Meta's $29B AI Data Center Ambition & Tacta's $75M Dextrous Intelligence Boost - AI Funding Brief #20

July 01, 2025 - AI Funding Brief
Hi there,

Welcome to the latest edition of the AI Funding Brief, where we bring you the most recent developments in the world of AI investments and funding. This edition highlights significant financial movements across various sectors, showcasing the growing interest and investment in AI technologies. Tacta Systems has secured $75 million to enhance its Dextrous Intelligence technology, aiming to provide robots with human-like tactile skills. Meanwhile, Applied Computing has raised £9 million to improve efficiency in oil refineries through its AI system, Orbital.

In other notable news, Niural has raised $31 million in Series A funding to boost its AI capabilities for global expansion, and Spinwheel has secured $30 million to address challenges in the consumer credit ecosystem. Additionally, Gensmo has attracted $60 million to enhance its AI-driven fashion platform, and Meta Platforms is seeking $29 billion to develop AI data centers in the U.S. These stories reflect the dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape of AI funding, with companies across the globe striving to innovate and expand their technological capabilities.
Tacta Systems Secures $75 Million for Robotic Dextrous Intelligence
Tacta Systems, a robotics company, has raised $75 million to advance its Dextrous Intelligence technology, aimed at providing robots with human-like tactile skills and spatial awareness. Read more
Applied Computing Secures £9 Million for AI in Oil Refineries
London-based startup Applied Computing has raised £9 million in seed funding to enhance its AI system, Orbital, which aims to improve efficiency in oil refineries. This marks the largest AI seed round in the UK. Read more
DataBahn.ai Secures $17M Series A Funding
DataBahn.ai has raised $17 million in Series A funding led by Forgepoint Capital to enhance its AI-powered data pipeline platform for enterprises. Read more
Niural Secures $31 Million in Series A Funding
Niural, an AI-native global PEO, has raised $31 million in Series A funding led by Marathon Management Partners to enhance its AI capabilities and support global expansion. Read more
Spinwheel Secures $30 Million for AI in Credit Data
Spinwheel has raised $30 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI-driven consumer credit data platform. The investment will help tackle outdated systems and fragmented data access in the consumer credit ecosystem. Read more
Gensmo Raises $60 Million for AI Fashion Platform
Gensmo has secured over $60 million in angel funding to advance its AI-powered fashion platform, focusing on virtual try-ons and personalized recommendations. Read more
Meta Seeks $29 Billion for AI Data Centers
Meta Platforms is in talks with private capital firms to raise $29 billion for building AI data centers in the U.S., aiming to bolster its AI infrastructure against competitors like OpenAI and Google. Read more
EFFECT Photonics Secures $24 Million for Optical Solutions
EFFECT Photonics has secured $24 million in Series D funding to enhance its coherent optical solutions for data centers and edge networks, responding to increased demand in the optical interconnect market. Read more
Electra.aero Raises $115 Million for Electric Aircraft
Electra.aero has secured $115 million in Series B funding to develop its electric short takeoff and landing aircraft, the EL9 Ultra Short. The company aims to expand its workforce and transition from prototype to development, with deliveries anticipated in 2029. Read more
Recognize Closes Second Fund at $1.7 Billion
Recognize has completed its second fund, Recognize Partners II/II-A, L.P., with commitments surpassing $1.7 billion. The fund targets next-gen Digital Services firms, emphasizing AI and digital growth. Read more
Levelpath Secures $55 Million in Series B Funding
Levelpath, a procurement software startup, has raised $55 million in Series B funding led by Battery Ventures. The company plans to increase its revenue significantly and has incorporated AI into its platform. Read more
LanceDB Secures $30 Million for AI Data Infrastructure
LanceDB has raised $30 million in a Series A funding round to enhance its data infrastructure platform for multimodal AI models, integrating text, video, images, and audio. Read more
Unitree Robotics Valued at $1.3B After Funding
Chinese startup Unitree Robotics has reached a $1.3 billion valuation following investments from major tech firms like Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings. The company is known for its AI-powered humanoid and quadruped robots. Read more
Thinking Machines Lab Valued at $10 Billion After $2 Billion Seed Funding
Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's new AI startup, Thinking Machines Lab, has secured $2 billion in seed funding, resulting in a valuation of $10 billion. The funding round is notable for its size and the involvement of investors like Andreessen Horowitz. Read more
Abridge Secures $300M to Improve AI for Physicians
Abridge has raised $300 million to advance its AI note-taking technology, which aims to alleviate physician burnout by transcribing doctor-patient conversations. Read more
Shieldbase Secures Funding to Enhance AI Operating System
Startup Shieldbase has received investment to improve its AI operating system, addressing fragmentation and governance in enterprise AI. The funding will support expansion in Asia-Pacific and development of unifying tools. Read more
Coco Robotics Raises $80 Million for Expansion
Autonomous delivery company Coco Robotics has secured $80 million in funding to expand its fleet of self-driving delivery robots to 10,000 by 2026. Read more

Mergers & Acquisitions

GreetEat Corporation has acquired WallStreetStats.io to enhance its AI capabilities, while Movable Ink is set to be acquired by STG. Meta Platforms Inc. is in talks to acquire PlayAI for AI voice technology, and Altimetrik has acquired SLK Software to boost its AI services. Advent International has taken a majority stake in LayerZero Power Systems, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks has been approved.

IPO's & Market Moves

Pony.ai has been added to the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index, becoming the only autonomous driving company in the index. Following the announcement, shares of Pony.ai increased by 16.7%.

Other Funding News

Novo Nordisk Foundation has allocated DKK 479 million to support nine research projects focusing on biomanufacturing, cardiometabolic diseases, and AI. The NATO Innovation Fund invested in Portal Biotech, co-leading a $35 million round to enhance AI defenses against biological threats. Chang Robotics Fund invested in five companies to boost American manufacturing and automation. Tibo Energy raised €6 million to advance its AI-driven Energy Management System.

Startup Funding

CRED has raised $15 million to enhance predictive intelligence, while Waypoint AI secured $3.1 million for its AI Customer Support Engineer. Lux Aeterna raised $4 million for a reusable satellite platform, and Pangram secured $4 million for AI content detection tools. Flowstep raised €2.2 million to enhance its AI design platform, and Audos secured $11.5 million for AI business support.

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