🧠 Surge AI Seeks Valuation in First-Ever Raise

Bootstrapped data-labeling startup Surge AI is reportedly in talks to raise up to $1 billion at a valuation above $15 billion. The San Francisco–based company, founded by former Google and Meta engineer Edwin Chen, has operated profitably without external funding—until now.

⚙️ Premium data labeling for the AI era
• Specializes in high-precision RLHF and LLM training data
• Built a network of expert contractors for quality-first labeling
• Delivered over $1B in 2024 revenue—surpassing Scale AI’s $870M

📉 Capitalizing on Scale AI setbacks
• Scale lost clients like OpenAI and Google amid Meta ties
• CEO Alexandr Wang departed; concerns over neutrality rose
• Surge seen as independent alternative in an AI-critical market

📈 Raising to scale a lean, profitable model
• Team of ~116 with high efficiency and strong margins
• Potential raise includes primary capital and employee liquidity
• Positions Surge as top-tier rival in human-in-the-loop AI workflows

Surge AI is breaking out of stealth with strong fundamentals and bold fundraising goals—poised to reshape the data infrastructure powering next-gen AI systems.

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⚙️ Castelion Builds Hypersonic Weapons to Reinvent U.S. Defense

Castelion, founded by ex‑SpaceX engineers, has raised $100M to mass‑produce affordable hypersonic missiles. The startup is targeting fast, scalable deterrence for the U.S. and its allies.

🚀 High-speed, low-cost strike systems
• Vertically integrates rocket motors, avionics, and heat shields
• Completed 3 hypersonic test flights in 30 days
• Focuses on agile, iterative development cycles

🎯 Serving critical defense needs
• Contracted by the Navy, Air Force, and Army
• Aims to counter threats from China, Russia, and North Korea
• Secured multiple SBIR awards and DoD partnerships

📈 Funding to accelerate deployment
• Led by Lightspeed, with backing from a16z, Lavrock, Cantos & others
• Investing in full-scale production and flight demos
• Targeting operational readiness by 2027

Castelion’s fast-moving model could make hypersonic weapons cheaper, faster, and more deployable than ever before.

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🧠 Apple Eyes Perplexity to Boost Siri and Break Google Dependence

Apple is reportedly considering acquiring Perplexity AI in a ~$14B deal to strengthen its AI capabilities and reduce reliance on Google search.

⚙️ Supercharging Siri and Safari
• Talks led by Eddy Cue and Adrian Perica for a full acquisition or partnership
• Perplexity delivers real-time, cited answers—ideal for Siri and Spotlight
• Move could protect Apple if its $20B/year Google deal is disrupted

📉 A defensive but strategic play
• Siri has lagged behind ChatGPT and Gemini in conversational AI
• Perplexity faces copyright challenges that may complicate a deal
• Analysts see this as a long-term tech hedge, not a quick win

📈 Apple’s biggest AI bet yet
• Would surpass its largest deal since Beats in 2014
• Could introduce native AI search while keeping Google as default
• Apple may face competition from Meta and Samsung for the startup

Apple’s move on Perplexity signals a shift—aiming to bring real-time AI into its core products and lessen its dependence on Google’s search engine.

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🧠 Centific Powers the Backbone of Agentic AI Systems

Centific, a Seattle-based enterprise AI infrastructure company, has raised a $60M Series A led by Granite Asia to scale its “AI Data Foundry”—a full-stack platform powering high-performance, globally governed agentic AI. With clients across Fortune 500s and partnerships with OpenAI, Microsoft, and AWS, Centific is building the operational layer for real-world AI deployment.

⚙️ Infrastructure for real-world intelligent agents
• The AI Data Foundry handles data pipelines, orchestration, and governance at scale
• Enables low-latency inference for language + vision models across cloud, edge, on-prem
• Tools include human-in-the-loop validation, domain fine-tuning, and synthetic data controls
• Built to support agentic AI use cases like autonomous workflows, digital twins, and multi-agent coordination

📊 Trusted by top labs and enterprise giants
• Works with model leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic, plus Fortune 500s across industries
• Powers AI systems for the “Magnificent Seven” tech firms
• Team of 3,000+ with core operations in India and global reach in Asia, the U.S., and Europe
• Revenue-generating and scaling with minimal prior outside capital

🧭 Strategic capital for a global AI backbone
• Led by Granite Asia’s Jenny Lee—positioning Centific as foundational AI infra across APAC
• Funding will accelerate R&D in Vision AI and multi-agent systems
• Expanding partnerships with Nvidia, Lenovo, Dell, AWS, and Microsoft
• Building for the enterprise AI shift from model testing to mission-critical production

As the agentic AI wave gathers momentum, Centific is emerging as the quiet infrastructure giant making intelligent systems safe, scalable, and enterprise-ready.

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⚙️ Filics Rolls Out Space-Saving Warehouse Robotics Platform

Munich-based Filics is deploying its flat, autonomous robots to transform how pallets are moved in space-constrained warehouses across Europe.

🚀 Flat, intelligent pallet movers
• Founded by TUM engineers to automate internal pallet transport
• Uses two omnidirectional robots to lift and carry Euro pallets
• Cuts warehouse space needs by up to 66% while handling 1.2-ton loads

🎯 Scaling with industry leaders
• Pilots completed with Bosch, DHL, and Nagel Group
• Rolling out block-storage solutions by late 2025
• Targeting full autonomous truck loading in under 5 minutes

📈 Strategic backing for growth
• Backed by Sandwater, Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, Alven, F‑LOG Ventures, and others
• Investors highlight its efficiency in space, labor, and energy use

Filics is redefining warehouse automation with smart, scalable robots designed for Europe’s evolving logistics needs.

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🧠 Biorce Launches AI Platform to Streamline Clinical Trials

Barcelona-based startup Biorce is using AI to transform how clinical trials are planned and executed. Its proprietary platform, Jarvis, helps researchers cut through delays and complexity in trial design, recruitment, and operations.

⚙️ Jarvis: The AI brain for drug trials
• Automates protocol design, site selection, and patient matching
• Delivers real-time insights to researchers, clinicians, and coordinators
• Tackles data fragmentation and manual workflows slowing pharma

🚀 Speeding up drug development
• Helps reduce trial timelines and boost efficiency
• Enhances collaboration across stakeholders with cross-checked data
• Enables faster access to potential treatments for patients

📈 Backed to scale globally
• Supported by Norrsken VC, YZR Capital, Mustard Seed Maze, and others
• Funds will expand the tech, grow the team, and launch in the US
• Aims to become a core system for modern clinical research

Biorce is reshaping the clinical trial landscape—faster, smarter, and powered by AI.

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🧠 SiPearl to Power EU’s Jupiter Supercomputer with Advanced AI Chips

SiPearl, a French AI chipmaker, is set to industrialize its Rhea1 processor to power Europe’s Jupiter supercomputer—marking a leap forward in sovereign high-performance computing.

⚙️ Next-Gen AI Processing
• Rhea1 features 80 ARM-based cores and 61+ billion transistors
• Built for high-performance computing and AI workloads
• Produced in collaboration with TSMC for advanced scale

🚀 Driving European Tech Independence
• Key to EU’s plan to reduce reliance on U.S. and Asian chipmakers
• Will power Jupiter, Europe’s exascale supercomputer based in Germany
• Backed by the European Processor Initiative since 2019

📈 Scaling for Scientific & Industrial Impact
• Backed by investors including Cathay Venture, Arm, Atos SE, and the EIC
• Series B planned between 2026–2028 to support further growth
• Operating with a 200-person team across France, Spain, and Italy

With Rhea1 set for mass production, SiPearl is accelerating Europe’s push for AI-driven research, energy breakthroughs, and digital sovereignty.

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⚙️ Didomi Acquires Sourcepoint to Lead the Future of Privacy Tech

Didomi has acquired Sourcepoint to build a unified platform for enterprise privacy, data compliance, and AI-powered personalization across global markets.

🚀 Building a Unified Privacy Stack
• Merges Didomi’s consent-tech with Sourcepoint’s publisher tools
• Serves 1,700+ clients across the U.S., UK, and Europe
• Powers privacy-first tracking, consent, and analytics

🎯 Tackling AI and Compliance Head-On
• Positions privacy as a strategic advantage
• Focuses on AI-driven personalization and consent experiences
• Delivers enterprise tools for data compliance and user trust

📈 Expansion Backed by Strategic Capital
• Funding led by Marlin Equity Partners
• Acquisition part of global growth and platform consolidation
• Strengthens presence in Europe and publisher markets

Didomi’s expanded platform aims to become the privacy backbone for AI-ready, data-driven organizations.

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💬ReserveOne to Go Public via SPAC, Backed by Crypto Titans and U.S. Leaders

ReserveOne, a digital asset holding firm, is going public through a SPAC merger with M3‑Brigade Acquisition V Corp to bring regulated crypto exposure to Nasdaq investors.

💰 A Regulated Crypto Treasury
• Holds diversified assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana
• Offers institutional staking and lending via Coinbase Custody
• Targets equity-based access to digital assets for traditional investors

👥 Led by Industry and Policy Veterans
• CEO Jaime Leverton (ex-Hut 8), President Sebastian Bea (ex-BlackRock)
• Board includes Tether co-founder Reeve Collins and Wilbur Ross
• Supported by Kraken, Blockchain.com, Galaxy Digital, and Pantera

📈 Positioning for Public Market Growth
• Nasdaq listing expected under ticker RONE by late 2025
• Combines SPAC trust and PIPE capital to fuel asset expansion
• Mirrors MicroStrategy’s crypto-equity model for mainstream access

ReserveOne brings together crypto expertise, institutional capital, and regulatory structure to offer a new gateway into digital asset investing.

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🧬 Centivax Prepares to Launch Universal Flu Vaccine Trials

Centivax has raised $45 million in Series A funding to bring its universal flu vaccine into human trials—targeting global flu immunity with a next-gen biotech platform.

🚀 Advancing Universal Flu Protection
• Targets 20+ flu strains, including seasonal and pandemic types
• Human trials set to begin within 8 months
• Aims to replace annual flu shots with one long-lasting solution

🧠 Pioneering AI-Driven Immuno-Engineering
• Focuses immune response on conserved viral regions
• Shows success in preclinical animal and organoid models
• Platform adaptable to RSV, HIV, cancer, and more

💼 Expansion Backed by Strategic Capital
• Round led by Future Ventures with support from NFX, BOLD Capital & others
• $24M in non-dilutive grants from Gates Foundation, CEPI & NIH
• Builds out clinical, regulatory, and R&D operations

Centivax’s platform is designed to lead the future of immunization—combining AI, biotech, and global health impact.

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⚙️ MaintainX Gears Up to Bring AI-Powered Maintenance to the Industrial Frontline

MaintainX has raised $150 million in Series D funding to transform equipment maintenance with AI-driven tools for frontline industrial teams.

🚀 Boosting Industrial Efficiency
• Reduces downtime by 34% and maintenance costs by 32%
• Powers over 11,000 companies managing 11M+ assets
• Uses IoT data to predict equipment failures in real time

🤖 Smart AI for Frontline Workers
• “CoPilot” delivers instant technical guidance and SOP digitization
• Features include anomaly detection, voice memos, and auto-generated workflows
• Enhances—not replaces—technician capabilities

📈 Strategic Growth Backed by Major Investors
• Backed by Bessemer, Bain Capital Ventures, and others
• Now valued at $2.5B—doubling its previous round
• Funds will scale predictive maintenance and AI innovation

MaintainX is redefining industrial operations with AI-powered tools built for the people who keep things running.

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🎨 Insomnia Labs Prepares to Launch CreatorFi to Empower Digital Creators

Insomnia Labs is launching CreatorFi with a $12M credit facility, offering stablecoin-based advances against future creator earnings.

🚀 Unlocking Creator Liquidity
• Provides fiat and stablecoin credit tied to ad revenue, royalties, and subscriptions
• Built on Avalanche for fast, scalable smart contract lending
• Aims to replace predatory deals with transparent, flexible access

💡AI + Blockchain-Powered Underwriting
• Uses AI to forecast earnings and automate loan approvals
• Stablecoin disbursements via platforms like Coinbase
• Direct integration with creator tools and wallets

🤝 Backed by Key Partners
• Supported by Kamui Finance and Intrinsic Capital
• Live integrations with Yoola (1,200+ YouTubers) and Record Financial for music financing

CreatorFi is reimagining financial access for creators—turning future income into present opportunity.

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🌐Perplexity Launches Comet to Reinvent the Browser Experience

Perplexity has launched Comet, an AI-powered web browser built to transform how users search, browse, and interact with online content—directly challenging Google and Microsoft.

🧠 A Browser That Thinks With You
• Built-in assistant understands what’s on your screen
• Enables real-time summarizing, comparisons, and task execution
• Runs on Chromium and supports all Chrome extensions

🔓Privacy-Preserving, AI-Driven
• Keeps user data local with no AI model training
• Focused on productivity without compromising trust
• Supports secure, on-screen contextual assistance

🚀 Exclusive Launch for Power Users
• Available now via Perplexity Max ($200/month)
• Launches on Windows and macOS
• Mobile and Linux versions arriving later in 2025

Comet is Perplexity’s boldest move yet to redefine the future of browsing through AI-native experiences.

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📦 Parter Launches AI Tools to Fix Hardware Supply Chains

AI startup Parter is tackling hardware procurement delays with intelligent software that streamlines sourcing and flags disruptions before they escalate.

🔍 Visibility for Complex Hardware Teams
• Integrates BOMs, ERPs, datasheets, and spreadsheets
• Detects risks like obsolete parts and regulatory shifts
• Centralizes alerts and insights in a single dashboard

🌍 Built for Global Operations
• Dual headquarters in New York and Tel Aviv
• Trusted by early customers across electronics and manufacturing
• Seeded with $5.5M from StageOne Ventures, Zenda Capital, Mercer Ventures, and top angels

🚀 Scaling Development and U.S. Expansion
• Funding to accelerate product development and feature rollout
• Plans to grow U.S. team and expand market presence

Parter’s AI-powered platform is helping hardware teams move faster, source smarter, and avoid costly production delays across global supply chains.

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⚙️ Deepinvent Unveils AI-Powered R&D Engine for Instant Innovation

Deepinvent has launched the world’s first AI Innovator, a superintelligent platform that compresses months of research and invention into just minutes.

⚙️From Idea to Invention in One Session
• Inputs your idea and scans global patents and research
• Builds a dynamic knowledge graph to reveal breakthroughs
• Instantly generates patent-quality inventions

🚀2,000+ Innovations in Week One
• Early users created thousands of inventions across biotech, defense, semiconductors, and energy
• Designed for fast-moving startups and complex enterprise R&D

🧠 Built with Compound AI Architecture
• Merges deep learning with brain-inspired heuristics
• Self-generates disclosures, patent drafts, and validation insights

Deepinvent is redefining invention—giving individuals and teams the power to create with AI at unprecedented speed and scale.

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🚀UK Backs Eutelsat in Europe’s Push to Rival Starlink

The UK government is investing $191 million to maintain its stake in French satellite firm Eutelsat, as part of a €1.35 billion funding round led by France. The move deepens UK–France cooperation in space amid growing geopolitical focus on satellite networks.

⚙️ Strengthening satellite independence
• UK keeps golden-share rights in OneWeb
• Complements France’s €717M investment, now owning ~30%
• Supports Europe’s goal of securing space-based infrastructure

⛓A strategic rival to Starlink
• Eutelsat operates 600+ satellites including OneWeb’s LEO fleet
• Aims to counter Starlink’s 6,000-satellite scale with secure, sovereign networks
• Targets enterprise and government customers across Europe

💡Fueling next-gen satellite ambitions
• Backs the EU’s IRIS² project—290 satellites by 2030
• Tied to €1B French defense contract
• Eutelsat shares rose 8–10% post-announcement

Eutelsat is becoming Europe’s answer to Starlink—built on sovereignty, security, and strategic investment.

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💼 iCapital Expands Access to Alternative Investments with New Backing

New York-based iCapital has raised $820 million at a $7.5 billion valuation. The round was co-led by T. Rowe Price and SurgoCap Partners, with participation from UBS, State Street, Temasek, BNY, and existing investors like BlackRock and Apollo.

⚙️ Simplifying private market investing
• Platform offers access to private equity, credit, real estate, and annuities
• Serves 114,000+ advisors and 3,000+ firms
• Manages over $945 billion in assets

📈 Profitable growth with global reach
• Completed 23 acquisitions to date
• Profitable since 2019
• Expanding tech and entering new markets

💡Strategic backing for future expansion
• Funding supports platform upgrades and product innovation
• Aligns with rising demand for alternative investments
• Eyes potential IPO in coming years

iCapital is making alternatives more accessible—helping investors tap into private markets with institutional-grade tools.

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🧠Knox Accelerates FedRAMP Authorization for Government AI Use

San Francisco–based Knox has raised $6.5 million in seed funding to streamline FedRAMP certification and help U.S. government agencies adopt AI-powered cloud services. The round was led by Felicis, with support from Ridgeline and Firsthand Ventures.

⚙️ Cutting red tape for cloud compliance
• Reduces FedRAMP approval from years to just 90 days
• Uses automation, pre-cleared infrastructure, and digital control libraries
• Addresses a backlog of 30,000+ SaaS providers waiting for authorization

🏠Deployed across federal agencies
• Supports DHS, Treasury, and the U.S. Marines
• Works with AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
• Offers real-time compliance and security via KnoxAI

💡Built by govtech veterans
• Founded by the team behind Adobe’s federal cloud systems
• Audited by leading assessor Coalfire
• Felicis: “Knox is solving one of the most urgent problems in government tech”

Knox is modernizing how U.S. agencies adopt cloud and AI—making compliance faster, smarter, and secure by design.

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🧠 Foundation EGI Unveils AI-Native Platform to Transform Engineering

MIT spinout Foundation EGI has secured $23M in Series A funding to transform industrial engineering using an AI-native platform. The round was led by Translink Capital, with backing from RRE Ventures, McRock Capital, and others.

⚙️ AI that engineers with you
• Physics-aware LLM turns messy specs into structured workflows
• Supports co-design between humans and AI—not just automation
• Speeds up prototyping, simulation, and documentation

🏠 Piloting in complex industries
• Live with Fortune 500 firms in aerospace and manufacturing
• Built for sectors like automotive and advanced appliances
• Helps engineers build smarter and faster

🧪 Deep tech from MIT labs
• Founded by Mok Oh, Prof. Wojciech Matusik & Michael Foshey
• Based on MIT research into LLMs for design and manufacturing
• Translink: “This is industrial AI with real-world impact”

Foundation EGI is reshaping the future of product design—where AI doesn’t just assist, it thinks alongside engineers.

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🧠 Groq Ramps Up Global Push in the AI Chip Race

Silicon Valley–based Groq is scaling rapidly with its custom inference chips, designed to deliver ultra-fast performance for AI workloads without the power drain of traditional GPUs.

⚙️ Built for blazing-fast inference
• Runs on proprietary Language Processing Units (LPUs)
• Delivers up to 10× faster and more energy-efficient performance than GPUs
• Already powering over 100,000 LPUs for real-time AI applications

🌍 Expanding global reach
• Opened its first European data center in Helsinki
• Recently signed a $1.5B deal with Saudi Arabia
• In talks to raise $300–500M at a $6B valuation

🤖 Defining a new chip category
• Targets inference workloads—not training—unlike Nvidia
• Backed by Cisco, Samsung, BlackRock, and other major investors

Groq is reshaping how AI infrastructure is built—offering a leaner, faster alternative for inference at scale.

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