AI Chip Startup Groq Secures $1.5 Billion Investment From Saudi Arabia

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

February 11, 2025

Groq, a U.S.-based AI semiconductor startup, has secured a $1.5 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to expand its advanced AI chip delivery in the country. The startup, founded by a former Alphabet AI chip engineer, specializes in AI inference chips that optimize speed and execute commands for pre-trained models.

Groq already has a partnership with Aramco Digital, the tech arm of oil giant Aramco, through which they developed a key AI hub in the region in December. The investment will fund the expansion of Groq’s data center in Dammam, with the startup having obtained the necessary licenses to export its chips despite U.S. export controls.

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The announcement was made at Saudi Arabia’s LEAP 2025 event, where the country also secured $14.9 billion in AI investments. One of the technologies supported by the Dammam Center is Allam, an AI language model developed by the Saudi government that operates in both Arabic and English.

In August, Groq raised $640 million in a funding round led by Cisco, Samsung, and BlackRock, bringing its valuation to $2.8 billion.

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Clive Owen Films Scorpion In Cyprus In One Of The Island’s Biggest Productions

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 13, 2026

Cyprus Secures Another High-Profile Production

Oscar-nominated British actor Clive Owen is filming Scorpion in Cyprus, a new action thriller from Copper Island that is understood to have one of the highest daily production budgets ever recorded for a film shoot on the island.

Filming began in Cyprus on July 6 and is scheduled to conclude later this month in Bulgaria. The production marks another high-profile international project to choose Cyprus as a filming location.

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A Cast Built For International Sales

Alongside Owen, the film stars Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike, The Butler, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare) and Reda Elazouar (Sex Education, The Family Plan). The cast also includes Ronan Summers, Jake Ryan, Mark Rhino Smith, Joey Ansah, Alex Cooke and Luke Bouchier.

The screenplay is by Richard Hughes and Bennett Fisher. Copper Island’s Matt Murphy, David Mansfield and Luke Bouchier are producing, while WestEnd Films is handling international sales. The company is expected to present the first footage at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

A Survival Thriller

Scorpion follows Jason, a rookie police officer assigned to an elite special operations unit made up of Afghanistan war veterans. After arriving at an isolated farmhouse, the team is cut off from the outside world and given an ultimatum: every 30 minutes one member will die unless someone reveals the truth about a covert military operation carried out years earlier.

Cyprus’ Role In The Production

The production credited the Cyprus Film Commission for its support, with Copper Island founder Matt Murphy thanking both the commission and the local crew.

Owen also praised the experience of filming in Cyprus, describing the local crew as highly professional and highlighting the island’s diverse filming locations.

Copper Island Expands Its International Portfolio

Limassol-based Copper Island has worked on several international productions, including The Leader, which premiered at Tribeca, as well as Gus Van Sant’s Dead Man’s Wire and Ron Howard’s Eden.

The company is also supporting Cypriot productions, including Apart by Stelana Kliridou and The Well by Marios Piperides, which is completing post-production in Limassol.

Matt Murphy is also serving as executive producer of the upcoming Anxious People, starring Angelina Jolie.

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