Listen to today’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silk-logic-small-business-daily/id1841930957
Small Business Daily Podcast 12/31/2025
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Meta Pays $2 Billion for Singapore AI Startup Manus
By: PYMNTS | Date: 2025-12-30 | Original article
Meta is acquiring Singapore-based Manus to strengthen its AI agent strategy, with the Wall Street Journal reporting a deal size north of $2 billion. Manus has already launched a general AI agent and claims significant usage at scale, while Meta continues pivoting from open-source research to more commercial, revenue-driven AI offerings. The company plans to operate and sell Manus’ services and integrate them into its social platforms.
UK’s Octopus Energy to spin off AI unit Kraken at $8.65 billion valuation
By: April Roach | Date: 2025-12-30T04:08:00-05:00 | Original article
Octopus Energy will spin out its AI-driven utility software arm Kraken after a $1 billion raise valuing it at $8.65 billion, targeting separation by mid-2026. The round includes a major new customer and D1 Capital Partners, with Origin Energy adding $140 million as Kraken rapidly approaches its 100 million customer account target. The move sets Kraken up for faster growth and a sharper focus as a pure software business.
Edgewater Wireless to Attend CES 2026, Advancing Its Wi‑Fi8‑Ready PrismIQ Spectrum Slicing Silicon Roadmap
By: Business Wire | Date: 2025-12-30 | Original article
Edgewater Wireless will showcase its Wi‑Fi8‑ready PrismIQ platform at CES 2026, highlighting Spectrum Slicing and AI-driven optimization designed to deliver deterministic performance in high-density environments. The company is booking operator, OEM, and investor meetings to discuss silicon solutions, reference designs, and licensing opportunities. It’s a bid to meet emerging enterprise and industrial connectivity demands while remaining compatible with today’s Wi‑Fi devices.
Austin’s biggest 2025 startup funding rounds: who raised what
By: Karoline Leonard | Date: 2025-12-30 | Original article
Austin logged its strongest venture year since 2021 as local startups in robotics, AI, energy, and health care landed massive rounds. Standouts include Base Power’s ~$1 billion Series C, NinjaOne’s $500 million, Saronic’s $600 million, and major raises for Apptronik, Function Health, Ontic, Curative, and Anaconda. The surge underscores Austin’s rising profile as a hub for frontier tech and scaled company building.
OpenAI’s GTM lead Maggie Hott: no commissions, 100% pilot win rates, and the race against incumbents
By: Jason Lemkin | Date: N/A | Original article
OpenAI’s GTM strategy favors no sales commissions to promote collaboration and company-first execution, while treating pilots as the core sales motion with an aim to win every one. The focus is on securing distribution before incumbents catch up, with tight executive alignment and repeatable playbooks. For startup leaders, it’s a reminder that comp design and pilot rigor can be strategic advantages.
Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about
By: Connie Loizos | Date: 2025-12-29T21:39:00-08:00 | Original article
Meta is acquiring Manus—reportedly for around $2 billion—adding a fast-growing AI agent business with reported ARR above $100 million. Manus will continue running independently as Meta integrates agents across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, while distancing the company from prior Chinese ownership. The deal gives Meta a revenue-generating AI product amid investor scrutiny of AI infrastructure spending.
Octopus Energy spins out AI-native utility software subsidiary Kraken
By: Mike Wheatley | Date: 2025-12-29T19:55:00-05:00 | Original article
Kraken becomes an independent company valued at $8.65 billion after a $1 billion round led by D1 Capital, with notable backing from Ontario Teachers’, Fidelity, Durable, and Origin. The AI-powered utility OS serves 70 million+ accounts across 27 countries with ARR above $500 million, and leadership says it could scale to a billion people over the next decade. Origin also dropped an exclusivity arrangement to broaden Kraken’s availability in Australia.
Meta Acquires Chinese AI Startup Manus for Billions in Third-Largest Deal
By: TechNode Feed | Date: 2025-12-30 | Original article
Meta is set to acquire Butterfly Effect, the Chinese-founded developer of Manus, in what ranks as its third-largest acquisition. The deal reportedly closed in about ten days, with founder Xiao Hong to become a VP at Meta as Manus continues independent operations and has reached $100 million in ARR. It’s another signal of Big Tech’s urgency to secure proven, monetizing AI agents.
From Meta’s shopping spree for revenue-ready AI agents to Octopus spinning out Kraken and innovators prepping Wi‑Fi8, the throughline is clear: AI is moving from flash to fundamentals—distribution, integration, and execution. For operators and founders, the playbook is shifting toward scalable GTM, infrastructure that can handle real-world demand, and strategic capital that accelerates category leadership. We’ll keep tracking how these moves reshape the competitive landscape in 2026.
