Digital
Raj Nayak bets big on bold ideas with ‘House of IPs’ launch in tie-up with Yaap
MUMBAI: Raj Nayak, the maverick media man behind House of Cheer and ex-COO of Viacom18, is back in the game with a fresh innings, ‘House of IPs’, a first-of-its-kind venture studio focused on creating and scaling blockbuster properties in entertainment, sports, digital, and beyond.
Launched in strategic partnership with Yaap Digital, the new-age content and influencer marketing firm, House of IPs is being positioned as a creative powerhouse for India’s experience economy building original, ownable formats from scratch while also turbocharging existing ones.
Think of it as a factory for future cult brands: be it music festivals, sporting formats, branded content, or digital-first properties, the studio promises to take bold ideas from pitch decks to packed stadiums and everything in between.
“At a time when content is fragmented, attention spans are shrinking, and brands are seeking more immersive and ownable experiences, the need for strong, scalable IPs is more urgent than ever,” said Nayak. “This venture is about building cultural properties that connect deeply with audiences while delivering real value to brands and platforms.”
The tie-up brings together Nayak’s deep industry muscle and storytelling savvy with Yaap’s fluency in the digital matrix and monetisation models. The joint effort will cover content development, strategic brand advisory, commercialisation, and full-stack IP management.
Atul Hegde, Founder of Yaap, added, “At Yaap, we’ve always believed in the power of IPs to build lasting brand equity. Partnering with Raj to launch House of IP is a natural extension of our vision. With his creative leadership and our digital-first DNA, we’re excited to co-create iconic, scalable properties that will redefine how brands engage with culture and communities.”
With offices in the works across Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Dubai, House of IPs is betting that in a world hooked to moments and memories, the real power lies in owning the story.
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Digital
OpenAI’s Stargate lead Peter Hoeschele exits with two senior leaders
Trio behind compute push set to join new startup amid leadership reshuffle
SAN FRANCISCO: Peter Hoeschele, a key figure behind OpenAI’s early Stargate data centre initiative, has exited the company, according to a report by The Information.
The departure is part of a broader leadership shift, with two other senior executives, Shamez Hemani and Anuj Saharan, also set to leave in the coming days. All three are expected to join the same new startup, although details about the venture remain under wraps.
The trio played a central role in OpenAI’s Stargate effort, an initiative aimed at building large-scale data centre capacity in-house to reduce reliance on external infrastructure providers. Their exits mark a notable moment for the company’s compute strategy as it continues to scale rapidly.
OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement to The Information, “We’re grateful for the contributions Peter, Shamez, and Anuj have made to OpenAI and wish them the very best in what comes next.” The company also pointed to the recent appointment of Sachin Katti to lead its industrial compute organisation, signalling continuity in its infrastructure roadmap.
OpenAI has indicated that it does not plan to directly replace Hoeschele’s role, suggesting a possible restructuring of responsibilities within the team.
As competition intensifies in the race to build next-generation AI systems, leadership changes in core infrastructure teams are likely to draw close attention. For now, the spotlight shifts to what this departing trio builds next, and how OpenAI adapts as it scales its ambitions.
