Behold! Another “Lord of the Rings”-inspired company is revealed

Venture capitalist Peter Thiel’s affection for Tolkien-inspired names is legendary.

7/3/25 8:26AM

When it comes to tech startups, what’s in a name?

Today, a lot of them end with “AI.” Sometimes, you pivot and change the name to reflect your company’s new focus. And sometimes you just want to evoke a mythic power and flex your nerdy bona fides.

There’s one source of inspiration that tech startups have turned to more than others: the works of JRR Tolkien. Especially when venture capitalist Peter Thiel is involved.

This week the Financial Times reported that Thiel, along with Palmer Luckey, the cofounder of weapons and surveillance systems manufacturer Anduril, returned to Middle Earth for the name of the new national bank they’re starting to take the place of Silicon Valley Bank, which served a large part of the tech startup and venture capital world before collapsing in 2023.

“Erebor Bank” takes its name from Erebor, otherwise known as the “Lonely Mountain,” which featured prominently in Tolkien’s 1937 novel “The Hobbit.” Erebor is home to Smaug the dragon, who, like President Trump, surrounds himself with gold.

Let’s see if you can pick the real company names inspired by Tolkien’s works from the fake ones we made up.

(If you need some help, we’ve got two spoilers below the quiz)

Palantir, cofounded by Thiel, is named for the cursed seeing stones that allowed Sauron to pry into the minds of the Hobbits in “Lord of the Rings.”

Luckey’s Anduril is named for the mystical sword reforged from the legendary Shards of Narsil, a name chosen by Aragorn, which translates to “Flame of the West.”

Matt Phillips8h

Intel romps amid reported attempt to poach a 21-year Taiwan Semiconductor veteran

A report in the Taiwanese press that Intel is attempting to recruit a recently retired top Taiwan Semiconductor executive, Wei-Jen Lo, to lead R&D at Intel’s troubled foundry division may account for the bump in Intel shares Tuesday, one analyst told us.

A synopsis of the report from technology analysis and news outlet TrendForce News notes:

“If confirmed, the move could have significant implications for TSMC and the broader Taiwanese semiconductor industry, especially as Intel aggressively expands its foundry business with support from Washington and backing from tech giants like NVIDIA and SoftBank, the report adds.”

But some skepticism about Lo, 75 years old, returning to Intel, where he worked before joining TSMC in 2004, is also warranted, TrendForce says:

“Industry insiders cited by the report say it is unlikely he would join Intel again, given TSMC’s non-compete rules, Intel’s status as a direct competitor, Lo’s advanced age, health considerations, and his long-standing loyalty to TSMC founder Morris Chang. On the other hand, some industry observers warn that Lo, a U.S. citizen, would be difficult for TSMC to restrict, even with non-compete clauses.”

Intel shares have doubled over the last three months, since the US government took a 10% stake in the company in August. Intel is the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 over that period.

Intel Reportedly Eyes Retired TSMC Veteran Wei-Jen Lo, Advanced Node Pioneer, to Lead R&D

“If confirmed, the move could have significant implications for TSMC and the broader Taiwanese semiconductor industry, especially as Intel aggressively expands its foundry business with support from Washington and backing from tech giants like NVIDIA and SoftBank, the report adds.”

But some skepticism about Lo, 75 years old, returning to Intel, where he worked before joining TSMC in 2004, is also warranted, TrendForce says:

“Industry insiders cited by the report say it is unlikely he would join Intel again, given TSMC’s non-compete rules, Intel’s status as a direct competitor, Lo’s advanced age, health considerations, and his long-standing loyalty to TSMC founder Morris Chang. On the other hand, some industry observers warn that Lo, a U.S. citizen, would be difficult for TSMC to restrict, even with non-compete clauses.”

Intel shares have doubled over the last three months, since the US government took a 10% stake in the company in August. Intel is the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 over that period.

Rani Molla

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Nokia surges as Nvidia invests $1 billion in company, a 2.9% stake

Nvidia is taking a 2.9% stake in Nokia, as the Finnish mobile networking company has successfully pivoted to AI and data center technology.

In a press release announcing the deal, Nokia said:

“Nokia intends to accelerate development of Nokia’s 5G & 6G RAN software to run on NVIDIA’s architecture and will make investments to drive Nokia’s strategic goal of increasing its presence in the AI & Cloud market with data center aligned networking solutions within its Network Infrastructure business. Nokia and NVIDIA have agreed to collaborate on AI networking solutions and explore opportunities to incorporate Nokia’s data center switching and optical technologies in NVIDIA’s future AI infrastructure architecture.”

Nokia’s stock shot up over 20% on news of the deal.

Nvidia to Invest $1 Billion in Nokia in AI Networking Push

“Nokia intends to accelerate development of Nokia’s 5G & 6G RAN software to run on NVIDIA’s architecture and will make investments to drive Nokia’s strategic goal of increasing its presence in the AI & Cloud market with data center aligned networking solutions within its Network Infrastructure business. Nokia and NVIDIA have agreed to collaborate on AI networking solutions and explore opportunities to incorporate Nokia’s data center switching and optical technologies in NVIDIA’s future AI infrastructure architecture.”

Nokia’s stock shot up over 20% on news of the deal.

Rani Molla

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