Latest news with #TikTok-owner
Associated Press
22-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Hurun Research Institute released the Global Unicorn Index 2025
22 July, 2025 - Guangzhou, Mumbai, and London - The Hurun Research Institute released the Global Unicorn Index 2025, a ranking of the world's unicorns, defined as start-ups founded in the 2000s, worth at least a billion dollars and not yet listed on a public exchange. The cut-off was 1 January 2025, with significant changes in valuation updated up to the date of release. Hurun Research has been tracking unicorns since 2017. This is the seventh year of the Global Unicorn Index. This report includes the Most Successful Unicorn Investors in the World 2025, a ranking of the investment houses that have invested in the most unicorns. Hurun Research found 1,523 unicorns in the world, based in 52 countries and 307 cities. 359 unicorns saw their valuations rise, of which 203 were new faces. 143 saw their valuations drop, of which 52 were 'demoted' as their valuation no longer cut US$1bn. 64 were 'promoted' out of the list, of which 34 went IPO and 30 were acquired. 1,073 saw no change to their valuations. Their total value was US$5.6tn. The world's unicorns are disrupting financial services, business management solutions and healthcare. 77% sell software and services, led by FinTech, SaaS, and AI, whilst 23% have a physical product, led by Semiconductors, New Energy, Biotech, and HealthTech. Hurun Chairman and Chief Researcher Rupert Hoogewerf said: '2025 has been the year of AI. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI startups have rocketed, marking a critical inflexion point. Today, nearly a third of the world's unicorns are AI-related, underscoring its transformational impact across industries. Big Data, SaaS, and FinTech remain the most common sectors for AI-themed unicorns, whilst 128 are pure-play AI companies with a combined valuation nearing US$1 trillion, spanning AI assistants to machine learning platforms, and sector-specific AI applications in healthcare, security, robotics and fintech.' 'SpaceX has become the world's most valuable unicorn, with a staggering US$350 billion valuation, ahead of TikTok-owner ByteDance and OpenAI. It's the first time a space exploration company has led the pack.' 'No company encapsulates the 2020s unicorn boom quite like OpenAI. Two years ago, OpenAI was valued at just US$20 billion; today, it's US$300 billion. That jump in valuation in just two years is the fastest we've ever seen, driven by the revolutionary potential of generative AI.' 'Some founders don't stop at one unicorn. With xAI, Elon Musk is now the founder or co-founder of three of the world's four most valuable unicorns, as well as Neuralink (US$8bn) and The Boring Company (US$7bn) – a testament to how one visionary entrepreneur can repeatedly create massive value in completely different industries. Five have founded three unicorns and 33 have founded two.' 'When it comes to unicorns, the world can essentially be split into three regions: the US, China, and the Rest of the World. The US accounts for half of all unicorns, China a quarter, and the remaining quarter is spread across dozens of other countries, led by India and the UK. Surprisingly, perhaps, the EU countries together have just over 112 unicorns, less than 8%, despite contributing to 20% of the world's GDP. Each region has its strengths – American unicorns are heavy in SaaS, FinTech and AI, China's in AI, Semiconductors and Renewable Energy, while the rest of the world leans towards FinTech and E-commerce – reflecting different regional innovation focuses.' 'The United States is in a league of its own with 758 unicorns – fully 50% of the world's total. California alone is home to 396 companies valued at a combined US$2.1tn. The East Coast, led by New York with 141 unicorns, Massachusetts with 44 unicorns and Florida with 15 unicorns, continues to thrive in FinTech, Healthcare, and Enterprise Software. The Midwest, while smaller in count, shows growth in states like Illinois, with 15 unicorns, and demonstrates increasing startup momentum beyond coastal hubs. States like Texas, with over 32 unicorns, Colorado and Washington are emerging as strategic tech centres, boosted by talent migration and business-friendly environments. This dispersion indicates a maturing innovation landscape where startup ecosystems are flourishing across diverse regions, not just Silicon Valley.' About Hurun Inc. Promoting Entrepreneurship Through Lists and Research Oxford, Shanghai, Mumbai Established in the United Kingdom in 1999, Hurun is a research and media group, promoting entrepreneurship through its lists and research. Widely regarded as an opinion-leader in the world of business, Hurun generated 8 billion views on the Hurun brand in 2023, mainly in China and India, and recently expanded to the UK, US, Canada, and Australia. Best known for the Hurun Rich List series, telling the stories of the world's successful entrepreneurs in China, India, and the world, Hurun's other key series focus on young businesses and entrepreneurs, through the Hurun Unicorns Index, two Hurun Future Unicorns indices, the Hurun Uthseries, and the Hurun Pioneers series. Hurun has grown to become the world's largest list compiler for start-ups, ranking over 3000 start-ups across the world through its annual Hurun Global Unicorns Index (startups with a valuation of US$1bn+), and two Hurun Future Unicorn Indexes: Gazelles, most likely to 'go unicorn' within three years, and Cheetahs, most likely to 'go unicorn' within five years. The Hurun Pioneering Young Startups and Entrepreneurs series focuses on startups set up within the last ten years and founders aged 45 or under. The Hurun Uthseries includes the Under25s, Under30s, Under35s, and Under40s awards, representing the cream of each generation of young entrepreneurs who have founded businesses with a social impact and worth US$1m, US$10m, US$50m, and US$100m, respectively. Other lists include the Hurun 500 series, ranking the most valuable companies in the world, China and India, the Hurun Global High Schools List, ranking the world's best independent high schools, the Hurun Philanthropy List, ranking the biggest philanthropists and the Hurun Art List, ranking the world's most successful artists alive today. Hurun provides research reports co-branded with some of the world's leading financial institutions and regional governments. Hurun hosts high-profile events across China and India, as well as London, Paris, New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, Luxembourg, Istanbul, Dubai, and Singapore. For further information, see or For media inquiries, please contact: Hurun Report Porsha Pan Mobile: +86-139 1838 7446 Email: [email protected] Ke Zhang Mobile: +86-139 6432 2777 Email: [email protected] Media Contact Company Name: Hurun Report Contact Person: Porsha Pan Email: Send Email Country: United Kingdom Website:
Mint
02-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
Elon Musk's X adds AI to its Community Notes, promises faster fact-checks with a human touch
Elon Musk's social media platform X is preparing to roll out Community Notes written by artificial intelligence agents, in a bid to speed up its fact-checking capabilities and widen its reach. The initiative will allow developers to submit their own AI systems for evaluation. These agents will initially produce practice notes that remain behind the scenes. If deemed helpful by the platform, the AI will then be permitted to generate fact-checking notes that are published publicly. Despite the automation, human oversight will remain central to the process. According to Keith Coleman, a product executive at X and head of the Community Notes programme, the system requires that notes be approved by individuals from a broad spectrum of viewpoints before going live, mirroring the criteria already in place for user-submitted notes. 'They can help deliver a lot more notes faster with less work, but ultimately the decision on what's helpful enough to show still comes down to humans,' Coleman said in an interview on Tuesday. 'So we think that combination is incredibly powerful.' Coleman indicated that the platform currently publishes hundreds of Community Notes daily. While he did not offer a precise estimate, he suggested that the introduction of AI-generated contributions could lead to a 'significant' increase in volume. Originally launched under the Twitter brand prior to Musk's acquisition of the company in 2022, Community Notes has seen renewed focus under his leadership. The approach has since attracted interest from other tech firms, including Meta and TikTok-owner ByteDance, which have begun exploring similar community-driven fact-checking systems. Musk has often praised the Community Notes feature, describing it as 'hoax kryptonite' in the fight against misinformation. However, the feature has not spared Musk himself from scrutiny; he has been flagged multiple times for sharing misleading content. Earlier this year, he warned the system could potentially be 'gamed by governments & legacy media.' Coleman views the uptake by rival platforms as evidence that X's model is among the most effective fact-checking mechanisms available. He also believes that human moderation of AI-generated notes will establish a valuable 'feedback loop' to further improve the technology over time. 'It is a new feedback cycle,' he said. 'The model can be improved not just by one random human's feedback, but by feedback from a diverse audience.' Importantly, AI agents contributing to Community Notes will not be restricted to Musk's own xAI-developed bot, Grok. Coleman clarified that developers can utilise any AI technology, provided it meets the platform's standards for accuracy and relevance. The first wave of AI-generated Community Notes is expected to begin appearing later this month. (With inputs from Bloomberg)
Business Insider
07-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Trump Eyes Third TikTok Extension ahead of June 19 Deadline
Americans can't get enough of TikTok. A ban on the popular short-form app will likely cause annoyance and discomfort for hundreds of millions of U.S. users, something President Trump is well aware of. Now, he's planning to give TikTok another deadline extension ahead of the current deadline of June 19, according to the Wall Street Journal. Confident Investing Starts Here: Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter U.S. officials believe that TikTok-owner ByteDance, a Chinese company, has ties to China's government, making the app a risk to national security given its usage among 170 million Americans. In April 2024, former President Biden signed a bill giving TikTok nine months to find a U.S.-approved buyer. Nine months later, TikTok failed to find a buyer, which resulted in Trump stepping in with a 75-day extension. After that extension expired, Trump provided the company with another 75-day extension. TikTok Unlikely to Find Buyer until U.S.-China Trade Talks Resolve After Trump announced his sweeping tariffs, ByteDance informed the White House that China wouldn't agree to a TikTok sale until the two sides could come to terms on trade policies. Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi over the phone on Thursday, although TikTok wasn't discussed. Still, tensions between the two sides appear to be easing, with China granting suppliers of three top U.S. automakers with rare earth export licenses today, per Reuters.
CNBC
24-04-2025
- Business
- CNBC
South Korea says DeepSeek transferred user data to China and the U.S. without consent
South Korea's data protection authority has concluded that Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek collected personal information from local users and transferred it overseas without their permission. The authority, the Personal Information Protection Commission, released its written findings on Thursday in connection with a privacy and security review of DeepSeek. It follows DeepSeek's removal of its chatbot application from South Korean app stores in February at the recommendation of PICP. The agency said DeepSeek had committed to cooperate on its concerns. During DeepSeek's presence in South Korea, it transferred user data to several firms in China and the U.S. without obtaining the necessary consent from users or disclosing the practice, the PIPC said. The agency highlighted a particular case in which DeepSeek transferred information from user-written AI prompts, as well as device, network, and app information, to a Chinese cloud service platform named Beijing Volcano Engine Technology Co. While the PIPC identified Beijing Volcano Engine Technology Co. as "an affiliate" of TikTok-owner ByteDance, the information privacy watchdog noted in a statement that the cloud platform "is a separate legal entity and has no relation to ByteDance," according to a Google translation. According to PIPC, DeepSeek said it used Beijing Volcano Engine Technology's services to improve the security and user experience of its app, but later blocked the transfer of AI prompt information from April 10. DeepSeek and ByteDance did not immediately respond to inquiries from CNBC. The Hangzhou-based AI startup took the world by storm in January when it unveiled its R1 reasoning model, rivaling the performance of Western competitors despite the company's claims that it was trained for relatively low costs and with less advanced hardware. However, the app's rising popularity quickly triggered national security and data concerns outside China due to Beijing's requirement for domestic firms to share data with the PRC. Cybersecurity experts have also flagged data vulnerabilities in the app and voiced concerns about the company's privacy policy. PIPC on Thursday said it had issued a corrective recommendation to DeepSeek, which includes requests to immediately destroy AI prompt information transferred to the Chinese company in question and to set up legal protocols for transferring personal information overseas. When the data protection authority announced the removal of DeepSeek from local app stores, it signaled that the app would become available again once the company implemented the necessary updates to comply with local data protection policy. That investigation followed reports that some South Korean government agencies had banned employees from using DeepSeek on work devices. Other global government departments, including in Taiwan, Australia, and the U.S., have reportedly instituted similar bans.
RTÉ News
23-04-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
European regulators crack down on Big Tech
European regulators have launched a series of investigations into Big Tech in recent years. Here are some of the actions taken: Digital Markets Act The European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) took effect in 2022 with the aim of curbing the power of Big Tech and ensuring a level playing field for smaller rivals. Apple was fined €500m and Meta €200m under the DMA on April 23. People with direct knowledge of the matter had in March said the fines would be modest, as the antitrust enforcer is focused on making sure companies comply with the law rather than sanctioning them. The investigations are part of three probes started by the European Commission, which acts as the EU competition watchdog. The EC is also investigating Alphabet's Google over possible breaches, and charged Meta last July for failing to comply with the DMA in its new pay or consent advertising model. In September 2023, the EU named 22 "gatekeeper" services run by Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok-owner ByteDance, giving them six months to comply with the provisions of the DMA. Meta and TikTok appealed against the gatekeeper status in November 2023, with the latter losing a bid to suspend its designation in February 2024. Apple said in April 2024 it would continue to engage with the Commission to comply with the rules. Digital Services Act Tech companies are required to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) that came into effect last year. Meta's Facebook and Instagram are being investigated for potential breaches of EU online content rules relating to child safety, which could lead to hefty fines, the Commission said in May 2024. Antitrust The European Commission fined Meta €797.72m in November over abusive practices benefiting Facebook Marketplace. In September, Google won its challenge against a €1.49 billion antitrust fine imposed five years ago for hindering rivals in online search advertising. A week earlier, Google lost its fight against a €2.42 billion fine by EU antitrust regulators seven years ago for using its own price comparison shopping service to gain an unfair advantage over smaller European rivals. On the same day, Apple lost the fight against an order by EU competition regulators to pay €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland, as part of a larger crackdown against sweetheart deals between multinationals and EU countries. Regulators said last July that Apple had agreed to open its tap-and-go mobile payments system to rivals to settle an EU antitrust probe. Brussels fined Apple €1.84 billion last March for thwarting competition from music streaming rivals via restrictions on its App Store. The Commission in June charged Microsoft with illegally bundling its chat and video app Teams with its Office product. It is also probing Microsoft's security software practices, a document seen by Reuters showed in February. European states Individual European countries have also taken actions against Big Tech. Apple lost an appeal on March 18 against a regulatory assessment that opens it up to stricter controls in Germany, following years of debate over its market position. Britain's antitrust regulator in September provisionally found Google had abused its dominant position in digital advertising to restrict competition. A month earlier, it started probes into its parent Alphabet and Amazon's collaboration with AI startup Anthropic. Other measures include a fine against Meta in Italy over unfair commercial practices and a French fine against Google for breaching EU intellectual property rules. A Spanish regulator, meanwhile, opened an investigation into possible anti-competitive behaviour by Apple's App Store last July.
