Voice AI startup Rime has raised $24 million in a Series A funding round to expand development of its enterprise speech models designed for customer support, sales and other business communications. The round was led by M13 Ventures, with participation from Twilio Ventures, Corazon Capital, Unusual Ventures, and existing investors. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in San Francisco, Rime develops voice AI models trained on proprietary conversational datasets collected through its own recording studio rather than relying on publicly available internet audio. Focus on Enterprise Voice Applications Rime said its technology is designed to improve pronunciation of brand names, technical…
Author: Jordan Robson
Helsing, a Munich-based defense technology company developing artificial intelligence systems for democratic nations, has raised $1.8 billion in a Series E funding round, valuing the company at $18 billion. Founded in 2021 by Torsten Reil, Gundbert Scherf and Niklas Köhler, Helsing develops AI software and autonomous defense systems spanning air, land, sea and space operations. Funding to Accelerate AI Defense Technologies The Series E round included participation from Dragoneer Investment Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Disruptive, Iconiq, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, JPMorganChase, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments), General Catalyst, Plural and Stepstone. Helsing said the new capital…
SuperCritical Materials has secured an exclusive license from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to commercialize a patented manufacturing process for recovering uranium and other critical materials from seawater. The Austin, Texas-based company said the technology was developed through research supported by the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) leading the scientific work. Technology Targets Nuclear Fuel Supply SuperCritical said the licensed technology has demonstrated the technical feasibility of extracting uranium from seawater at the laboratory scale. The company plans to commercialize the process in the United States before expanding deployment to allied countries. The…
Promptwatch, an Amsterdam-based startup focused on AI search optimization, has raised €6 million in a seed funding round to accelerate international expansion and product development after reaching €2 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within its first year. Founded in 2025 by Gijs de Groot and Klaas Foppen, the company develops software that helps businesses monitor and improve how they appear in responses generated by AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity. Funding Supports International Expansion The funding round was led by Berlin-based Seed + Speed Ventures, with participation from Blum Ventures. Existing investor Arches Capital also increased its…
Waze has introduced a range of artificial intelligence-powered features, including Gemini-based destination search, personalized navigation and conversational road reporting, as Google continues integrating its AI technologies across its products. The updates include personalized route recommendations that take into account a user’s driving habits and traffic patterns. Users can also disable the feature or choose alternative routes if preferred. Gemini Expands Waze Navigation Features The app now allows users to search for destinations using Google’s Gemini AI assistant through natural language queries, such as finding nearby coffee shops, parking or fuel stations. Waze is also expanding conversational reporting by enabling users…
Nous Research is finalizing a funding round of at least $75 million that values the artificial intelligence startup at approximately $1.5 billion, according to three people familiar with the matter. The financing is being led by Robot Ventures, with significant participation from Union Square Ventures (USV) and other investors, the sources said. They added that the round attracted strong interest from investors. Nous Research declined to comment on the fundraising. Robot Ventures and USV did not respond to requests for comment. Hermes Platform Draws Developer Interest Founded in 2023 by Jeffrey Quesnelle, Karan Malhotra, Ryan Teknium and Shivani Mitra, Nous…
SpaceX is targeting July 17 for the 13th flight test of its Starship launch system, as the company continues to advance development of its fully reusable rocket with a mission focused on vehicle reliability and next-generation satellite deployment. The launch window is scheduled to open at 6:45 a.m. Jakarta time (5:45 p.m. CT on July 16) and will remain available for 90 minutes. A live webcast is expected to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff. Booster and Upper Stage Receive Key Upgrades Flight 13 will follow a mission profile similar to the previous Starship test, including launch, stage separation, a…
Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES) has launched an international research project that will explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve mathematics learning for primary school students, reflecting the growing role of AI in education. The project, funded by KONEKSI, the Australia–Indonesia Knowledge Partnership Platform, integrates AI, coding and STEM education to develop more inclusive learning models that strengthen children’s numeracy skills. AI at the Core of the Learning Model The initiative, titled “Code, Count, Connect: Enhancing Inclusive Numeracy through AI and Coding-integrated STEM Trails in Indonesia,” began with a STEM Trails workshop at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural…
Seattle-based Overland AI has secured a US$19.7 million production contract from the U.S. Marine Corps to manufacture autonomous ground vehicles, becoming what the company says is the first dedicated ground autonomy developer to serve as the prime contractor for a military production program. The agreement calls for the delivery of more than a dozen autonomous vehicles along with the software platform that enables self-driving operations in challenging battlefield environments. Initial vehicle deliveries are scheduled to begin in early 2027. Autonomous Vehicles for Military Logistics The autonomous vehicles will support Marine Corps counter-drone operations by transporting supplies to air defense teams…
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) has committed US$1.75 billion to support the continued expansion of EdgeConneX’s AI-focused data center platform through its partnership with global investment firm EQT, underscoring growing institutional confidence in digital infrastructure driven by artificial intelligence. The transaction has been completed, although the companies have not disclosed which projects or regions will receive funding. Major Capital Injection for AI Infrastructure The investment will support EQT’s ongoing AI infrastructure strategy, with EdgeConneX serving as the primary development platform for new hyperscale and build-to-suit data centers. The funding reflects increasing capital flows into facilities capable of supporting…