BlackRock and Microsoft Secure $12.5B for AI Infrastructure, Parloa Raises $350M - Daily AI Brief #370
January 19, 2026 -
Daily AI Brief
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Welcome to today's AI Brief.
BlackRock and Microsoft have secured $12.5 billion for AI infrastructure, marking a significant investment in the sector. Meanwhile, Equal1 has raised $60 million to advance quantum computing technology. Vista AI is expanding its MRI technology with a $29.5 million funding round.
Microsoft Azure has introduced GPT-5.2 for U.S. government clouds, enhancing AI capabilities in public sector applications. PowerHouse Data Centers is expanding its AI infrastructure through a new lease agreement. Additionally, iBase-t has launched Solumina AI for the aerospace and defense industries.
Welcome to today's AI Brief.
BlackRock and Microsoft have secured $12.5 billion for AI infrastructure, marking a significant investment in the sector. Meanwhile, Equal1 has raised $60 million to advance quantum computing technology. Vista AI is expanding its MRI technology with a $29.5 million funding round.
Microsoft Azure has introduced GPT-5.2 for U.S. government clouds, enhancing AI capabilities in public sector applications. PowerHouse Data Centers is expanding its AI infrastructure through a new lease agreement. Additionally, iBase-t has launched Solumina AI for the aerospace and defense industries.
BlackRock and Microsoft Secure $12.5 Billion for AI Infrastructure
BlackRock and Microsoft have successfully raised $12.5 billion to enhance AI infrastructure, with a focus on data centers and energy systems. This initiative is part of a larger partnership targeting $30 billion in capital commitments. Read more
Equal1 Raises $60 Million for Quantum Computing
Equal1 has secured $60 million in funding to advance its silicon-based quantum computing technology, with contributions from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and Atlantic Bridge Ventures. This investment will aid in deploying the Bell-1 quantum server at high-performance computing centers, including the European Space Agency's facility in Italy. Read more
Vista AI Raises $29.5M to Enhance MRI Technology
Vista AI has secured $29.5 million in Series B funding to advance its automated MRI scanning technology. The investment aims to expand MRI applications and remote scanning capabilities, addressing the shortage of skilled technologists in radiology. Read more
Microsoft Azure Introduces GPT-5.2 for Government Clouds
Microsoft Azure has announced the launch of GPT-5.2 for use in U.S. Government Secret and Top Secret cloud environments, enhancing reasoning and problem-solving capabilities for national security. Read more
PowerHouse Data Centers Expands AI Infrastructure with New Lease
PowerHouse Data Centers has signed a long-term hyperscale lease at its PowerHouse Arcola campus in Loudoun County, Virginia, to expand AI and cloud infrastructure. Read more
iBase-t Introduces Solumina AI for Aerospace and Defense
The company iBase-t has launched Solumina AI, a specialized AI platform aimed at improving efficiency and decision-making in the aerospace and defense industries. Read more
IBM Study on AI's Impact on Business by 2030
A study by the IBM Institute for Business Value forecasts that AI will play a significant role in business growth by 2030, with a notable increase in investment and productivity. However, challenges in integration and strategy clarity remain. Read more
SiFive and NVIDIA Collaborate on RISC-V AI Data Centers
SiFive has announced the integration of NVIDIA NVLink Fusion into its RISC-V data center solutions, enhancing connectivity with NVIDIA GPUs and accelerators. This partnership aims to improve AI infrastructure efficiency and scalability. Read more
CPP Investments Allocates C$750 Million for AI and Private Company Growth
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has committed C$750 million to support AI development and the growth of private companies in Canada through its partnership with Northleaf Capital Partners. Read more
Sequoia Capital to Invest in AI Startup Anthropic
The Financial Times reports that Sequoia Capital plans a major investment in AI startup Anthropic, aiming to raise at least $25 billion. The funding round, which includes contributions from GIC and Coatue Management, is expected to close soon. Read more
SpacemiT Raises $86 Million for AI Chip Production
Chinese chipmaker SpacemiT has secured $86 million in funding to boost the commercialization of its RISC-V-based chips, particularly for robotics and AI devices. Read more
Parloa Raises $350 Million in Series D Funding
Parloa has raised $350 million in Series D funding, bringing its valuation to $3 billion. The funds will support global expansion and improvements to its AI platform for customer experience. Read more
GitLab Introduces AI Duo Agent Platform
GitLab has unveiled the GitLab Duo Agent Platform, designed to automate software engineering tasks such as planning and application security. This new platform includes AI agents to assist DevOps teams throughout the development process. Read more
VoiceRun Raises $5.5 Million for Voice AI Platform
VoiceRun has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to develop a voice AI platform for enterprises, supporting the launch of solutions to enhance voice technology in business. Read more
Signal Co-Founder Launches Privacy-Focused AI Service
Moxie Marlinspike, co-founder of Signal, has launched Confer, an AI service prioritizing user privacy by not storing conversations or using them for advertising. Read more
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