WHAT’S INSIDE

• Tech In The News: Tech Slides, Tariffs, Nvidia Warns on Chips

• Companies to watch: OpenAI, Zhipu, Marshmallow, Deck

• Feature: Foodtech Hit By Biotech Policy Shifts

• Buzzy Tools: Latest Buzzy tech, AI and financial tools

• Deep Tech: The latest in deep tech, biotech, futurism and more

• Space Tech: Latest news in the space race and aerospace tech

• Crypto: Blockchain and crypto policy and startups or protocols to watch

TECH IN THE NEWS

Market Mayhem — The US imposed new export restrictions on Nvidia’s China market-approved H20 chips. Nvidia warns of $5.5B cost hit, leading to a sharp decline in global chip stocks with the tech sector following.

Tariff Talk From Fed — Fed Chair Jerome Powell indicates that current US tariffs are contributing to inflation pressures, suggesting potential policy shifts as the central bank assesses economic impacts.

California vs. Trump Tariffs — California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced a lawsuit against the Trump admin challenging tariffs, claiming they violate trade laws and disproportionately affect California businesses.

Google's Ad Monopoly — A federal judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws in the ad tech market. The court will determine remedies in a future hearing after this two-year case.

Nissan Moves Production — Nissan plans to shift production to its US plant in response to Trump tariffs on imported vehicles

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COMPANIES TO WATCH

OpenAI — Reportedly in talks to acquire Windsurf for approximately $3 billion to strengthen its AI coding capabilities and expand its market reach.

Palantir — Awarded a contract by NATO for the Maven Smart System to enhance AI-enabled battlefield operations. The system, supporting Allied Command Operations, will be implemented within 30 days.

Intel — Intel is selling a 51% stake in its Altera chip business to Silver Lake for $4.46 billion. This move aims to streamline operations and boost its balance sheet amid challenges in the AI market and competition from AMD and Nvidia. The deal closes in H2 2025.

Zhipu AI — The Chinese AI startup is preparing for an IPO to become China's first public AI company. Supported by significant state-backed funding, it claims its GLM4 model surpasses OpenAI's GPT-4.

Marshmallow — This BlackRock-backed UK startup, specializing in insurance for migrants, raised $90M at a $2B valuation. With an ARR of $500M, it plans to expand into financial services.

Deck — Raised $12M to develop a platform that simplifies user-permissioned data access across the internet, akin to Plaid for banking. The startup aims to automate data extraction from websites without APIs.

Hammerspace — This data management company used by giants like Meta, raised $100M at a $500M valuation. Positioned as a leader in unstructured data solutions.

See more on SignalFires — Companies + Signals to Watch this week

THE HOTTEST THING IN TECH

Foodtech Futures: From Lab-Grown Chocolate to Biotech Policy Shifts

When President Trump recently announced plans to reverse President Biden’s ambitious biotech push—including efforts to boost lab-grown food technologies—shockwaves were felt across the burgeoning foodtech industry. Just as quickly as policy winds shift in Washington, innovation within foodtech races forward, showcasing resilience and creativity in the face of uncertainty. Among these frontiers, lab-grown chocolate has emerged as a surprising contender in the industry, epitomizing the innovative spirit and adaptability that defines the sector today.

Inside this sweet revolution, startups like California Cultured and QOA are leading a mouth-watering charge to develop chocolate using cultured cocoa cells. As reported recently by New Scientist, these ventures are not merely an intriguing novelty—they represent a potent solution to the chocolate industry's major sustainability challenges, from deforestation and climate change impacts to child labor and exploitation in traditional cocoa farming.

But chocolate isn't alone in this paradigm-shifting space. Across foodtech, two significant subsectors are thriving: alternative proteins and ghost kitchens. Each offers a unique vision of food’s future, driven by the dual imperatives of sustainability and convenience.

The global alternative proteins market, comprising plant-based meats, dairy substitutes, and microbial proteins, currently sits at USD 15.7 billion and is expected to reach USD 25.2 billion by 2029. The reasons are clear: as traditional meat and seafood production falter under rising global demand—evidenced by a 4% decline in the U.S. beef herd inventory last year alone—the appeal of sustainable alternatives grows stronger. Products from companies like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods, and Oatly have successfully transitioned from niche curiosity to mainstream staples.

Take Oatly, for instance. This brand, now synonymous with alternative dairy, has expertly navigated from startup to household staple through strategic partnerships and targeted consumer engagement. Michael Fentress, Oatly's Director of Foodservice, emphasizes oats' inherent sustainability and accessibility—qualities that have positioned oat milk as the "default" choice in cafes from Starbucks to independent coffee shops. By aligning with consumer values around health and environmental impact, Oatly exemplifies the power of thoughtful partnership and innovation.

Yet the path to mainstream acceptance isn’t easy. Companies in the alternative protein space face considerable R&D costs and market skepticism. Laine Clark, from the Good Food Institute, highlighted investors' growing demands for detailed lifecycle analyses and proven scalability. Upside Foods’ recent $400 million Series C funding underscores the high stakes—funding is abundant but comes with intense scrutiny and pressure for tangible results.

While alternative proteins focus on innovation in production, ghost kitchens are revolutionizing how food reaches consumers. These "virtual" establishments—such as CloudKitchens and Kitchen United—operate without traditional dining spaces, streamlining costs and optimizing delivery. The ghost kitchen market, projected to hit USD 156 billion by 2030, was propelled by pandemic-driven demand but remains buoyant due to ongoing consumer preference for convenience.

Lunchbox.io CEO Nabeel Alamgir compares ghost kitchens to crypto mining rigs, a surprising yet insightful analogy. Both technologies provide safe, innovative spaces for experimentation and growth. Partnerships remain central here, too. Lunchbox.io, for example, facilitates digital transformation for restaurants, providing smaller establishments the same robust tech platforms as giants like Chipotle and Dunkin’. Their recent 458% sales growth, thanks to partnerships with Firehouse Subs and Steak ‘n Shake, underscores the value of strategic alliances.

Ghost kitchens face their own challenges, primarily competition and dependency on delivery platforms like Uber Eats. However, startups that successfully leverage collaboration—such as Kitopi’s partnerships with Papa John’s and iHOP—demonstrate how shared infrastructure and innovative business models can overcome these hurdles.

Indeed, whether cultivating cultured chocolate, scaling alternative proteins, or expanding ghost kitchens, partnerships remain the cornerstone of success in foodtech. Just as Trump’s recent biotech rollback reminds us, the future is unpredictable. Yet, the momentum driving sustainable and innovative food solutions suggests that foodtech’s trajectory is unwavering.

Perhaps in a few years, our plates will feature sustainably cultured chocolate desserts alongside oat milk lattes, all delivered effortlessly by drone. Policy landscapes may shift, but foodtech continues to offer tantalizing visions of a more sustainable, delicious future.

Read Our Full Research Report on FoodTech Here

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BUZZY TOOLS

Buzzy Tech Tools To Watch & Use

OpenAI — Launches AI reasoning models o3 and o4-mini for advanced problems.

Grok Studio — Canvas tool for content editing, supports code, Google Drive.

Claude — New Research tool for web/doc searches with Google Workspace.

Search Arena — Novel search tool adds contextual understanding, real-time data.

n8nChat — AI-assisted workflow automation with natural language, no JavaScript.

BUZZY TECH

The Latest Deep Technology & Trends To Watch

Hexium — Laser tech separates lithium isotopes, cutting fusion fuel. $9.5M seed.

Taiwan & Internet Satellite — Enhances connectivity and blackout resilience.

BitNet — 1-bit AI model with 2b parameters optimizes speed, memory on CPUs.

Lab-Grown Chocolate — Lab cultivated chocolate with unique flavors, nutrition.

Ziroh Labs AI System — Runs AI efficiently without advanced chips.

CRYPTO WATCH

Bolt — New app now offers one-click crypto and fiat payments transactions.

zkSync Exploit — zkSync experienced a $5M loss due to an admin wallet exploit, though user funds remain safe. The ZK token fell 10%.

USDi Stablecoin — The new stablecoin USDi tracks the US consumer price index to combat inflation, offers an alternative to TIPS.

Crypto Lending Down — The crypto lending market shrank 43%, now at $36.5B. Meanwhile, DeFi lending soared to $19.1B, a near tenfold increase since 2022.

SPACE_RACE

JWST_detects potential biosignatures suggesting microbial life on a ‘super-earth’.

Interstellar Missions — Study of stellar objects aims to unlock cosmic mysteries.

Solar Storm Alert — CMEs may cause auroras visible in New York, Idaho this week.

Blue Origin_Katy Perry and first all-female space mission in 60 years return to earth.

Derek Tournear_Returns amid satellite challenges, possible SpaceX Starshield shift.

NASA_Maryland lawmakers fight against 50% cuts to protect natsec, innovation.

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