Sequoia Shuts Arc and London as Apple Starts Scanning iCloud Links

STARTUPS / BUSINESS • YESTERDAY

Sequoia Raises About $10 Billion, Then Shuts Arc, Scouts and Its London Office

Sequoia said Wednesday it has raised roughly $10 billion in new funds. It's also closing its Arc accelerator, its Scouts program and its London office, TechCrunch reports. Its early-stage and growth teams will merge into one.

The news came in a memo titled "The Sequoia of Tomorrow." Arc ran seven-week cohorts for pre-seed and seed startups. Scouts let operators write small checks for the firm. Seven general partners now run Sequoia, and the Monday partner meeting ends. On London, the memo says, "We simply don't see the need for a local presence."

Sequoia hasn't said it will stop backing European founders. TechCrunch couldn't confirm the fund size on its own. If you're raising a seed round, expect fewer side doors into Sequoia. Plan your intros around its partners.

Sources: TechCrunch, Sequoia

BIOTECH / HEALTH TECH • YESTERDAY

Kamau Reports Three Sickle Cell Patients Free of Pain Crises and Transfusions

Kamau Therapeutics released its first multi-patient data Wednesday for nula-cel, a gene-editing treatment for severe sickle cell disease. All three patients on its newest manufacturing process no longer need transfusions. None has had a pain crisis since infusion.

Two patients have passed six months of follow-up. Their sickle hemoglobin sits at 17.6% and 19.1%. Kamau says the edit fixes the sickle mutation itself and restores adult hemoglobin.

The figures come from the company's own release, and the trial is small. Investigator John DiPersio calls them early. Full results come at the ASH meeting on December 14. If you track gene-therapy stocks, wait for December before you act.

Sources: Kamau Therapeutics, Endpoints News

CONSUMER TECH • YESTERDAY

Apple Will Scan Public iCloud Links for "Harmful Content" Starting in iOS 27.3

Apple says items shared through "Anyone with the link" in iCloud will be checked for harmful content. The rule starts with version 27.3 of iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS, per a new Apple support page. Links sent to specific people aren't covered.

Apple says it can remove flagged content, block the uploader's account and involve law enforcement. It hasn't said how the checks work or what counts as harmful, The Register reports. The full release is expected in December.

If you share files through public iCloud links, switch sensitive ones to "People you choose."

Sources: Apple Support, 9to5Mac, The Register

DEVELOPER TOOLS • YESTERDAY

Meta Buys Conductor, and Its Cloud Product Shuts Down November 20

Meta acquired Conductor, a startup whose Mac app runs several AI coding agents at once. Meta didn't announce a price. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the deal to The Register.

Conductor Cloud goes read-only on November 13 and shuts down November 20. The Mac app keeps working for a few months, then stops getting new models in early 2027. OpenAI also said Wednesday it plans to buy Pierre Computer, maker of the Code Storage tool.

If your team runs agents in Conductor Cloud, move your workspaces this week.

Sources: The Register, Conductor

ENERGY / CLIMATE TECH • YESTERDAY

SemiAnalysis Says SpaceX Now Targets About 13 Gigawatts of Data Centers in 2027

SemiAnalysis estimates SpaceX has raised its 2027 data center target to about 13 gigawatts, up from 10. The firm says that matches all of Google's data center capacity from 1999 to 2026, built in 1.5 years. It counts 3.6 gigawatts under construction.

It says a Memphis site called MiniHard went up in about five months, against 8 to 12 months for a typical build. These are SemiAnalysis's estimates, not SpaceX figures.

If you supply power, chips or construction labor, watch Memphis and Starbase, Texas. Buyers that big compete with you for every turbine and electrician.

Sources: SemiAnalysis

CONSUMER TECH • YESTERDAY

Titan OS Raises $46 Million as Philips Drops Google TV

Titan OS, a Barcelona smart TV software maker, raised $46 million in equity and debt Wednesday. Its total funding now stands at $110 million.

Titan says it has 30 million users, up from 18 million a year ago. Philips switched its 2026 TVs from Google TV to Titan OS, TechCrunch reports. Sharp, AOC, Vestel and Skyworth signed on too.

If you're buying a TV this holiday season, check which operating system it runs. Titan earns its money from ads and free streaming channels.

Sources: TechCrunch

PRODUCTS / LAUNCHES • YESTERDAY

Xbox Cloud Gaming Lets Your Phone Act as the Controller

Microsoft started two Xbox Cloud Gaming previews Wednesday. One turns your Android or iOS phone into a controller on supported smart TVs. The controls open in your phone's browser, so you need no gamepad.

The second links the Xbox Nano Controller to the cloud over Wi-Fi, which Microsoft says can cut input lag. It's US-only. To try the phone option, switch on Preview Features under Settings, then Account. This Cloud Gaming Battle video walks through both.

► Watch the video

Sources: Xbox Wire, Cloud Gaming Battle