Google Extends AI Availability
Google, the Alphabet subsidiary managing the world’s largest internet search engine, announced on Monday it will broaden access to its AI Mode tool for millions of U.S. users.
Robby Stein, Google Search Product Vice President, highlighted in a blog post that since the initial rollout of AI Mode for Google One AI Premium subscribers, they’ve received positive feedback on design, response time, and ability to handle complex queries.
The new multimodal feature allows users to take a photo or upload an image, ask a question, and receive comprehensive answers complete with links and explanations, according to Stein.
Helium Evolution Raises $1.6M
On Monday, Helium Evolution announced the closing of its second tranche in a private placement share issue with Eneos USA and an external placement of shares, raising $1.6 million.
Eneos USA now holds a 19.9% stake in the company.
The second tranche consisted of 9.2 million shares at $0.17 each, comprised of one and a half shares plus a warrant to buy another share within 12 months at $0.27.
Helium Evolution announced on March 10 a strategic partnership with Eneos USA, the Japanese energy conglomerate’s U.S. subsidiary.
Diageo & Main Street Advisors Partner
Diageo and Main Street Advisors announced on Monday the formation of a joint venture to develop Ciroc Ultra-Premium vodka in North America and Lobos 1707 tequila globally.
Diageo exchanges majority brand rights for Ciroc in North America for a majority stake in Lobos, the firms reported. Main Street is an investment and advisory firm.
Nick Tran, former TikTok’s global marketing director, was named president and chief marketing officer of the joint venture, they said.
Walmart Withdraws Growth Forecast
Walmart may withdraw its fiscal 2026 growth forecast due to volatility related to President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff announcement, Oppenheimer said in a client note on Monday, ahead of the retailer’s Analyst Day this week.
The retailer anticipates sales growth between 3-4% at constant exchange rates, including an approximate 20 basis point impact from a leap year, compared to Wall Street’s estimate of $705.38 billion.
