# Daily Fintech News — September 18, 2026 > Daily brief on markets, macro, banking, chips and AI infrastructure. Published September 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET by Daily Fintech News. Canonical HTML: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18 **Entities covered:** SoftBank Group, Initial public offering, Meta Platforms, Google, Alphabet Inc., Nvidia, Data center, United States, Anthropic, OpenAI --- ## 1. A Tsinghua Professor's Stealth LLM Startup Hits $1.4 Billion Valuation *Section: AI* A stealth large language model startup founded by a Tsinghua University professor has reached a $1.4 billion valuation, underscoring continued investor appetite for Chinese AI model developers. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-1 ## 2. SoftBank Boosts Credit Line to $6.5 Billion as AI Debts Mount *Section: AI · Tickers: $SFTBY* SoftBank expanded a credit line to $6.5 billion as it takes on more debt to bankroll its rapidly expanding artificial-intelligence infrastructure ambitions. - $SFTBY close: $20.37 (-3.69%) Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-2 ## 3. Software Stocks Get New Life From Strong Earnings, AI Warnings *Section: Markets* Software stocks are regaining momentum on the back of strong quarterly earnings, even as several companies flag risks from AI disruption to their businesses. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-3 ## 4. AI Startup Manus Seeks to Raise $500 Million and Weighs Hong Kong IPO *Section: AI* Chinese AI agent startup Manus is seeking to raise about $500 million in a funding round that could value it near $4 billion, and is weighing a Hong Kong IPO. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-4 ## 5. Meta, Google Invest in Long-Duration Batteries to Power AI *Section: AI · Tickers: $GOOGL, $META* Hyperscalers Meta and Google are investing in long-duration battery technology that can store energy for many hours or even days, as they race to secure reliable power for their fast-growing AI data centers. - $META close: $665.75 (-2.43%) Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-5 ## 6. Nvidia-Backed Data Center Startup Nscale Files Publicly for U.S. IPO *Section: AI* Nscale, the Nvidia-backed U.K. data center and cloud provider that won a large deal to supply computing power to Anthropic, filed publicly to list on the NYSE under the symbol NSCL, disclosing a sharp revenue jump alongside steep losses; reports peg the sought valuation near $35 billion. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-6 ## 7. Meta-Tied Data Center Prices Junk Bond Amid Blowout Demand *Section: AI* A data center project tied to Meta priced a high-yield (junk) bond that drew blowout investor demand, underscoring Wall Street's strong appetite to finance the debt behind the AI infrastructure buildout. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-7 ## 8. Anthropic Moves Ahead With IPO Plans Amid AI Safety Debate *Section: AI* Anthropic is moving ahead with plans for an initial public offering, with the AI lab expected to reach roughly $100 billion in annualized revenue this year, even as CEO Dario Amodei publicly calls for slowing development of some advanced AI models. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-8 ## 9. Investors Come Back to AI Stocks, Snapping Market Out of Inflation Gloom *Section: Markets* The S&P 500 and Nasdaq posted their biggest one-day gains in six weeks as investors rotated back into AI and tech stocks, shaking off inflation and interest-rate worries. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-9 ## 10. OpenAI Sees Burning Through $278 Billion by 2030: FT *Section: AI* OpenAI expects negative free cash flow of about $278 billion from 2026 through the end of 2030, according to a private company presentation reported by the Financial Times, as it invests heavily in AI infrastructure and faces price pressures. Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-10 ## 11. Accenture Shares Climb Aftermarket on Anthropic Safety Partnership Announcement *Section: Markets · Tickers: $ACN* Accenture shares rose in aftermarket trading after it announced a partnership with Anthropic to embed evaluators for AI safety testing, having closed lower on the day. - $ACN close: $181.29 (-4.73%) Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-11 ## 12. Oracle's $18bn Data Centre Debt Under Strain Amid Local Pushback *Section: AI Infrastructure · Tickers: $ORCL* Investors are growing wary of Oracle's roughly $18 billion in data centre debt as permitting and construction delays mount amid local opposition in New Mexico. - $ORCL close: $147.61 (-1.98%) Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-12 ## 13. Netflix Stock Sinks as Analyst Bemoans Lack of Breakout Hits *Section: Markets · Tickers: $NFLX* Netflix shares fell after an analyst flagged a lack of breakout hit titles weighing on the streaming company's near-term outlook. - $NFLX close: $71.79 (-4.67%) Permalink: https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-18#item-13 --- ## Questions this brief answers **How much did A Tsinghua Professor's Stealth LLM Startup raise, and at what valuation?** A stealth large language model startup founded by a Tsinghua University professor has reached a $1.4 billion valuation, underscoring continued investor appetite for Chinese AI model developers. **What did SoftBank Group announce on September 18, 2026?** SoftBank expanded a credit line to $6.5 billion as it takes on more debt to bankroll its rapidly expanding artificial-intelligence infrastructure ambitions. **What did Software Stocks report for the quarter?** Software stocks are regaining momentum on the back of strong quarterly earnings, even as several companies flag risks from AI disruption to their businesses. **How much did AI Startup Manus Seeks to raise?** Chinese AI agent startup Manus is seeking to raise about $500 million in a funding round that could value it near $4 billion, and is weighing a Hong Kong IPO. **How much is Meta Platforms investing in Long-Duration Batteries to Power AI?** Hyperscalers Meta and Google are investing in long-duration battery technology that can store energy for many hours or even days, as they race to secure reliable power for their fast-growing AI data centers. **What did Nvidia announce on September 18, 2026?** Nscale, the Nvidia-backed U.K. data center and cloud provider that won a large deal to supply computing power to Anthropic, filed publicly to list on the NYSE under the symbol NSCL, disclosing a sharp revenue jump alongside steep losses; reports peg the sought valuation near $35 billion. --- ## More from Daily Fintech News - Previous brief: [September 17, 2026 — Trump Weighs Resuming Large-Scale Military Operations Against Iran](https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-17) - Next brief: [September 20, 2026 — Jane Street-Linked Data Center Debt Sours](https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-20) - Also covers Alphabet Inc., Anthropic, Data center: [September 15, 2026 — Clarity Act Crypto Bill Fails to Advance in Senate; Coinbase, Circle Slide](https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-15) - Also covers Alphabet Inc., Anthropic, Data center: [September 21, 2026 — Nasdaq Closes at Record as Chip and AI Stocks Rally](https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-21) - Also covers Alphabet Inc., Anthropic, Data center: [September 23, 2026 — 10-Year Treasury Yield Tops 5.1% as Hot PMI Data Fuels Inflation Fears](https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech/2026-09-23) - [All briefs](https://dailyfintechnews.com/brief/fintech) *Source: Daily Fintech News (https://dailyfintechnews.com). 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