Good morning ☀️, leader of the next generation.
Technology is reshaping how the world works.
The real question is not what it can do — but how we choose to use it.
We focus on using technology to support human evolution.
Progress works when responsibility stays human.
⚡ WHAT'S AT STAKE TODAY ⚡
- 💰🤖 SoftBank completes $4.1 billion OpenAI investment, takes 11% stake
- 🚀🏢 Elon Musk's xAI buys third building to scale AI compute capacity
- 💼📊 VCs predict enterprises will spend more on AI in 2026 — through fewer vendors
- 🎤📱 The best AI-powered dictation apps of 2025
- 📞⚰️ The phone is dead. Long live . . . what exactly?
- 🇵🇱⚖️ Poland Seeks EU DSA Probe Over AI Fakes
- 🇨🇦⚖️ Increasing AI use in Canadian courtrooms carries risk of errors, penalties: lawyers
- ⚠️📈 Satya Nadella flags model overhang risk in 2026 as AI outpaces real-world impact
- 🇮🇳💵 India's AI push seen contributing $1.7 trillion to economy by 2035
SoftBank finalizes massive OpenAI investment securing significant ownership stake
SoftBank completes $4.1 billion OpenAI investment, takes 11% stake
Japanese technology conglomerate SoftBank has successfully closed its massive $4.1 billion investment in OpenAI, securing an 11% ownership stake in the artificial intelligence powerhouse behind ChatGPT. This landmark deal positions SoftBank as one of OpenAI's largest shareholders and marks one of the most significant single investments in the AI sector to date.
The investment was part of OpenAI's substantial $6.6 billion funding round that concluded in October, which propelled the company's valuation to an impressive $157 billion. This valuation solidifies OpenAI's status as one of the world's most valuable private companies, reflecting the market's confidence in the transformative potential of generative artificial intelligence.
SoftBank's participation in this funding round wasn't isolated, as the investment attracted both established and new stakeholders. Existing investors like Microsoft, which has maintained a strategic partnership with OpenAI, continued their support alongside newcomers such as Nvidia, the chip manufacturing giant that has become synonymous with AI hardware infrastructure. This diverse investor base demonstrates the broad industry confidence in OpenAI's future prospects.
The substantial capital infusion comes at a critical juncture for OpenAI as it continues to spearhead the generative AI revolution. The company plans to deploy these funds strategically across multiple areas: advancing its cutting-edge research and development initiatives, significantly expanding its computing infrastructure to handle growing demand, and accelerating the rollout of AI technologies across diverse industries ranging from healthcare to finance.
OpenAI's ChatGPT platform has experienced unprecedented adoption since its public launch, capturing the attention of both individual consumers and large enterprises. The platform's success has triggered a broader AI arms race, with major technology companies scrambling to develop competing products and integrate AI capabilities into their existing services.
For SoftBank, this investment aligns perfectly with its Vision Fund strategy of identifying and backing companies at the forefront of technological transformation. The Japanese conglomerate has historically focused on companies that have the potential to reshape entire industries, and artificial intelligence represents perhaps the most significant technological shift since the advent of the internet.
The timing of this investment is particularly noteworthy as the AI industry faces both tremendous opportunities and significant challenges. While demand for AI services continues to surge, companies are grappling with enormous computational costs, regulatory scrutiny, and the technical challenges of scaling AI systems safely and effectively.
This funding round provides OpenAI with the financial resources necessary to maintain its competitive edge in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Meta are all investing billions in AI development, while numerous startups are attempting to challenge OpenAI's dominance in specific niches.
The $157 billion valuation also reflects the market's expectations for OpenAI's future revenue potential. As businesses across industries seek to integrate AI capabilities, OpenAI is positioned to capture significant value through its API services, enterprise partnerships, and consumer subscriptions.
SoftBank's substantial stake gives the company significant influence over OpenAI's strategic direction while providing the AI company with access to SoftBank's extensive network of portfolio companies and global market expertise. This partnership could facilitate OpenAI's expansion into new markets and accelerate the adoption of its technologies across SoftBank's diverse investment portfolio.
What investment is rudimentary for billionaires but ‘revolutionary’ for 70,571+ investors entering 2026?
Imagine this. You open your phone to an alert. It says, “you spent $236,000,000 more this month than you did last month.”
If you were the top bidder at Sotheby’s fall auctions, it could be reality.
Sounds crazy, right? But when the ultra-wealthy spend staggering amounts on blue-chip art, it’s not just for decoration.
The scarcity of these treasured artworks has helped drive their prices, in exceptional cases, to thin-air heights, without moving in lockstep with other asset classes.
The contemporary and post war segments have even outpaced the S&P 500 overall since 1995.*
Now, over 70,000 people have invested $1.2 billion+ across 500 iconic artworks featuring Banksy, Basquiat, Picasso, and more.
How? You don’t need Medici money to invest in multimillion dollar artworks with Masterworks.
Thousands of members have gotten annualized net returns like 14.6%, 17.6%, and 17.8% from 26 sales to date.
*Based on Masterworks data. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Important Reg A disclosures: masterworks.com/cd
xAI acquires third building to expand AI infrastructure capacity
Elon Musk's xAI buys third building to scale AI compute capacity
Elon Musk announced on December 31 that xAI has purchased a third building named MACROHARDRR to expand its AI infrastructure. The company aims to scale training capacity to nearly 2 gigawatts of compute power, competing directly with OpenAI and Anthropic.
The new data center will be located outside Memphis, complementing xAI's existing Colossus supercomputer cluster. Plans include expanding to accommodate at least one million graphics processing units, with conversion beginning in 2026. Environmental activists have raised concerns about the massive energy consumption required for such AI infrastructure expansion.
🎙️ The Supercharged Podcast Is Growing
Conversations with the People Building the AI Future
The Supercharged Podcast is becoming a place where real conversations about AI happen — beyond hype, tools, or surface-level takes.
We sit down with industry leaders, founders, builders, and operators who are actively using AI — or building AI-first businesses — to understand how it’s actually changing the way work gets done.
From strategy and systems to experimentation and execution, these are practical, honest conversations with people shaping what comes next.
⚡ Trends for the Future
India's AI push seen contributing $1.7 trillion to economy by 2035
India's AI adoption could add $1.7 trillion to economy by 2035.
India's ambitious artificial intelligence strategy is poised to generate substantial economic returns, with government estimates projecting that accelerated AI adoption could contribute up to $1.7 trillion to the country's economy by 2035. This massive potential positions artificial intelligence as one of the most significant growth drivers for the next decade.
The government has committed over Rs 10,300 crore across five years for the IndiaAI Mission, marking a decisive shift from pilot projects to large-scale implementation. This comprehensive initiative focuses on building advanced computing infrastructure, supporting startups, developing indigenous AI models, and expanding skilling programs to create a robust AI ecosystem.
Economic gains are expected across multiple sectors including healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, financial services, education, governance, and climate services. These industries are already witnessing improved productivity and service delivery through automation and data-driven decision-making powered by AI technologies.
The employment landscape is set for transformation, with India's AI talent pool projected to more than double to over 12.5 lakh professionals by 2027. This growth will be driven by increasing demand for specialized skills in data science, AI engineering, and analytics, creating new job categories while reshaping existing roles in the technology sector that currently employs over six million people.
To accelerate adoption, the government has significantly expanded AI compute capacity under the IndiaAI Mission, increasing the target from 10,000 GPUs to 38,000 GPUs. These resources will be made available to startups and researchers at subsidized rates, democratizing access to advanced computing power.
A key focus on inclusion ensures AI benefits reach beyond urban, English-speaking populations. Through platforms like Bhashini and BharatGen, AI-based tools in Indian languages are being prioritized. NITI Aayog highlights that AI could particularly benefit India's 490 million informal workers by improving access to training, healthcare, and financial services through voice-based, mobile-first tools designed for diverse user needs.
⚡ Let’s Make AI Actually Useful:
What Would Move the Needle in *Your* Industry?
AI has potential — but generic advice rarely helps.
What would be genuinely valuable for AI to do in your industry right now?
• Automate a painful workflow?
• Improve decision-making?
• Replace a manual process that wastes time?
• Help your team upskill faster?
Tell us what you’d want AI to handle — or where you feel stuck.
We’re using these insights to curate **industry-specific trainings, live webinars, and practical guidance** you can actually apply.
AI is humanity's bridge to extraordinary progress, giving us unprecedented power to unlock creativity and build innovations that benefit every person on Earth.
Cliff Obrecht is the co-founder and COO of Canva, where he has been instrumental in building the business operations and partnerships that have scaled the design platform to serve over 100 million users globally. His work alongside co-founder Melanie Perkins has democratized graphic design and empowered people worldwide to create professional-quality visual content, and he continues to advocate for using technology to break down barriers and make creative tools accessible to everyone.
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The Supercharged is aiming to be the world's #1 AI business magazine and is on a mission to empower 1,000,000 entrepreneurs worldwide by 2025, guiding them through the transition into the AI-driven creative age. We're dedicated to breaking down complex technologies, sharing actionable insights, and fostering a community that thrives on innovation, to become the ultimate resource for businesses navigating the AI revolution.
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