Daily Tech & GNSS News Digest - May 13, 2026

AI chips took center stage in geopolitics and capital markets alike as Nvidia’s CEO flew to Beijing on Air Force One, Anthropic sought a near-trillion-dollar valuation, and SpaceX quietly shut down a feature that had become an unofficial GPS backup — all while the Strait of Hormuz reminded the world why resilient navigation matters.

Tech News

Jensen Huang Joins Trump’s China Delegation at the Last Minute

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang boarded Air Force One during a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska, joining President Trump’s business delegation to Beijing for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump personally called Huang after media reports highlighted his absence from the original guest list, according to Bloomberg. The late addition underscores Nvidia’s central role in the AI chip trade — and the geopolitical leverage that comes with it.

The delegation includes more than a dozen US executives. Nvidia shares rose 2% on the day as a broader semiconductor rally lifted the VanEck Semiconductor ETF by more than 1%, with Marvell Technology surging 7% and On Semiconductor jumping 10%. The visit comes as the US and China continue to negotiate the terms of AI chip exports, with Nvidia’s H200 processors a focal point of discussions.

Anthropic in Talks to Raise $30 Billion at $900 Billion Valuation

Anthropic is in early discussions with investors to raise at least $30 billion in fresh financing at a valuation exceeding $900 billion, Bloomberg reported. The round — which has no signed term sheet yet — could close by the end of May and would more than double the $380 billion valuation from Anthropic’s Series G round just three months ago in February 2026.

The staggering jump reflects explosive revenue growth driven by Claude Code and enterprise adoption. If completed, the deal would place Anthropic among the most valuable private companies ever, approaching the trillion-dollar threshold previously reserved for public megacaps.

Apple Touches $300 for the First Time as Tech Rally Defies Inflation

Apple shares hit an intraday high of $300.49 on Tuesday — breaching the $300 level for the first time — as the S&P 500 climbed to a fresh all-time high of 7,444 despite hotter-than-expected inflation data. The stock has gained more than 20% since the March 30 market lows.

The rally came as CEO Tim Cook joined Trump’s China delegation, though investors shrugged off macro headwinds: the consumer price index rose more than forecast, fueling bets that the Federal Reserve will keep rates higher for longer. The Nasdaq added 1.2% to close at 26,402, with megacap tech leading broad market gains.

Additional Headlines

EU weighs joining US-led “Pax Silica” alliance: The European Commission is exploring participation in a Trump administration-backed initiative to secure semiconductor and AI supply chains, though France remains a holdout among major member states.
Michael Burry warns of dot-com redux: The Big Short investor said the current AI-driven rally feels like “the last months of the 1999–2000 bubble,” citing a Shiller CAPE ratio of 40.1 and purchasing put options betting on a 30% semiconductor decline.
Semiconductor market on track for $1.3 trillion: Gartner forecasts worldwide chip revenue will rise 64% this year, driven by AI demand — but analysts warn the sizzling trade risks cooling if rate expectations shift.

GNSS News

SpaceX Cuts Starlink Location Data Access Ahead of Potential PNT Service

Starting May 20, SpaceX will remove GPS coordinate access from Starlink terminals’ local API and app debug menu, eliminating a feature that researchers, integrators, and military users had quietly relied on for positioning — often in GPS-jammed environments. The latitude and longitude fields, previously readable by any device on the same local network without authentication, will disappear entirely.

SpaceX notified users on April 21, giving roughly a month’s notice. The company hasn’t stated a reason, but the move aligns with two strategic imperatives: protecting terminal locations in conflict zones where Starlink dishes are military targets, and clearing the path for a formal paid positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service. In May 2025, SpaceX told the FCC that Starlink could serve as a GPS backup for military and civilian use — suggesting the free location feature may be replaced by a commercial LEO-PNT offering.

Santa Clara-based HYFIX Spatial Intelligence debuted the H1P — a positioning, navigation, and open-compute module that consolidates multiple circuit boards into a single surface-mount component — at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit. The module is the first product built on HYFIX’s H1 Autonomous Systems Chip, featuring 800+ hardware tracking channels, dual-antenna GNSS support across all major constellations, and native integration with emerging LEO signals including Xona’s Pulsar navigation service.

The H1P pairs a dual-CPU architecture with integrated IMU sensor fusion and connects to the GEODNET real-time kinematic network for centimeter-level accuracy. HYFIX, which raised a $15 million seed round led by Craft Ventures, is explicitly targeting US drone manufacturers seeking domestic alternatives to Chinese-dependent supply chains — a growing imperative as FCC Covered List restrictions and Department of Defense sourcing guidance tighten. Co-founded by former Topcon GNSS engineer Udan Ercan, samples and evaluation kits are available immediately.

Key Takeaways

AI chips are now a diplomatic instrument: Jensen Huang’s last-minute invitation to Air Force One confirms that semiconductor access has become a core lever of US-China relations, with Nvidia occupying a position of geopolitical significance rivaling oil producers a generation ago.
Private AI valuations are entering uncharted territory: Anthropic’s potential $900 billion valuation — up from $380 billion just three months earlier — tests whether private capital markets can sustain pricing that approaches public megacap territory without the liquidity or disclosure that comes with it.
The GPS-alternative market is crystallizing: SpaceX shutting down free Starlink location data while HYFIX launches a US-made multi-constellation navigation chip reflects a maturing ecosystem where GPS resilience is transitioning from a research concern into commercial products and supply-chain strategy.