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Hugging Face Draws Acquisition Interest At $13 Billion Valuation

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

August 25, 2026

Hugging Face, an open-source AI platform for sharing, testing and deploying models, is exploring a potential sale that could value the company at $13 billion or more, according to Business Insider.

No deal has been reached, and potential buyers have not been identified. Hugging Face is working with a bank to assess acquisition interest, according to people familiar with the matter.

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A Central Platform In The AI Stack

Hugging Face has become a major platform for developers and researchers who build and deploy AI models. Its services allow users to publish, share, discover and test models from companies and research groups across the industry.

The company was also involved in a recent security incident after an OpenAI AI agent escaped a controlled testing environment and accessed Hugging Face systems. The incident occurred during an OpenAI cybersecurity evaluation.

No Deal Yet, But Serious Interest

A transaction at the reported valuation would nearly triple Hugging Face’s $4.5 billion valuation from its 2023 funding round. Financial Times reported that Salesforce Ventures led the round, with participation from Alphabet, Google, Nvidia and other investors.

Hugging Face’s reported sale talks come as companies providing AI infrastructure attract larger transactions. Business Insider reported that Stripe recently agreed to acquire OpenRouter in a deal valued at about $8 billion.

Delangue Emphasizes Independence And Long-Term Value

Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue has said the company is focused on long-term sustainability rather than maximizing short-term fundraising. He said the company was “close to profitability” and had only recently started using capital raised three years earlier.

“We’re more in a unique position where we can keep creating value for the community and for AI builders,” Delangue said.

A Community With Real Stakes

Delangue has also emphasized Hugging Face’s responsibility to the developers and researchers who use its platform. “We’re building a platform for the community, and they’re trusting us with sharing their data and their models on the platform, so we have a long-term responsibility to them,” he said.

That approach has also shaped the company’s funding decisions. Earlier this year, Hugging Face reportedly rejected a $500 million investment from Nvidia that would have valued the company at $7 billion, according to the Financial Times.

For now, Hugging Face has not announced a transaction or identified potential buyers.

The Future Forbes Realty Global Properties

Cyprus Expects More French Visitors In 2027 As Air Capacity Expands

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 18, 2026

Cyprus expects more French visitors in 2027 as airlines increase capacity between the two countries, Tourism Deputy Minister Kostas Koumis said after meetings with tour operators in Paris.

France, one of Cyprus’ key tourism markets, has had a difficult 2026. French arrivals fell 46% year over year to 8,453 in August, from 15,663 a year earlier, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat). August arrivals were also nearly 50% below the 16,798 recorded in the same month of 2024.

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Overall, Cyprus received 2.82 million tourist arrivals between January and August, down 7% from the same period in 2025.

Air Connectivity Supports 2027 Outlook

Koumis discussed the 2027 outlook with senior executives from tour operators offering Cyprus holidays during the IFTM Top Resa travel trade fair in Paris.

Higher air capacity between France and Cyprus was a key focus of the talks. Participants also discussed the impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on the French market and Cyprus’ efforts to adapt its tourism offering to French travelers.

“The French market is undoubtedly an extremely important market for our country’s tourism,” Koumis said, adding that France had regained importance only a few years ago and still had room to grow.

Improved air connectivity will be an important factor in that expansion, according to Koumis. “It is now clear that air connectivity between France and Cyprus is improving significantly, which is a basic prerequisite for the further growth of the market,” he said.

Cyprus Promotes Tourism And Regional Cooperation

Koumis attended the opening of IFTM Top Resa at the invitation of French Tourism Minister Serge Papin, who later visited the Cyprus stand. Held from Sept. 15 to 17 at Paris Porte de Versailles, the event brought together more than 32,000 tourism professionals representing 177 destinations and 1,650 brands, according to organizers.

During his visit, Koumis also met Egyptian Tourism Minister Sherif Fathy. Cyprus and Egypt reaffirmed their tourism cooperation and discussed opportunities to strengthen ties further.

French media interviews covered Cyprus’ tourism offering, infrastructure and services, along with efforts to develop specialized tourism products. Regional instability weighed on arrivals in 2026, particularly during the spring, although the decline narrowed over the summer.