- Google's AI Bill Bites: Alphabet reported its first-ever negative quarterly free cash flow as AI-infrastructure spending balloons toward $200 billion for 2026.
- Samsung Unfolds the Future: Galaxy Unpacked brought thinner Z Fold8 and Flip8 phones plus the AI-powered Galaxy Glasses built with Google.
- India's Tech Stocks Slump: New-age tech shares had a bruising week — Swiggy plummeted while BlueStone bucked the trend and soared.
- ShareChat's Comeback: The homegrown social app clawed its valuation back and is now eyeing a roughly $400 million IPO after turning operationally profitable.
International Tech News
1. Alphabet posts its first-ever negative free cash flow
Google parent Alphabet reported roughly −$5.8 billion in quarterly free cash flow — a first for the company — as it pours money into AI data centers, chips and power, with 2026 capital spending now guided to a staggering $195–205 billion. It's the clearest sign yet of how expensive the AI arms race has become, even for the most profitable companies on earth. Investors are increasingly demanding proof that these mega-investments will translate into durable revenue.
2. Samsung unveils Galaxy Z Fold8, Flip8 and Galaxy Glasses
At Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung showed off thinner, lighter Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Z Fold8 and Z Flip8 foldables alongside a Galaxy Watch 9 and a preview of AI-enabled Galaxy Glasses developed with Google and eyewear partners. The foldables keep Samsung out front in a category rivals are still chasing, while the smart glasses stake an early claim in the next wearable-AI battleground. Expect India pricing and availability to follow shortly after global launch.
3. Intel raises guidance and lifts 2026 capex to $20 billion
Intel raised its outlook and boosted 2026 capital spending to about $20 billion as demand for data-center CPUs that support AI infrastructure outstripped its production capacity. After years of turnaround struggles, surging AI-server demand is giving the chipmaker a genuine tailwind. Stronger guidance suggests the broader compute buildout is lifting more than just Nvidia.
4. AMD partners with Cerebras to challenge Nvidia in AI inference
AMD teamed up with AI-chip startup Cerebras Systems to combine their hardware for AI inference workloads, giving customers a mixed-computing alternative to Nvidia's dominance. As companies shift from training giant models to running them at scale, inference is becoming the bigger, cost-sensitive market. Alliances like this widen the field of credible options for buyers desperate to diversify away from a single supplier.
5. AI-chip startup Etched raises $300M at a $10.3B valuation
Etched raised a $300 million Series C that values the startup at about $10.3 billion, betting that specialized transformer-focused processors can challenge Nvidia's general-purpose GPUs. Purpose-built chips promise big efficiency gains for the specific math behind today's AI models. The eye-watering valuation shows investors are still willing to fund long-shot bids to break Nvidia's grip on AI silicon.
6. Apple Maps to be built into Ford's electric vehicles
Apple's mapping technology will be embedded directly into Ford's new electric vehicles starting in 2027, powering turn-by-turn navigation and hands-free driving support inside the dashboard. The tie-up deepens Apple's push into the car beyond CarPlay, planting its software at the core of the driving experience. For Ford, native Apple Maps is a bet that familiar, polished software helps sell EVs.
7. SpaceX delays Starship Flight 13 again
SpaceX postponed the next Starship test flight once more, citing weather and engine-ignition problems, and swapped out several Raptor engines before the coming attempt. Starship is central to SpaceX's ambitions for heavy-lift launches, satellite deployment and eventually Mars, so each delay ripples across the space industry's roadmap. The scrubs underscore how hard it remains to make the world's largest rocket fully reliable.
8. US lawmakers introduce an "AI Kill Switch" bill
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced the AI Kill Switch Act, which would authorize the Department of Homeland Security to shut down advanced AI systems during severe "loss-of-control" incidents. The proposal reflects growing unease in Washington about powerful, fast-moving AI outrunning existing safeguards. If it advances, it would mark one of the more aggressive attempts yet to hard-wire emergency brakes into AI regulation.
India Tech News
1. New-age tech stocks slump; Swiggy falls, BlueStone rises
India's new-age tech stocks had a bearish week, with Swiggy plummeting under selling pressure even as jewellery retailer BlueStone bucked the trend and soared. The split shows investors turning more selective — rewarding clearer profitability stories while punishing companies still burning cash for growth. After a strong run for listed startups, the pullback is a reminder that public-market patience has limits.
2. ShareChat's turnaround revives its valuation; $400M IPO in sight
Homegrown social platform ShareChat staged a striking valuation recovery on the back of leadership changes and a swing to operating profitability, and is now lining up a roughly $400 million IPO. India's "Meta rival" going public would be a marquee test of investor appetite for consumer-internet listings. The comeback shows a disciplined cost focus can rebuild confidence even after a steep down-round.
3. Navi and super.money gain UPI share as PhonePe, Google Pay dip
In June, challengers Navi and super.money gained UPI market share while incumbents PhonePe and Google Pay saw slight declines in transaction volumes. Even small shifts matter in a market long dominated by a two-player duopoly that regulators have wanted to loosen. Cashbacks and aggressive user acquisition from newer apps are starting to nibble at the leaders' grip.
4. Indian startups raise ~$164M this week, down 40%
About 16 Indian startups raised a combined ~$164 million across early- and growth-stage deals in the July 20–25 week, roughly 40% lower than the previous week's tally. The dip reflects a lumpy funding environment where a handful of big rounds can swing weekly totals dramatically. Early-stage activity stayed steady even as larger cheques thinned out.
5. Quick-commerce startup Plazza raises $15M Series A
Plazza raised a $15 million Series A backed by Accel, Elevation Capital and Nexus Venture Partners to scale its quick-commerce operations. Marquee investors still writing cheques in quick commerce signals confidence that the crowded 10-minute-delivery space has room for focused new players. The capital will likely go toward dark stores, delivery density and customer acquisition.
6. Healthtech startup CAROL.ai raises $10M from IFC
CAROL.ai closed a $10 million Series A led by the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group, to expand its AI-driven healthtech platform. Development-finance capital flowing into Indian healthtech AI reflects growing belief that these tools can deliver measurable clinical and access benefits. IFC's backing also lends credibility as the startup courts hospitals and health systems.
7. Travel-tech firm 30 Sundays raises $6.7M pre-Series A
Travel-technology startup 30 Sundays raised $6.7 million in a pre-Series A round backed by Bessemer Venture Partners and others. Renewed investor interest in Indian travel tech tracks a post-pandemic surge in domestic and outbound travel demand. The funding gives the young company runway to build product and expand its customer base.
8. Raghu Vamsi Aerospace bags $40M Series B
Deep-tech manufacturer Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group raised a $40 million Series B to expand its aerospace-components platform. Big growth-stage cheques into Indian deep-tech and defence-adjacent manufacturing show investors leaning into "Make in India" hardware bets. Aerospace supply-chain localisation is drawing fresh capital as global manufacturers diversify sourcing.
9. Transition VC launches a $150M climate-focused fund
Investor Transition VC unveiled a new $150 million fund, adding fresh dry powder to India's startup ecosystem at a time when weekly funding has been choppy. New fund launches matter because they signal committed capital that will get deployed over the next several years. More specialist funds also give founders in specific sectors better-matched backers.
10. Jio and Airtel mobile plans may get up to 20% costlier
Reports suggest Jio and Airtel could raise mobile recharge prices by as much as 20%, driven by continued 5G expansion and higher revenue-per-user targets. Tariff hikes hit hundreds of millions of Indian users directly and shape how much data-heavy services people can afford. The telcos are betting subscribers will absorb higher prices in exchange for faster, more widely available 5G.
Funding & Ecosystem Round-up
- Plazza raised $15M (Series A) from Accel, Elevation Capital and Nexus, while quick commerce keeps drawing marquee VC money.
- CAROL.ai closed a $10M Series A led by the World Bank's IFC, and travel-tech firm 30 Sundays raised $6.7M (Bessemer and others).
- Raghu Vamsi Aerospace bagged a $40M Series B for deep-tech manufacturing, alongside growth rounds for fintech names in the week's tally.
- Transition VC launched a new $150M fund; overall ~16 startups raised about $164M this week, down roughly 40% week-on-week.
Discussion