromecast browser and the Google Pixel phone line.
Alphabet's market cap surpassed the US$2 trillion mark in April 2024. That same month, Google introduced a custom AI chip designed for its cloud services customers. The technology uses British semiconductor company Arm Holding's (NASDAQ:ARM) AI architecture. In the same week, Google revealed its new A3 Mega AI processor based on NVIDIA’s H100 Technology.
In September 2024, Google partnered with automaker Volkswagen (OTC Pink:VLKAF,ETR:VOW) to launch a smartphone-app-integrated AI assistant for Volkswagen drivers.
At the NVIDIA GTC 2025 conference, Alphabet and NVIDIA announced a series of AI-focused partnerships in the sectors of robotics, drug discovery and manufacturing.
Canadian AI stocks
Recognized as a world-leading AI research hub, Canada ranks eighth out of 83 countries in the Global AI Index. Since 2017, the Canadian government has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into accelerating the research and commercialization of AI technology in the country through the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy.
Research by IBM (NYSE:IBM) shows Canadian businesses are increasingly adopting AI, with 56 percent of IT professionals in large enterprises reporting that they plan to increase deployment the technology in their operations for 2025.
Below are three of the top Canadian AI stocks by market cap. For more Canadian AI stocks, take a look at our list of 5 small-cap Canadian AI stocks.
1. CGI (TSX:GIB.A)
Market cap: C$33.31 billion
Share price: C$141.32
Montreal-based CGI is among the world’s largest IT systems integration companies, and offers a wide range of services, from cloud migration and digital transformation to data analysis, fraud detection and even supply chain optimization. Its more than 700 clients span the retail, wholesale, consumer packaged goods and consumer services sectors worldwide.
Through a partnership with Google, CGI is leveraging the Google Cloud Platform to strengthen the capabilities of its CGI PulseAI solution, which can be integrated with existing applications and workflows.
CGI is aggressively working to expand its generative AI capabilities and client offerings. In early March 2024, the company launched Elements360 ARC-IBA, an AI powered platform for brokers and insurers to settle accounts in the UK broking industry. Later in September, CGI signed the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act pledge to work for trustworthy and safe AI development.
The company's AI-powered CGI DigiOps toolkit won the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) India Award 2024 for Excellence in Digital Transformation in February 2025. CGI DigiOps is used in several industries, including the energy and utilities, and retail sectors. “This award for digital transformation excellence is a testament to our commitment to delivering end-to-end AI-powered solutions to achieve meaningful outcomes for our clients," Rakesh Aerath, President, CGI Asia Pacific Global Delivery Centers of Excellence.
2. OpenText (TSX:OTEX)
Market cap: C$9.94 billion
Share price: C$37.79
Ontario-based OpenText is one of Canada’s largest software companies. The tech firm develops and sells enterprise information management software. Its portfolio includes hundreds of products in the areas of enterprise content management, digital process automation and security, plus AI and analytics tools.
OpenText serves small businesses, large enterprises and governments alike. Its AI & Analytics platform has an open architecture that enables integration with other AI services, including Google Cloud and Azure. It can leverage all types of data, including structured or unstructured data, big data and the internet of things to quickly create interactive visuals.
In January 2024, OpenText launched Cloud Editions 24.1, which includes enhancements to its OpenText Aviator portfolio.
OpenText has also been expanding its AI-powered cybersecurity offerings in recent years. In early 2025, the company launched OpenText Core Threat Detection and Response, which leverages AI-driven behavioral analytics to detect insider threats and cyberattacks.
3. Coveo Solutions (TSX:CVO)
Market cap: C$553.97 million
Share price: C$5.57
Headquartered in Québec City, Québec, Coveo Solutions is a software-as-a- service company that provides AI-powered relevance e-commerce and enterprise search software in Canada, the United States and internationally. Relevance in AI involves learning models that determine the relevance between search input data and the expected output.
The company’s Coveo AI-Relevance Platform is used in a broad range of industries, including high tech, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, retail, and telecommunication. Coveo’s many strategic partners include Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) and Shopify (TSX:SHOP,NYSE:SHOP).
In its fifth annual Commerce Relevance Report, Coveo found that 62 percent of 4,000 US and UK consumers surveyed responded that they are more likely to make purchases based on generative-AI-driven guidance. Drilling down on millennials, that figure rises to 68 percent.
In February, Coveo reported its financials for its fiscal Q3 2025 ended December 31, 2024, including total revenues of US$34 million compared to US$31.8 million in its fiscal Q3 2024.
In March, Coveo announced the launch of three new offerings for its customers: Coveo for Agentforce, an expanded suite of Coveo APIs and the Coveo Agentic AI Design Partner Program.
Australian AI stocks
AI investment by Australian companies is projected to increase, according to BSI's International AI Maturity Model, making the country the second best market in the world in terms of boosting AI capabilities. BSI reports that three-quarters of Australian business leaders responding to the firm's survey expressed the belief that failing to invest in AI would place their organizations at a competitive disadvantage.
The biggest spenders when it comes to AI in Australia are the banking industry, the federal government, professional services and retail.
Below are three of the top Australian AI stocks by market cap. For more ASX AI shares, check out our list of the 5 biggest ASX AI stocks.
1. NextDC (ASX:NXT)
Market cap: AU$8.23 billion
Share price: AU$22.93
NEXTDC is Australia’s leading data center operator, with facilities currently operational or under development throughout Australia. The company also has data centers under development in New Zealand, Malaysia and Japan. The company is the 2024 recipient of the Australian Data Centre Service Company of the Year award.
NEXTDC’s clients include some of the world's largest cloud providers, such as Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Alphabet's Google Cloud. The company has also obtained NVIDIA's DGX-Ready Data Centre Program certification, enabling it to optimize NVIDIA's AI platforms and power advanced AI data centers in Australia.
In its financial report for its fiscal H1 2025 ended December 31, 2024, the company reported total revenue of AU$205.5 million, a slight decrease of 2 percent from the same period in the year prior. However, its net revenue was up 13 percent to AU$167.8 million.
2. Nuix (ASX:NXL)
Market cap: AU$1.06 billion
Share price: AU$3.39
Sydney-based Nuix is a leading provider of data processing, investigative analytics and intelligence software. Its client base includes legal, compliance, forensic investigations, cybersecurity and data governance sectors.
The company’s patented Nuix Neo technology uses advanced deep learning techniques to better train AI models for more efficient, scalable and cost-effective document classification. Launched in July 2023, Nuix Neo is accessed through a browser-based, collaborative interface, and includes end-to-end automation, investigative analytics and AI-enabled workflows.
In its H1 fiscal year 2025 financials, Nuix reported that annualized contract value for Nuix Neo grew to AU$18.9 million, an increase of 361 percent compared to the prior corresponding period, as its customers grew from 8 to 46 over the same period.
3. BrainChip (ASX:BRN)
Market cap: AU$450.91 million
Share price: AU$0.22
BrainChip is an advanced Edge AI on-chip processing and machine learning hardware company. Its main product is the Akida digital neuromorphic chip, which is built with a spiking neural network that mimics the way messages are passed between neurons in the human brain.
A significant feature of Akida’s technology is that it doesn’t need to be connected to the cloud or other networks to learn, enhancing security.
In December 2024, Brainchip announced it had licensed the Akida IP to Frontgrade Gaisler, a leading provider of radiation-hardened microprocessors for space applications. The following month, the company introduced an ecosystem of partnerships developing around its Akida Edge AI Box, which the company describes as “a compact, cost-effective appliance with AI/ML processing power for a wide variety of markets such as manufacturing, warehouse, retail, hospitals, energy, automotive, and aviation.”
At the end of February 2025, Brainchip shared it was formally investigating redomiciling in the US following a strategic review by its Board. If it decides to go forward with the move, the company would pursue listing on a US stock exchange, and de-list from the ASX and OTCQX.
FAQs for AI stocks
Which company is leading the AI race?
Google and Microsoft are battling it out for king of the AI hill. While Goldman Sachs sees Alphabet’s Google as leading the AI race, other analysts are pointing to Microsoft as the clear frontrunner. Microsoft stands to benefit in a big way from its billions of dollars investment in OpenAI's ChatGPT as advancements in generative AI may have the potential to increase the company's revenues for its Azure cloud computing business.
Which country is doing best in AI?
North America is the global hotspot for advancements in AI technology and is home to the majority of the world’s largest AI providers. Techopedia positions the US as the primary hub for AI development, and many of the world’s leading tech giants are headquartered there. According to the report, China comes in a close second.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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26 March
RocketBoots Partners with Global POS Software Vendor to Drive Customer Markets Penetration
Artificial Intelligence software company, RocketBoots Limited (ASX:ROC) (RocketBoots or the Company), is pleased to announce the signing of a partnership agreement with global point-of-sale (POS) vendor, GEBIT Solutions GmbH (Gebit).
Highlights
- RocketBoots signs a partnership deal with Gebit Solutions, a global point-of-sale software vendor, as a preferred supplier of loss prevention solutions
- Gebit operates in over 32 countries and have the same retail customer target market as RocketBoots
- The partnership aims to drive international market penetration by leveraging RocketBoots’ unique AI-powered retail computer vision software into mutual customer markets.
Partnership with Gebit Solutions
RocketBoots has partnered with German-based Gebit Solutions as a preferred supplier of loss prevention solutions for its global retail customers. Gebit provides best-in-class retail POS software to customers across more than 32 countries, including some of the largest retail providers globally (https://www.gebit.de/en/homepage). Under the partnership, Gebit will support an out of the box integration with RocketBoots' loss prevention software which will allow all existing and new Gebit customers to easily test and adopt the loss prevention software.
The partnership aims to deliver a number of strategic outcomes for RocketBoots:
- Accelerating the timelines from first contact to customers achieving value from RocketBoots software
- Providing enhanced visibility of RocketBoots’ value propositions across target customer markets; and
- Collaborative lead generation.
RocketBoots has commenced discussions with Gebit across a number of customer groups, some of which are new prospects, while others where advanced discussions are in train. The Company believes the partnership collaboration can assist with progression to contract.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Rocketboots Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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21 March
Tech 5: CoreWeave Sets IPO Date, Google to Acquire Wiz
The tech landscape presented a dichotomy this week: company growth juxtaposed with market volatility over concerns that US President Donald Trump’s tariffs could upend global trade and lead to a recession.
“Inflation has started to move up,” US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said after a two day meeting that culminated in the interest rate target remaining between 4.25 and 4.5 percent.
“There may be a delay in further progress over the course of this year,” he added.
Despite those comments, Powell disputed a survey released this week from the University of Michigan that indicates a significant rise in long-term inflation expectations.
Wall Street witnessed a tech stock downturn mid-week that impacted all major players. Meta Platforms' (NASDAQ:META) decline on Wednesday (March 19) finalized year-to-date losses for all the so-called “Magnificent Seven.”
Amid this economic flux, innovation continued to forge ahead.
On Sunday (March 16), the Information reported on a 4.5 gigawatt power acquisition deal between Engine No. 1 and Crusoe, an energy startup backed by NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA). Under the terms of the agreement, Engine No. 1 will fund the installation of aero-derivative gas turbines provided by GE Vernova at Crusoe's data centers. This significant energy deal highlights the drive for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure development, even as market dynamics shift.
Beyond these major developments, the week also saw acquisitions, partnerships, valuation adjustments and the latest update on a highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO), reflecting the tech sector’s dynamic and ever-evolving nature.
Here's a look at other key events that made tech headlines this week.
1. NVIDIA shares AI advances at GTC event
NVIDIA's annual GTC conference showcased the company's aggressive AI push, with CEO Jensen Huang unveiling Blackwell Ultra, the next lineup of chips, and platforms designed to power the next generation of AI applications.
The event, while demonstrating NVIDIA's technological leadership, coincided with share price volatility.
Before Huang’s keynote speech on Tuesday (March 18), Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced price cuts on its competing AI chips, resulting in a slight dip in NVIDIA's share price.
Conversely, quantum computing stocks like D-Wave Quantum (NYSE:QBTS) and Quantum (NASDAQ:QMCO) experienced surges ahead of the speech, reflecting the overall excitement surrounding AI's potential.
Huang highlighted major partnerships in sectors like automotive and entertainment, as well as a significant focus on robotics. Investor enthusiasm for robotics has been heightened in Q1, with experts eyeing robotics as the next major growth area. This aligns with NVIDIA's own strategic focus on humanoid robots and related technologies.
NVIDIA ended the week down 4.15 percent.
2. Google inks partnership for AI chip strategy
Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is reportedly partnering with Taiwan's MediaTek (TPE:2454) on a newer version of Google’s AI tensor processing units (TPUs), which are scheduled for production next year.
According to the Information individuals involved in the project say Google will continue its working relationship with its longtime AI chip partner Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO). A Broadcom employee confirmed this report, adding that Google’s deal with MediaTek stems from MediaTek’s lower charges and its longstanding relationship with global chip production leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM).
TPUs are essential to Google's AI strategy, powering both its internal AI research and the AI services provided by the Google Cloud Platform. These chips are deeply integrated into Google's software and services, allowing for highly optimized performance for Google's specific AI workloads. For example, TPUs are used extensively within Google's search infrastructure and for their large language models.
TPUs are designed with a strong focus on the types of computations that Google's AI models perform. This specialization allows for very high efficiency in those specific workloads. Google makes TPUs available through its Google Cloud Platform, which allows other developers and researchers to access this specialized hardware.
TPUs are deeply integrated into Google's software and services and are essential to Google’s AI strategy. They power both its internal AI research and the AI services provided by the Google Cloud Platform. Amping up production will allow Google to provide TPUs to other companies, as well as for its own internal projects.
3. CoreWeave sets date for IPO
CoreWeave announced the launch of its IPO on Thursday (March 20), filing a registration to offer 49 million shares of its Class A common stock to the public and existing shareholders.
The shares will be priced between US$47 and US$55 each.
According to the filing, the company is seeking to raise up to US$2.7 billion through the offering. Analysts at CNBC project CoreWeave will be valued at US$26.5 billion, although that figure could go as high as US$32 billion. Sources for Bloomberg say the IPO, which is scheduled for March 27, is oversubscribed.
The IPO is being led by Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), with 11 other advisers participating. CoreWeave’s shares will trade on the Nasdaq under the symbol CRWV.
4. Google to acquire Wiz, strengthening cloud security offerings
Google has agreed to buy cybersecurity startup Wiz for US$32 billion in cash, the company said on Tuesday.
The acquisition will significantly enhance Google's Cloud platform by allowing the company to offer a more comprehensive and robust security solution to its clients. Wiz's platform, which is designed to operate seamlessly across multiple cloud environments, addresses the needs of modern businesses that often utilize a multi-cloud strategy.
Notably, this was Google’s second attempt to acquire Wiz, having offered the firm US$23 billion in July 2024. The deal ultimately fell through, with Wiz saying it would pursue an IPO instead.
Google’s persistence underscores the growing importance of cybersecurity in the digital landscape. As businesses increasingly migrate their operations to the cloud, the need for effective cybersecurity measures that can span multiple cloud platforms becomes crucial.
5. Perplexity AI eyes major funding round
Perplexity AI, an AI search engine startup competing with Google, is reportedly in early discussions to raise between US$500 million to US$1 billion in a new funding round. An anonymous source for Bloomberg who is familiar with the matter confirmed the potential deal, adding that it would double the company’s valuation to US$18 billion.
The potential funding round comes at a time when Perplexity AI is experiencing notable growth and traction in the competitive market. The company has secured significant support from prominent investors, including SoftBank Group's (TSE:9984) Vision Fund 2, Nvidia and Jeff Bezos, and its valuation has tripled twice in the previous year. According to a source, the company's current annual recurring revenue is close to US$100 million.
While the funding round is still in its early stages and subject to change, the potential doubling of Perplexity AI's valuation highlights the growing interest in and recognition of the company's disruptive potential. As users become increasingly concerned about data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the dominance of a single search provider, Perplexity AI's focus on transparency, user control and ethical AI practices may be resonating with a growing segment of the market.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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20 March
AWS Strategic Partnership & Equity Raising
Decidr AI Industries Ltd (ASX: DAI) (“the Company”), is pleased to announce that Decidr.ai Pty Ltd (“Decidr”) has engaged in a multi-part strategic partnership with Amazon Web Services (“AWS”) to accelerate AI-powered business transformation and the adoption of Decidr Agentic technology.
AWS will serve as Decidr’s core cloud infrastructure provider, enabling seamless AI Agent deployment, data intelligence, and process automation for businesses worldwide. This partnership will also introduce Decidr’s AI Business Operating System to the AWS Marketplace, making it easier for businesses to adopt AI solutions that drive operational efficiency.
Decidr is also pleased to announce alongside this strategic partnership, it is undertaking an equity raising by way of a non-underwritten A$10m Placement of approximately 13.2 million new fully paid ordinary shares in Decidr (“Equity Raise”) to support ongoing growth.
Highlights
- Decidr partners with AWS, designating AWS as its core cloud provider to accelerate AI-driven business transformation.
- Decidr to launch on AWS Marketplace, expanding accessibility for businesses seeking AI-powered automation with collaboration on go-to-market activities.
- Decidr selected for AWS APJ FasTrack Academy, an invite-only accelerator program designed to fast-track AWS Partners’ integration and co-sell readiness.
- Integration of AWS’s latest AI advancements into Decidr Agentic Software, including selected components of Amazon Nova, to enhance Decidr’s core AI capabilities and offer to customers.
- Launch of Decidr + AWS Startups Venture Studio, providing funding and AWS Activate Credits to help in the development of AI-first businesses.
- ~A$10m non-underwritten placement to support ongoing growth
- Proceeds from the Equity Raise will be used to find working capital to expand existing customer base and scale contracts, growth capital to acquire new partners and expand into the US, and to invest in technology.
Decidr and AWS Partnership
Following an extensive selection process, Decidr has appointed AWS as the company's core cloud infrastructure provider, enabling seamless AI deployment, data intelligence, and process automation for its core systems.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform, offering over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally to over 5 million businesses.
This partnership will also introduce custom Decidr + AWS cloud and LLM configurations using Amazon Nova for customers on Decidr’s Agentic Onboarding Studio. This specialised configuration will be available on the AWS Marketplace, making it easier for companies to adopt Agentic solutions.
Key Components of the Partnership
1. AWS as Decidr’s Global Cloud Provider: Enabling AI-driven business intelligence, automation, and data processing at scale.
2. Partnership to create a federated cloud and LLM setup for businesses using Decidr, offering the scale, flexibility and security of AWS with new Agentic agent development tools from Decidr.
3. Enhancements Using AWS LLM Technologies: Decidr will leverage elements of Amazon Nova to enhance specific AI-driven business solutions, including direct to customer and partner Agentic Agent deployments.
4. AWS Marketplace Launch and coordinated Go-to-Market motions: Decidr’s solutions will be available on the AWS Marketplace, simplifying adoption for businesses worldwide. Both parties will collaborate on events, case-studies and other promotional activities.
5. Decidr + AWS Startups Venture Studio: A joint initiative providing AI-native businesses with Decidr grant funding, AWS Activate Credits, and mentorship to scale their AI-first businesses.
David Brudenell, Executive Chairman of Decidr, commented:
“Our mission is to simplify AI adoption and help businesses scale with intelligence-driven automation. Partnering with AWS allows us to bring this vision to life at an unprecedented scale. Through the AWS Marketplace and our AI Startups Venture Studio, we are enabling companies to access AI-powered solutions and accelerate their transformation.”
Decidr Accepted into AWS APJ FasTrack Academy
Decidr has also been selected to participate in the AWS APJ FasTrack Academy, an invite- only global accelerator program designed to help AWS Partners fast-track integration, co- sell readiness, and enterprise expansion. This prestigious program provides direct support from AWS technical teams, priority onboarding to AWS Marketplace, and inclusion in AWS’s Co-Sell and Partner Programs, significantly enhancing Decidr’s ability to scale and engage with enterprise and SME customers.
Key Benefits of the Program:
- Expedited Growth Path: Accelerated onboarding to AWS’s partner ecosystem.
- Enhanced Support & Guidance: Structured curriculum, live enablement sessions, and access to AWS technical expertise.
- AWS Marketplace Optimisation: Streamlined onboarding to ensure maximum discoverability and engagement.
- Go-to-Market Readiness: Hands-on support to integrate Decidr’s AI solutions into AWS’s co-sell and partner programs.
Past FasTrack Academy AWS accelerator participants such as Leonardo AI, Perplexity AI, Hugging Face, and Stability AI have successfully scaled their AI solutions globally with AWS, and Decidr’s inclusion in the program will significantly assist in scaling its technology and Agentic business solutions globally.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Decidr AI Industries, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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