#1 - OpenAI buys Hiro, returns to AWS; Perplexity hits $500M

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the Inference podcast, hosted by Rene van Pelt. Recorded on April 14, 2026, this episode covers the latest major moves and announcements across the AI and tech landscape.

In this episode, we cover:

• OpenAI's Latest Moves: OpenAI has acquired the personal finance startup Hero, founded by Ethan Bloch. Hero will cease operations on April 20, 2026, with all user data scheduled for deletion by May 13, 2026. Furthermore, OpenAI's Chief Revenue Officer, Denise Dresser, announced a renewed cloud partnership with Amazon Web Services, though Microsoft continues to hold exclusive hosting rights for OpenAI models.
• Perplexity AI's Massive Growth: CEO Aravind Srinivas reported that Perplexity has reached $500 million in revenue, representing a five-fold increase. This success is credited to the integration of 19 specialized AI models, achieved while keeping headcount growth limited to 34%.
• Microsoft 365 Copilot: Microsoft is developing a new open, claw-like agent designed for enterprise customers that features enhanced security controls. The company plans to showcase the agent at the Microsoft Build conference in June.
• Amazon's Project Houdini: Amazon is speeding up data center construction for AWS by utilizing pre-assembled factory components. The project aims to shorten build timelines from 15 weeks to just two or three weeks, supporting a pipeline of over 100 new data centers a year.
• Visa's AI Commerce Solution: Visa has launched "Intelligent Commerce Connect," a platform facilitating secure payments for AI agents. The system is currently being piloted with partners such as Eldar and AWS.
• Vercel Eyes an IPO: CEO Guillermo Rauch announced that Vercel is ready for an initial public offering. The company's annual recurring revenue has climbed significantly, growing from $100 million in early 2024 to $340 million by February 2026.
• Apple's Smart Glasses: Apple is currently testing four different designs for its upcoming smart glasses. Slated for a 2027 release, the glasses will not feature built-in displays but will allow users to take photos, answer calls, and interact with Siri.

News source:

• dailyaibrief.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• OpenAI
• Hiro
• Amazon Web Services
• Microsoft
• Visa
• Perplexity AI
• Vercel
• Apple