Have Some Grapes.

The next generation of brain organoids.

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“I can’t do my job without News Items.” — Jim Cramer.

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1. OpenAI is in early talks about a potential sale of stock for current and former employees at a valuation of about $500 billion, people briefed on the investment discussions said, marking an enormous gain in value for the artificial intelligence leader. The company is targeting a secondary stock sale in the billions of dollars, the people said, asking to remain anonymous because they weren’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Existing investors including Thrive Capital have approached OpenAI about buying some of the employee shares, the people said. If the deal goes ahead, it would elevate OpenAI’s on-paper price tag by roughly two-thirds. (Source: bloomberg.com)

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2. Coming to a theater near you: Startups that use artificial intelligence to make videos for Hollywood studios and amateur filmmakers are getting thirsty for more capital. Runway, a startup that has cut deals with Lionsgate and AMC Networks, is in talks with investors to raise around $500 million at a valuation of at least $5 billion before the investment, or 67% higher than the six-year-old company’s last round a year ago, according to two people with direct knowledge of the round. Meanwhile, its younger rival, Luma AI, is aiming to raise at least $1.1 billion at a valuation of at least $3.2 billion, before the investment—nearly 13 times its valuation from early 2024, according to someone close to the company. It has been in talks with investors in the Middle East about leading the round, this person said. (Source: theinformation.com)