Top 3 Tech News
1) Vantage Data Centers Secures $1.6B Investment in APAC Platform from GIC and ADIA
- Vantage secured US$1.6 billion from GIC and ADIA (Abu Dhabi Investment Authority) to expand its Asia-Pacific data center platform.
- They’ll use it to acquire Yondr Group’s large hyperscale campus in Johor, Malaysia (300+ MW), called JHB1 when fully built.
- With this expansion, Vantage’s APAC capacity hits ~1 gigawatt (GW) across regions including Malaysia, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
- The Johor campus features modern tech (e.g. direct-to-chip liquid cooling), sustainability focus (EDGE certification target), and benefits like proximity to Singapore and supportive cost/regulation environment.
2) Klarna valued at nearly $20 billion as shares jump in NYSE debut
- They sold 34.3 million shares at US$40 each, above their expected range of $35–37. The IPO raised about US$1.37 billion. This is the biggest IPO of 2025 so far.
- On debut, shares jumped ~30% above the IPO price, putting Klarna’s valuation around US$19.65 billion.
- They have 111 million customers globally. Their “pay-in-4” split-payment product (4 installments over ~6 weeks) is the most popular. They also offer longer-term, interest-bearing payment plans.
- Klarna chose the US for its IPO because it sees major growth opportunity in the US consumer market, especially as an alternative to credit cards.
3) Crypto exchange Gemini prices IPO above range to raise $425 million
- Gemini Space Station (crypto exchange founded by Cameron & Tyler Winklevoss) went public on Nasdaq under the ticker GEMI.
- IPO priced at US$28/share, above its initial expected range of $24–$26.
- Raised about US$425 million by selling ~15.2 million shares.
- Valued at roughly US$3.8 billion post-IPO — less than its speculative high during the 2021 crypto boom.
- Shares opened ~32% above IPO price, spike to $45.89 at one point, but closed at $32.
https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/gemini-space-station-gemi-stock-ipo-winklevoss-e79449f8
💡 Headhunter’s Lens
The last 2–3 years we saw rising interest rates, slower growth, less hiring, and higher unemployment. Geopolitics and AI made it even tougher.
In 2025, the IPO market has bounced back. By mid-September, 242 IPOs were completed, up 80.6% from the same period in 2024. With a Federal Reserve rate cut widely expected this week, but will companies expand? Tech and post-IPO companies are more likely to expand, while others may take a wait-and-see approach.
For job seekers, that means more opportunities, but not all roles are equal. AI is shifting demand toward tech, strategy, and oversight roles, while repetitive tasks are shrinking. Companies growing post-IPO are especially good hunting grounds for talent. They are hiring fast and open to new ideas. Job growth may also lag behind rate cuts and can take months to show.
🚀 Executive Move to Watch
- Qin En Looi has launched a new fund, Onigiri Capital, focusing on stablecoins, payments, tokenized assets, DeFi, and financial infrastructure.
- Kailash Madan joins Triple-A as the Chief Commercial Officer.
- Jan Lim joins Visa as the Head of Global Tech Partnerships.
📬 One to Forward
🎧 How Larry Ellison (Briefly) Became the World’s Richest Person