McDonald's Doubles Down on AI, Meta's $2B Asset Sale, and Cohere's New Vision Model - Enterprise AI Brief #29

Hi there,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Enterprise AI Brief, dated August 8, 2025. In this issue, we delve into some significant developments in the world of artificial intelligence. McDonald's has announced plans to double its investment in AI by 2027, aiming to enhance customer experience and streamline operations. This move highlights the growing trend of major corporations leveraging AI to stay competitive in the fast-paced business environment.

Additionally, in the funding arena, Retab has successfully raised $3.5 million to advance its document automation technology, while Stackgini has secured pre-seed funding for its AI software. These investments underscore the increasing interest and confidence in AI-driven solutions across various industries. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.

On August 6, 2025, Google addressed concerns regarding its AI search features' impact on website traffic, asserting that click volume remains stable while click quality has improved. Meanwhile, on August 5, 2025, PulsePoint introduced Adaptive Optimization™, an AI-driven tool designed to enhance campaign delivery by optimizing budgets towards more relevant audience cohorts, thereby reducing media waste and improving healthcare marketing effectiveness.

Capgemini India plans to hire up to 45,000 employees by 2025 with a focus on AI training, aligning with its merger with WNS. A report by EY highlights that global venture capital in generative AI reached $49.2 billion in H1 2025, with the US leading. N8n is valued at nearly $3 billion in its Series C funding round, backed by Accel and Insight Partners. Dexian acquired Conga Technologies to enhance AI services, while Aderant acquired legal tech assets from HerculesAI. Cyngn reported a $13 million net loss in Q2 2025, despite a $32 million capital raise and collaboration with NVIDIA. AI coding startups like Cursor face profitability challenges amid competition.

In the latest developments, McDonald's plans to double its AI investment by 2027, while Cohere has unveiled its Command A Vision Model for enterprises. OpenAI CEO has issued a warning about ChatGPT capacity issues ahead of GPT-5, and Google is encouraging AI use amid rising capital spending.

Meta Platforms is planning to sell $2 billion in data center assets to attract external partners for funding its AI infrastructure, reflecting a trend among tech companies to share costs. Xtelify, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, has introduced 'Airtel Cloud', a sovereign cloud platform, alongside an AI software suite to aid telecom operators and businesses. The platform is already in use by Singtel, Globe Telecom, and Airtel Africa for improving customer service and operations. India's Bharti Airtel has introduced a new cloud platform and AI software aimed at businesses and telecom operators, in collaboration with Singtel, Globe Telecom, and Airtel Africa.

McDonald's plans to double its AI investment by 2027, focusing on India for data governance and engineering, while also opening a global AI center in Poland. Cohere has introduced Command A Vision, a visual model for enterprises with 112 billion parameters. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warns of potential ChatGPT capacity issues ahead of GPT-5. Google is encouraging AI use to boost productivity, aligning with increased capital spending plans. Legal AI startup Harvey has achieved $100 million in revenue, and EY and ACCA call for stronger AI assessments. Anthropic has established a Korean subsidiary, and S&P Global launched an AI tool for investment insights.

This section currently has no stories to highlight. Please check back later for updates on the latest developments in this area.

Retab has secured $3.5 million in pre-seed funding to advance its document processing platform, with backing from firms like VentureFriends and Kima Ventures. Hamburg-based startup Stackgini has completed a pre-seed financing round to develop an AI-supported software solution for IT departments, with backing from investors like High-Tech Gründerfonds and xdeck Ventures. Knit, an AI-powered platform, has raised $16.1 million in Series A funding to enhance its enterprise research capabilities, with funding led by GFT Ventures and Sound Ventures.

Sea Limited has teamed up with OpenAI to improve AI accessibility for small businesses in Southeast Asia, targeting commerce, payments, and distribution. Pearson and HCLTech are collaborating to develop AI-enabled learning tools and workforce solutions, aiming to bridge global skills gaps. Meanwhile, Petronas and Microsoft have agreed to work together to boost Malaysia's AI ecosystem and promote sustainable energy practices, utilizing Microsoft's new cloud region in the country.