USDA $12 Billion Farm Aid Program Draws Mixed Reactions from Row Crop Farmers 
Japanese Business Leaders Urge Government Action as Weak Yen Strains Economy 
SK Hynix Shares Hit Record High as AI Memory Demand Fuels Semiconductor Rally 
South Korean Won Slides Despite Government Efforts to Stabilize Currency Markets 
U.S. Stock Futures Slip as Year-End Trading Turns Cautious 
Supreme Court to Hear Cisco Appeal on Alien Tort Statute and Human Rights Liability 
FDA Limits Regulation of Wearable Devices and Wellness Software, Boosting Health Tech Industry 
South Korea Factory Output Misses Forecasts in November Amid Ongoing Economic Uncertainty 
Federal Reserve Begins Treasury Bill Purchases to Stabilize Reserves and Money Markets 
Nvidia Appoints Former Google Executive Alison Wagonfeld as First Chief Marketing Officer 
Ford Targets Level 3 Autonomous Driving by 2028 with New EV Platform and AI Innovations 
China Manufacturing PMI Rebounds in December, Offering Boost to Economic Growth Outlook 
U.S. Stocks Slip as Gold Rebounds Ahead of Year-End, Markets Eye 2026 Outlook 
AMD Unveils Next-Generation AI and PC Chips at CES, Highlights Major OpenAI Partnership 
Gold Prices Rebound in Europe as Geopolitical Tensions and Fed Outlook Support Bullion 
U.S. Dollar Starts 2026 Weak as Yen, Euro and Sterling Hold Firm Amid Rate Cut Expectations 
South Korea Factory Activity Returns to Growth in December on Export Rebound 
Chipmaker Nvidia has finalized its $700 million acquisition of Israeli start-up Runai, overcoming regulatory scrutiny in the EU. The move cements Nvidia's leadership in the AI graphics processing sector while promising open-source solutions to broaden AI infrastructure accessibility.
Nvidia Completes Runai Acquisition Amid Antitrust Concerns
Reuters reports that despite antitrust concerns, chipmaker Nvidia has finally finished buying out Israeli AI startup Runai, the latter announced on Monday.
Ahead of schedule in December, the European Commission approved Nvidia's US$700 million offer for Runai, an AI infrastructure optimization tool, without conditions. In October, the company had indicated that the acquisition would necessitate antitrust clearance from the EU.
European Commission Clears $700 Million Deal
The merger posed a danger to competition in the companies' respective markets, according to the EU antitrust regulator.
Its investigation into the merger centred on potential tactics that would give Nvidia an even stronger grip on the graphics processing unit (GPU) market. GPUs are highly desirable semiconductors used for AI-related work.
Nvidia Maintains Leadership in AI Graphics Processing
With an 80% market share, Nvidia is by far the most powerful player in the artificial intelligence graphics processing industry.
The purchase of Runai was first revealed in April, but the European Commission determined earlier in December that it would not cause problems with competition.
US Antitrust Investigation Ongoing
Politico wrote in August that the US Department of Justice is looking into the chip giant's acquisition of Runai for antitrust reasons.
In light of growing fears that large tech companies may stifle competition through mergers and acquisitions, regulators across the Atlantic have increased their focus on these deals.
Runai said in a blog post that it intends to make its software open-source.
"While Runai currently supports only Nvidia GPUs, open sourcing the software will enable it to extend its availability to the entire AI ecosystem," it stated.
