Juro Osawa

Hong Kong

Reporter at The Information

Reporter for @theinformation covering tech in Asia. Ex-WSJ. DMs open. Tips to: [email protected]

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Articles

U.S. Treasury Reviewing Benchmark’s Investment in Chinese Startup Behind Manus AI Agent

4 days ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: SemaforThe U.S. Treasury Department is reviewing Silicon Valley venture capital firm Benchmark’s recent investment in the Chinese startup behind the hit artificial intelligence agent Manus, Semafor reported. The department is looking into whether the deal is subject to U.S. rules for investments in China, according to Semafor.
Trump Says 80% Tariff on China “Seems Right”

5 days ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: The InformationPresident Donald Trump said in a social media post Friday that an 80% tariff on imports from China “seems right,” signaling his support for a sharp reduction from the current 145%. Trump’s remark comes ahead of closely watched trade talks between the U.S. and China this weekend. Last month, Trump sharply increased U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports to as much as 145% in a move that has escalated the trade war between the two nations.
OpenAI Hires Instacart CEO For Major Leadership Role

6 days ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: The InformationOpenAI has hired Instacart CEO Fidji Simo to oversee some parts of the company in a major leadership restructuring at the artificial intelligence firm. Simo and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the news after The Information on Wednesday reported that OpenAI was planning to hire a senior executive for a major leadership role. Altman said in a post on X that Simo’s role will be “CEO of applications” and that she will report to him.
Tesla Chair Denies Report on Plans to Look for New CEO

2 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: The Wall Street JournalTesla Chair Robyn Denholm on Thursday denied a Wall Street Journal report that said the electric car maker’s board of directors contacted executive search firms to look for a replacement for Elon Musk as the company’s CEO. In a post on Tesla’s X account, Denholm called the Journal’s report “absolutely false” and said the board is “highly confident” in Musk’s ability as CEO.
Alibaba Launches New Generation of Open-Source AI Models

2 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: The InformationAlibaba Group on Tuesday released Qwen 3, a new generation of its open-source artificial intelligence foundation models. The company said the largest one among the new models outperforms competitors’ popular existing models like DeepSeek’s R1 and OpenAI’s o1 based on multiple industry benchmarks.
Startup Behind Manus AI Agent Navigates U.S.-China Tensions After Benchmark Deal

2 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Leaders of the Chinese startup behind the hit artificial intelligence agent Manus have discussed setting up new headquarters outside China, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. The discussions signal that the startup doesn’t want its ability to do business in the U.S. to be constrained by its Chinese roots. The startup, called Butterfly Effect, recently raised $75 million, at a valuation of $500 million, in a round led by blue-chip Silicon Valley firm Benchmark.
Benchmark Invests in Chinese Startup Behind Manus AI Agent

2 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: The InformationBenchmark, the U.S. venture capital firm known for early investments in Uber and Snap, has led a funding round for the Chinese startup that operates Manus, an artificial intelligence agent that went viral on social media last month, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The deal valued the startup, Butterfly Effect, at about $500 million, the person said.
EU Fines Apple and Meta for Breaching Digital Competition Law

3 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: The InformationThe European Commission said Wednesday it has fined Apple and Meta Platforms hundreds of millions of dollars each for violating the region’s Digital Markets Act, making the two tech giants the first companies to be fined under the new digital law. The commission, the executive arm of the European Union, said in a statement that it has imposed a 500 million euro ($570 million) fine on Apple and a 200 million euro fine on Meta.
Intel Plans to Cut More Than 20% of Staff

3 weeks ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: BloombergIntel plans to cut more than 20% of its workforce, as the U.S. chip giant struggles to turn around its business, Bloomberg reported. The plan, which is likely to be announced this week, according to Bloomberg, is part of Intel’s ongoing effort to streamline its business under its new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who took the helm last month. The company, which has been suffering from sales declines and losses, had 108,900 employees as of late December, according to its annual report.
Chinese AI Startup Zhipu Targets IPO as Soon as This Year

1 month ago | theinformation.com | Juro Osawa

Source: The InformationZhipu AI, a major Chinese artificial intelligence startup that develops its own AI foundation models, is aiming to go public as soon as October, according to a regulatory filing. Beijing-based Zhipu, backed by Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings and multiple state-backed funds, has enlisted investment bank China International Capital Corp. to lead the offering in the Chinese stock market, the filing shows.