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Welcome back to the HYPEWORKS Newsletter.
Another week, another massive wave of AI startup fundraising.
ICYMI
- xAI raised $15B at a $200B valuation
- Cursor raised $2.3B at a $29.3B valuation (up 12x in 10 months)
- Thinking Machine Labs in talks to raise at a $50B valuation (up 4x from a few months ago)
Some people talk of a AI bubble, time will tell on that front.
YouTube on 🔥
Elsewhere, legacy media is starting to center their operations on YouTube, both from traditional publishers and a new brand of creator-journalists.
Couple that with the rise of video podcasting and an abundance of monetization tools, and you start to see why new media companies are putting their investments here.
Adweek writes more (below) but you just have to open the YouTube app to see for yourself.
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Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays
Over the next year, Roku predicts that 100% of the streaming audience will see ads. For growth marketers in 2026, CTV will remain an important “safe space” as AI creates widespread disruption in the search and social channels. Plus, easier access to self-serve CTV ad buying tools and targeting options will lead to a surge in locally-targeted streaming campaigns.
Read our guide to find out why growth marketers should make sure CTV is part of their 2026 media mix.