Samsung’s long-delayed Texas foundry nears startup, an Austin-based AI company raises $80 million, and Tesla pushes its robotaxi service to San Antonio in a quiet weekend for Silicon Hills.

Samsung Electronics could begin trial operations at its Taylor semiconductor plant as soon as mid-to-late December, according to a report from South Korea, putting the Williamson County project on the verge of a milestone more than two years behind its original schedule. Separately, Future Secure AI, which moved its global headquarters to Austin this spring, raised $80 million at a $1.2 billion valuation, and Austin-based Tesla expanded its driverless ride-hailing service to an eighth city.

Samsung Could Start Trial Runs at Taylor Fab in December

Samsung’s Taylor chip plant could begin trial runs around mid-to-late December, The Korea Herald reported Sunday, citing unnamed industry sources. Samsung has not confirmed a date. Trial operations test production equipment and manufacturing processes before commercial output begins, and the company still needs to stabilize yields on its 2-nanometer process.

The plant is expected to produce Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chips under a $16.5 billion supply agreement the two companies announced last year, with chip production planned for the second half of 2027. Construction in Taylor began in 2022 with operations initially targeted for the second half of 2024. Samsung said in late October that the first Taylor fab should be fully operational by the end of this year.

The Herald also reported that construction of a second Taylor plant is expected to begin this month. Samsung said in July that the second facility would reach mass production in 2030. Samsung Austin Semiconductor, the company’s U.S. manufacturing subsidiary, is recruiting engineers in etching, metallization and ion implantation, along with technical instructors to train new hires.

For Central Texas, the startup of Taylor would mark the arrival of leading-edge chip production in the region’s eastern suburbs and a major new source of advanced manufacturing jobs, while tying the fab’s fortunes closely to Tesla’s AI ambitions in Austin.

Future Secure AI Raises $80 Million at $1.2 Billion Valuation

Future Secure AI, an enterprise AI company headquartered in Austin, raised $80 million through convertible notes at a $1.2 billion valuation, Startup Daily reported Friday. Square Peg, Yarra Capital Management, Macquarie Asset Management and Firetrail invested. Because the round was structured as convertible notes, the valuation likely represents a cap rather than a priced share round.

Founded in Sydney in 2023, the company builds what it calls AI “co-workers”: teams of AI agents, each with a name and face, that report to a human manager. It targets large organizations in investment banking, consulting, health care and law. Startup Daily, citing the Australian Financial Review, said the company expects annual recurring revenue to approach $100 million by the end of 2026. It plans to use the money to expand internationally and is targeting an Australian Securities Exchange listing in late 2027.

The company moved its global headquarters to Austin from Sydney in April, making the city its hub for product, engineering, customer delivery and executive leadership. At the time, it said it planned to triple its U.S. and Canadian workforce over the final nine months of 2026. The round adds another name to Austin’s growing list of AI unicorns and is one more example of foreign tech companies picking the city for their U.S. or global base.

Tesla Expands Robotaxi Service to San Antonio

Tesla launched its Robotaxi ride-hailing service in San Antonio on Monday, according to Tesla Oracle, an independent site that tracks the company. The site said service began at 5 a.m. using Model Y vehicles, following a Fort Worth launch earlier this month. It cited estimates putting the San Antonio service area at about 272 square miles.

The expansion brings the service to eight cities: Austin, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Miami, Orlando and Tampa. Austin, where Tesla launched robotaxis in June 2025, remains the only city with the purpose-built Cybercab in service. The launch comes days after Elon Musk said Tesla would begin winding down Cybertruck production at Gigafactory Texas around mid-2027 to make room for Cybercab output.

Also in Silicon Hills

Only in Austin

Sixty-two years ago this month, James and Annetta White opened the Broken Spoke at 3201 S. Lamar Blvd., which was then the edge of town. The honky-tonk became one of Texas’ best-known dance halls, hosting Bob Wills, Roy Acuff and Ernest Tubb, plus Willie Nelson, George Strait, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks, some before they were stars. Its “Tourist Trap Room” is crammed with photos, hats and memorabilia from visiting musicians, and the hall claims to serve the best chicken-fried steak in Texas. In 2023, the state named it a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, and the White family still runs it, according to its Wikipedia entry.

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