april Raises $38M, xAI Partners with Kalshi, and Mastercard's AI Innovations - Finance AI Weekly #25

July 28, 2025 - Finance AI Weekly
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Welcome to this week's edition of Finance AI Weekly.

In the world of AI and finance, xAI, Elon Musk's AI startup, has joined forces with prediction market Kalshi to integrate its AI chatbot Grok, enabling users to analyze real-time data for event betting. Meanwhile, the embedded AI tax platform april has successfully raised $38 million in Series B funding led by QED Investors, aiming to enhance its tax filing processes.

In Malaysia, Ryt Bank has partnered with Provenir to improve AI-driven banking services, focusing on credit decision-making and customer personalization. Additionally, Friday Harbor has launched open APIs to enhance integration for lenders and vendors in the mortgage technology sector, facilitating AI-assisted file review in loan origination systems. On the global stage, Mastercard has expanded its partnerships and launched an AI Card Design Studio, marking significant strides in AI integration across various sectors.
xAI Partners With Kalshi to Integrate Grok into Prediction Markets
Elon Musk's AI startup, xAI, has teamed up with prediction market Kalshi to incorporate its AI chatbot Grok. This partnership aims to enhance data analysis for users betting on events on Kalshi's platform. Read more
QED Investors Leads $38M Series B for april
The AI tax platform april has raised $38 million in a Series B funding round led by QED Investors, aiming to enhance its tax filing efficiency. Read more
Ryt Bank Partners with Provenir for AI Risk Decisioning
Malaysia's Ryt Bank has teamed up with Provenir to enhance AI-driven services, focusing on improving credit decision-making and customer personalization. Read more
Friday Harbor Launches Open APIs for Mortgage Tech
Friday Harbor has introduced open APIs to improve integration flexibility in the mortgage technology sector, enabling AI-assisted file review for enhanced loan origination processes. Read more
Mastercard Expands Partnerships and Launches AI Card Design Studio
On July 27, 2025, Mastercard announced new initiatives including an expanded partnership with Uber and American Airlines, along with the launch of the AI Card Design Studio for customized card designs. Read more
Henon Financial Technologies Launches HenonGPT
Alset AI Ventures Inc. announced that its portfolio company, Henon Financial Technologies Inc., is launching HenonGPT, a zero-error AI toolkit for financial workflows. Read more
Lightyear Secures $23M for European AI Expansion
Estonian investment app Lightyear has secured $23 million in Series B funding to expand its presence in Europe and integrate AI tools into its platform, enhancing user experience with market insights. Read more
Zircuit Unveils AI Trading Engine for Cross-Chain Execution
On July 24, 2025, Zircuit announced the launch of 'Hyperliquid for AI Trading', an AI-powered engine for rapid cross-chain execution, enhancing trading with real-time signal detection and automation. Read more
Nasdaq Verafin Introduces AI for AML Compliance
Nasdaq Verafin has launched its Agentic AI Workforce to automate anti-money laundering compliance processes, featuring digital workers like a Digital Sanctions Analyst and a Digital EDD Analyst. Read more
Zafin Partners with OpenAI for ChatGPT Integration
Zafin has announced a partnership with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT Enterprise technology into its operations, aiming to enhance banking services and efficiency. Read more
Algebrik AI and Spinwheel Partner for Loan Origination
On July 21, 2025, Algebrik AI announced a partnership with Spinwheel to integrate real-time credit data and payment capabilities into its loan platform, aiming to streamline lending for financial institutions. Read more
Xelix Raises $160 Million for AI in Accounts Payable
Xelix, an AI software company, has secured $160 million in Series B funding led by Insight Partners to enhance its platform for automating Accounts Payable processes. Read more
Delhi Government Proposes Industrial Policy with AI Incentives
The Delhi Government has introduced a draft Industrial Policy for 2025-35, featuring a ₹400 crore venture capital fund and financial incentives to boost AI and fintech sectors. Stakeholders can submit feedback by July 30. Read more
Unleashed Capital Invests in Neurofin for Fintech Compliance
Unleashed Capital, a Japanese venture firm, has invested $1.6 million in Indian AI company Neurofin to enhance compliance in the fintech sector. This investment highlights a growing trend of using AI for regulatory compliance. Read more
NVIT Unveils JerichoAI for Cost Optimization
On July 18, 2025, NVIT launched JerichoAI, a FinOps platform aimed at reducing cloud and AI workload costs by up to 85% through autonomous optimization. Read more
Alix Secures $20M to Enhance AI Estate Platform
San Francisco-based startup Alix has raised $20 million in Series A funding to advance its AI-driven estate settlement platform, with backing from Acrew Capital, Charles Schwab, and Edward Jones Ventures. Read more
PitchBook Partners with AI Platforms for Data Integration
PitchBook has announced partnerships with AI platforms Anthropic, Perplexity, Rogo, and Hebbia to integrate its private capital market data into AI-driven workflows. These collaborations aim to enhance data accessibility and usability for finance professionals. Read more
Homebridge Acquires NFTYDoor to Modernize Lending
Homebridge Financial Services, Inc. has acquired NFTYDoor, a fintech platform specializing in AI-powered lending infrastructure, to modernize its mortgage lending processes. This acquisition aims to enhance efficiency and speed in loan approvals. Read more
OpenAI CEO Warns of AI-Driven Fraud Crisis
At a Federal Reserve conference, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned about a looming fraud crisis due to AI technologies that can mimic voices, posing risks to banking security. Read more
Inetum Recognized by Gartner for Generative AI Services
The French company Inetum has been acknowledged by Gartner in two Market Guides for its Generative AI services, particularly in the banking sector and general AI initiatives. Read more
Eventual Raises $7.5M for Climate Insurance AI
Eventual, a climate fintech startup, has secured $7.5 million in seed funding to enhance its AI-driven predictive models for climate-related insurance pricing. The funding round was led by AlleyCorp and Upfront Ventures. Read more
NatWest Partners with Accenture and AWS for AI Transformation
NatWest Group has announced a five-year partnership with Accenture and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to enhance its digital, data, and AI capabilities, aiming to improve customer experiences and streamline operations. Read more
Neutrinos Introduces AI Agent Library for Insurance
Neutrinos has launched an AI Agent Library with over 50 AI agents designed for the insurance industry, aiming to enhance processes like claims, underwriting, and customer engagement. Read more
BridgePort Appoints New Chief Product Officer
BridgePort has announced the appointment of Steven Bartfield as Chief Product Officer. He will focus on AI-driven trading infrastructure and enterprise integrations for institutional clients in the crypto market. Read more
United Arab Bank Partners with Lune for AI in Mobile Banking
United Arab Bank has partnered with UAE fintech Lune to enhance mobile banking services using AI for transaction enrichment and data analytics. Read more
AIUC Launches with $15M Seed Funding
The Artificial Intelligence Underwriting Company has launched with a $15 million seed round led by Nat Friedman, aiming to support enterprises in adopting AI through standards, audits, and insurance. Read more
ZestyAI Introduces ZORRO Discover for Insurance Insights
ZestyAI has unveiled ZORRO Discover™, a generative AI tool aimed at enhancing efficiency in analyzing insurance regulatory filings and market activities. The platform seeks to significantly reduce the time and cost associated with manual regulatory research in the insurance industry. Read more
AIUC Secures $15M to Insure AI Systems
The Artificial Intelligence Underwriting Company (AIUC), founded by an early Anthropic hire, has raised $15 million to provide insurance and safety standards for AI systems, aiming to help enterprises deploy AI agents safely. Read more

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