AnalytixInsight

Last week, Dow Jones fell 2.4%, S&P 500 was down 3.1%, and Nasdaq composite lost 3.45%, major indices continue to chop around in a headline-driven market. Genesys, a private equity-backed customer service software company, delayed what would have been one of the largest 2025 IPO, citing a sliding stock market. Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by billionaire twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, has filed confidentially for an IPO. Discord, the social messaging app, is in early talks with bankers about an IPO. Humanoid robotics firm ‘Figure’ is planning to raise US$1 billion to US$2 billion in equity financing at a US$38.5 billion pre-money valuation. That’s a staggering 15 times its valuation from a year ago. Anthropic, announced Monday that it has raised US$3.5 billion in its Series E funding round, hitting a US$61.5 billion valuation including the new money. CrowdStrike shares dropped nearly 9% in extended trading on Tuesday after the cybersecurity software provider issued disappointing earnings guidance. Broadcom’s latest quarterly results, boosted shares more than 11% in after-hours trading. Trump signed an executive order to build a Bitcoin reserve — crypto prices dropped following the announcement, because the stockpile will only involve the government maintaining existing crypto holdings. OpenAI reportedly plans to charge up to US$20,000 a month for specialized AI ‘agents’. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company plans to invest US$100 billion in new chip manufacturing facilities in the U.S. In Canada, Spectra7 Microsystems will be acquired by Parade Technologies. Shareholders could receive a special cash distribution of ~$0.028/sh. In news pertaining to Sophic Capital clients, Beacon Securities launched research coverage of Intermap) with $4.00/share price target. Legend Power debuted its voltage adherence risk metric to identify and combat “dirty power” in buildings.

Last week, Dow Jones rose 0.95%, S&P 500 lost 1%, and Nasdaq composite fell 3.5%, despite Friday’s bounce. Both Nasdaq and S&P 500 have almost given up their post US election gains. General Catalyst, the powerhouse venture capital firm, is reportedly considering an IPO. Shein’s profits dropped by more than a third last year, adding to the Company’s challenges ahead of a long-planned London IPO. Stripe struck a deal with investors to finance a tender offer for current and former employees to sell shares at a US$91.5 billion valuation. Stripe’s valuation had fallen to US$50 billion in March 2023. Anthropic is finalizing a US$3.5 billion fundraising round that values the company at US$61.5 billion. Nvidia projected 65% revenue growth in its April quarter on strong chip orders. Apollo Global is in talks to lead a US$35 billion debt financing by Meta to build data centers in the U.S. Meta is also planning to launch a standalone AI app. Microsoft said its plan to spend US$80 billion on data centers “remains on track”. Alibaba will spend US$53 billion on cloud and AI over next three years. Apple plans US$500 billion in US investment, 20,000 research jobs in next four years. Figure will reportedly start ‘alpha testing’ its humanoid robot in the home in 2025, earlier than expected. In Canada, Cohere’s annualized revenue hit US$70 million, up more than 3x since last March. In news, pertaining to Sophic clients, Boardwalk announced a Non-Brokered Life Offering, for up to $1.5 million. The Company also recently reported Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 financial results. The Company’s pipeline continues to scale with several engagements in the latter stages; and cost savings initiatives are tracking ahead of guidance. Kraken received $34 million of SeaPower battery orders. Plurilock launched new offerings to strengthen cyber resilience. American Aires teamed up with former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy’s Apogee Schools to create first US-based EMF-friendly schools.

Last week, after the S&P 500 hit record highs on Wednesday, major indices suffered reversals and ended the week down. Dow Jones was down 2.5%, S&P 500 fell 1.7%, Nasdaq composite lost 2.5% owing to growing concerns about U.S. consumer softness. The billion-dollar startup bubble is deflating, and more than US$1 trillion in value is locked up in companies with dwindling prospects, according to industry sources. X is in talks with investors to raise fresh equity capital at the US$44 billion valuation at which Musk bought the social media firm, then known as Twitter, in 2022. Austin-based defense startup Saronic has raised a US$600 million Series C to build an autonomous ship factory called “Port Alpha,” quadrupling its valuation to US$4 billion from its last round. Palantir’s surging stock fell 10% after reports of Pentagon budget cuts. OpenAI has topped 400 million users, despite DeepSeek’s recent emergence. Microsoft on Wednesday announced a new quantum computing chip called “Majorana 1” that it said is more reliable than previous quantum computers. The chip reflects a scientific breakthrough in the quantum computing field and could be used to train and run large AI models in “years, not decades,” the company said. In Canada, Shopify expanded its Affirm partnership to bring BNPL offerings to Canadian merchants. Ottawa-based Hyperlume raised US$12.5 million in seed funding to commercialize its data-centre interconnection technology. Sophic Clients had an eventful week. Intermap closed its $12 million financing. Legend Power reported Q1 F2025 financial results, an improved balance sheet, and new sales partnerships. Kraken took the top spot on the 2025 TSX Venture 50 list. Plurilock secured multiple high-profile government sales in The U.S. and Canada, and also signed a US$800,000 contract with a leading US hospital. Minnesota Timberwolves, and Aires Tech launch pioneering “EMF-Friendly Venue” tech.

Last week, though volatile, ended on a positive note. Dow Jones closed the week up 0.55%, S&P 500 gained 1.5%, and Nasdaq composite rose 2.6% — all three major indices are approaching all time highs. The Market has been range-bound since mid-December, a break above could signal a move to further upside from a technical point of view. Turo on Thursday withdrew its plans for an IPO. Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is said to be in talks to raise US$10 billion in a round that would value xAI at US$75 billion. Trump officials asked TSMC to weigh taking a stake in Intel’s chip factories. French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with France 2 TV Sunday that he expects companies and funds to invest US$100 billion in artificial intelligence projects in the county. Super Micro’s stock surged after outlining ambitious 2026 targets, assuring investors it will avoid delisting. Robinhood’s crypto business powered a revenue surge. Coinbase also reported strong revenue and profit growth. Airbnb’s stock rose 14% in after-hours trading after the company said Q4 rose 12%, exceeding its guidance. Alibaba’s stock closed 8.5% higher in Hong Kong Wednesday, following reports of the e-commerce giant’s partnership with Apple, which also continues to work with Baidu to power AI on iPhones in China. Apple and Meta, are both reportedly exploring humanoid robots. In Canada, Shopify indicated that its free cash flow margin could shrink to the mid-teens in Q1, down from 22% in Q4. Sophic Client American Aires launched the Aires Certified Spaces (ACS) standard for creating authorized EMF-friendly physical spaces, as part of strategic efforts to expand brand awareness and grow sales by leveraging more mass market exposure. Vancouver-based quantum startup Photonic published a paper detailing a new quantum error correction method. Major media companies sued Cohere for alleged copyright infringement.