Author: admin

Investment in consumer technology startups has been stagnant since 2022 as turbulent macroeconomic conditions and rising inflation have made VCs wary of consumer purchasing power. Over the past few years, most AI investments have focused on acquiring enterprise customers that offer fat checks, multi-year contracts, and rapid scale-up paths. But one venture capital firm believes the consumer sector is gearing up for a comeback in 2026. “This is going to be the year of the consumer,” Vanessa Larco, a partner at venture firm Premise and a former partner at NEA, said on this week’s episode of the Equity podcast. Even…

Null Photo | Null Photo | Getty Imagesgoogle The company announced Thursday that it is adding more Gemini features to Gmail, offering upgrades such as artificial intelligence-generated summaries of email threads.The company says the latest update will be rolled out in stages, and some features will be turned on by default in the inbox, so users who don’t want them will need to opt out.”When you open an email with dozens of replies, Gmail synthesizes the entire conversation into a concise summary of the key points,” Google wrote in a blog post.The company says it will also add an AI…

The Senate is scheduled to vote this morning on a measure that would limit President Donald Trump’s war powers in Venezuela. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, told CNN on Tuesday that he is still trying to find the votes needed to pass a resolution that would require President Donald Trump to authorize Congress to carry out hostilities with Venezuela, but that there are “about a dozen” Republicans who support or are considering the resolution. Kaine’s war powers resolution, co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Rand Paul, would need a total of four Republican senators to pass in the chamber. While the bill is…

Victoria’s Secret has made every K-Pop stun’s dream come true. Ever since seeing the four members of Korean girl group sensation TWICE perform at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last year, ONCEs (as TWICE fans are called) have been petitioning for official campaigns and collaborations. Today we brought you lingerie and loungewear brands. PINK teamed up with TWICE’s Nayeon, Jihyo, Momo, and Tzuyu to showcase new styles from their new Valentine’s Day collection. This sister brand stays true to what it does best: a variety of sassy and cute designs with a flirty edge. If you’re a fan of TWICE…

Debts owed by Venezuela conocophilips and exxon mobil Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC on Wednesday that these are not immediate priorities for the Trump administration following the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro. “The huge debts Conoco and Exxon have are very real and will need to be repaid in the future,” Wright told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan. “But it’s a long-term problem, not a short-term problem.”Conoco and Exxon filed arbitration lawsuits against Venezuela after former President Hugo Chávez nationalized the oil industry in 2007. Venezuela owes Conoco about $10 billion and Exxon about $2 billion, according to a JPMorgan memo…

This is CNBC’s Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.Happy Thursday. If you haven’t figured it out yet after reading this newsletter, I’m a huge cliché user. So, S&P500As traders face their first losing day of the year, they may be able to seek solace in the age-old adage, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”Stock futures fell this morning after mixed trading.Here are five important things investors need to know to start their trading day.1. Market moversSecretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing…

RHONJ’s Dolores Catania engaged: Why fiance Paul Connell proposed at an Apple StoreNew year, new title for Gina Kirschenheiter. The Real Housewives of Orange County star is officially engaged to longtime boyfriend Travis Mullen on New Year’s Eve. The engagement took place at Big Bear during the couple’s family celebrations, along with Gina’s children Nick, 13, Sienna, 11, and Luca, 10, whom she shares with ex Matthew Kirschenheiter, and Travis’ children from previous relationships, Presley, 14, Bennett, 12, and Joey, 9. And as the family was preparing for New Year’s Eve dinner, Travis asked Gina to go outside and help…

Despite the heartbreak of his team’s loss to Algeria, Mboradinga won the hearts of fans and left a lasting impact on the tournament.The Democratic Republic of the Congo suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Algeria in extra time and withdrew from the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, but their most famous supporter left a lasting impact on football fans and players alike.Michel Ngcuka Mboradinga, who quickly became a fan favorite and social media star with his unique tribute to his country’s hero Patrice Lumumba, said goodbye to AFCON after meeting with the Algerian team at a hotel on Wednesday.Dressed in…

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced Apple Card at a launch event at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, on March 25, 2019.Noah Berger | AFP | Getty ImagesJP Morgan Chase an agreement was reached to take over the apple Credit card from original issuer; goldman sachsThe two banks said in separate releases on Wednesday.The deal, completed after a year of negotiations between the parties, means even greater growth for the credit card and overall retail banking giant. JPMorgan will take over more than $20 billion in credit card loans in 2022 from Goldman, which has begun a shift away from consumer…

Spangle, the AI ​​e-commerce startup founded by former Bolt CEO Maju Kuruvilla, has raised $15 million in a new funding round, valuing the company at $100 million. The Series A round, led by NewRoad Capital Partners, comes more than a year after the Seattle-based startup raised a $6 million seed round at a $30 million pre-money valuation. The startup said Madrona, DNX Ventures, Streamlined Ventures and strategic angel investors also participated, bringing total funding to $21 million. Retailers are facing a shift in the way consumers find products online, as AI tools, social platforms, and recommendation engines increasingly influence purchasing…