Mutual funds marked down the value of nearly 50 private software companies by an average of 20% in the first quarter, according to Bloomberg News analysis of regulatory filings, signaling potential tens of billions in paper losses for private market investors. Among the steepest cuts were a 50.8% reduction for DataRobot Inc. and a 51.4% markdown for Outreach Corp., while Databricks Inc. was marked down by 16%, Canva by 15%, and Epic Games Inc. by 22%. The markdowns contrast with a 40% average markup for AI and semiconductor holdings in the same funds, highlighting disruption from artificial intelligence in the software industry. Private equity and venture capital firms, which are not required to publicly report valuations, have largely downplayed the impact, though some are conducting internal AI disruption assessments.
Mutual funds marked down Canva's valuation by 15% in Q1, indicating paper losses for investors.
Databricks, Inc.Private▼ Negative
Technologyrelevance
Databricks marked down 16% due to AI disruption in software industry.
DataRobot, Inc.Private▼ Negative
TechnologyCapitalrelevance
DataRobot marked down 50.8% due to AI disruption in software industry.
Epic Games, Inc.Private▼ Negative
Technologyrelevance
Epic Games marked down 22% due to AI disruption in software industry.
Outreach Corp.Private▼ Negative
TechnologyCapitalrelevance
Outreach Corp marked down 51.4% due to AI disruption in software industry.
Related news
2
Morgan Stanley Lifts Accenture Price Target to $175 as Wall Street Splits on AI Growth
Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Accenture to $175 from $130 on September 14, sending the shares up more than 6% in afternoon trading even as the firm reiterated its Equal weight rating. UBS maintained a Buy rating with a $275 price target, citing confidence in Accenture's AI positioning and acquisition strategy, while Wells Fargo downgraded the stock to Equal Weight on concerns that macroeconomic pressures could weigh on fiscal 2027 growth expectations. Accenture has formed a joint business group with Google Cloud to deploy AI engineers across enterprise clients, and it continues to add specialized capabilities through acquisitions. Hedge fund holdings in Accenture rose to 69 in the second quarter from 64 in the first, with Pzena Investment Management increasing its stake 114% to more than 5.1 million shares, AQR Capital Management raising its position 245% to roughly 3.7 million shares, and Greenhaven Associates establishing a new position of around 3.4 million shares. Short interest, however, rose almost 9% from the previous reading to 3.81% of the public float as of August 31, with five days to cover.
Meta Acquires AI Startup Stilla.ai to Bolster Business Agent
Meta Platforms acquired AI startup Stilla.ai on September 9, a move aimed at strengthening its agentic AI capabilities and opening new monetization beyond advertising. The company plans to integrate Stilla.ai's team and technology into Meta Business Agent, which helps businesses interact with customers across its platforms. Longer term, Meta envisions customers using AI agents to inquire about products, discuss pricing, and potentially complete purchases without leaving its ecosystem, creating an AI-driven commerce layer across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Meta cautioned that Stilla.ai remains a small startup and the deal is unlikely to materially affect revenue or earnings per share in the near term, with infrastructure, product development, and integration needed before meaningful transaction-related revenue emerges. According to the Insider Monkey Database, 254 hedge funds held positions in Meta during the second quarter, down from 262 at the end of the first quarter, while short interest stood at approximately 1.13% of outstanding shares, or roughly 28.81 million shares, as of August 31.
OpenText Partners With Cohere on Trusted AI for Governments
OpenText has partnered with AI firm Cohere to offer agentic AI tools for governments and regulated sectors. The collaboration focuses on trusted deployment of AI agents that work with sensitive enterprise data in tightly controlled environments. Both companies plan to provide customers with flexible implementation options, including private and hybrid setups to meet security requirements. Open Text, a California-based software provider with a market value of about $5.6b, focuses on data management tools that help large organisations handle and govern information across regions where compliance rules for AI and data use are especially tight. The partnership sharpens the AI execution pillar of the Open Text story by connecting the firm's data and compliance layers to a deployable agent platform built for governments and banks, though it also adds integration complexity on top of ongoing restructuring and legacy-to-cloud transitions.
Ares Management LP
BlackRock Inc
Blackstone Group Inc
KKR & Co. Inc.