Meta is in the LMArena trying stuff

Top News

• Meta fudged key benchmark test: After Meta’s new “Maverick” Llama 4 AI model secured the #2 spot on AI benchmark ranker LMArena — besting high-profile rivals like OpenAI’s 4o and Gemini 2.5 Pro — researchers noticed some inconsistencies in the company’s documentation. It turns out, Meta acknowledged in the fine print that the version of Maverick used for testing was an “experimental chat version” that had been “optimized for conversationality,” and was not identical to the version available for public consumption. In response, LMArena said Meta had not met its expectations for model providers.

• Snapchat rolls out sponsored AI lenses: The social media and instant messaging app introduced a new ad format, allowing brands to leverage their new AI-generated lens technology. Users taking selfies can use the new lenses to insert themselves into entirely AI-generated images and scenes. Uber and Tinder are among the first sponsors to sign on for the new, immersive feature.

• Rain raises $75M Series B: The Los Angeles-based fintech startup developed an EWA, or Earned Wage Access app, that’s integrated with most popular payroll and timekeeping systems. It helps employees manage their earnings and even access paychecks early, with a less predatory interest model than payday lenders. So far, Rain has onboarded over 2.5 million employees and distributed over $2 billion in wages. It raised $75 million in an all-equity Series B round at a post-money valuation of $340 million.

TWiST500

Bloomberg reports that Toronto security startup Tailscale — a relative newcomer to the TWiST 500 — raised $160 million from investors, in a deal valuing the company at around $1.5 billion. The round was led by Accel with participation from CRV, Uncork Capital, CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz, and others.

Tailscale may be fresh on the TWiST 500 list but they’ve been making moves for a while now. The company, which provides zero-configuration VPNs to help keep corporate networks secure, first passed the $1 billion valuation mark three years ago, but they’ve been building particularly strong momentum over the last few quarters.

While it took around four years post-launch for Tailscale to hit 5,000 corporate clients — only hitting that milestone in March 2024 — they’ve doubled that number in just 10 months, reaching 10,000 customers in January. These clients range from relatively small companies to global brands like Instacart and Duolingo.

Not to take anything away from the Tailscale team, but the explosion of interest in AI has played a major role in the company’s impressive growth. According to co-founder and CEO Avery Pennarun, Tailscale is an important collaborator for AI companies that face networking problems, due to the immense amount of data they’re sharing between multiple cloud providers. (He compares it to being a shovel salesman during the Gold Rush.) So far, the company’s big-time AI clients include Mistral, Hugging Face, and Cohere. – Lon

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