Good morning, tech enthusiasts. SpaceX is reportedly prepping a $1.5T IPO for 2026 — one of the largest public offerings ever.

With Starlink burning cash, Starship demanding billions, and Musk eyeing space-based data centers, going public may be the only way for the company to bankroll its off-planet ambitions.

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In today’s tech rundown:

• SpaceX IPO could hit $1.5T valuation

• Instagram gets an algorithm control panel

• Altman’s everything app needs eyeballs

• Hinge founder launches AI dating app

• Quick hits on other tech news

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

SPACEX

🚀 SpaceX IPO could hit $1.5T valuation

Image source: Ideogram / The Rundown

The Rundown: Elon Musk could soon add another historic milestone — and a massive fortune boost — to his record. SpaceX is reportedly prepping one of the biggest IPOs ever, targeting up to $30B in 2026 at a staggering $1.5T valuation.

The details:

• The listing could value the company at as much as $1.5T, making it one of the largest public offerings in history, Bloomberg reports.

• The move would give Musk, already the world’s richest man, an even larger stake in what could become a market-defining aerospace giant.

• Despite staying private, SpaceX has raised billions to bankroll Starlink and Starship, both capital-hungry mega-projects.

• Musk confirmed SpaceX’s IPO plans, citing Ars Technica’s article for linking the move to rising AI demand and space-based data center opportunities.

Why it matters: SpaceX generates serious cash from Starlink launches, but it’s nowhere near the tens of billions needed for global coverage, orbital data networks, and lunar infrastructure. An IPO would give Musk the capital to turn his space business into civilization-scale infrastructure, assuming public markets buy the vision.

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INSTAGRAM

📱 Instagram gets an algorithm control panel

Image source: Instagram

The Rundown: Instagram is rolling out “Your Algorithm,” a new control panel for Reels that uses AI to surface the topics it thinks you care about most — and lets you tweak them in real time.

The details:

• Instagram says the tool surfaces your interests based on in-app behavior, summarized by AI, so you can see exactly what’s shaping your feed.

• While watching a Reel, tap the new icon to boost or downrank topics in real time, steering which themes dominate your feed.

• Unlike TikTok’s handful of generic topic buckets, Instagram’s list is personalized and lets you add custom interests.

• Strategically, it also helps Instagram respond to mounting regulatory and public pressure for explainable, user-controllable algorithms.

Why it matters: Instagram looks to be offering granular control TikTok only hinted at — personalized topics you can actually tweak, not just a dozen general top categories. But surfacing your interests is easier than actually respecting them, especially when engagement metrics still rule Meta’s bottom line.

TOOLS FOR HUMANITY

👁️ Altman’s everything app needs eyeballs

Image source: World

The Rundown: Sam Altman’s World just launched its “super app,” bundling Signal-grade encrypted chat with Venmo-style crypto payments — all anchored by its controversial eyeball-scanning verification system.

The details:

• World’s core mission: combat AI-generated fakery and online impersonation by verifying you’re actually human via its iris-scanning Orb.

• The app’s new World Chat uses end-to-end encryption and color-coded bubbles showing whether contacts have been verified through Orb.

• A Venmo-style crypto wallet lets users receive paychecks, make bank deposits, and convert both to cryptocurrency, without requiring verification.

• The super app strategy is designed to drive adoption beyond World’s current 20M verified users, far short of Altman’s billion-person goal.

Why it matters: World is testing whether people will trade biometric data for digital trust in an era where AI makes everyone suspect. If Altman can’t hit critical mass with a digital wallet incentive and social features, his “proof of human” vision may remain a niche curiosity rather than the web3 identity layer he’s pitching.

DATING APPS

💕 Hinge founder launches AI dating app

Image source: Ideogram / The Rundown

The Rundown: After more than a decade defining modern dating, Hinge founder Justin McLeod is swiping right on a new challenge. The long-time CEO is stepping down to launch Overtone, a new dating platform built around AI.

The details:

• McLeod is launching a new venture called Overtone, which will use “AI and voice tools to help people connect in a more thoughtful and personal way.”

• Match Group, which owns Hinge, Tinder, and OkCupid, will lead Overtone’s first funding round in 2026 and retain a “substantial ownership stake.”

• Tinder has now logged nine consecutive quarters of paying-subscriber losses and is increasingly banking on AI tools designed to boost users’ match rates.

• Hinge has also rolled out a new AI feature called “Convo Starters” to help daters open chats with something more interesting than standard small talk.

Why it matters: Dating app fatigue is real, especially for Gen Z, and founders are betting emotionally intelligent AI can fix it. As the likes of Tinder and Bumble rush to embed generative tools, Overtone’s trajectory could reveal whether AI rescues the industry — or just adds more noise. For now, specifics remain thin.

QUICK HITS

📰 Everything else in tech today

Reddit filed a lawsuit in Australia’s High Court to overturn the country’s social media ban for children, arguing it violates the constitutional right to free speech.

Walt Disney is investing $1B in OpenAI and allowing it to use characters from Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel in its Sora AI video generator.

Trump signed an executive order creating a single national framework for AI regulation, giving the federal government authority and overriding state-level rules.

TIME Magazine selected “the architects of AI” as its 2025 Person of the Year, honoring Jensen Huang, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, and Elon Musk.

Pebble unveiled Index 01, a $75 AI smart ring worn on the index finger that captures quick voice notes and reminders via a side button instead of always listening.

YouTube TV will begin unbundling its service in early 2026, offering 10-plus genre-based channel packages so subscribers pay only for the content they want.

Rivian announced its upcoming cars will use lidar, custom chips, and an autonomy computer to deliver advanced self-driving features backed by new AI models.

Apple’s 2025 U.S. download charts show OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the most-installed free iPhone app (excluding games), followed by Threads, Google, TikTok, and WhatsApp.

Eli Lilly said its next-gen obesity drug achieved what may be the greatest weight loss yet and also reduced knee arthritis pain in an initial weekly-injection study.

COMMUNITY

🎓 Highlights: News, Guides & Events

• Read our last AI newsletter: Disney’s billion-dollar AI bet on OpenAI

• Read our last Tech newsletter: Neuralink cofounder's wild next act

• Read our last Robotics newsletter: Skild eyes $14B for robot brains

• Today’s AI tool guide: Create and deploy voice agents for your business

• RSVP to next workshop @ 4PM EST today: AI Automations Made Simple

See you soon,

Rowan, Jennifer, and Joey—The Rundown’s editorial team