alternative investments

Inexpensive Chinese AI models are rapidly gaining popularity worldwide, prompting concern in Washington. Commentators note that US markets, including the NASDAQ and large parts of private credit, are heavily invested in American AI hyperscalers whose frontier models rely on future profits, and low-cost Chinese alternatives could threaten that business case and intensify US-China technology rivalry.

Fortune compares putting money into stocks versus buying a home, saying the S&P 500 has significantly outpaced housing as an investment. The piece speaks to buyers weighing whether homeownership still makes financial sense amid high mortgage rates and elevated home prices, with renting and investing the difference presented as a serious alternative.

Alternative investments — assets such as private equity, private credit, real estate and collectibles — are increasingly being marketed to individual investors rather than institutions, with young people a particular target. Financial media commentary highlights this shift as access broadens and platforms open these products to retail customers.

Berkeley Haas is highlighting Tash, a startup building the infrastructure that lets people invest in trading cards as an asset class. The company is positioning collectible cards alongside stocks and other alternative investments, and the business school coverage frames it as part of a wider wave of startups turning hobbies into investable markets.

Alternative investment manager GCM Grosvenor has seeded a new fund focused on grocery retail with $200 million. The move signals continued institutional interest in essential retail real estate, with grocery-anchored assets seen as resilient through economic downturns. Further details on the fund's manager, strategy and target size have not yet been disclosed.

The European Union is looking to expand its involvement in the Luzon Economic Corridor, the infrastructure and connectivity project linking Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas in the Philippines. The corridor, launched under the G7's Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, is seen as a Western-led alternative to Chinese Belt and Road projects, and Manila has welcomed outside investment.

A team of undergraduate students at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business has launched tash, a startup that lets users invest in trading cards as an asset class. The venture treats collectible cards like a financial market, and it is drawing attention as part of a broader wave of student-founded startups bringing alternative assets to retail investors.

A new market outlook projects growth in space-based solar power through 2035, driven by rising demand for energy security. The report points to expanding investment and development in the sector as countries look to diversify energy sources. Interest in the technology continues to build as governments and industry weigh its potential role in future energy supply.

Chip startup EVAS has raised $295 million to expand its work on RISC-V-based AI architecture. The funding will support development of open-standard processor designs aimed at artificial intelligence workloads, a growing alternative to proprietary architectures. The announcement is drawing attention from the semiconductor and AI hardware communities tracking investment in open-source chip technology.