Google Invests in Sakana AI, Microsoft Unveils Maia 200, and Nvidia's $2B CoreWeave Investment - Daily AI Brief #377
January 27, 2026 -
Daily AI Brief
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Welcome to today's AI Brief.
Google has invested in Sakana AI to expand its Gemini project in Japan. Multiverse has acquired StackFuel to enhance AI workforce training in Germany. The UK government is funding the expansion of an AI supercomputer at Cambridge.
Qualcomm has invested $8 million in SpotDraft for AI contract management. Microsoft has unveiled the Maia 200 AI Chip. Tesla plans to sell Optimus Robots to consumers by 2027.
Welcome to today's AI Brief.
Google has invested in Sakana AI to expand its Gemini project in Japan. Multiverse has acquired StackFuel to enhance AI workforce training in Germany. The UK government is funding the expansion of an AI supercomputer at Cambridge.
Qualcomm has invested $8 million in SpotDraft for AI contract management. Microsoft has unveiled the Maia 200 AI Chip. Tesla plans to sell Optimus Robots to consumers by 2027.
Google Invests in Sakana AI for Gemini Expansion in Japan
The investment by Google in Japanese startup Sakana AI is aimed at enhancing the market presence of the chatbot Gemini in Japan. This collaboration will leverage Alphabet Inc.'s language models to develop new products and improve service reliability. Read more
Multiverse Acquires StackFuel to Train AI Workforce in Germany
On January 27, 2026, Multiverse announced its acquisition of StackFuel to train 100,000 workers in AI skills, addressing Germany's skills gap. Read more
UK Government Funds AI Supercomputer Expansion at Cambridge
The UK government is allocating £36 million to significantly boost the AI supercomputing capacity at the University of Cambridge by 2026. This initiative aims to provide advanced AI resources for researchers and start-ups, focusing on healthcare and environmental advancements. Read more
42dot Expands Team to Boost Atria AI Tech
42dot is hiring over 50 experienced developers to enhance its Atria AI autonomous driving technology, aligning with its strategy under the Hyundai Motor Group. Read more
Qualcomm Invests $8 Million in SpotDraft for AI
Qualcomm has invested $8 million in SpotDraft, a startup specializing in on-device contract review technology. This investment raises SpotDraft's valuation to approximately $380 million and aims to enhance privacy and security in enterprise AI. Read more
Microsoft Unveils Maia 200 AI Chip
On January 26, 2026, Microsoft introduced the Maia 200 chip, designed to enhance AI inference with improved performance and efficiency. The chip features over 100 billion transistors and aims to optimize AI operations while reducing costs. Read more
AppliedAI Secures Pre-Series B Funding
AppliedAI, an AI startup in Abu Dhabi, has closed a pre-Series B funding round led by Mubadala’s MENA Venture Capital Fund and Arbor Ventures. The funds will be used to expand global enterprise deployments and scale its Opus platform. Read more
Tesla to Sell Optimus Robots to Consumers by 2027
Elon Musk announced that Tesla plans to sell its humanoid robot, Optimus, to private customers by late 2027. The robot is currently used in Tesla factories and is expected to perform more complex tasks in the future. Read more
Synthesia Reaches $4 Billion Valuation with New Funding
British startup Synthesia has raised $200 million in a Series E funding round, doubling its valuation to $4 billion. The company is also allowing employees to cash out their shares at this new valuation. Read more
Nvidia Invests $2 Billion in CoreWeave for AI Data Centers
Nvidia has announced a $2 billion investment in CoreWeave to enhance their partnership and expand AI data center capacity. The investment will aid CoreWeave in achieving its goal of building over 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity by 2030. Read more
Ricursive Intelligence Raises $300M for AI Semiconductor Design
On January 26, 2026, Ricursive Intelligence announced it raised $300 million in Series A funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners to enhance AI-driven semiconductor design. Read more
Nexdata Opens AI Data Collection Factory in Singapore
Nexdata has launched its Embodied AI Data Collection Factory in Singapore, designed to gather high-quality interaction data for AI model training. The facility spans over 4,000 square meters and includes realistic environments and humanoid robots. Read more
Mendra Raises $82 Million for AI-Driven Rare Disease Therapies
Mendra, a biopharmaceutical company, has secured $82 million in Series A funding to develop AI-driven therapies for rare diseases. The funding aims to enhance patient identification and clinical trial enrollment. Read more
Cisco Introduces 360 Partner Program for AI
Cisco has launched its 360 Partner Program to support partners in accelerating AI transformations by providing resources and support. Read more
Leidos and OpenAI Collaborate on AI for Federal Use
Leidos and OpenAI have announced a partnership to integrate AI into federal operations. The collaboration aims to enhance efficiency in areas like digital modernization and national security. Read more
Nvidia Introduces AI Weather Models at Meteorological Meeting
At the American Meteorological Society meeting, Nvidia revealed its Earth-2 weather forecasting models, which aim to enhance prediction accuracy and speed, surpassing Google DeepMind's GenCast in performance. Read more
Trump Administration to Use AI for Drafting Regulations
The Trump administration plans to use Google Gemini AI to draft federal regulations at the Department of Transportation, aiming to expedite the regulatory process. Read more
Micron Announces $24 Billion Chip Plant in Singapore
Micron Technology has revealed plans to construct a $24 billion memory chip manufacturing facility in Singapore. The plant will focus on producing NAND memory chips to help alleviate the global shortage. Read more
Anthropic Introduces Claude Apps for Workplace Tools
On January 26, 2026, Anthropic announced the launch of interactive apps within its Claude chatbot, designed to boost workplace productivity by integrating with tools like Slack, Canva, and Figma. Read more
Alibaba's Qwen3-Max-Thinking Model Outperforms Competitors
The Alibaba team has introduced Qwen3-Max-Thinking, a new reasoning model that surpasses GPT-5.2 and Gemini 3 Pro in various performance benchmarks. Read more
Development Bank of Wales Invests in Academii for AI Training
The Development Bank of Wales has invested £700,000 in Academii to boost its AI-driven workplace training platform. This funding is part of a larger Series A round to enhance platform development and expand the team. Read more
Fujitsu Unveils Platform for Generative AI Management
Fujitsu has announced a new platform aimed at autonomously managing generative AI for in-house applications, set to launch in Japan and Europe with trials beginning in February 2026. Read more
Intel Faces Challenges with AI Data Center Demand
On January 22, 2026, Intel announced difficulties in meeting the demand for server chips in AI data centers, resulting in a 13% drop in shares after a lower revenue forecast. Read more
Mia Labs Raises $20M to Boost AI for Dealerships
On January 22, 2026, Mia Labs, Inc. announced it raised $20 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI solutions for automotive dealerships. Read more
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