News
Each day, DailyAlts tracks major developments across the alternative investment world. Our content is procured from primary contacts in the industry and secondary sources across the web. Our goal is to give readers the most up-to-date news and engaging experience to open new doors and areas of knowledge. Our stories cover nine separate verticals of the alternative investment industry.
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Chipmaker AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) has unveiled a range of innovative AI solutions spanning from data centers to personal computers. The AMD Instinct MI300 Series features data center AI accelerators, while the ROCm 6 open software stack introduces new features supporting Large Language Models (LLMs). Additionally, the Ryzen 8040 Series processors come equipped with Ryzen AI capabilities.
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Digital Assets: Robinhood Debuts Crypto Trading On Its App In The EU
Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) has launched its Crypto app in the European Union (EU), allowing eligible customers to engage in crypto trading with the added incentive of earning Bitcoin rewards. Customers stand to receive up to 1 BTC as a reward when signing up and can earn an additional 1 BTC for each successful referral. The platform claims to be the sole custodial crypto platform in the EU offering customers a percentage of their trading volume back every month, paid in Bitcoin.
FinTech: Samsung Electronics Ties With Mastercard’s Wallet Express
Samsung Electronics (KRX: 005930) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) have partnered to launch the Wallet Express program, offering banks and card issuers a cost-effective way to expand digital wallet offerings. Through Wallet Express, issuers can integrate Samsung Wallet, allowing consumers to make payments using various methods, including Galaxy wearable devices.
Venture Capital: Revaia, Europe’s Biggest Female-Led VC Firm, Racks Up $160M For Second Fund
Revaia, Europe’s largest female-founded venture capital firm, has successfully raised €150 million ($160 million) for its second fund, Revaia Growth II. The funding was secured from sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and institutional investors across Europe, with support from existing partners like Bpifrance and new backers such as mutual insurer Carac and the European Investment Fund.
Digital Assets: Nubank Partners With Circle For Brazilians’ Access To USDC, The Digital Dollar
Circle and Nubank (NYSE: NU) have joined forces to broaden access to the digital dollar in Brazil. This collaboration aims to introduce USDC, Circle’s regulated dollar stablecoin, to Nubank’s extensive customer base of over 85 million in Brazil.
FinTech: Trade Republic, The German Fintech Heavyweight, Wins EU Banking Licence
Berlin-based neobroker Trade Republic has secured a full banking license from the European Central Bank, marking a significant milestone for the fintech. This license empowers Trade Republic to both hold customer deposits and venture into the lending business.
Venture Capital: HUGO BOSS Invests In Sustainability-Focused Fashion Venture Fund
HUGO BOSS has reinforced its commitment to sustainability by becoming the inaugural investor in Collateral Good Ventures Fashion I, a climate-centric venture capital fund aimed at expediting sustainability initiatives in the fashion industry. The company’s financial support, spanning five years, will subsidize select portfolio firms operating in startup, early growth, and potential stages.
Artificial Intelligence: xAI, The Musk-Owned AI Startup, To Raise $1B
Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, aims to secure $1 billion in equity financing to compete with industry leaders such as OpenAI, Microsoft, and Google. The company, co-founded by Musk, has already garnered $135 million from investors, as revealed in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Digital Assets: Bitcoin Mining Company Phoenix Group Makes Impressive Listing Debut On Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange
Cryptocurrency mining firm Phoenix Group (ADX: PHX) has achieved a significant milestone by debuting trading on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, marking one of the Middle East’s initial publicly listed industry firms. The PHX stock debuted at 2.25 dirhams (AED) or $0.6 on December 5, witnessing a remarkable surge of up to 50% from its initial public offering (IPO) price of 1.50 AED, as disclosed in the Phoenix IPO prospectus.
Venture Capital: Alterra, A $30B UAE Climate Fund, To Partner With BlackRock, Brookfield, TPG
Lunate Capital, based in the UAE, is partnering with global asset managers to create a $30 billion climate fund named Alterra, as announced at the COP28 summit in Dubai. Managed by Lunate and funded by the UAE, Alterra will consist of two components: Alterra Acceleration, allocating $25 billion to institutional capital, and Alterra Transformation, providing $5 billion in risk mitigation for investments in the Global South and emerging markets. Lunate Capital, part of Chimera Investment LLC and owned by the Abu Dhabi royal family, currently manages over $50 billion in assets and is head-quartered in Abu Dhabi.
Alternative Investments/ESG: SP Funds Unveils Shariah-Compliant Global Tech ETF
SP Funds has expanded its suite of Sharia-compliant funds with the launch of The SP Funds S&P Global Technology ETF (SPTE) on the New York Stock Exchange. As North America’s largest family of Shariah-compliant exchange-traded funds (ETFs), SP Funds aims to provide investors access to cutting-edge technological advancements through SPTE.
Artificial Intelligence: Mistral AI, Europe’s Answer To OpenAI, Is On The Cusp Of Raising Nearly $500M
French AI startup Mistral AI is on the verge of raising approximately €450 million ($487 million) in a funding round that values the company at around $2 billion. The funding is expected to include more than €325 million in equity from investors led by Andreessen Horowitz, which is considering a €200 million investment. General Catalyst, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bpifrance and several others also participated.
Venture Capital: Seismic Therapeutics Lands $121M For AI-Powered Immunology Drug Development
Seismic Therapeutic has successfully concluded a $121 million Series B financing round, led by Bessemer Venture Partners and featuring participation from new investors such as Amgen Ventures, Codon Capital, and others, alongside existing investors. This funding brings the total capital raised by the machine learning immunology company to $222 million.
FinTech: Credit Agricole May Buy A Stake In Worldline
Credit Agricole (EPA: ACA) is reportedly considering acquiring a stake in Worldline (EPA: WLN), leading to a nearly 12% surge in Worldline’s shares on Friday. The move aims to stabilize the struggling payments partner. Other French financial institutions may also play a role in Worldline’s future.
Digital Assets: Bulls Eye Rate Cuts, Spot ETF; Push Bitcoin Past $42K
Bitcoin surged by 6.6% today, breaking through the $42,000 mark, a level last seen before the Terra crash in May 2022. This represents a complete retracement to the early May 2022 level, marking a remarkable 150% increase since the beginning of the year.
Artificial Intelligence: AI Tracks Koalas Mating Calls To Help Protect The Species
In a groundbreaking initiative, artificial intelligence (AI) is aiding scientists in monitoring and safeguarding the iconic Australian koala population. A trial, employing smart sensors in New South Wales, harnesses AI technology to detect the distinct mating calls of male koalas. Activating upon hearing these guttural sounds, the sensors, fixed to trees, have been developed by the International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS) at Western Sydney University.
FinTech: Pluto Inks Collaboration With Mastercard For B2B Payments In The UAE
Pluto, a prominent provider of financial corporate spend management solutions in the UAE, has forged a strategic alliance with Mastercard (NYSE: MA), the global technology giant in the payments sector. The collaboration, unveiled at Abu Dhabi Finance Week, aims to revolutionize B2B payment solutions throughout the GCC region, emphasizing innovation and efficiency.
Alternative Investments/Real Estate: Alternative Investing Platform Yieldstreet Acquires Real-Estate Focused Cadre
Yieldstreet, a prominent private market investment platform, has officially announced its acquisition of Cadre, an online real estate-focused investment platform catering to institutional and high net worth investors. This strategic move solidifies Yieldstreet’s category leadership, incorporating Cadre’s institutional clients, unique investment platform, and a substantial investor base.
Venture Capital: Rocket Propulsion Startup Ursa Major Lands $138M
Ursa Major Technologies recently closed its Series D and D-1 funding rounds, securing a substantial $138 million investment led by Explorer 1 Fund and Eclipse, with participation from RTX Ventures, BlackRock-managed funds, Exor Ventures, Mack & Co., LLC, XN, and other institutional shareholders. This funding infusion is set to propel Ursa Major’s innovative Lynx solid rocket motor (SRM) program, supporting production capacity expansion and advancement in multiple propulsion initiatives.
Artificial Intelligence: Saudi Venture Fund Forced To Sell Shares In Altman-Backed Chip Startup Rain AI
The Biden administration has compelled Saudi Aramco (TADAWUL: 2222)-backed venture capital firm, Prosperity7, to divest its shares from Rain Neuromorphics, a Silicon Valley AI chip startup supported by Sam Altman, the co-founder of OpenAI. Rain Neuromorphics, which focuses on designing chips emulating the brain’s functionality to serve companies utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, secured $25 million in funding in 2022.
Digital Assets: SoFi Pulls The Plug On Its Crypto Business
SoFi Technologies Inc., a rapidly expanding financial-services provider, is exiting the cryptocurrency market due to heightened regulatory scrutiny. The San Francisco-based company, initially focused on student-lending refinancing, diversified its services over 12 years. Having obtained a bank charter in January 2022, with conditions attached regarding its crypto business. Those necessitated regulatory approval or an exit from the digital asset sector within a two-year conformance period.
Alternative Investments/AI: AI Models Pick Stocks For The New Equity ETF From Counterpoint
Counterpoint Funds has introduced the Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF (CPAI), a groundbreaking long-only equity ETF utilizing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) for dynamic factor exposure adjustments based on market conditions. The ETF aims for long-term capital appreciation by investing in top-ranking individual stocks with exposure to multiple factors, identified through quantitative models and AI.
Artificial Intelligence: Google Deepmind’s GNoME AI Tool Discovers 2.2 Million New Material Crystals
Google DeepMind researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery in the realm of materials science using artificial intelligence (AI). Through the AI tool GNoME, they identified a staggering 2.2 million crystal structures, significantly surpassing the cumulative discoveries in the history of science. This vast database, theoretically stable but not yet realized in experiments, holds potential applications in fields ranging from renewable energy to advanced computation.
Artificial Intelligence: Sam Altman Back At The Helm Of OpenAI, Microsoft Gains Board Seat
OpenAI has officially reinstated Sam Altman as CEO, following a deal reached just before Thanksgiving. With Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) gaining a non-voting observer seat on OpenAI’s board, the tech giant will have increased visibility into the company’s operations but won’t have an official vote in major decisions. Microsoft holds a 49 percent stake in the for-profit entity controlled by the nonprofit board which now comprises Bret Taylor, Larry Summers, and Adam D’Angelo.
Digital Assets: The Crypto Spring Is Here And Bitcoin Could Touch $100K (Standard Chartered)
Standard Chartered has reiterated its prediction that Bitcoin will surge to $100,000 by the end of 2024, attributing this potential rise to the upcoming Bitcoin halving event in 2024. The bank’s earlier forecast in April, signaling the end of the crypto winter, highlighted factors such as the banking sector turmoil in March, which reaffirmed Bitcoin’s role as a decentralized scarce digital asset.