Silicon Valley eyes Greenland for tech utopia

Good morning, tech enthusiasts. Silicon Valley tech billionaires are eyeing Greenland as the next big hub for innovation, envisioning a “freedom city” where regulation is as sparse as the island’s population.

The tech utopia would host cutting-edge AI, autonomous vehicles, and space launches, turning the icy landscape into a hotbed of innovation. Of course, Denmark isn’t the only one calling the plan “absurd” — what do you think, a billionaire’s fantasy or something that could actually work?

In today’s tech rundown:

• Tech billionaires set sights on Greenland

• Bezos-backed startup’s new $25K EV

• Mira Murati’s AI venture eyes $2B funding

• Instagram finally developing an iPad app

• Quick hits on other tech news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

GREENLAND

🔥 Tech billionaires set sights on Greenland

The Rundown: Tech billionaires, including Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen, are reportedly pushing for the creation of a deregulated “freedom city” in Greenland, as the Trump administration works to acquire the territory from Denmark. 

The details:

• The idea is to create a libertarian tech hub on the island for AI, autonomous vehicles, and micro-nuclear energy, with minimal government oversight.

• The talks are still early, but Trump’s Denmark ambassador pick, Ken Howery—an ally of Peter Thiel—is reportedly taking the idea seriously.

• The push mirrors existing "freedom city" experiments like the Thiel-backed Próspera in Honduras and California’s Solano County.

• Melting Arctic ice has also heightened Greenland’s importance, offering access to rare-earth minerals and ideal conditions for massive AI data centers.

Why it matters: While proponents say tech cities could drive breakthroughs, critics warn they risk becoming corporate dictatorships with their own rules. Denmark, meanwhile, has dismissed U.S. interest—saying Greenland is “not for sale”—and past “free city” ventures like Próspera have faced government pushback.

SLATE AUTO

🛻 Bezos-backed startup’s new $25K EV

The Rundown: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly a backer of Slate Auto, a Michigan-based auto startup aiming to launch the U.S.’s first $25K EV—a pickup slated to debut sometime in late 2026.

The details:

• Slate Auto launched as part of an incubator run by former Amazon Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke and has been operating in stealth since 2022.

• The company has reportedly poached 200–500 employees from Ford, GM, Stellantis, and failed EV startups like Fisker and Canoo to power its R&D efforts.

• It is differentiating itself by adopting an open-source model and customization tools for its EVs—unlike Tesla and Rivian’s closed proprietary systems.  

• A spy photo also appeared on Reddit, showing what looks like a prototype of its small two-seater pickup with a boxy, minimalist design.

Why it matters: The project faces skepticism, as no automaker has yet delivered an EV at that price, and Slate remains tight-lipped about specs. But, if it manages to hit the price target, Bezos’s stealth bet could disrupt the market—a $25K EV pickup would be less than half the cost of Ford’s F-150 Lightning.

THINKING MACHINES

🦄 Mira Murati’s AI venture eyes $2B funding

The Rundown: Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati’s new company, Thinking Machines Lab, is reportedly raising a $2B seed round—one of the largest in startup history—doubling its initial $1B target from February.

The details:

• With this round, Thinking Machines Lab will be valued at an incredible $10B+, despite having no commercial product or revenue roadmap in place.

• The startup aims to solve “black box” AI issues, prioritizing transparency and user control—a stark contrast to opaque models like OpenAI’s GPT family. 

• Murati’s all-star team counts employees from top AI labs, including OpenAI and Google DeepMind, among its ranks.

• She left OpenAI in October after six years at the company, where she led work on ChatGPT, DALL-E, and code-generating system Codex.

Why it matters: Thinking Machines’ massive seed round joins a wave of ex-OpenAI ventures, like Ilya Sutskever’s SSI, raising big bucks. It also signals a shift in AI funding where investors are betting big on frontier AI, elite talent, and bold visions—like Murati’s push to ‘democratize’ AI.

META

⚡️ Instagram finally developing an iPad app

The Rundown: After 15 years of constant user complaints, Meta’s Instagram is finally said to be working on a native app for iPad, marking an end to the era of stretched iPhone versions of its service on Apple’s tablets.

The details:

• The Information reports that Meta’s new app will feature full-screen browsing, enhanced Reels playback, and deeper integration with Apple Pencil.

• The move is part of Meta’s push to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain future in the U.S., as Instagram’s Reels competes for short-form video dominance.

• The app may also introduce creator-focused tools, such as advanced analytics and scheduling, tailored for iPad workflows.

• No launch date is confirmed, but the report suggests a rollout later this year—possibly without some advanced creator features.

Why it matters: Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri long brushed off iPad demand as a low priority—but growing user frustration and competitive pressure have forced a rethink. Still, it could be scrapped. In 2023, Meta promised an iPad app for WhatsApp, and it never arrived.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in tech today

Apple shares skyrocketed 15% on Wednesday after President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on “reciprocal tariffs,” but then dropped again on Thursday.

Microsoft said it is buying 3.7M metric tons of carbon removal credits from project developer CO280 to meet its goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030.

Google is reported to have laid off “hundreds of employees” in the division responsible for Android, Chrome, and Pixel—in a move to operate “more effectively.”

OpenAI launched a massive update to ChatGPT that enhances its memory, allowing the chatbot to reference all past conversations to provide more personalized responses

Senator Josh Hawley called on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress over allegations that the company undermined U.S. national security.

Alphabet’s Waymo began its first international testing in Japan by manually driving its vehicles across seven Tokyo wards to collect mapping data.

Nissan announced a partnership with UK-based AI startup Wayve to integrate Wayve's autonomous driving technology into its vehicles.

Blue Origin's NS-31 mission, set for April 14, will feature an all-female crew, including pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, and Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez.

Cofertility, a startup co-founded by a former Uber exec that wants to make egg freezing free, raised $7.25M in Series A funding at a $16M valuation.

IFS, a Swedish provider of cloud enterprise software and industrial AI solutions, achieved a valuation of over €15B ($17B) amid soaring demand.

UK-based climate think tank Ember reported that clean energy sources accounted for 40.9% of electricity produced around the world in 2024.

China said that it has discovered a new mineral—a high-purity quartz—that could potentially foster new developments in semiconductors and photovoltaics.

WordPress launched a new, free AI-powered site builder in early access that allows users to build WordPress webpages “in minutes.”

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See you soon,

Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team