Subj : xAI raises $20B 💰, CES 2026 💻, GPT-5.2 Codex-Max 👨‍💻 To : All From : TLDR Date : Wed Jan 07 2026 11:23 am --vjNnuIuy Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable xAI has successfully closed a $20B funding round. The capital will be use= d to accelerate the development of the company's compute infrastructure= =C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80= =8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0= =E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2= =A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C= =C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80= =8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2= =A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C= =C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80= =8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0= =E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2= =A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C=C2=A0=E2=80=8C= =C2=A0 Sign Up [1] |Advertise [2]|View Online [3]=20 =09=09TLDR= =20 TLDR 2026-01-07 =F0=9F=93=B1=20 BIG TECH & STARTUPS XA= I RAISES $20 BILLION TO EXPAND GROK AI MODELS AND ENTERPRISE TOOLS (1 MIN= UTE READ) [4]=20 xAI has successfully closed a $20 billion Series E fun= ding round. The capital will be used to accelerate the development of the= company's compute infrastructure. xAI has introduced several business-or= iented offerings, including Grok Business, a team plan priced at $30 per = seat per month, and Grok Enterprise, which includes Custom SSO and SCIM= features. It has also released a Collections API that features built-i= n RAG, OCR, layout-aware parsing, and more.=20 HOW GOOGLE GOT ITS GROOV= E BACK AND EDGED AHEAD OF OPENAI (13 MINUTE READ) [5]=20 Google was b= ehind in the AI race in August, but by September, its Gemini AI app had b= ecome the most downloaded app in Apple's App Store. The company launched = its most powerful Gemini model yet two months later, leapfrogging over Op= enAI to the front of the AI pack. Google's deep roots in science and rese= arch, willingness to invest in custom hardware, and leadership changes in= recent years cleared the way for faster experimentation. The company's A= I work has begun generating substantial revenue through search ads, paid = versions of Gemini, and sales of new computer chips developed in-house. = =F0=9F=9A=80=20 SCIENCE & FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY COMMONWEALTH= FUSION SYSTEMS INSTALLS REACTOR MAGNET, LANDS DEAL WITH NVIDIA (3 MINUTE= READ) [6]=20 Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has installed the first= magnet in its Sparc fusion reactor, a demonstration device scheduled to = turn on next year. The reactor will have 18 magnets in total in a donut-l= ike shape. These magnets will create a powerful magnetic field for conf= ining and compressing superheated plasma. If successful, the plasma will = release more energy than it takes to heat and compress it. CFS is working= with Nvidia and Siemens to develop a digital version of the reactor.=20 = DUDE, WHERE'S MY SUPERSONIC JET? (16 MINUTE READ) [7]=20 Aviation i= nnovation has been stuck in a rut in the 56 years since Concorde debuted = due to noise, regulation, and cost. All three of these issues are at vari= ous stages of being solved. Regulatory walls are cracking, and the techno= logy is better than ever. This article looks at the work being done by Bo= om Supersonic, Astro Mechanica, and Hermeus toward Supersonic 2.0, where = anyone can catch a quick, affordable flight almost anywhere on Earth.=20 = =F0=9F=92=BB=20 PROGRAMMING, DESIGN & DATA SCIENCE REACH MILLIO= NS OF TECH PROFESSIONALS WHERE THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION (SPONSOR) [8] = TLDR puts you in front of your target audience with almost no comp= etition. Each newsletter features only three advertisers max, giving your= message the space it deserves. Millions of developers, product managers,= CEOs, and other tech decision makers actually see what you have to say! = Learn more [8] about running a test campaign.=20 OPENAI IS ROLLING OUT = GPT-5.2 =E2=80=9CCODEX-MAX=E2=80=9D FOR SOME USERS (2 MINUTE READ) [9] = OpenAI's GPT-5.2 Codex-Max is now rolling out to subscribers. There= is little public information about the model available, but OpenAI may= share more details in the coming days. The standard GPT-5.2 Codex can = stay on track for long tasks, make large contexts useful through compacti= on, and handle heavy changes like refactors and migrations. It can unders= tand screenshots, UI bugs, and diagrams.=20 DYNAMIC CONTEXT DISCOVERY (= 6 MINUTE READ) [10]=20 Dynamic Context Discovery is a pattern that allo= ws agents to pull relevant context on their own with fewer details provid= ed up front. It optimizes token usage while still allowing agents to gath= er enough context for tasks. Data is stored in files, which can then be a= ccessed as necessary. Cursor will release dynamic context discovery for a= ll users in the coming weeks.=20 =F0=9F=8E=81=20 MISCELLANEOUS = CES 2026 LIVE: ALL THE NEW AI DEVICES, HOME TECH, ROBOTS, AUDIO, CARS= , AND COMPUTING (WEBSITE) [11]=20 CES 2026 has already revealed several= unexpected surprises, such as devices that detect gluten and dairy in fo= od, a robot vacuum that climbs stairs, and a lollipop that plays music vi= a bone-conduction technology. This page wraps up some of the biggest high= lights of the event. CNET's Best of CES 2026 awards will be announced tod= ay.=20 OPENAI'S COUNTDOWN: MONETIZATION, ADS, AND A GOOGLE-SHAPED THREA= T (9 MINUTE READ) [12]=20 OpenAI executives are debating whether to a= ttend the Cannes Lions festival, a festival where the ad industry celebra= tes its ability to turn creativity into influence. The company has yet to= find an ads boss, and it still needs to figure out how to best handle da= ta privacy and ensure its commerce proposition proves successful. Competi= tion is heating up, with Google now building the infrastructure needed to= monetize its AI services. OpenAI isn't actively talking to advertisers= about advertising yet.=20 =E2=9A=A1=20 QUICK LINKS CHAT PLAT= FORM DISCORD FILES CONFIDENTIALLY FOR IPO (3 MINUTE READ) [13]=20 Dis= cord is working with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase on an initial publi= c offering.=20 MANTIC (GITHUB REPO) [14]=20 Mantic is a structural = code search engine for AI agents that provides sub-500ms file ranking acr= oss massive code bases without embeddings, vector databases, or external = dependencies.=20 DON'T OUTSOURCE YOUR THINKING (17 MINUTE READ) [15] = Models may or may not be aligned with what you want to do.=20 A = FIELD GUIDE TO SANDBOXES FOR AI (45 MINUTE READ) [16]=20 This post prov= ides readers with a simple mental model for evaluating sandboxes and then= walks through the boundaries that show up in real AI execution systems: = containers, gVisor, microVMs, and runtime sandboxes.=20 WEB ROT RISIN= G (3 MINUTE READ) [17]=20 Traffic to top websites has fallen by more th= an 11% in the past five years.=20 APPLE DESIGNER BEHIND IPHONE AIR IS= JOINING THE AI STARTUP HARK (2 MINUTE READ) [18]=20 Apple veteran Ab= idur Chowdhury will become head of design at Hark, a company working on A= I models.=20 Love TLDR? Tell your friends and get rewards! Share y= our referral link below with friends to get free TLDR swag!=20 https://= refer.tldr.tech/66662a80/ [19]=20 =09=09 Track your referrals here. [20]= =20 Want to advertise in TLDR? =F0=9F=93=B0 If your company is int= erested in reaching an audience of tech executives, decision-makers and e= ngineers, you may want to ADVERTISE WITH US [21].=20 Want to work at T= LDR? =F0=9F=92=BC APPLY HERE [22], CREATE YOUR OWN ROLE [23] or send = a friend's resume to jobs@tldr.tech and get $1k if we hire them! TLDR is = one of INC.'S BEST BOOTSTRAPPED BUSINESSES [24] of 2025.=20 If you ha= ve any comments or feedback, just respond to this email!=20 Thanks for r= eading,=20 Dan Ni [25] & Stephen Flanders [26]=20 Manage your subscript= ions [27] to our other newsletters on tech, startups, and programming. Or= if TLDR isn't for you, please unsubscribe [28].=20 =20 Links: --= ---- [1] https://tldr.tech/signup?utm_source=3Dtldr [2] https://adverti= se.tldr.tech/?utm_source=3Dtldr&utm_medium=3Dnewsletter&utm_campaign=3Dadve= rtisetopnav [3] https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/web-version?ep=3D1&lc=3D2652= 80dc-d4e0-11f0-a661-1b9fa34a893d&p=3D794be92c-ebb5-11f0-a6fc-2dc3ac741a83&p= t=3Dcampaign&t=3D1767785003&s=3De7b764fa2db2355e7f0f1fb28710a9b0edbe9f49218= 6b39815204d7d48f2f2cd [4] https://www.testingcatalog.com/xai-raises-20-bi= llion-to-expand-grok-ai-models-and-enterprise-tools/?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsl= etter [5] https://links.tldrnewsletter.com/ajmV0F [6] https://techcrunc= h.com/2026/01/06/commonwealth-fusion-systems-installs-reactor-magnet-lands-= deal-with-nvidia/?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [7] https://rationaloptimis= tsociety.substack.com/p/dude-wheres-my-supersonic-jet?utm_source=3Dtldrnews= letter [8] https://advertise.tldr.tech/?utm_source=3Dtldr&utm_medium=3Dne= wsletter&utm_campaign=3Dsecondary01072026 [9] https://www.bleepingcompute= r.com/news/artificial-intelligence/openai-is-rolling-out-gpt-52-codex-max-f= or-some-users/?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [10] https://cursor.com/blog/d= ynamic-context-discovery?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [11] https://www.cne= t.com/news-live/ces-2026-news-live-updates/?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [= 12] https://digiday.com/marketing/openais-countdown-monetization-ads-and-a-= google-shaped-threat/?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [13] https://links.tldr= newsletter.com/oKm2v6 [14] https://github.com/marcoaapfortes/Mantic.sh?ut= m_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [15] https://teltam.github.io/posts/using-cc.ht= ml?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [16] https://www.luiscardoso.dev/blog/sand= boxes-for-ai?utm_source=3Dtldrnewsletter [17] https://links.tldrnewslette= r.com/fMzeTO [18] https://links.tldrnewsletter.com/EQYxwD [19] https://= refer.tldr.tech/66662a80/ [20] https://hub.sparklp.co/sub_e87ba9c7d7c0/1= [21] https://advertise.tldr.tech/?utm_source=3Dtldr&utm_medium=3Dnewslet= ter&utm_campaign=3Dadvertisecta [22] https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/tldr.tech= [23] https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/tldr.tech/c227b917-a6a4-40ce-8950-d3e16535= 7871 [24] https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7401699691= 039830016/ [25] https://twitter.com/tldrdan [26] https://twitter.com/St= eveFlanders22 [27] https://tldr.tech/tech/manage?email=3Dtldrnewsletter%4= 0synchro.net [28] https://a.tldrnewsletter.com/unsubscribe?ep=3D1&l=3Dcfa= 2d55a-b7be-11e8-a3c9-06b79b628af2&lc=3D265280dc-d4e0-11f0-a661-1b9fa34a893d= &p=3D794be92c-ebb5-11f0-a6fc-2dc3ac741a83&pt=3Dcampaign&pv=3D4&spa=3D176778= 3679&t=3D1767785003&s=3D8aaf93667b79e3dd9944e288423308665928ecb96062dd1edc2= e2dfc7ee8b98a --vjNnuIuy Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable TLDR
xAI has su= ccessfully closed a $20B funding round. The capital will be used to acceler= ate the development of the company's compute infrastructure =E2= =80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2= =80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2= =80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2= =80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2= =80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2= =80=8C  =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C&nb= sp;=E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C&nb= sp;=E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C&nb= sp;=E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C&nb= sp;=E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C&nb= sp;=E2=80=8C =E2=80=8C 

TLDR

TLDR 2026-01-07

=F0=9F= =93=B1

Big Tech & Startups

xAI raises $20 billion to e= xpand Grok AI models and enterprise tools (1 minute read)

xAI has successfully closed a $20 billi= on Series E funding round. The capital will be used to accelerate the devel= opment of the company's compute infrastructure. xAI has introduced several = business-oriented offerings, including Grok Business, a team plan priced at= $30 per seat per month, and Grok Enterprise, which includes Custom SSO and= SCIM features. It has also released a Collections API that features built-= in RAG, OCR, layout-aware parsing, and more.
How Google Got Its Groove B= ack and Edged Ahead of OpenAI (13 minute read)

Google was behind in the AI race in Aug= ust, but by September, its Gemini AI app had become the most downloaded app= in Apple's App Store. The company launched its most powerful Gemini model = yet two months later, leapfrogging over OpenAI to the front of the AI pack.= Google's deep roots in science and research, willingness to invest in cust= om hardware, and leadership changes in recent years cleared the way for fas= ter experimentation. The company's AI work has begun generating substantial= revenue through search ads, paid versions of Gemini, and sales of new comp= uter chips developed in-house.
=F0=9F= =9A=80

Science & Futuristic Technology

Commonwealth Fusion Systems= installs reactor magnet, lands deal with Nvidia (3 minute read)

Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has i= nstalled the first magnet in its Sparc fusion reactor, a demonstration devi= ce scheduled to turn on next year. The reactor will have 18 magnets in tota= l in a donut-like shape. These magnets will create a powerful magnetic fiel= d for confining and compressing superheated plasma. If successful, the plas= ma will release more energy than it takes to heat and compress it. CFS is w= orking with Nvidia and Siemens to develop a digital version of the reactor.
Dude, where's my supersonic= jet? (16 minute read)

Aviation innovation has been stuck in a= rut in the 56 years since Concorde debuted due to noise, regulation, and c= ost. All three of these issues are at various stages of being solved. Regul= atory walls are cracking, and the technology is better than ever. This arti= cle looks at the work being done by Boom Supersonic, Astro Mechanica, and H= ermeus toward Supersonic 2.0, where anyone can catch a quick, affordable fl= ight almost anywhere on Earth.
=F0=9F= =92=BB

Programming, Design & Data Science

Reach millions of tech prof= essionals where they are paying attention (Sponsor)

TLDR puts you in front of your target a= udience with almost no competition. Each newsletter features only three adv= ertisers max, giving your message the space it deserves. Millions of develo= pers, product managers, CEOs, and other tech decision makers actually see w= hat you have to say! Learn more about running a test campaign.
OpenAI is rolling out GPT-5= ..2 =E2=80=9CCodex-Max=E2=80=9D for some users (2 minute read)

OpenAI's GPT-5.2 Codex-Max is now rolli= ng out to subscribers. There is little public information about the model a= vailable, but OpenAI may share more details in the coming days. The standar= d GPT-5.2 Codex can stay on track for long tasks, make large contexts usefu= l through compaction, and handle heavy changes like refactors and migration= s. It can understand screenshots, UI bugs, and diagrams.
Dynamic context discovery (= 6 minute read)

Dynamic Context Discovery is a pattern = that allows agents to pull relevant context on their own with fewer details= provided up front. It optimizes token usage while still allowing agents to= gather enough context for tasks. Data is stored in files, which can then b= e accessed as necessary. Cursor will release dynamic context discovery for = all users in the coming weeks.
=F0=9F= =8E=81

Miscellaneous

<= /div>
CES 2026 Live: All the New = AI Devices, Home Tech, Robots, Audio, Cars, and Computing (Website)

CES 2026 has already revealed several u= nexpected surprises, such as devices that detect gluten and dairy in food, = a robot vacuum that climbs stairs, and a lollipop that plays music via bone= -conduction technology. This page wraps up some of the biggest highlights o= f the event. CNET's Best of CES 2026 awards will be announced today.
OpenAI's countdown: monetiz= ation, ads, and a Google-shaped threat (9 minute read)

OpenAI executives are debating whether = to attend the Cannes Lions festival, a festival where the ad industry celeb= rates its ability to turn creativity into influence. The company has yet to= find an ads boss, and it still needs to figure out how to best handle data= privacy and ensure its commerce proposition proves successful. Competition= is heating up, with Google now building the infrastructure needed to monet= ize its AI services. OpenAI isn't actively talking to advertisers about adv= ertising yet.
=E2=9A= =A1

Quick Links

Chat Platform Discord Files= Confidentially for IPO (3 minute read)

Discord is working with Goldman Sachs a= nd JPMorgan Chase on an initial public offering.
Mantic (GitHub Repo)

Mantic is a structural code search engi= ne for AI agents that provides sub-500ms file ranking across massive code b= ases without embeddings, vector databases, or external dependencies.
Don't Outsource Your Thinki= ng (17 minute read)

Models may or may not be aligned with w= hat you want to do.
A field guide to sandboxes = for AI (45 minute read)

This post provides readers with a simpl= e mental model for evaluating sandboxes and then walks through the boundari= es that show up in real AI execution systems: containers, gVisor, microVMs,= and runtime sandboxes.
Web rot rising (3 minute re= ad)

Traffic to top websites has fallen by m= ore than 11% in the past five years.
Apple Designer Behind iPhon= e Air Is Joining the AI Startup Hark (2 minute read)

Apple veteran Abidur Chowdhury will bec= ome head of design at Hark, a company working on AI models.

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