☕ Nvidia sees $1 trillion demand for these AI chips & OpenAI advisers alarmed by adult content plans.
Travis Kalanick launches new robotics startup & ByteDance pauses launch of Seedance 2.0 AI video generator.
Breaking News
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said demand for its Blackwell and Rubin AI chips could hit $1 trillion by 2027, doubling earlier projections. Rubin chips are expected to deliver up to 3.5× faster training and 5× faster inference, reinforcing Nvidia’s dominance as global demand for AI compute explodes.
OpenAI is facing internal backlash over plans for an “adult mode” in ChatGPT, with advisers warning it could lead to harmful behaviors like emotional overreliance or unsafe interactions. The rollout has already been delayed due to issues with age detection misclassifying minors, highlighting the growing tension between product expansion and safety in AI platforms.
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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS
💰 Startup Funding Updates
PRE-SEED
Certiv, a Seattle, WA-based cybersecurity startup, raised $4.2M in Pre-Seed funding. Backers included Aviso Ventures, Founders Co-op, Fortson, and others.
Eileen Inc., a Pittsburgh, PA-based provider of a retail technology platform, raised $1M in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by Top Shelf Ventures.
Mutable Tactics, a London, UK-based defence tech startup, raised $2.1M in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by Seraphim Space, with participation from National Security Strategic Investment Fund, Koro, Entrepreneurs First and Transpose.
SEED
Zero RFI, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI-native platform targeting the construction industry, raised $13.8M in Seed funding. The round was led by General Catalyst.
WhiteBridge AI, a Vilnius, Lithuania-based AI-powered people research platform provider specialising in deep personal insights, raised €2.6M in Seed funding. The round was led by FIRSTPICK VC, with participation from First Degree, NGL.VC, Scalewolf.VC, BADideas.fund, Nectolabs, Plug and Play, and angel investors.
Alomana, a Milan, Italy-based provider of an enterprise AI autonomy platform for secure, scalable AI agents, raised €4M in Seed funding. The round was led by CDP Venture Capital with participation from Italia Venture II, Fondo Imprese Sud, Founders Factory, Kairos Ventures ESG One, Gresilent Holdings, Italian Angels for Growth and Club degli Investitori.
Fibionic, a Villach, Austria-based automated composite manufacturing startup, raised €3M in Seed funding. The round was led by Redstone and Euregio+ with participation from Caesar, Leap435, and angel investors.
Understood Care, a NYC-based provider of an AI-native patient advocacy platform, raised $5M in Seed funding. The round was led by Rethink Education and Zeal Capital Partners.
Great Sky, a Boulder, CO-based provider of computing hardware solutions, raised $14M in Seed funding. The round was led by Bison Ventures with participation from Matchstick Ventures, Range Ventures, and angel investors.
Delfos Energy, a Barcelona, Spain-based provider of a real-time virtual engineer software platform for renewable energy, raised €6.3M in Seed funding. The round was led by Contrarian Ventures and Headline, with participation from DOMO.VC and EDP Ventures.
GROWTH
AgZen, a Somerville, MA-based MIT spinout bringing droplet-level control to agricultural spraying, raised $10M in Series B funding. The round was led by DCVC Bio with participation from Material Impact and Astanor Ventures.
Choice, a Prague, Czech Republic-based provider of an operating system for restaurants, raised $7.1M in Series A funding. The round was led by Alea Capital Partners with participation from Reflex Capital, Smartlink, and J&T Ventures.
Atlys, a New Delhi, India-based developer of a digital visa processing platform, raised $36M in Series C funding. The round was led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital with participation from Elevation Capital, Long Journey Ventures, Peak XV Partners, and MakeMyTrip.
Nadia Care, a Washington, DC-based maternal health company, raised $12M in funding. The round was led by First Trust Capital Partners and RH Capital.
Halcyon, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of an AI platform for energy, raised $21M in Series A funding. The round was led by Energize Capital with participation from Zero Infinity Partners, Congruent Ventures, Obvious Ventures, Sabanci Climate Ventures, and others.
Ironlight Group, an Austin, TX-based financial technology company, raised $21M in Series A funding. Backers included Greg Braca, Sei Development Foundation and Laidlaw Private Equity.
Frore Systems, a San Jose, CA-based thermal technology company, raised $143M in Series D funding at a $1.64B valuation. The round was led by MVP Ventures with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Top Tier, Mayfield Fund, Clear Ventures, Addition, Qualcomm Ventures, StepStone Group, and Alumni Ventures.
Flink, a Berlin, Germany-based quick commerce operator, raised approximately $100M in growth financing. The round was led by Prosus with participation from existing investors and Btomorrow Ventures.
Scanner, a San Francisco, CA-based developer of a security data platform, raised $22M in Series A funding. The round was led by Sequoia Capital with participation from Mantis VC and strategic angel investors.
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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET
🏦 Venture Capital Updates.
Audeo Ventures, a NYC, San Francisco, CA- and Dubai, UAE-based venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments, achieved $65m for Fund II. Audeo’s diverse, global LP base spans single and multi-family offices and sovereign entities. Founded in 2021 by Managing Partners Pavel Tinkov and Greg Laurent Josi, Audeo Ventures focuses on backing companies with strong fundamentals across US.
KEY STORIES IN TECH
📜 Latest In Tech
Nvidia launches NemoClaw to bring enterprise-grade security to AI agents
Nvidia introduced NemoClaw, an enterprise-ready AI agent platform built on the open-source OpenClaw framework, adding security and privacy features for safer enterprise adoption.
The platform allows companies to build and run AI agents locally with full control over data and behavior, while still accessing cloud models and integrating with Nvidia’s broader AI stack.
Jensen Huang positioned “OpenClaw strategy” as essential for every company, similar to past shifts like Linux and Kubernetes, signaling AI agents as the next foundational layer of software.
Meta signs $27 billion AI infrastructure deal with Nebius
Meta has agreed to pay up to $27 billion over five years for AI infrastructure from cloud provider Nebius Group, marking one of the largest single contracts the company has ever signed.
Nebius will provide $12 billion in dedicated capacity starting in early 2027, while Meta also committed to buying up to $15 billion in additional capacity built for third-party customers.
Meta and its biggest tech peers are expected to spend around $650 billion in 2026 on data centers and related infrastructure, as the company competes with OpenAI and Google.
Britannica sues OpenAI over alleged misuse of content for AI training
Encyclopedia Britannica and Merriam-Webster filed a lawsuit claiming OpenAI used nearly 100,000 articles and entries to train ChatGPT, allegedly reproducing content and diverting web traffic.
The case adds to a growing wave of copyright battles against AI companies, with plaintiffs arguing unauthorized use while AI firms maintain their models rely on fair use of public data.
Britannica is seeking damages and a court order to stop the alleged infringement, escalating legal pressure on how AI models are trained and monetized.
Alibaba launches Wukong AI platform for enterprises amid agent boom in China
Alibaba introduced Wukong, an enterprise AI platform that coordinates multiple agents to handle tasks like document editing, research, spreadsheets, and meeting transcription in one interface.
The product is part of Alibaba’s broader push into AI agents under its new Token Hub division, and integrates with tools like DingTalk, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and WeChat.
The launch reflects intensifying competition in China’s AI agent space, as companies like ByteDance, Tencent, and Zhipu race to capitalize on the growing OpenClaw-driven demand.
LAST COFFEE SIP
☕ Other News
Apple acquires MotionVFX to strengthen video editing ecosystem
Apple has acquired MotionVFX, a Warsaw-based company known for building plugins, templates, and advanced tools for Final Cut Pro, though financial terms were not disclosed.
MotionVFX’s products are widely used by professional video editors, and the acquisition is expected to lead to deeper integration of its tools into Apple’s creative software stack.
The move could help Apple better compete with Adobe’s Creative Cloud while also strengthening its Creator Studio subscription bundle and broader services business.
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