Banks to Fund $38B for OpenAI Sites, ServiceNow Eyes $1B Veza Acquisition

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Welcome to the latest edition of the AI Funding Brief, where we bring you the most recent developments in the world of AI business investments. This week, we highlight a series of significant funding rounds and strategic acquisitions that are shaping the future of AI technology across various sectors. BKN301 has made headlines by raising £29 million and acquiring Planky to bolster its digital banking platform with advanced AI capabilities. Meanwhile, Secure.com has secured $4.5 million to enhance its AI-driven cybersecurity solutions, reflecting the growing importance of AI in digital security.

In the realm of robotics, Apptronik has achieved a remarkable valuation of $5 billion following a substantial funding round, underscoring the increasing demand for humanoid robots in addressing labor shortages. Additionally, SportAI and Clover Security have secured funding to expand their AI-powered platforms in sports analysis and product security, respectively. These stories, among others, illustrate the dynamic landscape of AI investments and the diverse applications of AI technology in today's world.

BKN301 Raises £29 Million and Acquires Planky

FinTech provider BKN301 has secured £29 million in Series B funding and acquired Planky to enhance its AI banking capabilities. Read more

Secure.com Secures $4.5M for AI Security Agents

Dubai-based cybersecurity startup Secure.com has raised $4.5 million to enhance its AI-driven Digital Security Teammate platform, aiming to improve cyber threat management in the MENA region. Read more

Apptronik Valued at $5 Billion After Funding Round

Apptronik, a robotics startup from Austin, has reached a valuation of nearly $5 billion after raising $331 million. The company develops humanoid robots for industries with labor shortages, with its flagship robot, Apollo, designed for use in warehouses and logistics. Read more

SportAI Secures $3M for Sports Analysis Tech Expansion

Oslo-based startup SportAI has raised $3 million to enhance its AI-powered video analysis platform, aiming to integrate with existing court camera systems for improved sports performance insights. Read more

Clover Security Secures $30 Million for AI Product Security

Israeli startup Clover Security has raised $30 million to enhance product security using AI, with backing from Wiz founders and Shlomo Kramer. Read more

Anyformat Raises €3.3 Million for AI Document Solutions

Anyformat, based in Madrid, has secured €3.3 million in seed funding led by Kibo Ventures to enhance its generative AI document management solutions for global corporations. Read more

Robotera Raises RMB 1 Billion for Robotics

Robotera has secured RMB 1 billion in a Series A+ funding round to advance its embodied intelligence robotics development. Read more

Harmonic Valued at $1.45 Billion After Funding

Harmonic, co-founded by Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev, has reached a valuation of $1.45 billion following a $120 million Series C funding round. The investment will be used to improve AI reasoning capabilities and address response accuracy. Read more

Rencore Secures $15 Million for AI Governance

Rencore has extended its Series A funding to $15 million, led by Hi Inov, to enhance its AI governance solutions and expand internationally. Read more

Baobab Ventures Launches $15M Fund for AI and Robotics Startups

Baobab Ventures has introduced a $15 million fund to support early-stage companies in AI, robotics, and defense. The fund aims to assist founders in overcoming challenges in the AI-driven market. Read more

Exwayz Secures €1 Million for Autonomous Navigation Tech

Autonomous robotics startup Exwayz has raised €1 million to enhance its 3D perception and navigation software, focusing on environments where GPS is unreliable. Read more

Onton Secures $7.5M for Expansion

Onton, formerly known as Deft, has raised $7.5 million to broaden its AI-powered shopping platform beyond furniture, targeting categories like apparel and electronics. Read more

Digital Connexion to Build AI Data Centres in Andhra Pradesh

Digital Connexion, a joint venture involving Reliance Industries, Brookfield, and Digital Realty, plans to invest Rs 98,000 crore in AI-native data centres in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh by 2030. Read more

Project Prometheus Acquires AI Startup General Agents

Project Prometheus, co-led by Jeff Bezos, has acquired AI startup General Agents, known for its AI agent Ace. This acquisition aims to enhance Prometheus' AI systems for manufacturing. Read more

Parallax Worlds Secures $4.9M for Robot Stress-Testing

Parallax Worlds has raised $4.9 million to enhance its platform for virtually stress-testing industrial robots. The funding will aid in product development and expansion into large-scale manufacturing. Read more

Buildroid AI Raises $2 Million for Construction Robotics

UAE-based startup Buildroid AI has secured $2 million in pre-seed funding to develop AI-powered robots for the construction industry, focusing initially on a block-laying robot. Read more

Banks to Fund $38 Billion for OpenAI Sites

A consortium of banks is in discussions to lend $38 billion to aid in the creation of new sites for OpenAI, in partnership with Oracle and Vantage, as reported by the Financial Times. Read more

Gravis Robotics Secures €19.9M for Autonomous Machines

Swiss-based Gravis Robotics has secured €19.9 million to advance autonomous systems in construction and earthmoving equipment, aiming to tackle labor shortages in the industry. Read more

Global Work AI Raises €2 Million for Job-Search Platform

Polish startup Global Work AI has secured €2 million to enhance its AI job-search platform, including features like personalized job recommendations and the Mia AI Career Assistant. Read more

Ranketta Secures €1M for AI Search Visibility

Ranketta, a Czech-based AI visibility platform, has raised €1 million in pre-seed funding to enhance brand performance in AI search. The funding will aid in expanding in Europe and the US, and developing e-commerce platform integrations. Read more

Procure AI Secures £9.8 Million in Seed Funding

Procure AI, a London-based startup, has raised £9.8 million in seed funding to advance its AI-driven procurement platform. The funding aims to enhance their technology for better efficiency in B2B procurement. Read more

ServiceNow in Talks to Acquire Veza for $1 Billion

ServiceNow is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire cybersecurity startup Veza for over $1 billion. The acquisition aims to enhance ServiceNow's AI-related offerings. Read more

Numeric Secures $51 Million for AI Accounting Expansion

Numeric, an AI accounting automation platform, has raised $51 million in Series B funding to enhance its platform and introduce a new cash management product. Read more

OpenAI Invests in Thrive Holdings

OpenAI has acquired a stake in Thrive Holdings to promote AI integration across its portfolio companies. This move involves OpenAI deploying employees to assist in AI adoption efforts. Read more

Stylus Wins UK Government Contract for AI Handwriting Tool

Stylus, an education technology company, has been awarded funding by the UK Government's Department for Education to create an AI tool for assessing handwritten student work. Read more

Anthropic in Talks to Acquire Developer Tool Startup Bun

The AI company Anthropic is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire Bun, a developer tool startup, in a deal valued in the low hundreds of millions of dollars. This would mark Anthropic's first acquisition, aimed at enhancing its coding agent, Claude Code. Read more

Neuracore Secures $3M for Robotics and Academic Program

Neuracore has raised $3 million in a pre-seed funding round to enhance robotics learning and launch a free academic program for universities and research institutions. Read more

CloudExtel Secures ₹200 Crore for AI Infrastructure

CloudExtel has raised ₹200 crore in debt to enhance AI-ready infrastructure and expand its metro fibre network in India, starting with the Data Centre Interconnect initiative in Mumbai. Read more

Minitap Surpasses DeepMind in Mobile AI Benchmark

Startup Minitap has developed an AI system that outperforms DeepMind on its mobile agent benchmark and raised a £4.1 million seed round. Read more

Fuel Ventures Invests in AI Startup Tyten

Tyten, an AI startup, has secured a £750,000 investment from Fuel Ventures and Concrete Ventures to enhance its facilities management platform, targeting inefficiencies in the UK's market. Read more

Donna Raises €4.1 Million to Expand AI Assistant

Ghent-based startup Donna has secured €4.1 million in funding to enhance its AI assistant for field sales teams, aiming for international expansion and improved efficiency. Read more

Anthropic Prepares for Potential IPO with Wilson Sonsini

AI start-up Anthropic has engaged law firm Wilson Sonsini to explore a potential IPO, possibly occurring by 2026, as it competes with OpenAI in the market. Read more

Black Forest Labs Secures $300 Million in Series B Funding

Black Forest Labs, a German AI lab, has raised $300 million in a Series B funding round, increasing its valuation to $3.25 billion. The funds will be used for R&D of AI models for image generation and editing. Read more

U.S. Government Invests $150 Million in xLight

The U.S. government has invested up to $150 million in semiconductor startup xLight, becoming its largest shareholder. This investment is part of the 2022 Chips and Science Act to support advanced chip-making technology. Read more

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Banks to Fund $38B for OpenAI Sites, ServiceNow Eyes $1B Veza Acquisition - AI Funding Brief #42

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