Astronomer CEO gets Coldplay’d, Trump unleashes AI

Author

Noel Moldvai
July 24, 2025

TL;DR. Astronomer’s CEO was forced to resign after a viral kiss-cam moment with his HR chief at a Coldplay concert, while President Trump vows to win the AI “race” by bulldozing regulations and gutting oversight in pursuit of dominance. Meanwhile, Figma files for a $13 billion IPO on hopes to ride the tailwind of successful tech IPOs this year.

Astronomer CEO resigns after Coldplay kiss-cam incident

Astronomer CEO Andy Byron has resigned after a viral video showed him embracing HR chief Kristin Cabot—both reportedly married—on the jumbotron at a Coldplay concert. The board cited a failure to meet leadership standards and launched an internal investigation. Pete DeJoy is now serving as interim CEO.

Trump unveils sweeping AI deregulation plan to fuel U.S. dominance

President Trump’s 28-page “Winning the Race” strategy rests on three pillars: axing red tape, super-charging U.S. AI infrastructure, and exporting an “America-first” tech stack. The plan includes executive orders to slash permitting delays, back “unbiased” model providers, and turn the AI Safety Institute into a pro-innovation standards engine. For startups and infrastructure builders, it’s a green light to scale fast with fewer constraints.

Figma’s IPO seeks $13 B valuation in latest tech debut

Design-software darling Figma is aiming to raise ~$1 billion, pricing shares at $25–$28 for a potential $13 billion valuation—riding the tailwinds of this year’s hot tech IPO market. With 13 million monthly users, Bitcoin on its balance sheet, and blue-chip underwriters, “FIG” is shaping up to be another hot 2025 IPO.

Why high-net-worth investors are turning to pre-IPO unicorns

Investing early in future tech giants has historically meant huge upside—but it was once reserved for VCs. Now, the rise of secondary markets is changing the game. This piece breaks down how investors are gaining early access to unicorns, why startups are staying private longer, and how platforms like Augment are unlocking a new wave of pre-IPO deal flow.

Quick Takes

Cheerio! Until next week.
-Noel