Jacob E. Robbins

6 days ago | pitchbook.com | Jacob E. Robbins

David Buchan/Getty Images OpenAI has appointed Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as its CEO of applications, reporting to co-founder Sam Altman, who said he will now focus more on research, computing and safety. It’s the first major leadership change at the ChatGPT developer since Altman’s ouster and subsequent return rocked the startup nearly a year and a half ago.

1 week ago | pitchbook.com | Jacob E. Robbins

OpenAI will remain governed by its nonprofit board once its corporate restructuring is completed, a total reversal of its plans to become a conventional for-profit business. The plan adds a degree of uncertainty to the ChatGPT maker’s financial future as its SoftBank-led $40 billion funding round was contingent on the company transitioning into a for-profit organization by the end of the year.

2 weeks ago | pitchbook.com | Jacob E. Robbins

Persona, a developer of digital identification verification tools, has raised $200 million in Series D funding at a $2 billion valuation. It’s the latest startup to capitalize on an AI-driven boom of interest in identity and access management, which saw a 166% increase in global venture investment deal value from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025. Founders Fund and Ribbit Capital led the round, with Bond, Coatue and Index Ventures also participating.

2 weeks ago | pitchbook.com | Jacob E. Robbins

RSA, cybersecurity’s annual industry confab, is once again taking over downtown San Francisco as the companies navigate AI’s impact and ever-increasing security threats. While Google’s $32 billion acquisition of Wiz is still awaiting regulatory approval, investors haven’t stopped inking major deals. Chainguard, which focuses on security for open-source software, raised a $356 million Series D led by Kleiner Perkins and IVP in April.

2 weeks ago | pitchbook.com | Jacob E. Robbins

Google may have to sell its Chrome web browser—and several high-profile tech companies have enthusiastically said they’d buy it. In the aftermath of a court deeming Google to have an unlawful monopoly of internet search, the US Department of Justice is making the case that selling off Chrome is not only imperative, but also totally doable. From OpenAI to Yahoo, here are the companies that have expressed interest in buying the internet browser: We’ll update the list if more potential buyers emerge.