Merck Group’s parent company, E. Merck KG, has announced the appointment of Kai Beckmann as the new chairman of the executive board and CEO, effective May 1, 2026. Beckmann will succeed Belen Garijo, who will remain in her current role until the end of her term to facilitate a smooth transition.

Canadian artificial intelligence startup Cohere has secured an additional US$100 million in funding, elevating its valuation to US$7 billion. The company also announced an expanded partnership with AMD, with its Command series models now compatible with AMD’s Instinct GPUs.

Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service, gaining traction in China, is fast-tracking expansion abroad with Southeast Asia and Australia as its next targets. Halton Niu, GM of Overseas Business at Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group, said the company is in talks with governments in Southeast Asia and Australia to explore pilots and service launches. Baidu is also in discussions with regulators in the Middle East and Europe. In Dubai, Apollo Go has already obtained 50 autonomous test permits, expanding its fleet to 100 vehicles.