Two director's chairs with the Netflix logo sit on a stage at a convention in Lucca, Italy, October 31, 2025.
Image: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Wake up to the shifts shaping the future.
From boardroom shakeups and billion-dollar bets to the latest tech breakthroughs rewriting the rules, The Company Brief is your front-row seat to the stories moving markets and mindsets.
We cut through the noise so you can stay ahead of the curve, one bold business move at a time.
The AI frenzy is driving a memory chip supply crisis
An acute global shortage of memory chips is forcing artificial intelligence and consumer-electronics companies to fight for dwindling supplies, as prices soar for the unglamorous but essential components that allow devices to store data. Japanese electronics stores have begun limiting how many hard-disk drives shoppers can buy. Chinese smartphone makers are warning of price increases. Tech giants, including Microsoft, Google and ByteDance, are scrambling to secure supplies from memory-chip makers such as Micron, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, according to three people familiar with the discussions. The squeeze spans almost every type of memory, from flash chips used in USB drives and smartphones to advanced high-bandwidth memory (HBM) that feeds AI chips in data centres. Prices in some segments have more than doubled since February, according to market-research firm TrendForce, drawing in traders betting that the rally has further to run.
Netflix, Warner Bros Discovery combo seen lowering costs for consumers
Netflix's proposed acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery's studios and streaming unit is expected to reduce streaming costs for consumers by bundling Netflix and HBO Max, according to two people familiar with the proposal. In recent talks with Warner Bros Discovery, Netflix said the potential combination of its streaming service with HBO Max would benefit consumers by lowering the cost of a bundled offering, the sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters. They requested anonymity to discuss confidential negotiations. Netflix’s argument seeks to address potential regulatory concerns that combining one of the nation’s leading subscription video streaming services with a top rival would reduce consumer choice and raise prices, the sources said. The services are not currently offered as a bundle by either company.
Anthropic plans an IPO as early as 2026
Anthropic, the artificial intelligence startup backed by Alphabet's Google and Amazon.com, has hired the law firm Wilson Sonsini to prepare for an initial public offering that could take place as early as 2026, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. An IPO would give the company, which operates the AI chatbot Claude, a more efficient way to raise capital and provide leverage for bigger acquisitions through public stock. The move comes as AI adoption gains pace, driven by higher enterprise tech spending and growing investor appetite.
South Africa's GDP growth remains sluggish
South Africa’s economy could still grow less than 1% this year despite optimism for a slight upsurge after gross domestic product (GDP) posted its fourth straight gain in the three months to September. Data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that real GDP grew by 0.5% in the third quarter, slower than the revised 0.9% growth in the second quarter. Stats SA’s chief director for national accounts, Dr Bokang Vumbukani-Lepolesa, said the expansion was quite broad-based, with nine out of 10 industries growing during this period.