DoorDash has introduced Dot, an autonomous robot designed for food and package delivery. Dot can travel on roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks at speeds up to 20 mph. Currently being tested in the Phoenix metropolitan area, DoorDash plans to expand its availability to 1.6 million residents by the end of 2025.

Dot is equipped with features like LED eyes, a cargo space fitting six pizza boxes or 30 pounds of food, and sensors for navigation. DoorDash emphasizes Dot's ability to navigate tight spaces and optimize delivery routes.

The development of Dot involved the acquisition of AV startup Scotty Labs and the hiring of experts from companies like Zoox. DoorDash is working with lawmakers and has created an ecosystem in Phoenix to support Dot, including warehouses, charging stations, and field operators.

DoorDash acknowledges potential challenges such as public interference and safety concerns but has implemented measures like internal cameras and field operator support. The company aims to use automation to focus human workers on high-value orders.

Cerebras Systems, an AI hardware company, has raised $1.1 billion in a Series G round, valuing the company at $8.1 billion. The funding round was co-led by Fidelity and Atreides Management.

The company, founded in 2015, has raised nearly $2 billion to date and offers chips, hardware systems, and cloud services designed for AI. This new funding follows a period of growth tied to AI inference services launched in August 2024.

Cerebras will use the funds to expand its data center footprint, U.S. manufacturing hubs, and advance its technology. The company opened five new data centers in 2025, with plans for further expansion in Montreal and Europe.

Despite filing for an IPO a year prior, the company faced regulatory delays, including a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Cerebras still plans to go public in the future.

Nothing has launched Playground, an AI tool enabling users to create apps and widgets using simple text prompts. Users can deploy these creations to the Essential Apps platform, customizing existing apps or building new widgets like flight trackers or virtual pets. More technical users can modify the code for finer adjustments.

This launch follows a $200 million funding round, with Nothing aiming to develop an AI-powered operating system and AI-centric devices. CEO Carl Pei emphasizes the need for improved software, leveraging AI to personalize operating systems. While Nothing has launched Essential Space for screenshots and voice note transcription, Pei acknowledges security and maintenance concerns with vibe coding, prioritizing security for user-created apps.

Currently, the AI tools are free, with a focus on building a community and recognizing contributors.

Notion Capital has raised a $130 million growth fund to address the shortage of growth capital in Europe, particularly for companies seeking follow-on investments.

The fund, Growth Opps III, is nearly double the size of its predecessor and will invest both in and outside of Notion Capital's existing portfolio, focusing on sectors like defense, supply chain logistics, and AI applications.

Notion Capital aims to support European companies in response to decreased investment from U.S. VCs, focusing on the application layer of AI rather than infrastructure.

The firm's strategy involves leveraging its early-stage reach to identify promising companies and offering flexible investment sizes, with recent deals including Upvest, Kraken (Octopus Energy spinoff), and Nelly.

Stephanie Opdam and Jessica Bartos will lead the growth strategy, bringing external expertise to the firm.

The fund, denominated in euros and based in Luxembourg, has secured investments from institutions across Europe, the U.K., MENA, and the U.S., bringing Notion Capital's total assets under management to over $1 billion.

A Faraday Future electric SUV caught fire at the company's Los Angeles headquarters, causing an explosion that damaged the building. The fire was extinguished in 40 minutes with no reported injuries. The building has been red-tagged by the city's Department of Building and Safety, indicating potential structural damage.

The fire occurred at a sensitive time for Faraday Future, as its lease on the headquarters is uncertain. The company had previously sold and leased back the building and faced eviction proceedings earlier in 2024. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The FF91 SUV involved in the fire was on display in the office space. Faraday Future first unveiled the FF91 SUV in 2017. Recently company started building the first few production SUVs in 2023. The company is now promoting a more affordable electric van that it appears to be importing from China, and is also trying to spin up a crypto-focused business. Earlier this year, the Securities and Exchange Commission sent so-called “Wells Notices” to FaradayFuture and its founder Jia Yueting.