OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is stepping down as board chair of the Helion — the fusion startup he backs — amid reported talks between the two companies.

The deal, which was reported by Axios, is in early stages, and it could guarantee OpenAI 12.5% of Helion’s production — five gigawatts by 2030 and 50 gigawatts by 2035. OpenAI partner Microsoft signed a similar deal with Helion in 2023 to buy power starting in 2028.

If the figures in Axios’ report prove to be accurate, it suggests that Helion expects to be able to rapidly scale production of its fusion power plant. The startup has said that each of its reactors will generate 50 megawatts of electricity, meaning it will need to build and install 800 reactors by 2030 and an additional 7,200 by 2035. 

Helion wouldn’t confirm if talks with OpenAI were underway. A spokesman told TechCrunch the company has not announced any new customer agreements beyond those it already has with Microsoft and Nucor. However, the company did confirm to TechCrunch that Altman is leaving the board chair of Helion, suggesting that the two companies may eventually work together.

“Sam is stepping down from Helion’s Board of Directors after more than a decade. This decision enables Helion and OpenAI to partner on future opportunities to bring zero-carbon, safe electricity to the world,” David Kirtley, co-founder and CEO of the company, told TechCrunch in statement. “We look forward to continuing to work with him in this new capacity.”

Helion is racing to build its first commercial-scale reactor by that time. If the startup is successful, it would place it years ahead of the competition, which is mostly targeting early 2030s for commercial operations. 

The startup raised $425 million last year from investors, including Altman as well as firms Mithril, Lightspeed, and SoftBank.

Most fusion startups are pursuing one of two approaches — harvesting heat from the fusion reactions and using a steam turbine to turn it into electricity. Helion is taking a different tack, developing a reactor design that would use magnets to convert fusion energy into electricity.

Inside the hourglass-shaped reactor, fusion fuel is first turned into plasma at either end and then shot toward each other using magnetic fields. When they collide in the middle, another set of magnets compresses the merged plasma ball until fusion occurs. The reaction pushes back on the magnets, which can convert that energy directly into electricity.

Helion is currently operating its Polaris prototype in advance of its push to commercial power. In February, the company generated plasmas inside the reactor that hit 150 million degrees Celsius, almost to the 200 million degrees Celsius the company thinks will be required for commercial operations.

Though Altman has stepped down from his position as chair of Helion’s board and reportedly recused himself from the discussions, his fingerprints are all over the matchmaking. 

Last year, Altman stepped down as board chair of Oklo, a small modular nuclear reactor startup that had merged with his acquisition company, AltC. The move was intended to allow Oklo to explore strategic partnerships with leading AI companies, including potentially with OpenAI,” Caroline Cochran, Oklo’s co-founder and chief operating officer, said in a statement given to CNBC at the time.

Update 1:30 pm ET: Added confirmation from Helion regarding Altman stepping down as board chair.

Iranian government hackers are using Telegram as a way to steal data from hacked dissidents, opposition groups, and journalists who oppose the regime around the world, according to an FBI alert published on Friday.  

In the first stage of the attack, the hackers contact their targets and pretend to be a known contact or tech support, and are tricked into accepting a link to a malicious file masquerading as legitimate apps, such as Telegram and WhatsApp. Once the target installs the malware, the second stage of the attack connects the infected victim with Telegram bots that allow the hackers to remotely command and control the victim’s computer. This allows the hackers to gain remote control of victims’ devices to steal files, take screenshots, and record Zoom calls, according to the FBI. 

Using Telegram as a way to remotely control a victim’s device is a common technique by hackers to hide malicious activity among legitimate network traffic, which makes it harder for cybersecurity defenders and anti-malware products to identify.

According to the FBI, the hackers responsible for these attacks are allegedly working for Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). The FBI said these attacks are an example of Iranian government hackers’ attempts to push the regime’s “geopolitical agenda.”

In the alert, the FBI mentioned the pro-Iranian and pro-Palestinian fake hacktivist group Handala, although it’s not clear if the attacks referenced in the alert were carried out by this group. 

Earlier this month, Handala claimed responsibility for an attack on medical tech giant Stryker, which resulted in wiping tens of thousands of employee devices.

In an 8-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday, Stryker said it is still recovering from the hack.

Last week, the U.S. Justice Department accused Handala of being a front for Iran’s government, specifically the MOIS, and for being behind the Stryker hack. At the same time, the FBI took down and seized two websites linked to Handala, and two other sites linked to another Iranian hacktivist group called “Homeland Justice.” In the recent FBI alert, the bureau said the two groups are linked and controlled by the MOIS. 

An FBI spokesperson said in an email that the bureau “has nothing additional to add.”

Telegram’s spokesperson Remi Vaughn said that the platform’s “moderators routinely remove any accounts found to be involved with malware.”

Updated to include the FBI’s and Telegram’s response.

Delivery giant Grab said on Monday it will acquire Delivery Hero’s Foodpanda business in Taiwan for $600 million in cash, marking its first expansion beyond Southeast Asia. Grab noted that the deal is still pending regulatory approval and is anticipated to close in the second half of 2026. The company aims to complete the full transition of users, merchants, and driver-partners onto its platform by early 2027.

The move comes roughly a year after Uber Technologies abandoned its planned acquisition of Foodpanda’s Taiwan operations in March 2025, after the deal was blocked by Taiwan’s antitrust regulator over competition concerns.

At the time, Uber Eats and Foodpanda were the dominant players in Taiwan’s food delivery market. A recent report showed Foodpanda held a 52% market share, while Uber Eats accounted for 48% between 2022 and 2023. Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission said the combined entity would have controlled roughly 90% of the market, raising concerns over reduced competition and potential price increases.

This case, however, may present a different dynamic. If Grab were to acquire Foodpanda’s Taiwan business, the Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery firm would gain a market share of just over 50%, positioning it as a stronger competitor to Uber Eats rather than creating a near-monopoly.

“This is a natural next step for Grab, as our experience in Southeast Asia is a direct fit for this market. Our longstanding expertise in managing complex delivery logistics for dense and high-traffic cities is well-suited for Taiwan’s bustling cities,” Anthony Tan, Group CEO and co-founder of Grab, said in its statement. “Taiwan’s population of approximately 23 million also has a high demand for mobile-first services, similar to the Southeast Asian consumers who Grab serves every day. We see a significant opportunity to grow the food and groceries delivery scene here.”

Grab is set to expand its presence to 21 cities across Taiwan after the acquisition, strengthening its foothold in a key market. The deal combines Grab’s AI-driven platform and operational experience with Foodpanda’s wide local reach. Foodpanda’s Taiwan business generated about $1.8 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), according to the company.