Zhipu Raises $5B for AI Models; Gates Foundation Pledges $1B for AI Equity

Key Takeaways

• Minebea Mitsumi halts acquisitions to focus on AI hardware components like ball bearings and actuators for data centers and humanoid robots
• Zhipu and MiniMax report revenue growth of 399.7% and 283.1% respectively while cutting sales costs by shifting to self-serve platforms
• Zhipu announced a $5 billion financing round for next-generation GLM models
• Gates Foundation pledges $1 billion over five years to AI for Equity program partnering with the World Bank and United Nations
• Ryanair's AI handles 80% of 120,000 daily customer chats with 94% accuracy, powered by AWS
• METR faces questions about independence from Anthropic over financial connections
• F5 Inc. stock gains over 50% this year driven by AI security growth
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Travelers and Welltower appear on IBD's Stocks That Funds Are Buying list
• WitnessAI launches FinOps tools including a Unified AI ROI Dashboard to track enterprise AI spending
• Hybrid agentic AI framework achieves 90% accuracy in supply chain analytics while reducing token usage fourfold

Minebea Mitsumi halts acquisitions to focus on AI hardware production

Minebea Mitsumi, a major Japanese company and key supplier to Nintendo, is pausing acquisitions to focus on making ball bearings, motors and actuators for AI hardware. Chairman Yoshihisa Kainuma said the company sees unlimited upside from data centers and humanoid robots. The firm has no current plans for new deals and wants to focus on the work in front of it.

Minebea Mitsumi stops M&A to meet AI hardware demand

Minebea Mitsumi has stopped pursuing new acquisitions and is redirecting resources toward producing ball bearings, motors and actuators for AI hardware. Demand is growing from data centers, humanoid robots and Nvidia components. The shift reflects the company's effort to keep up with accelerating market needs.

METR's independence questioned over Anthropic financial links

METR, an AI safety nonprofit, faces questions about whether it is truly independent from Anthropic. An X user highlighted financial connections between the two organizations, though some claims remain unverified. METR says it follows a hard independence rule and will not accept funding from frontier AI companies. Critics including David Sacks dispute that claim, while no direct response has been given by METR, Good Ventures or Anthropic.

Hybrid agentic AI framework improves supply chain analytics

Researchers proposed a multi-agent AI system for supply chain analytics that uses a coordinator agent to assign tasks to specialized agents. The system achieved 90% accuracy on a test environment for multi-echelon inventory management while reducing token usage by about fourfold. It supports both exploratory analysis and structured workflows. Case studies demonstrated interpretable suboptimality detection and automated forecast optimization.

F5 Inc. stock rises on AI security growth and insider sales

F5 Inc. stock closed at USD 411.71 on Nasdaq on September 11, 2026, up 3.32 percent. The stock has gained over 50 percent this year, driven by the company's expansion into AI security. Insider sales, including by the CEO, have also reduced outstanding shares and contributed to the rise. Revenue has seen a substantial boost from the AI security focus.

Funds Buy HPE AI Stock Despite Concerns

Three stocks are attracting both bullish chart patterns and large institutional buying. They include Travelers, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Welltower. These stocks appear on the IBD Stock Screener's Stocks That Funds Are Buying list.

Gates Foundation Pledges $1 Billion for AI Equity Program

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged $1 billion over five years to the AI for Equity program. The initiative aims to make AI more accessible and beneficial to marginalized communities. It will partner with the World Bank and the United Nations. The program will focus on education, healthcare, and economic development.

China's Zhipu and MiniMax Double Revenue While Cutting Sales Costs

Chinese AI companies Zhipu and MiniMax saw revenue growth of 399.7% and 283.1% in the first half of 2026. They cut sales expenses by 14.8% and 17.9% respectively. Both companies shifted to self-serve platforms and spend over 10 times more on R&D than on sales. Zhipu also announced a $5 billion financing round for next-generation GLM models.

Ryanair AI Handles 80% of Customer Chats Without Staff

Ryanair's AI system resolves 80% of 120,000 daily customer chats across seven languages without human agents. The system was tested against five foundation models and cut response time from 18 seconds to 2.9 seconds. Since launching in October 2024, it has processed 10 million chats with 94% accuracy. AWS provides the cloud and AI services powering the system.

WitnessAI Launches FinOps Tools to Manage Enterprise AI Costs

WitnessAI introduced new AI FinOps capabilities including a Unified AI ROI Dashboard. The platform tracks AI spending by linking costs to specific employees, agents, and business purposes. It automatically discovers unsanctioned AI use and meters consumption across multiple providers. The FinOps features are now generally available to all customers.

Sources

• Minebea Mitsumi pauses acquisitions to chase AI returns
• Minebea Mitsumi pauses M&A to chase AI hardware demand
• METR’s Independence Questioned After X User Highlights Financial Links Between Company And Anthropic
• A Hybrid Agentic AI Framework for Intelligent Supply Chain Analytics
• F5 Inc. stock gains as insider sales and AI security expansion draw investor focus
• AI Stock Among Those That Funds Are Buying Despite Misgivings
• Gates Foundation pledges $1 billion to try and make AI more equitable
• China's AI Model Companies Shift Growth Logic: Zhipu and MiniMax Double Revenue While Cutting Sales Spending
• Ryanair’s AI Resolves 80% of Customer Chats Without Humans
• WitnessAI Introduces AI FinOps Capabilities to Control Enterprise AI Spend and Drive Effective ROI