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Daily Update — February 10, 2026

Brazil's B16 Biodiesel Mandate; Highlights from PTC'26; and Funding Rounds in January

Today is Tuesday, February 10, 2026, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.

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Energy Transition & Sustainability

Doubts loom over timing of Brazil’s B16 biodiesel mandate as deadline nears

 

Less than a month before Brazil's biodiesel blending requirement is set to increase, biofuel producers and distributors are skeptical that the deadline will be met. Several factors could affect the timeline, including Brazil’s presidential election in October and market challenges faced by diesel distributors.

 

Under the Fuel of the Future law, the biodiesel blend is mandated to rise 1 percentage point each March until it reaches 20% in 2030. This year's planned increase, from 15% to 16% (B16), hinges on the completion of feasibility tests to ensure safety and performance, as well as final approval from the National Energy Policy Council, which regulates implementation.

 

S&P Global Energy CERA analysts noted that political considerations are likely to determine the pace of any changes. "It's crucial to highlight the risks associated with changes in the biodiesel blending mandate, as these decisions are driven by political factors rather than purely technical considerations," they said in a Feb. 2 strategic report. S&P Global Energy’s current forecasts are based on the B15 blend remaining in place throughout 2026 and show that supply is expected to reach a record high.

Artificial Intelligence

PTC'26: Industry grapples with AI, infrastructure demands, regulatory challenges

 

At the Pacific Telecommunications Council's annual conference, PTC'26, held Jan. 18–21 in Honolulu, industry leaders from Pacific Rim countries converged to address the landscape of digital infrastructure and telecommunications. Central themes included the rapid build-out of AI-ready data centers and networks, the deployment of technologies such as low earth orbit satellites to bridge connectivity gaps, and the challenge of navigating complex regulatory and social environments.

 

The conference highlighted massive capital investment in data centers, with discussions focusing on expansion, sustainability and operational intelligence. Sessions explored the challenges of power and land constraints, the need for responsible energy management, and the role of satellites as "data centers in space."

 

Beyond data centers, the conference underscored the importance of a multilayered approach to connectivity. High-capacity fiber networks remain essential for linking continents, but regulatory hurdles and country-specific issues persist. For remote and dispersed regions in Asia and the Pacific Islands, low earth orbit satellite constellations from providers such as Starlink and Eutelsat are advancing digital inclusion by delivering connectivity where traditional infrastructure cannot reach.

Private Markets

Global rounds of funding value jumps 34% in January, led by X.AI

 

Global private equity and venture capital funding rounds in January rose 87% year over year and 34% month over month to $45.54 billion. But the transaction volume fell 36% year over year and 26% month over month to 947 rounds, representing the lowest monthly tally since at least January 2024.

 

A significant portion of January's total transaction value was driven by X.AI, which completed a $20 billion funding round ahead of its Feb. 2 acquisition by Space Exploration Technologies. The AI company attracted capital from major investors including Cisco Investments, MGX Fund Management, Baron Capital Group, Fidelity, Qatar Investment Authority, Valor Management, StepStone Group, NVIDIA and Tesla.

In case you missed it

  • Solidcore Resources plans to bring Kazakhstan's Syrymbet tin-polymetallic deposit into production by the first half of 2029, pending a positive investment decision by the company’s executive board in September.
  • India-based JK Lakshmi Cement increased sales volume by 8.25% and revenue by 6.01% year over year in the third quarter of its fiscal 2025–2026. However, persistent margin pressures led to a decline in net profit.
  • Capital commitments for funds targeting buyout, growth capital and venture secondaries rose 6.4% to $92.90 billion in 2025 from $87.32 billion in 2024, marking the highest annual fundraising total for private equity secondaries funds since at least 2020, according to data from With Intelligence, a part of S&P Global Market Intelligence.

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