Top Tech News Today, November 25, 2025
1. Alphabet’s AI Stock Rally Puts Google on Track for $4 Trillion Valuation
Alphabet’s market value is racing toward $4 trillion as investors continue to reward Google’s AI strategy, in-house chips, and resilient ad business. The stock has surged on the back of strong cash flows, growing AI integration into search, and optimism around Google’s TPU chips as a credible alternative to Nvidia’s high-priced GPUs. Recent excitement has been amplified by news that Berkshire Hathaway quietly took a stake, reinforcing the narrative that Google remains a core AI infrastructure play.
Regulatory risk, however, still hangs over the story. A U.S. court recently ruled Google’s search business an illegal monopoly but stopped short of ordering a breakup, allowing Alphabet to keep its integrated AI stack intact. Analysts warn that the stampede into mega-cap AI stocks is starting to resemble late-90s dot-com exuberance, with valuations drifting away from fundamentals even as Google’s core business remains highly profitable and central to the AI tooling ecosystem.
Why It Matters: Alphabet’s AI-fueled rally is shaping global tech indices and sets the tone for how aggressively capital will chase AI infrastructure leaders in 2026.
Source: Reuters.
2. Amazon Unveils “Leo Ultra,” a Starlink Competitor Built for Enterprise Connectivity
Amazon has revealed its new satellite internet terminal, Amazon Leo Ultra, positioning it as a direct competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink. Built under Amazon’s Project Kuiper umbrella, the enterprise-grade terminal is designed for high-performance, low-latency connectivity and is expected to power large-scale business, government, and infrastructure use cases starting in 2026. The device features 1 Gbps download speeds and 400 Mbps upload speeds, leveraging full-duplex phased array technology for simultaneous sending and receiving of data without interruption.
Leo Ultra is built on Amazon Leo silicon, includes an integrated heat sink for performance stability, and is rated weatherproof for deployment in extreme environments. The terminal measures 20” x 30” x 1.9”, supports pole-mount installations, and is engineered specifically for enterprise-grade throughput and reliability rather than consumer use alone. This positioning signals Amazon’s intention to serve critical sectors such as defense, energy, maritime, aviation, and emergency response, where uninterrupted connectivity is mission-essential.
Amazon confirmed that around 150 Kuiper satellites are already in orbit, with initial network testing underway. While pricing has not yet been announced, the hardware specifications and enterprise focus suggest the Leo Ultra will target premium customers who need guaranteed bandwidth, low latency, and global coverage outside traditional fiber zones. The announcement intensifies competition in the rapidly expanding space-based internet market, which is increasingly viewed as critical infrastructure for AI, remote operations, autonomous systems, and disaster resiliency.
Why It Matters: Leo Ultra gives Amazon a serious foothold in next-generation satellite connectivity, challenging Starlink and signaling that space-based internet will be central to AI infrastructure and global communications.
Source: Company announcement (Amazon / Project Kuiper)
3. Google and Accel Launch AI Futures Fund Push for Indian AI Startups
Alphabet’s Google and venture firm Accel have teamed up to back at least 10 early-stage Indian AI startups, in what Google calls its first dedicated funding partnership of this kind. Under the program, Google’s AI Futures Fund and Accel will co-invest up to $2 million per startup, focusing on AI companies in entertainment, creativity, work, and coding. Executives say the move reflects a belief that Indian founders will help define the next wave of global AI products, as nearly a billion users in the country come online and skip directly to AI-native experiences.
The partnership builds on Google’s broader India AI strategy. In October, Google pledged $15 billion over five years to build an AI data center in Andhra Pradesh, and it has already funded more than 30 companies through the AI Futures Fund, ranging from webtoon platforms to legal-tech firms. Google has also partnered with Reliance Jio to give 505 million users free access to Gemini, aiming to make its AI assistant ubiquitous across the Indian internet. With India’s AI market projected to reach $17 billion by 2027 and global AI spend forecast to exceed $2 trillion in 2026, this program positions Google at the center of a key regional ecosystem rather than just a distant cloud provider.
Why It Matters: The initiative signals that India is not just a user market for Big Tech AI, but a strategic hub where early-stage AI startups may be incubated and scaled for global impact.
Source: Reuters.
4. Meta Reportedly in Talks to Spend Billions on Google AI Chips
Meta is reportedly negotiating a multibillion-dollar deal to buy Google’s AI chips, according to The Information, in a move that would reshape the AI hardware landscape and deepen ties between two rival giants. The talks center on Google’s TPU accelerators, which Meta could deploy alongside or instead of Nvidia hardware in its data centers. That would diversify Meta’s supply of AI compute at a time when Nvidia GPUs are expensive and constrained, while also validating Google’s long-running bet on building its own silicon. Reuters flagged the discussions as part of a series of “Read Next” items in its coverage of Google’s valuation surge, underscoring the strategic importance of bespoke AI chips as a competitive wedge.
For Meta, which is training ever larger open-weight models and building AI agents into apps like Instagram and WhatsApp, any ability to lock in predictable compute costs is critical. For Google, landing a hyperscale buyer for TPUs would expand its chip franchise beyond internal workloads and cloud customers, turning it into a more direct competitor to Nvidia and AMD in the AI accelerator market. Regulators are likely to scrutinize the implications of two dominant ad platforms coordinating on core infrastructure, but the deal would also highlight how fragile and concentrated the AI hardware supply chain remains.
Why It Matters: A Meta–Google chip deal would accelerate competition with Nvidia and signal that proprietary AI silicon is becoming a major strategic battleground among Big Tech platforms.
Source: The Information via Reuters references.
5. Zoom Lifts Forecast as AI Companion 3.0 Gains Traction in Hybrid Work
Zoom raised its full-year revenue and profit outlook after reporting a quarter of better-than-expected growth driven by its AI Companion tools and steady enterprise demand. The company now expects fiscal 2026 revenue between $4.85 billion and $4.86 billion, up from a prior range of $4.83 billion to $4.84 billion, and boosted its adjusted earnings forecast to $5.95–$5.97 per share, ahead of Wall Street expectations. Shares rose in after-hours trading as investors welcomed signs that Zoom has moved beyond being a pandemic-era video app into a broader “AI-first” collaboration platform
Management highlighted strong adoption of AI Companion 3.0, which summarizes meetings, drafts messages, and automates follow-ups. Zoom also expanded its partnership with Nvidia, integrating Nemotron open technologies to support AI Companion across sectors like finance, healthcare, and government, while authorizing an additional $1 billion share repurchase. Analysts see the results as a proof point that AI features can rejuvenate mature SaaS products, reduce churn, and justify premium pricing — provided they deliver tangible time savings rather than novelty. For CIOs, Zoom’s quarter reinforces that AI assistants are becoming table stakes in collaboration suites, not optional add-ons.
Why It Matters: Zoom’s upbeat AI-driven results show how legacy SaaS platforms can reposition as AI productivity suites, reshaping competition with Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, and others.
Source: Reuters via Channel NewsAsia and other financial outlets.
6. Apple Cuts Dozens of Sales Jobs in Rare Tech Layoff, Eyes Efficiency and New Hardware
Apple has eliminated dozens of roles across its global sales organization in what multiple outlets describe as a rare layoff for the iPhone maker. The cuts affect account managers and staff who handle product briefings for business, education, and government customers, and follow the earlier elimination of about 20 roles in Australia and New Zealand. Reporting based on a Bloomberg scoop says the restructuring is designed to streamline how Apple pitches its hardware and services portfolio to large clients, reducing overlap across regional teams.
The move comes despite Apple’s continued revenue strength and heavy investment in next-generation devices and AI features for upcoming iOS and macOS releases. While the number of roles cut is small relative to Apple’s global workforce, the layoffs are symbolically significant because Apple has largely avoided the sweeping job reductions seen at peers over the last two years. Insiders frame the changes as part of a broader shift toward more centralized, data-driven enterprise sales motions, with Apple preparing a new lower-cost laptop to court business and education buyers in 2026. For a company famous for stability, this is a reminder that even Apple is tightening operations as AI, mixed reality, and supply-chain pressures reshape its cost structure.
Why It Matters: Apple’s rare sales-team layoffs highlight how even cash-rich Big Tech companies are re-architecting go-to-market operations to fund AI investments and new hardware bets.
Source: Bloomberg, via regional tech and business outlets.
7. Amazon Commits Up to $50 Billion for AWS AI Supercomputing for U.S. Government
Amazon has unveiled plans to invest up to $50 billion to expand AI and supercomputing capacity for U.S. government customers, marking one of the largest single AI infrastructure commitments to date. The multiyear initiative will add as much as 2 gigawatts of dedicated data center capacity for federal agencies, roughly equivalent to the power used by about 1.5 million U.S. homes. The program bundles compute with a full AI software stack, including Amazon SageMaker for training, Amazon Bedrock for deploying models and agents, and foundation models such as Amazon Nova and Anthropic’s Claude running on AWS.
The deal is being framed as both an AI modernization push and a national security move. Analysts note that the U.S. is in a compute arms race with China, and Washington’s ability to access large, secure AI supercomputing clusters will influence everything from defense simulations to fraud detection and healthcare analytics. By carving out capacity specifically for federal workloads, Amazon also seeks to anchor AWS as the de facto public-sector AI cloud, making it harder for rivals like Microsoft and Google to dislodge its lead with agencies that prize continuity and compliant infrastructure.
Why It Matters: The investment cements AWS as a central pillar of U.S. government AI strategy and signals how tens of billions in AI infrastructure spending will be steered over the next decade.
Source: Reuters.
8. Tesla Aims to Outbuild Every AI Chip Rival With AI5 and AI6 Roadmap
Elon Musk has declared that Tesla intends to build AI chips “at higher volumes ultimately than all other AI chips combined,” outlining an aggressive roadmap that includes the AI5 chip and early plans for AI6. According to Tom’s Hardware and other tech outlets, Musk told followers that Tesla’s AI engineering team already has AI5 “ready to go” and is now designing its next-generation silicon. These chips are expected to power Tesla’s autonomous driving stack and its Optimus humanoid robots, as well as support internal AI workloads that are currently heavily dependent on Nvidia GPUs.
Musk is also using the announcement to recruit hardware engineers, signaling a push to vertically integrate Tesla’s AI hardware in the same way it previously brought battery and drivetrain technology in-house. While many analysts view the claim of surpassing all rivals as optimistic at best, the strategy aligns with a broader shift among hyperscalers and automakers to own bespoke accelerators optimized for their workloads. If Tesla can ship competitive AI silicon at scale, it could reduce long-term reliance on Nvidia, improve margins on autonomy and robotics products, and potentially license its chips to other automakers. But execution risk is high: chip design, manufacturing, and software ecosystem support are capital-intensive and unforgiving.
Why It Matters: Tesla’s AI chip ambitions underscore how the next phase of the AI race is as much about control over silicon as it is about models and data.
Source: Tom’s Hardware, Business Insider, and other tech industry outlets.
9. SitusAMC Hack Exposes Data Linked to JPMorgan, Citi, Morgan Stanley Clients
A cyberattack on real-estate finance vendor SitusAMC has triggered a supply-chain security scare across Wall Street, with major banks warned that some client data may have been exposed. SitusAMC disclosed that it detected a breach on November 12 and later determined that corporate information — including accounting records and legal agreements — had been stolen, along with data tied to customers of some of its banking clients. The company said the incident did not involve file-encrypting ransomware and that its services remain operational, but it has notified federal law enforcement and is working with outside experts to investigate.
The New York Times and Reuters report that JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley are among the institutions assessing potential fallout, highlighting once again how attackers are targeting specialized vendors that sit deep inside financial workflows. Because SitusAMC handles back-office functions in mortgage origination, servicing, and securitization, stolen documents could reveal sensitive deal structures, counterparties, and borrower information. Security researchers say the breach underscores the need for banks to treat vendor risk as integral to their cybersecurity posture, not an afterthought. Class-action firms have already announced investigations, suggesting legal and regulatory scrutiny will follow.
Why It Matters: The attack is a textbook example of how a single vendor breach can ripple through the financial system, exposing banks and customers far beyond the company that was directly hacked.
Source: Reuters, SecurityWeek, and company disclosures.
10. Canon Confirms Subsidiary Hit in Oracle E-Business Suite 0-Day Ransomware Campaign
Imaging giant Canon has confirmed that one of its subsidiaries was compromised in a sweeping ransomware campaign exploiting a zero-day vulnerability in Oracle E-Business Suite (CVE-2025-61882). SecurityWeek and other outlets report that the Cl0p ransomware group abused the flaw to steal data from more than 100 organizations running Oracle’s enterprise ERP software, adding victims to its leak site as pressure for payment. Canon said attackers accessed systems used by the subsidiary but did not detail the specific types of data taken; investigations are ongoing.
The incident highlights a worrying pattern: attackers are increasingly targeting widely deployed business platforms — from file-transfer tools to ERP suites — to compromise many organizations through a single software weakness. Because Oracle E-Business Suite is used for finance, supply chain, and HR functions, breaches can expose everything from invoices and contracts to employee records, making incident response and regulatory reporting highly complex. For CIOs, the Canon case reinforces the need for rapid patching, layered monitoring around core business apps, and rigorous third-party risk assessments for managed ERP environments. It also increases pressure on enterprise software vendors to accelerate security updates and improve transparency when critical flaws are being exploited in the wild.
Why It Matters: The Oracle EBS campaign shows how a single zero-day in a widely used enterprise platform can cascade into a multi-industry data-theft event, raising the stakes for patch management and vendor security.
Source: SecurityWeek and other cybersecurity outlets.
11. White House ‘Genesis Mission’ Links AI, Supercomputers, and Quantum Tech for Scientific Discovery
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order launching the “Genesis Mission,” a sweeping initiative to harness AI, national lab supercomputers, and eventually quantum systems to accelerate scientific discovery. Reuters reports that the Department of Energy will lead the project, building an integrated experimentation platform that uses massive federal datasets and robotic labs to automate research in areas like protein folding, fusion energy, and advanced materials. The order also rescinds a previous AI safety-focused directive and reframes federal AI policy around growth, national security, and competition with China.
The mission is being marketed as the most ambitious U.S. science mobilization since Apollo, with Nvidia and Anthropic among the private-sector partners that have already signaled support. Advocates say centralizing AI compute and data for scientific work could cut discovery timelines dramatically, while critics point to AI’s rising energy footprint and gaps in oversight for dual-use technologies like biotech and nuclear modeling. The initiative explicitly targets strategic domains — biotechnology, nuclear energy, quantum science, and microelectronics — making Genesis as much a geostrategic play as a science policy move.
Why It Matters: Genesis could reshape how AI and high-performance computing are used in public science, while signaling a decisive U.S. pivot toward aggressive AI deployment rather than precautionary regulation.
Source: Reuters and Associated Press.
12. Aramco and Pasqal Switch On Saudi Arabia’s First Quantum Computer
Energy giant Aramco and French quantum startup Pasqal have activated Saudi Arabia’s first quantum computer at an Aramco data center in Dhahran. The system uses Pasqal’s neutral-atom technology, which traps and manipulates atoms with lasers to perform computations suited to optimization and simulation tasks. According to the joint announcement, the deployment is designed to build regional quantum expertise and develop applications across energy, materials, and industrial operations — from optimizing refinery processes to modeling new chemicals and advanced alloys.
The installation positions Aramco as one of the first oil and gas majors to bring quantum hardware on-premises rather than relying solely on cloud-based access. It also shows how quantum computing is moving beyond pure research into targeted industrial pilots where even incremental gains can translate into high cost or efficiency improvements. For Pasqal, the deal is a flagship reference in the Middle East, where Gulf states are racing to diversify their economies into advanced tech, including AI and quantum. This is expected to feed into broader collaborations in training, algorithm development, and joint research programs with regional universities and labs.
Why It Matters: The project marks a concrete step in turning quantum computing from a lab curiosity into an applied tool for heavy industry, with Aramco signaling that quantum optimization could become part of standard energy-tech workflows.
Source: Pasqal/Aramco press release via PR Newswire.
13. Amazon-Backed X-energy Raises $700M to Scale Advanced Nuclear and Data Center Power
Small modular reactor (SMR) developer X-energy has closed a $700 million financing round led by trading firm Jane Street, with Amazon listed among the backers, to accelerate deployment of its Xe-100 high-temperature gas-cooled reactors. Reuters reports that the funding will support the company’s Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, which is planned in three phases, each deploying four 80-MW reactors. The technology targets industrial customers that need reliable, carbon-free heat and power, and is also being positioned as a solution for energy-hungry data centers running AI workloads.
Amazon’s involvement links the deal directly to AI infrastructure. As hyperscalers scramble for low-carbon baseload generation to support massive AI clusters, advanced nuclear has re-emerged as a serious contender alongside renewables-plus-storage. X-energy has previously discussed siting microreactors at or near data centers, and coverage from data-center trade press notes that this round will help build out the company’s SMR supply chain and regulatory pathway. The U.S. Army’s microreactor initiatives and new Department of Defense programs such as Janus further reinforce the momentum behind transportable, small-scale nuclear as a strategic energy resource.
Why It Matters: The raise underscores how decarbonized, high-reliability power — especially advanced nuclear — is becoming a core part of the AI and cloud infrastructure story, not just an energy-sector side bet.
Source: Reuters and DataCenterDynamics.
14. Biotech Startup CrisprBits Raises $3M to Scale CRISPR Diagnostics Platform (Biotech, AI, Startup Funding)
Bengaluru-based biotech startup CrisprBits has raised $3 million in a pre-Series A round led by Spectrum Impact, the family office of Aarti Industries chair Rajendra Gogri, alongside existing and new family-office investors. The funding values the company at about $12 million and will be used to commercialize its PathCrisp molecular diagnostics platform, which uses CRISPR-based assays to detect pathogens across human, food, and animal health. Economic Times B2B and Indian startup media report that CrisprBits plans to expand manufacturing capacity and enter African and Latin American markets within the next six months, aiming to supply rapid, low-cost tests that can be deployed outside traditional lab settings.
The company is part of a broader wave of AI-assisted and CRISPR-driven diagnostics startups that are blending computational design with wet-lab biology. CrisprBits says it is building safety and quality systems to meet emerging regulatory requirements for gene-editing technologies, while also looking at partnerships with hospitals and food-testing labs. India’s biotech ecosystem has been gaining momentum as investors look beyond pure software plays; combining CRISPR platforms with AI-based assay design and result interpretation could create defensible IP moats and recurring revenue from test panels.
Why It Matters: CrisprBits’ raise highlights how AI-linked CRISPR diagnostics are becoming a serious commercial category, with emerging-market startups vying to supply affordable, high-precision testing worldwide.
Source: Economic Times B2B, Inc42, and IndianStartupNews.
15. AI Startup Zinit and Deep-Tech Peers Secure Funding in India’s Latest Deal Cluster
DealStreetAsia’s India Digest recently highlighted a fresh cluster of early-stage funding in AI and deep-tech startups. Zinit, described as an “AI-native sourcing platform,” has raised $8 million in seed funding led by AltaIR Capital at a $48 million valuation, with participation from DVC, an early backer of AI companies like Perplexity. Zinit plans to use the capital to deepen its AI product and expand internationally, positioning its software as a way for businesses to streamline sourcing decisions with machine-driven recommendations.
In the same roundup, Morphle Labs — a healthcare automation startup — secured $5 million, while CrisprBits’ $3 million pre-Series A was also noted. Together, the deals underline investor appetite for Indian startups that fuse AI with vertical specialties such as procurement, pathology, and molecular diagnostics. For founders, the message is clear: global investors are willing to write meaningful checks for AI platforms that solve concrete workflow problems and have clear monetization paths, not just foundational model research. For India’s tech ecosystem, the mix of B2B AI and biotech deals signals maturing depth beyond consumer apps and generic IT services.
Why It Matters: The funding cluster shows that India’s AI and deep-tech startup pipeline is thickening, with specialized platforms in sourcing, healthcare automation, and biotech attracting serious early capital.
Source: DealStreetAsia and regional startup outlets.
Closing
That’s your quick tech briefing for today, spanning everything from Amazon’s push into satellite internet and record-scale AI infrastructure investments to rising cybersecurity risks, quantum computing milestones, strategic funding rounds, and the growing role of government influence in shaping the future of technology. Across Big Tech, startups, energy, and frontier research, one message is clear: control over compute, connectivity, and data is becoming the ultimate source of power.
We will continue tracking how these developments unfold across AI, cloud computing, space, energy, cybersecurity, startups, and global policy.
Stay tuned as the power dynamics behind tomorrow’s technology continue to shift.
That’s your quick tech briefing for today. Follow @TheTechStartups on X for more real-time updates.

