AI data startup WisdomAI has raised another $50M, led by Kleiner, Nvidia
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AI data startup WisdomAI has raised another $50M, led by Kleiner, Nvidia
Blue Origin has postponed the second launch of its New Glenn mega-rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, due to intense solar activity.
The delay is attributed to the potential impact of solar storms on the ESCAPADE spacecraft, a NASA science mission to Mars being carried by the rocket.
This launch was initially scheduled for Wednesday but has been pushed back without a new date announced.
The first launch of New Glenn occurred in January and was primarily a demonstration mission.
Recent attempts to launch were also hindered by weather concerns, a cruise ship obstructing the flight path, and issues with launchpad equipment.
World Labs, founded by Fei-Fei Li, has launched Marble, its first commercial world model product. Marble allows users to generate editable, downloadable 3D environments from text prompts, photos, videos, 3D layouts, or panoramas.
Marble creates persistent 3D environments that can be exported as Gaussian splats, meshes, or videos. It features AI-native editing tools and a hybrid 3D editor for spatial structure blocking.
Key features include flexibility in input (multiple images/videos), Chisel (a 3D editor for decoupling structure from style), and the ability to expand generated worlds. It is available in four subscription tiers, including a free tier.
Marble's potential use cases include gaming, VFX, and virtual reality, with future applications in robotics and spatial intelligence.
Australia's intelligence head, Mike Burgess, has revealed that China-backed hackers are actively probing the country's critical infrastructure, with some already gaining access. These hacking groups, supported by the Chinese government, are positioning themselves for potential sabotage and espionage activities.
Burgess specifically mentioned Volt Typhoon, a hacking group attempting to infiltrate vital networks like power, water, and transportation systems. Successful breaches could lead to widespread outages and disruptions in essential services.
Another group, Salt Typhoon, known for targeting phone and internet companies to steal sensitive data, is also focused on Australia's telecoms infrastructure. This group has a history of hacking over 200 companies, including major US providers.
The warnings echo similar concerns raised by the U.S. government, highlighting the potential for economic and societal disruption due to these ongoing hacking campaigns. The situation underscores the need for heightened vigilance and cybersecurity measures to protect critical infrastructure.
Teradar, a Boston-based startup, has secured $150 million in Series B funding for its innovative solid-state sensor that utilizes the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum. This sensor combines the benefits of radar and lidar, offering high resolution and the ability to function in adverse weather conditions.
The funding round was led by Capricorn Investment Group, with participation from Lockheed Martin's venture arm, IBEX Investors, and VXI Capital. Teradar is collaborating with five major automakers in the U.S. and Europe, aiming to integrate its sensors into 2028 vehicle models.
The company's primary focus is on automotive applications, particularly advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving technology. Teradar's sensor offers a cost-effective alternative to lidar, making it accessible for a wider range of vehicles. The technology was inspired by a car crash where existing sensors failed due to glare and fog.
Teradar's co-founders, Matt Carey and Gregory Charvat, started the company in 2021, with initial support from MIT's The Engine incubator. While previous attempts to commercialize terahertz technology have been limited to industrial and security sectors, Teradar aims to leverage recent advancements in silicon technology and a team of experts to transform automotive sensing.
Figma is expanding its presence in India with a new local office and increased hiring, aiming to strengthen ties with its extensive user base and attract more developers. While already popular among designers, Figma wants to be seen as a comprehensive platform for end-to-end product creation by the large Indian developer community.
The company's Bengaluru office will focus on sales and marketing. Figma reports significant usage in India, with 85% of overall usage being international, making India its second-largest user base after the U.S. Indian users have influenced product development, leading to improved code-export options for higher-quality code.
Figma's user base in India includes startups like CRED, Groww, and Zomato, as well as major IT services and consumer companies.
Accel's 2025 Globalscape report reveals that Europe and Israel are catching up to the U.S. in AI and cloud application funding, reaching 66% of the investment seen by their American counterparts. This growth is attributed to a maturing ecosystem of founders and investors in Europe.
Headline's AI Europe 100 report supports this, highlighting European AI-native application startups with high growth potential. These companies are achieving significant annual recurring revenue faster and more efficiently than in previous tech waves.
While the U.S. leads in large AI models, Europe is competitive in AI applications, with venture capitalists actively seeking investment opportunities. Experts emphasize the value of proprietary data and data flywheels in creating lucrative AI-focused companies.
Laurent Mekies, the new CEO of Oracle Red Bull Racing, emphasizes teamwork, efficiency, and a culture of continuous improvement. Mekies, who transitioned from an engineering background, focuses on eliminating friction in workflows to gain competitive advantages. He values the contributions of the entire team, highlighting their efforts in turning around the car's performance. Mekies also discusses the challenges of building their own power unit with Ford for 2026, emphasizing the high-risk, high-gain approach. Despite the risks, Mekies is optimistic about the team's ability to compete and improve, focusing on race-by-race performance and continuous lap time improvements.
Eternos, the legacy service founded by Robert LoCascio, has rebranded as Uare.ai and secured $10.3 million in seed funding. The company is shifting its focus from preserving memories for the deceased to creating personal AI models for professional and personal use.
Uare.ai's Human Life Model (HLM) captures an individual's unique values, life story, and decision-making traits using their data. The platform will allow individuals to train their HLMs by answering questions about their lives through text, voice, and video. Unlike general LLMs, Uare.ai's model will not fill gaps with unrelated information, ensuring accuracy and personalization.
The vision for Uare.ai is to empower creators and professionals by enabling them to use their digital replicas to generate content, handle customer interactions, and execute projects. Uare.ai plans to generate revenue through subscription fees or a share of income earned by customers using their digital twins.
Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank, has a history of making audacious bets. His latest move involves cashing out SoftBank's entire $5.8 billion Nvidia stake to focus on AI. This decision follows a career marked by significant financial swings, including a massive loss during the dot-com bubble and a legendary investment in Alibaba. Son's willingness to take risks has led to both substantial gains and notable failures, such as the WeWork debacle. SoftBank's sale of Nvidia shares has sparked questions about Son's vision and the future of AI investments.