📈 Lovable’s AI Breakout | 🔥 Amazon AWS Layoffs | 🚗 Uber’s Robotaxi Surge

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Lovable’s $200M Series A: The “Vibe Coding” Gold Rush

What Happened: Swedish AI upstart Lovable exploded to unicorn status, raising $200 million in Series A funding just eight months after launch, at a $1.8 billion valuation. The platform lets millions create apps and websites with plain language prompts, not code. CEO Anton Osika says they’ve hit $75M in recurring revenue and over 2.3 million active users—much of it with a shockingly lean 45-person team.

Why It Matters: Lovable’s leap underscores the shift from “learn to code” to “describe what you want.” The AI tooling arms race isn’t just about smarter bots—it’s about making developers (and non-devs) almost too powerful. At this rate, even your barista could automate the espresso queue.

Amazon AWS Layoffs: Strategic Shift Amid AI Expansion

What Happened: Amazon’s cloud computing powerhouse, AWS, has laid off at least several hundred employees across multiple teams following a broad company review. The restructuring is part of efforts to “optimize resources” and streamline operations as the company doubles down on generative AI and automation initiatives. While Amazon did not confirm the exact number of people impacted, sources indicate the cuts span various units within AWS, including specialists who support customers and teams focused on training and certification.

Why It Matters: Amazon said the layoffs were not mainly driven by AI investments, but CEO Andy Jassy has previously warned that as AI adoption accelerates, the need for certain roles will shrink, even as new jobs are created in emerging tech fields. AWS remains highly profitable, with first-quarter 2025 revenue up 17% to $29.3 billion, but growth has slowed, and the company is seeking to cut costs and align teams with changing priorities. This move follows industry-wide trends, as tech giants including Microsoft and Meta trim headcount and rebalance for the next wave of AI-led innovation. Despite the layoffs, AWS continues active recruitment for open positions in key growth areas.

Uber Goes All-in on Robotaxis, Partnering With Lucid and Nuro

What Happened: Uber splashing $300 million into an EV collab with Lucid and autonomous darling Nuro to unleash 20,000 robotaxis over the next six years. The twist? Lucid’s Gravity SUVs, souped-up with Nuro’s self-driving brain, will exclusively ferry Uber customers, aiming to match Waymo and Tesla’s high-stakes AV moonshots.

Why It Matters: Despite earlier detours (remember when Uber ditched its self-driving unit?), It’s back in the game—betting the company car pool on Nuro’s driver and Lucid’s battery power. If it works, your next Uber may not complain about your playlist

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Big Tech Barometer: After a midweek lull, FAANG names mostly tread water—except Amazon, which powered upward on the back of its AWS hardware announcement and stronger-than-expected cloud earnings. Apple and Google stayed flat, digesting regulator chatter and supply chain whispers. Startup Thermometer: VC money picked up speed, highlighted by Lovable’s monster $200M raise and a parade of AI- and fintech-focused bets worldwide. The European B2B SaaS scene is especially frothy, while health tech and climate startups saw selective cuts.

Infrastructure Watch: Chips, chips, chips—TSMC announced accelerated U.S. production plans (thanking surging AI/EV demand), and cloud providers are in a quiet race to upgrade operations for next-gen GPU cooling. Sensor and satellite supply chains are showing resilience despite Asian geopolitical headwinds. Wild Card: Autonomous everything—between Uber-Lucid, continued robotaxi milestones, and fresh U.S. DOT guidelines on AV safety, there’s a real sense that driverless fleets are about to move from “sci-fi” to “annoyingly real,” at least in a few traffic-jammed metros.

Investors are split: Pockets of tech exuberance are rising, but most are deploying with discipline as bubbly AI multiples force careful due diligence. Watch for fast pivots in startups, especially in “feature, not company” territory.

XRP ETF Mania: ProShares Ultra XRP Launches, Price Pops

What Happened: The ProShares Ultra XRP ETF (ticker: UXRP) officially debuts on the NYSE today, giving institutional investors leveraged 2x daily exposure without needing to custody or handle XRP itself. The launch is just the latest in a parade of ETF moves that have helped XRP jump 25% over the past week, now holding above $3.45 and breaking its historic $190 billion market cap.

Why It Matters: A regulated leveraged ETF on a major U.S. exchange isn’t just a technical triumph for Ripple—it’s a strong signal of crypto’s institutional normalization. Expect trading desks to line up for the volatility—and plenty more “XRP to the moon” memes..

U.S. Sells Off Most of Its Bitcoin? Lummis Sounds the Alarm

What Happened: Senator Cynthia Lummis raised eyebrows after FOIA docs revealed that the U.S. may have unloaded 80% of its Bitcoin reserve this year, leaving roughly 29,000 coins under official control. The White House still hasn’t commented, and the crypto crowd is now arguing if this is a cunning chess move or pure rookie economics.

Why It Matters: The U.S. once “HODLing” king, now potentially a lightweight? The news stunned both holders and policymakers. Lummis called it a “total strategic blunder,” ratcheting up the debate over federal crypto strategy, just as institutional adoption surges. (Insert your own “lost keys” dad joke here.)

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