Gimlet Labs, founded by former Pixie co‑founders including Stanford adjunct professor Zain Asgar, announced an $80 million Series A led by Menlo Ventures. The startup’s “multi‑silicon inference cloud” software lets AI workloads run simultaneously across CPUs, GPUs, and high‑memory systems, promising 3‑to‑10× faster inference at the same cost and power. Partnerships with major chip makers such as NVIDIA, AMD, Intel, ARM, Cerebras and d‑Matrix support the platform, which targets large model labs and data‑center operators. The round brings total funding to $92 million and backs a team of 30 employees. Read more →

European utilities are confronting a surge in power‑hungry AI data centers that are straining existing transmission networks. Grid operators such as National Grid and regulators like Ofgem note that traditional infrastructure cannot keep pace with the rapid influx of projects, leading to cancellations and long queues. To address the shortfall, they are testing a suite of grid‑enhancing technologies—including dynamic line rating, line‑bypass methods, and demand‑flexibility schemes—that can extract additional capacity from existing lines without the need for costly new construction. While these tools show promise, regulators stress that substantial new infrastructure will still be required to fully accommodate AI‑driven compute demand. Read more →

Meta is reportedly preparing to cut roughly one-fifth of its staff as the company ramps up spending on artificial intelligence. Executives have asked peers to begin planning for the layoffs, though no exact headcount or timeline has been disclosed. The move comes amid Meta's aggressive AI hiring, large acquisitions, and a $600 billion data‑center investment plan through 2028. While the company seeks to lower costs by leveraging AI tools, it continues to pursue ambitious projects such as the Avocado model and new AI‑focused acquisitions. Read more →