**********Big-tech/enterprise M&A spike — cyber/legal/bio/chips/edtech/fintech/sovereign (China blocks Meta $2B Manus/Cohere Aleph Alpha merger/OpenAI Astral +Hiro/TBPN/Chalkie, Thinking Machines Nvidia/Google Cloud/Meta talent, AmEx Hyper/Fortreum/Cisco Astrix, cyber Q1 $4.9B)** [climaxing]
Key Questions
Why did China block Meta's acquisition of Manus?
China ordered Meta to unwind its $2B acquisition of Manus AI due to a Singapore-based structure used to bypass restrictions. Co-founders were also banned, despite the company generating $100M ARR.
What is the status of the Cohere and Aleph Alpha merger?
Cohere, valued at $20B, is merging with Aleph Alpha to strengthen sovereign AI capabilities across Canada and Germany. The deal includes €500M from investor Schwarz.
Which companies has OpenAI acquired recently?
OpenAI acquired Astral for Codex enhancements and pursued additional deals including TBPN, Hiro, and Chalkie. It also bought Ona, a cloud startup, to boost AI coding tools.
What M&A activity is occurring in the cyber sector?
Cyber M&A has intensified following the Mercor breach, with Q1 deal volume reaching $4.9B. Broader enterprise M&A is rising across legal, bio, chips, edtech, and fintech.
How are big-tech companies using M&A for AI talent?
Nvidia, Google Cloud, and Meta are actively acquiring or hiring from firms like Thinking Machines to bolster AI capabilities. This reflects a race for specialized engineering talent.
China orders Meta to unwind $2B Manus AI acq (Singapore-wash veto, co-founders ban, $100M ARR); Cohere ($20B) merges Aleph Alpha (Canada-Germany sovereign, Schwarz €500M); OpenAI Astral for Codex + TBPN/Hiro/Chalkie spree; Thinking Machines Nvidia/Google Cloud + Meta engineers; cyber M&A intensifies post-Mercor breach.