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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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Venture Capital: Delivery Service Glovo Nabs $529M, A Record For Spanish Startups
Barcelona-based delivery startup Glovo has scored € 450 million ($ 529 million) in a Series F funding round led by Lugard Road Capital and Luxor Capital Group. This round, set to be the largest in Spanish venture capital history, also saw investment from existing investors including Delivery Hero, Drake Enterprises, and GP Bullhound.
FinTech: Airtel Africa Sells Another Chunk Of Its Mobile Money Biz – This Time To Mastercard For $100M
A wholly-owned unit of MasterCard (NYSE: MA) has agreed to pay $100 million for a 3.75% stake in Airtel Africa’s mobile money operations that span 14 countries in that continent.
Artificial Intelligence: Mars Wrigley And Google Cloud Collaborate On A “Cakie”
Google Cloud and Mars Wrigley UK found out whether taste can be digitized by using AI to develop the first-ever Maltesers AI Cake.
Alternative Investments/Digital: Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management To Offer Cryptos
Mary Rich, the new incumbent leading digital assets for Goldman Sachs’ private wealth management division, said the investment bank will begin offering investments in bitcoin and other digital assets as early as the second quarter of this year.
Digital Assets: CME Group Makes Bitcoin Futures More Accessible, Launches Micros
CME Group has added a new product, Micro Bitcoin Futures, to its existing suite of crypto derivatives. The CME will introduce the new future contract on May 3, subject to regulatory review. Constituting one 10th the size of one regular bitcoin contract (which has a size of five bitcoin), the micro bitcoin futures contract will enable more market participants to trade the leading cryptocurrency.
Venture Capital: HighRadius, The Working Capital Optimizer, Lands $300M
HighRadius announced Tuesday its raise of $300 million in a Series C round at a valuation of $3.1 billion. D1 Capital and Tiger Global led the round which also received participation from existing investors ICONIQ Growth and Susquehanna Growth Equity.
FinTech: Brazil Clears Facebook’s WhatsApp For P2P Payments
Banco Central Do Brasil (BCB), Brazil’s central bank, has given the green signal to WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) to operate its payments service in Brazil. However, Brazil’s Pix, a homegrown instant payments system, has a headstart.
Artificial Intelligence: Google Maps Getting An AI-Enabled Makeover
In a blog published Tuesday, Dane Glasgow, VP of Product, Google Maps, revealed that the company was using machine learning to push the boundaries of what a map can do. About 100 AI-powered improvements are planned, with many rolling out this year.
Alternative Investments/ESG: BlackRock Adds Two ESG Fixed Income ETFs
BlackRock has launched two new ETFs as an extension of its sustainability-focused fixed income ETFs range. The iShares € Green Bond Ucits ETF offers exposure to investment-grade green bonds, while the iShares Global Govt Bond Climate Ucits ETF offers investors exposure to government bonds while incorporating climate risk.
Digital Assets: U.S. Shoppers Can Now Pay With PayPal’s New “Checkout With Crypto”
PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) has made it possible for its U.S. account-holders to pay for their online shopping using cryptos. The new feature, dubbed “Checkout with Crypto,” allows PayPal customers to instantly convert their crypto holdings of Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, or Bitcoin Cash into a fiat currency such as the U.S. dollar and pay for their order.
Artificial Intelligence: AI And High-Tech Cameras To Protect Bees From Deadly Mites
The Varroa Destructor mite (pictured above) decimated bee populations in countries other than Australia. Researchers have set up new, purple-colored “sentinel” hives at the Port of Melbourne in Australia to detect any of the deadly Varroa Destructor mites that might have entered the country through container ships.
FinTech: MFS Africa Covers 60% Of Mobile Money Wallets In Sub-Saharan Africa
African fintech MFS Africa announced on Monday that its payment gateway now covered the transactions from over 320 million mobile money wallets, enabling various banks, telecom providers, money transfer operators, and other financial institutions interoperability at scale in Africa through a single hub, the largest in Africa.
Venture Capital: LIVEKINDLY Collective Raises $335M, Becomes A Top-Funded Plant-Based Food Company
LIVEKINDLY Collective, which is a portfolio of plant-based food brands plus a media platform, and is run by senior executives from the global food industry, announced on Monday its raise of $335 million led by The Rise Fund, the global impact investing platform managed by TPG.
Digital Assets: Dirty, Dirty Bitcoin
According to Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who was speaking on the Unconfirmed podcast on March 26, bitcoin mined outside the U.S. primarily uses “dirty energy.” “A part of the problem with Bitcoin is 90% of it is not done in the United States.” He said. “90% of it is done in countries that have dirty energy. So that’s the reason why it’s considered to be a dirty activity.”
Venture Capital: Pilot, An Accounting And Back Office Startup, Raises $100M
Accounting and back-office startup Pilot, which focuses on small businesses, scored an extended $100 million Series C round led by Jeff Bezos’s venture capital firm Bezos Expeditions and hedge fund Whale Rock Capital. The round, which doubled Pilot’s valuation to $1.2 billion, also included participation by Sequoia and Index Ventures.
FinTech: Bitcoin Soars 4% As Visa Announces Payments In USD Coin
In a move that sent a powerful signal in favor of the adoption of cryptocurrencies, Visa (NYSE: V), the card giant and multinational financial services corporation, said it will accept the cryptocurrency USD Coin (USDC) for payment settlement on its global network later this year.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Fidelity Launches ETFs For Sustainable Corporate Bonds
Fidelity International has launched its first fixed income ETFs, and the two new funds come with the added benefit of a sustainable skew. The Fidelity Sustainable Global Corporate Bond Multifactor and Fidelity Sustainable USD EM Bond UCITS ETFs offer a “systematic active strategy” to investors while utilizing the firm’s proprietary analyst research.
Artificial Intelligence: Krisp Uses AI To Cancel Noises (Like Barking Dogs And Crying Babies) During Calls
Last month, Krisp, an AI-powered noise-removal service, raised $9 million in a Series A round of funding led by RTP Global and saw participation by Storm Ventures. The Krisp app works with calls and recordings and supports Zoom, Meet, and 1000+ other apps out of the box. It removes noises such as background voices, barking dogs, room echoes, and other disturbances that can affect virtual meetings in real-time.
Artificial Intelligence: Volkswagen Sets Up AI Unit In Detroit
Volkswagen (ETR: VOW3) has announced the establishment of a dedicated AI unit in Detroit. According to Abdallah Shanti, chief information officer for the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, AI competency will help leverage the immense database which the company has accumulated, and which can be used to enhance its business.
Alternative Investments/Digital: New, Bullish Outlooks For Bitcoin
Speaking on a Bloomberg interview, Soros Management Fund Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Dawn Fitzpatrick took a bullish stance on bitcoin and infrastructure surrounding cryptocurrencies such as exchanges, custody agents, even tax reporting. She revealed that the fund had invested in the latter. Regarding bitcoin, she said it was positioned at an inflection point.
FinTech: Revolut Business Fans Out Across All 50 States In The U.S.
Revolut announced on March 25 that its Revolut Business service was now available all over the U.S. and that businesses could enjoy several advantages.
Venture Capital: Gorillas, Which Delivers Groceries Immediately, Lands $290M
Gorillas, which promises groceries delivered within 10 minutes, just became the fastest unicorn in Europe. The startup, which backs up its claim with strategically positioned “dark stores” for stocking groceries, raised a $290 million Series B round of funding.
Digital Assets: KiwiSaver, A New Zealand Retirement Fund, Opts For Bitcoin
The KiwiSaver Growth Fund, an investment fund geared to saving for retirement, has invested about 5% of its assets in bitcoin. This was revealed by James Grigor, Chief Investment Officer at NZ Funds while speaking to Stuff.
FinTech: Feedzai Lands $200M Funding Led By KKR
Powered by machine learning and AI, Feedzai is a cloud-based watchdog against financial crime. The financial risk management platform is used by the world’s leading financial institutions, payment providers, and merchants. The startup announced Wednesday its raise of $200 million in a Series D round led by KKR.