Descriptions:
Replit launched a major new feature in January 2026 enabling users to build and publish mobile apps directly to the App Store without leaving the platform, removing longstanding barriers around payment configuration, security auditing, and App Store submission. Early beta testers described the experience as transformative, with one reporting “10 out of 10 quality” on a shipped app built entirely within Replit’s AI-assisted environment. The announcement coincided with reports that Replit is closing a funding round at a $9 billion valuation, with a round size of approximately $400 million.
Video generation startup Kling AI announced a $1.3 billion valuation after extending its Series A with an additional $80 million in capital. The company reported reaching $200 million in annualized revenue after doubling its run rate from $100M to $200M in just two months — a claim independently verified by Anthropic’s Henry Shei as potentially the fastest startup to hit that ARR milestone, outpacing Lovable, Cursor, OpenAI, Slack, and Zoom. Notably, 85% of Kling’s usage now comes from social media managers, signaling a shift from casual creation to production-grade marketing workflows.
Mira Murati’s AI startup Thinking Machines Labs is facing a significant talent crisis: co-founders Barrett Zoph, Luke Metz, and Sam Shonholtz announced departures to rejoin OpenAI, with sources reporting broader resignations following a tense all-hands meeting. Combined with Andrew Tulloch’s earlier return to Meta, the company has now lost three of its six co-founders in a matter of months. Reporting from Maxwell Zeff at Wired suggests the departures stem from internal disagreements about product direction rather than simply following departing colleagues.
📺 Source: The AI Daily Brief: Artificial Intelligence News · Published January 19, 2026
🏷️ Format: News Analysis
