☕ OpenAI seeks more capital for $40 billion round, Boxing, backflipping robots rule at China’s biggest AI summit & Microsoft turns Edge into an AI browser.
Neuralink enables paralysed woman to control computer & More.
Japan dropped sushi-flavoured KitKats in 2017.
Not sushi shaped, sushi flavoured. Think seaweed and wasabi in your dessert.
Nobody asked. Japan did it anyway.
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OpenAI seeks additional capital as part of its $40 billion round.
Tesla signs $16.5B deal with Samsung to make AI chips.
20 national security experts urge Trump administration to restrict Nvidia H20 sales to China.
Boxing, backflipping robots rule at China’s biggest AI summit.
Neuralink enables paralysed woman to control computer using her thoughts.
Nvidia orders 300,000 H20 chips from TSMC amid strong China demand.
China’s Zhipu releases open-source GLM-4.5 AI model.
Microsoft turns Edge into an AI browser with launch of Copilot Mode.
VC & Startup Jobs: VC & investors backed startup hiring for remote roles.
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Excel Template: Early Stage Startup Financial Model For Fundraising.
Patterns Across 5 Years of YC Investing by Tomasz Tunguz.
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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS
💰 Startup funding updates
Fable Security, a San Francisco, CA-based modern human risk management platform, raised $31m in funding. Backers included Greylock Partners and Redpoint Ventures.
Julius AI, a San Francisco, CA-based AI-powered data analyst for knowledge workers, raised $10m in seed funding. Backers included Bessemer Venture Partners, Y Combinator, Horizon VC, AI Grant, and 8VC, as well as angel investors including the founders of Notion, Vercel, Replit, Perplexity, Intercom, Dropbox, Zapier, and Twilio.
Farmers Business Network, a San Mateo, CA-based provider of a collaborative peer-to-peer farmer network, raised $50M in funding. Backers included GV (Google Ventures), Temasek, Arteqin, Colle Capital and T Rowe Price.
Dropzone AI, a Seattle, WA-based provider of AI SOC analysts, raised $37M in Series B funding. The round was led by Theory Ventures with participation from Madrona, Decibel Ventures, Pioneer Square Labs, and IQT.
Tonic Security, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based cybersecurity startup empowered by agentic AI and a security data fabric, raised $7M in Seed funding. The round was led by Hetz Ventures with participation from Vesey Ventures and angel investors.
BlinkOps, a San Francisco, CA-based security micro-agents service provider, raises $50M in Series B funding. The round was led by Eyal Ofer’s O.G. Venture Partners. Existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners and Hetz Ventures also participated alongside Vertex Growth.
Overwatch Imaging, a Hood River, OR-based provider of airborne imaging systems and intelligence automation software, raised $6M in funding. The round was led by Squadra Ventures with participation from SEMCAP AI, the Elevate Oregon Venture Direct Fund, and Edo Capital.
E2B, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of open-source cloud infrastructure specifically designed for AI agents, raised $21M in Series A funding. The round was led by Insight Partners, with participation from Decibel, Sunflower Capital, and Kaya, along with angels such as Docker’s former CEO Scott Johnston.
Root Evidence, a Boise, ID-based cybersecurity startup, raised $12.5M in Seed funding. The round was led by Ballistic Ventures with participation from Grossman Ventures, and others.
MapLight Therapeutics, a Redwood City, CA-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, raised $372.5M in Series D financing. The round was led by Forbion and Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, with participation from additional new investors, including Sanofi, T. Rowe Price Investment Management, Avego BioScience Capital, Novo Holdings, 5AM Ventures, Blue Owl Healthcare Opportunities and others.
Cambridge Terahertz, a Cambridge, MA- and Sunnyvale, CA-based company developing security camera-sized devices, raised 12M in Seed funding. The round was led by Felicis with participation from Amazon, Tishman Speyer, Plug and Play, Good Growth Capital, Stata Capital, and more.
Nurocor, an Austin, TX-based provider of a cloud-based software platform for pharmaceutical companies, received a $1M investment from Simulations Plus.
Saint Sass, a Berlin, Germany-based fashion startup, raised over $5M in funding. The round was led by Infinitas Capital and German investor Daniel Bronk.
DynaRisk, a London, UK-based provider of a cyber risk management platform, raised $4.7M in funding. The round was led by YFM Equity Partners.
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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET
🏦 Venture Capital updates
Connecticut Innovations (CI), a New Haven, CT-based state’s strategic venture capital arm, announced it invested $45.8N in 67 companies and venture funds in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025. CI’s investments also helped to attract an additional $653M in outside capital into its portfolio companies.
KEY STORIES IN TECH
📜 Latest in tech
OpenAI seeks additional capital as part of its $40 billion round:
OpenAI is reopening fundraising for its $40 billion round, with $30 billion still to be secured—$22.5B expected from SoftBank and $7.5B from other investors.
SoftBank’s full commitment is conditional on OpenAI restructuring by year-end, shifting to a public benefit corporation controlled by its nonprofit.
The $500B Stargate data center partnership between OpenAI and SoftBank has sparked internal tensions over execution, while OpenAI also navigates lawsuits and criticism around AGI control and profit motives.
Boxing, backflipping robots rule at China’s biggest AI summit:
At China’s World AI Conference, dozens of humanoid robots showcased their abilities by serving craft beer, playing mahjong, stacking shelves, and boxing inside a small ring for attendees.
Hangzhou-based Unitree demonstrated its 130-centimeter G1 android kicking and shadowboxing, announcing it would soon launch a full-size R1 humanoid model for a price under $6,000.
While most humanoid machines were still a little jerky, the expo also featured separate dog robots performing backflips, showing increasing sophistication in dynamic and agile robotic movements for the crowd.
Tesla signs $16.5B deal with Samsung to make AI chips:
Tesla signed a $16.5B deal with Samsung to manufacture its next-gen AI6 chip, aimed at powering FSD, Optimus robots, and data center AI workloads.
Elon Musk said actual chip output may exceed the initial deal value, and Tesla will help optimize Samsung’s manufacturing efficiency at its new Texas fab.
Tesla’s custom chip development marks a shift from Nvidia’s platform and highlights the company’s broader move from EVs to AI and robotics.
20 national security experts urge Trump administration to restrict Nvidia H20 sales to China:
A group of 20 national security experts sent a letter urging the U.S. Commerce Department to reverse its decision allowing Nvidia to sell H20 AI chips to China, calling it a “strategic misstep.”
The letter argues that the H20, optimized for AI inference, strengthens China’s frontier AI capabilities and may even outperform the H100 in specific tasks.
The experts warn that allowing sales could aid China’s military, worsen U.S. chip shortages, and undermine export controls vital to maintaining America's AI edge.
Neuralink enables paralysed woman to control computer using her thoughts:
Audrey Crews, a woman paralyzed for two decades, can now control a computer, play games, and write her name using only her thoughts after receiving a Neuralink brain-computer interface implant.
The "N1 Implant" is a chip surgically placed in the skull with 128 threads inserted into the motor cortex, which detect electrical signals produced by neurons when the user thinks.
This system captures specific brain signals and transmits them wirelessly to a computer, where algorithms interpret them into commands that allow for direct control of digital interfaces.
Nvidia orders 300,000 H20 chips from TSMC amid strong China demand:
Nvidia has ordered 300,000 H20 AI chips from TSMC, shifting from its earlier plan to rely on stockpiled inventory, due to surging demand in China.
The order follows the Trump administration’s reversal of an April ban on H20 sales, although export licenses from the U.S. are still pending.
Nvidia aims to maintain its presence in China’s AI market to prevent a shift toward local competitors like Huawei, despite political backlash over national security concerns.
China’s Zhipu releases open-source GLM-4.5 AI model:
Zhipu, a leading Chinese AI startup, has released GLM-4.5, an open-source model tailored for intelligent agent applications.
The launch adds to China's growing dominance in AI, with over 1,500 large-language models released as of July—more than any other country.
Zhipu has gained traction for securing multiple government contracts and is backed by local authorities, positioning it as a major OpenAI rival in China.
LAST COFFEE SIP
☕Other news
Microsoft turns Edge into an AI browser with launch of Copilot Mode:
Microsoft launched Copilot Mode in Edge, an experimental AI assistant that helps users browse, research, and complete tasks directly in the browser.
Features include summarizing content, making substitutions (like vegan recipes), booking appointments, and voice input for hands-free use.
Copilot can view open tabs (with permission) to assist with research or comparisons, but privacy concerns may arise as the AI gains deeper browsing access.
HIRING ALERT: STARTUPS & VC ROLES
💼 Today’s VC & startup job opportunities
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Associate - OMERSE Venture | USA - Apply Here
Principal - Al Fund | USA - Apply Here
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Chief of Staff to Founding Partner - One Way Venture | USA - Apply Here
Investment Fellow - Indian Fund | India - Apply Here
Corporate Development & Strategy - Figma Venture | USA - Apply Here
Value Creation - Cadeumen Capital | Spain - Apply Here
Investment Analyst - Beas Capital | India - Apply Here
Chief of Staff - Penny Jar Capital | USA - Apply Here
Associate - OMERSE Venture | USA - Apply Here
Healthcare Analyst - General Investment Management | UK - Apply Here
Investment Analyst - Miras Investment | Dubai - Apply Here
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