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# The hardest part of agentic AI may be rebuilding the business ## **Featured** news - [AI agent deception moves from theory to reality in UK cyber tests](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/08/05/ai-agent-deception-in-cyber-tests/) - [Bank of America impersonators weaponize ScreenConnect, then make it hard to remove](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/08/05/fake-bank-of-america-email-account-guard/) - [Future AGI: Open-source platform for shipping self-improving AI agents](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/08/05/future-agi-open-source-platform-shipping-self-improving-ai-agents/)
# Databricks Closes $5 Billion Funding Round At $190 Billion Valuation ### Databricks’ $5B raise They want agents working across their business that remember context, deliver accurate answers, and execute work without blowing through their budgets.” ### Investors, products, momentum Databricks said it will use the new funding to support continued development of its serverless Postgres database for AI agents, Lakebase; its AI coworker, Genie; and its gateway for multi-AI governance and cost controls, Unity AI Gateway. In a separate account of the same deal, CNBC reported that Ghodsi told Jon Fortt on Thursday that “demand is crazy.” on “Squawk on the Street,” as Databricks framed the market shift toward AI agents. ## The divide · 1 of 2  [PYMNTS ↗](https://www.pymnts.com/news/investment-tracker/2026/databricks-raises-5-billion-to-expand-enterprise-ai-agent-platform/) [The Next Web ↗](https://thenextweb.com/news/databricks-closes-5-billion-round-at-190-billion-valuation) ### Western Alternative Databricks Raises $5 Billion to Expand Enterprise AI Agent Platform
The cash-and-stock deal for Arize AI, a 200-employee company based in Berkeley, Calif., and founded in 2020, will add its AI agent evaluation and experimentation tools to Dynatrace's portfolio, where they will be combined with the recently unveiled [Bluebox AI](https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/news/366646654/Dynatrace-execs-dish-details-on-Bluebox-autonomous-AI) product. "Arize was built as an agent-first platform, with one of the largest collections of agent trace data in the industry," wrote Arize co-founder and CEO Jason Lopatecki in a [blog post](https://arize.com/blog/a-new-chapter-with-dynatrace/). # Enterprises want unified software, agent development In April, Cisco [acquired Galileo](https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/news/366641600/Cisco-Galileo-buy-reflects-blurring-lines-in-AI-observability), which performs AI agent evaluations and integrates with Splunk observability tools.
Asia's AI chip startups are seeking a way around Nvidia's dominance. Also, Singapore's Graas raised US$17 million and announced an acquisition.
# Databricks Raises $5 Billion to Expand Enterprise AI Agent Platform By[PYMNTS](https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/) | August 13, 2026 [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.pymnts.com/news/investment-tracker/2026/databricks-raises-5-billion-to-expand-enterprise-ai-agent-platform/&t=Databricks+Raises+%245+Billion+to+Expand+Enterprise+AI+Agent+Platform)[Tweet This Post](https://twitter.com/share?text=Databricks+Raises+%245+Billion+to+Expand+Enterprise+AI+Agent+Platform%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20-&url=https://www.pymnts.com/news/investment-tracker/2026/databricks-raises-5-billion-to-expand-enterprise-ai-agent-platform/)[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.pymnts.com/news/investment-tracker/2026/databricks-raises-5-billion-to-expand-enterprise-ai-agent-platform/&title=Databricks+Raises+%245+Billion+to+Expand+Enterprise+AI+Agent+Platform&summary=&source=)[Share via Email](mailto:?subject=Databricks%20Raises%20$5%20Billion%20to%20Expand%20Enterprise%20AI%20Agent%20Platform&BODY=I%20found%20this%20article%20interesting%20and%20want%20to%20share%20it%20with%20you.%20Check%20it%20out:%20https://www.pymnts.com/news/investment-tracker/2026/databricks-raises-5-billion-to-expand-enterprise-ai-agent-platform/) | Listen to ArticleListenPause ## Get the Full Story The new valuation is up from the $134 billion at which it was valued in a February [funding round](https://www.pymnts.com/news/investment-tracker/2026/databricks-raises-7-billion-for-ai-agent-database/) and the $62 billion at which it was valued in a January 2025 [funding round](https://www.pymnts.com/news/investment-tracker/2025/databricks-build-ai-offerings-with-15-billion-dollar-fundraise/). Databricks will use the new funding to support continued development of its serverless Postgres database for AI agents, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase); its AI coworker, [Genie](h
# Artificial Intelligence ## [Anthropic's AI Agents Started a Virtual War. The Quotes Are Unhinged](https://decrypt.co/375596/anthropic-ai-agents-virtual-war-quotes-unhinged) Anthropic's own AI agents turned on each other and proved they like to go rogue—again. In a test the company's Frontier Red Team published Aug. 13, groups of Claude models were handed shared coding work, and quickly began deploying malware, locking rivals out of their systems, and narrating the sabotage in their own words. Three copies of one model ran on separate virtual machines inside Claude Code, each told to migrate a Py...
The Defense Intelligence Agency's chief AI officer is anticipating a future in which digital agents work together across a combatant command to help the...
# Oligo Raises $60M to Extend Runtime Security to AI Agents CEO: Funding Will Expand Exploit Blocking Across Cloud-Native and Agentic Apps[Michael Novinson](https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/authors/michael-novinson-i-4923) ( [MichaelNovinson](https://www.twitter.com/MichaelNovinson)) • Nadav Czerninski, co-founder and CEO, Oligo (Image: Oligo) A startup led by a former Israeli Military Intelligence captain raised $60 million to extend runtime security to agentic applications as enterprises rapidly adopt artificial intelligence. The funding - led by Ballistic Ventures, Canon Capital, Greenfield Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Red Dot Capital and TLV Partners - will help Oligo identify exploitation as it occurs and block it before an attacker causes damage, said co-founder and CEO Nadav Czerninski. Oligo, founded in 2022, employs 129 people and has raised $140 million, having previously completed a $50 million Series B funding round in January 2025 led by Greenfield Partners.
Expedia acquires Berlin-based AI trip-planning tool Layla to strengthen its travel technology portfolio and boost itinerary planning capabilities.
Taiwan's statement comes a day after reports that suspected China-linked hackers had carried out a first-of-a-kind breach.
# This AI Startup Made a 24-Hour AI News Channel. Who Wants This? ## Related Stories ### Popular on Variety The four anchors were completely generated by an AI agent using a mixture of Mirage’s Avatar X model, which the Mirage News Network release was ostensibly launched to promote, and tools like ChatGPT’s image generator and Google’s Gemini Text-to-Speech feature. His news diet consists of small bits of TV news, Google News aggregations and for “the rest of it, I depend on TikTok.”
### What Makes This New Breed of Solo Founder Different If you want the practical version of this, think of it as hiring where [your first ten hires are AI agents](https://fi.co/insight/your-first-ten-hires-are-ai-agents-the-solo-founder-s-guide-to-building-an-ai-native-startup-in-2026). ### How to Actually Become a Solocorn Enrolled founders get free, startup-trained [AI agents and AI founder tools](https://fi.co/insight/meet-frank-the-ai-startup-advisor-built-to-help-you-build-a-unicorn) that act like a first team, a weekly curriculum that tells you exactly what to build next, and a global network of mentors whose incentives are tied to your long-term success. ### Related Insights #### Your First Ten Hires Are AI Agents: The Solo Founder's Guide to Building an AI-Native Startup in 2026 Aug 05, 2026 ## Build your startup with AI agents doing the work Join the FI Agentic Program: an AI-powered curriculum, world-class mentors, and free AI agents to turn your idea into a fundable company. 9,000+ companies launched since 2009
Cursor's new 'builds' feature dramatically speeds up cloud agent startup times, enhances resilience, and improves debugging for developers.
# Anthropic set AI agents loose on the same task. They started a turf war. [Rebecca Bellan](https://techcrunch.com/author/rebecca-bellan/) 11:28 AM PDT · August 13, 2026 [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2026%2F08%2F13%2Fanthropic-set-ai-agents-loose-on-the-same-task-they-started-a-turf-war%2F)[Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2026%2F08%2F13%2Fanthropic-set-ai-agents-loose-on-the-same-task-they-started-a-turf-war%2F&text=Anthropic+set+AI+agents+loose+on+the+same+task.+They+started+a+turf+war.&via=techcrunch)[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2026%2F08%2F13%2Fanthropic-set-ai-agents-loose-on-the-same-task-they-started-a-turf-war%2F&title=Anthropic+set+AI+agents+loose+on+the+same+task.+They+started+a+turf+war.&summary=Anthropic+researchers+found+AI+agents+can+clash%2C+collude%2C+and+coordinate+in+unexpected+ways%2C+raising+new+questions+about+whether+today%E2%80%99s+safety+tests+capture+the+risks+of+multi-agent+systems.&mini=1&source=TechCrunch)[Share on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2026%2F08%2F13%2Fanthropic-set-ai-agents-loose-on-the-same-task-they-started-a-turf-war%2F&title=Anthropic+set+AI+agents+loose+on+the+same+task.+They+started+a+turf+war.)[Share over Email](mailto:?subject=Anthropic+set+AI+agents+loose+on+the+same+task.+They+started+a+turf+war.&body=Article%3A+https%3A%2F%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2026%2F08%2F13%2Fanthropic-set-ai-agents-loose-on-the-same-task-they-started-a-turf-war%2F)[Copy Share Link](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/13/anthropic-set-ai-agents-loose-on-the-same-task-they-started-a-turf-war/) What happens when you pit AI agents against each other? According to Anthropic’s testing, things get messy fast. On Thursday, Anthropic’s Frontier Red Team published [new research](https://www.anthropic.com/research/multiagent-systems) examining how group
Companies across technology sectors are deploying AI agents to handle customer conversations, answer questions and complete tasks autonomously.
# Scaling AI hinges on the enterprise data layer ## Company Announcements ### [Amazon cuts 16K jobs citing ongoing culture shift](https://www.ciodive.com/news/amazon-layoffs-16k-jobs-AI-culture-shift/810747/) - [](https://www.ciodive.com/news/scaling-ai-hinges-enterprise-data-layer/827822/)
# Databricks raised $5 billion at a $190 billion valuation as AI agent demand soared The data and AI company also crossed a $7 billion revenue run rate, growing more than 80% year over year in its second quarter [ByCris Tolomia](https://qz.com/author/cristolomia)·2 min read·Updated August 13, 2026 [Share via Email](mailto:?subject=Databricks%20raised%20%245%20billion%20at%20a%20%24190%20billion%20valuation%20as%20AI%20agent%20demand%20soared&body=The%20data%20and%20AI%20company%20also%20crossed%20a%20%247%20billion%20revenue%20run%20rate%2C%20growing%20more%20than%2080%25%20year%20over%20year%20in%20its%20second%20quarter%20https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdatabricks-funding-round-190-billion-valuation-081326%3Futm_medium%3Dsharefromsite%26utm_source%3Dquartz_email) [Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdatabricks-funding-round-190-billion-valuation-081326%3Futm_medium%3Dsharefromsite%26utm_source%3Dquartz_facebook)[Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdatabricks-funding-round-190-billion-valuation-081326%3Futm_medium%3Dsharefromsite%26utm_source%3Dquartz_twitter&text=Databricks%20raised%20%245%20billion%20at%20a%20%24190%20billion%20valuation%20as%20AI%20agent%20demand%20soared)[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdatabricks-funding-round-190-billion-valuation-081326%3Futm_medium%3Dsharefromsite%26utm_source%3Dquartz_linkedin)[Share on Bluesky](https://bsky.app/intent/compose?text=Databricks%20raised%20%245%20billion%20at%20a%20%24190%20billion%20valuation%20as%20AI%20agent%20demand%20soared%20https%3A%2F%2Fqz.com%2Fdatabricks-funding-round-190-billion-valuation-081326%3Futm_medium%3Dsharefromsite%26utm_source%3Dquartz_bluesky)  Bloomberg / Getty Images Databricks [closed a $5 billion funding round]
## Sign up to see the future, today Since everything is behind the screen, students can ask an AI agent to log into learning platforms like Canvas and Blackboard and complete quizzes for then, watch lecture videos, write papers, and even pose as the student and participate in discussions, a type of assignment in which they’re expected to chat with classmates and sometimes the professor about assigned reading. Perplexity, the company behind an AI web browser, told the _NYT_ in a statement that requiring AI agents to identify themselves on learning platforms “would put the student’s privacy and security at risk.” “I’m not getting any guidance on how to dissuade their use,” added Carol Sewell at the California State University system, which [signed a multimillion dollar deal with OpenAI last year](https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/california-state-university-openai-deal-disaster).
AI dispatch agents have gotten good at finding freight.
# Improving AI agents through production feedback ## Conversation ### The road to reliable autonomous systems - [Orlando Magic select WFTV Channel 9, TV 27 as new broadcast home](https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-magic-select-wftv-channel-9-tv-27-new-broadcast-home/5VCEXXYFD5AHDJDMJMOBNO23EM/) - [DEPUTIES: Missing Mount Dora woman found dead in vehicle trunk, suspect later found deceased](https://www.wftv.com/news/local/deputies-missing-mount-dora-man-found-dead-vehicle-trunk-suspect-found-deceased/LKJZSQPKEZHGTLG3YZWOIKTOTQ/) - [Retired K-9 Recon will not be euthanized after biting former handler’s daughter](https://www.wftv.com/news/local/retired-k-9-recon-will-not-be-euthanized-after-biting-handlers-daughter/BXHGP4LLZ5FVZEOY5NEDXQSGTY/) [NOW\ \ \ \ 81°\ \ 11 PM\ \ \ \ 80°\ \ 2 AM\ \ \ \ 79°](https://www.wftv.com/weather/) WFTV News ## Most Read [](https://www.wftv.com/news/local/deputies-missing-mount-dora-man-found-dead-vehicle-trunk-suspect-found-deceased/LKJZSQPKEZHGTLG3YZWOIKTOTQ/) ## [DEPUTIES: Missing Mount Dora woman found dead in vehicle trunk, suspect later found deceased](https://www.wftv.com/news/local/deputies-missing-mount-dora-man-found-dead-vehicle-trunk-suspect-found-deceased/LKJZSQPKEZHGTLG3YZWOIKTOTQ/) [
DIA, NGA and the FBI are building the infrastructure and guardrails needed for increasingly autonomous artificial intelligence.
For the past few days, the cybersecurity world has been flooded with headlines about autonomous artificial intelligence (AI) agents being used in attacks against public and private computer networks. First came reports involving an AI agent associated with Microsoft-owned [OpenAI](https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/was-openai-autonomous-cyberattack-on-hugging-face-a-publicity-stunt/), followed by concerns surrounding Anthropic’s Claude.
# Databricks Grows >80% YoY, Surpasses $7B Revenue Run-Rate, Scales Lakebase, Genie, and Unity AI Gateway - _Closes $5 billion strategic funding at a $190 billion valuation, led by Coatue, along with Blackstone, MGX, T. Rowe Price, and new investor Sixth Street Growth_ - _Deepens investment in Lakebase, Genie, and Unity AI Gateway, equipping enterprise AI agents with context, control, choice, and cost optimization_ Building on this momentum, the company closed a $5 billion strategic funding round at a $190 billion valuation. The investment will drive continued innovation across [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase), its serverless Postgres database built for AI agents, [Genie](https://www.databricks.com/product/genie/one), Databricks’ AI coworker that turns business data into trusted answers and actions, and [Unity AI Gateway](https://www.databricks.com/product/artificial-intelligence/unity-ai-gateway), for multi-AI governance and cost controls. Today, companies have a new set of employees to support: AI agents. They want agents working across their business that remember context, deliver accurate answers, and execute work without blowing through their budgets,” said **Ali Ghodsi, Co-founder and CEO of Databricks**. The tremendous investor demand for this round shows that our AI strategy is winning the market and building what every business needs to maximize their impact with agents.” We've been investors since 2019, and results like that are why we're proud to lead this round today and keep building with them.”
# Guardrails Won’t Always Stop Customer AI Agents. Is Your Enterprise Ready? xAI has introduced Grok Bot as an always-on, cloud-based AI teammate that can sign into users’ tools, work inside them and complete tasks autonomously without the user’s computer remaining active. The company has already introduced Grok Automations, which can run jobs on schedules or when emails arrive, while Grok Build supports long-running autonomous execution for coding tasks.
# CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) Gains as Autonomous AI Agents Go Mainstream Thu, August 13, 2026 at 9:41 AM EDT3 min read On August 12, 2026, CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. In April Anthropic released its Mythos model, and Anthropic granted early access to Mythos to several large cybersecurity companies and other institutions allowing them to use the LLM to detect vulnerabilities before a broader release. [](https://s.yimg.com/lo/mysterio/api/DA1B5E8735A63FC34E4DC9BAD0AABAFC37321311648902CD798D87F467C5E858/subgraphmysterio/resizefit_w960;quality_80;format_webp/https:%2F%2Fmedia.zenfs.com%2Fen%2Finsidermonkey.com%2F7747a035deba38791b8d49bb9057930e.jpg) (CRWD): I Sold Some For My Trust, Says Jim Cramer
- The funding comes six months after closing a round that valued it at $134 billion. Databricks on Thursday said it closed a $5 billion funding round at a $190 billion valuation to invest in enterprise AI capabilities. The company’s recent [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/blog/databricks-lakebase-generally-available) database for AI agents has already surpassed a $100 million revenue run rate, Databricks said. The funding round comes six months after the private data analytics software company raised $5 billion in funding and $2 billion in new debt capacity at a $134 billion valuation. ## Read more CNBC tech news Rowe Price and Sixth Street Growth led the funding round.
# China-Linked Autonomous Cyberattack on Taiwan Explained ## The multi-agent attack system It was back in July 2026 that DREAM Lab’s Threat Research stumbled upon “the complete operational workspace of an [autonomous AI attack](https://cybermagazine.com/news/ai-agents-drive-first-large-scale-autonomous-cyberattack) framework”. ## Agents that researched, prioritised and bettered themselves Ian Robinson, CPO at Titania
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