In partnership with
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | Private Markets Intelligence
Good morning. Yesterday, 13 bullets were fired at the home of an Indianapolis city councilor who voted for a data center project in his district. That's extreme, especially since data centers create jobs and power the AI infrastructure Big Tech is deploying $150B+ to build. But local opposition says these facilities create heat islands within a 6-mile radius that cause pollution and deaths.
In today's rundown:
Data center backlash escalates to violence
Meta launches Muse Spark in AI strategy overhaul
Canva acquires two companies to expand beyond design
Trump agrees to Iran ceasefire (with conditions)
Chinese open-source model tops coding benchmarks
For our Founderscrowds community
Win $1M for your startup
Building a company? Reply with your startup name.
We'll tell you how to win $1,000,000.
Takes 4 minutes.
Reply with your startup name to this email→
88% resolved. 22% stayed loyal. What went wrong?
That's the AI paradox hiding in your CX stack. Tickets close. Customers leave. And most teams don't see it coming because they're measuring the wrong things.
Efficiency metrics look great on paper. Handle time down. Containment rate up. But customer loyalty? That's a different story — and it's one your current dashboards probably aren't telling you.
Gladly's 2026 Customer Expectations Report surveyed thousands of real consumers to find out exactly where AI-powered service breaks trust, and what separates the platforms that drive retention from the ones that quietly erode it.
If you're architecting the CX stack, this is the data you need to build it right. Not just fast. Not just cheap. Built to last.
GEOPOLITICS
🕊️ Trump agrees to Iran ceasefire (with major conditions)
Image source: Founderscrowd
Founderscrowds: President Trump agreed to Pakistan's proposal for a two-week ceasefire with Iran, subject to Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came roughly 90 minutes before Trump's 8pm deadline threatening that "a whole civilization will die" if Iran didn't reopen the strait.
The details:
Trump posted the ceasefire agreement on Truth Social after Pakistan brokered the proposal
Israel also agreed to the ceasefire, according to CNN
Trump's threat was condemned by US politicians across both parties, as well as world leaders and Pope Leo XIV
Earlier Tuesday, the US struck targets on Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil hub
The ceasefire is contingent on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic
Why it matters: The Strait of Hormuz handles approximately 21% of global oil supply. Closure creates immediate energy price shocks that impact data center operating costs, logistics expenses, and inflation across tech supply chains. For private markets investors, geopolitical risk around energy infrastructure affects AI buildout costs (data centers need stable, affordable power) and semiconductor supply chains (Asian manufacturing dependent on stable shipping). The ceasefire is conditional and temporary—two weeks doesn't resolve underlying tensions. Energy infrastructure investments and defense technology opportunities increase during periods of Middle East instability.
M&A ACTIVITY
🎨 Canva acquires Simtheory and Ortto to expand beyond design
Image source: The Australian
Founderscrowds: Canva announced on Wednesday the dual acquisition of Simtheory (AI collaboration platform) and Ortto (customer data and marketing automation), as the design unicorn evolves from a visual tool to a full marketing workflow platform.
The details:
Financial terms were not disclosed for either acquisition
Both companies were founded by Chris and Mike Sharkey, previously founders of vacation rental service Stayz (acquired by Fairfax Media)
The pair will join Canva in leadership roles across AI and marketing technology teams
Simtheory helps teams build AI assistants that work across tools and handle real tasks using latest models
Ortto combines customer data platform with marketing automation across email, SMS, push, in-app messaging, forms, and surveys
Ortto is used by 11,000+ customers in 190 countries
These acquisitions follow Canva's recent buying spree: Doohly (digital outdoor advertising) two weeks ago, Cavalry (animation) and MangoAI (ad performance) six weeks ago, and MagicBrief (marketing intelligence) in January 2025
Why it matters: Canva closed 2025 at $4 billion annualized revenue with 265 million users and 31 million paid users—up 20% in monthly actives. The company is executing a clear M&A strategy to own the entire marketing workflow, not just design. For private markets investors, this signals Canva is positioning for IPO by expanding total addressable market beyond design tools into marketing automation (competing with HubSpot, Mailchimp) and AI agents (competing with general AI platforms). The acquisition pace—five deals in four months—suggests Canva is consolidating the marketing tech stack before going public. When a $40B private company starts acquiring complementary businesses at this pace, it's building the narrative for public market investors: "We're not just Photoshop for non-designers, we're the operating system for marketing teams."
OPEN-SOURCE AI
💻 Chinese lab's GLM-5.1 tops coding benchmarks
Image source: OfficeChai AI
Founderscrowds: Chinese AI lab Zhipu AI just released GLM-5.1, a new open-source coding model that competes with frontier rivals on coding benchmarks and is built for marathon autonomous sessions of up to 8 hours straight.
The details:
GLM-5.1 hit 58.4 on SWE-Bench Pro, topping both GPT-5.4 and Opus 4.6—marking a rare moment for open source at No. 1 on a top coding benchmark
The model can "stay effective on agentic tasks over much longer horizons," showing strong results on complex, extended problems
In tests, GLM-5.1 built a working Linux desktop as a web app over 8 hours, including file browser, terminal, and games, without human guidance
The model shows top performance in Arcada Labs' Design Arena, coming in second for creative web design after Claude Opus 4.6
Zhipu AI says long-horizon capabilities are the "most important curve after scaling laws"
Why it matters: Top Chinese labs continue closing the gap with frontier models. An open-source model outperforming GPT-5.4 and Opus 4.6 on coding benchmarks signals how quickly AI capabilities are commoditizing. For private markets investors, this creates strategic questions: If Chinese open-source models match closed Western models within 6-12 months, what's the sustainable moat for OpenAI ($340B valuation) or Anthropic ($65B+ valuation)? The "most important curve after scaling laws" comment suggests Chinese labs are betting on agent persistence and task completion over raw intelligence—a different technical direction that could reshape competitive dynamics. When open-source models start topping leaderboards, it pressures commercial model pricing and challenges the closed-source business model.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
🤖 Meta unveils Muse Spark in "ground-up overhaul" of AI strategy
Image source: Techcrunch
Founderscrowds: Meta released Muse Spark on Wednesday, marking the company's "first step" toward an overhaul of its AI efforts after CEO Mark Zuckerberg became unhappy with how Llama lagged behind OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude.
The details:
Muse Spark is the inaugural model from Meta Superintelligence Labs, created last year after Zuckerberg's frustration with Meta's AI progress
Meta recruited former Scale AI co-founder and CEO Alexandr Wang to lead the new lab, investing $14.3 billion for a 49% stake in the data labeling company
The model is now available on web and Meta AI app, with a "Contemplating" mode planned for complex problems
Meta's model uses multiple AI agents simultaneously to work on the same problem, generating faster results
The company says Muse Spark could be applied to health questions, joining competitors in healthcare AI
Users must log in with existing Meta accounts (Facebook or Instagram) to access Muse Spark, raising privacy concerns about how personal data may be used for training
Why it matters: Meta invested $14.3B in Scale AI and recruited researchers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google to catch up in the AI race. For private markets investors, this signals Meta's willingness to deploy massive capital to acquire AI talent and infrastructure. Scale AI, previously valued at around $14B, became a 49%-owned Meta subsidiary in one deal—showing how Big Tech is consolidating AI supply chains through strategic acquisitions rather than building in-house. Zuckerberg wrote on Threads that Meta plans to "release increasingly advanced models that push the frontier of intelligence," indicating continued heavy investment. When a $1.5T market cap company says "it's now or never" on AI competitiveness, that creates downstream opportunities in data labeling, AI infrastructure, and talent acquisition platforms. It's triggering billions in capital deployment across the entire supply chain.
Want to access OpenAI, SpaceX, Databricks, and more?
While NASA returns to the moon, private aerospace contractors like SpaceX, Lockheed Martin suppliers, and defense technology companies continue raising capital at pre-IPO valuations. Premium members get direct access to these opportunities with full investment memos and transparent terms.
This week's Premium access:
Defense technology benefits from the proposed $1.5T military budget
Healthcare convergence opportunities (Abbott/Mayo Clinic backing Whoop at $10B)
Late-stage tech companies preparing for 2027 IPOs
INFRASTRUCTURE
🏢 Bullets fired at councilor's home over data center vote
Founderscrowds: Yesterday, 13 bullets were fired at the home of Indianapolis city councilor Ron Gibson, who recently supported construction of a data center in his district. A note left at the scene read "No Data Centers," marking the latest chapter in growing backlash against the buildings that power AI infrastructure.
The details:
No one was physically harmed in the attack, which came days after Gibson voted in favor of the data center project
Maine is expected to pass legislation this spring placing a moratorium on data centers consuming more than 20 megawatts
Nine states currently have statewide bans on the table; Pennsylvania would be the 10th if it proposes one as expected
Activists in Ohio are collecting signatures to get a statewide ban on the ballot in November
Port Washington, Wisconsin (population 12,000) voted yesterday on a measure to stop future data center development
Two states—South Dakota and Wisconsin—have rejected proposed data center bans
Why it matters: Big Tech is deploying over $150 billion to build AI data centers (Google $30B in Texas alone, Microsoft $10B+ in Japan), creating a direct conflict with local communities citing environmental concerns. A new study shows data centers create heat islands within a 6-mile radius that can cause pollution and deaths. Yet these facilities also create construction jobs, tax revenue, and critical infrastructure for AI development. For private markets investors, this creates regulatory risk around energy infrastructure and data center real estate investments—Maine's potential moratorium could serve as a "canary in the coal mine" for other states, according to construction trade groups. When local opposition escalates to violence, it signals deepening resistance that could slow the AI infrastructure buildout and increase development costs.
QUICK HITS
📰 Everything else in private markets today
Bill Ackman's Pershing Square is offering to buy Universal Music Group for $64.4B, which would move UMG from Euronext Amsterdam to NYSE—consolidating major music IP under US-listed investment vehicle.
Apple's foldable iPhone is reportedly on track for September launch, according to supply chain reports—signaling Apple's entry into foldable device market after years of competitor experimentation.
Google quietly launched an AI dictation app that works offline, competing with established players in accessibility and productivity tools.
North Korea hijacked one of the web's most-used open-source projects in an attack that was likely weeks in the making, highlighting supply chain security risks.
Japan is deploying robots for jobs nobody wants, proving experimental physical AI is ready for real-world applications in labor-constrained markets.
Y Combinator and embattled startup Delve have "parted ways" after controversy, marking a rare public separation between accelerator and portfolio company.
That's it for today's private markets rundown!
We'd love to hear your feedback on today's newsletter so we can continue improving the Founderscrowd experience for you.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Nailed it
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Average
⭐️ Needs work
See you Sunday,
Alberto, Jose, and Founderscrowd team ☕
P.S. Premium members get exclusive access to SpaceX pre-IPO secondaries this week. If early Founders Fund investors made 75x in private markets before the June listing, what's the opportunity in the final months before public trading begins?