Rapid7 Reaches Settlement with Jana Partners, Adds Three New Directors to Board

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Rapid7, a cybersecurity company based in Boston, announced on Monday that it has reached an agreement with activist investor Jana Partners to add three new directors to its board. The new members—Wael Mohamed, Mike Burns, and Kevin Galligan—bring expertise in digital transformation, finance, operations, and investment strategies. One of the new directors is a partner from Jana Partners.

CEO Corey Thomas stated that the new additions will help the company refine its strategy, improve execution, and drive greater value for shareholders. Jana Partners’ managing partner, Scott Ostfeld, expressed satisfaction with the engagement, calling it “highly constructive” and noting optimism about Rapid7’s steps to enhance its leadership and operational capabilities.

The settlement comes after ongoing discussions between the two sides about ways to increase Rapid7’s share price, which has been affected by broader economic uncertainties. The company, which specializes in vulnerability management, has faced heightened competition as businesses reduce security spending. Rapid7’s stock has dropped 41% in the past year and 28% this year, reducing its market value to approximately $1.8 billion.

Jana Partners holds a 5.8% stake in Rapid7, amounting to 3.7 million shares, according to a regulatory filing. The company had previously been exploring potential acquisitions with interest from buyout firms such as Advent, Bain Capital, and EQT.

Tesla Pauses Full Self-Driving Trial in China Pending Regulatory Approval

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Tesla announced on Monday that it would halt its limited-time free trial of the Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in China, pending the completion of regulatory approval. The pause follows complaints regarding the trial, which was initially scheduled to run from March 17 to April 16.

Tesla’s customer support addressed the issue on the social media platform Weibo, where they stated that all parties involved are working to advance the relevant approval processes. They assured customers that the feature would be released once regulatory conditions are met and urged patience.

FSD is a suite of driving-assistance technologies powered by generative artificial intelligence, designed to handle complex traffic conditions. Tesla is targeting a full rollout of FSD later this year and is collaborating with Chinese tech giant Baidu to enhance the system’s performance.

While Tesla has successfully offered such trials in the U.S. without requiring up-to-date navigation maps—relying instead on local AI training from its 2 million EVs—the company faces challenges in China due to strict data laws that prevent the system from being trained using local data. Additionally, China’s industry ministry implemented new rules in February mandating that autonomous driving-related over-the-air software updates be approved by regulators before they can be deployed.

Former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger Joins Religious Tech Firm Gloo to Lead AI Development

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Pat Gelsinger, the former CEO of Intel and VMware, has taken on a new role as the head of technology and executive chairman at Gloo, a Boulder, Colorado-based tech company focused on providing tools for Christian churches and faith-based organizations. In this role, Gelsinger will help develop artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including virtual assistants and chatbots, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of religious groups.

Gelsinger’s appointment marks his return to an operational leadership role after leaving Intel in 2024 following disagreements with the board over his turnaround plans. Gelsinger has been a lifelong Christian and has led a group in the San Francisco Bay Area focused on expanding church membership for over a decade. Prior to this new role, he served on Gloo’s board as non-executive chairman since 2018.

Founded in 2013, Gloo raised $110 million in growth financing last year to support its AI initiatives. The company is working on developing chatbots with a “safe search” feature that provides answers rooted in Christian teachings. Gelsinger will oversee Gloo’s product and engineering teams as they work on expanding these AI tools.

“Technology has the power to connect, uplift, and transform lives — but only when built with purpose,” Gelsinger stated in a press release.