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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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Alternative Investments/ESG: Haitong MSCI China A Shares ESG ETF To Debut In Hong Kong On October 15
On October 15, the Haitong MSCI China A ESG ETF will open for trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Main Board. It is the first ESG ETF offering exposure to Chinese A-shares to be listed on the Hong Kong bourse.
Artificial Intelligence: India’s Potential To Be A World Leader In AI
Intel India has joined hands with IIIT Hyderabad, Public Health Foundation of India, and the Telangana government for the establishment of an AI Research Centre. The establishment will leverage artificial intelligence to address challenges facing India in healthcare, smart mobility, and other sectors.
Digital Assets: G20, IMF, WorldBank, Formulating Global Stablecoin Rules
The Group of Twenty (G20) organization of the finance heads from the EU and 19 other countries announced today that it is working alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) to standardize and formalize the use of digital currencies such as stablecoins in banking systems.
Venture Capital: SoftBank’s Vision Fund Planning A SPAC
SoftBank Vision Fund chief Rajeev Misra said during the 2020 Milken Institute Global Conference on Monday that the Fund is planning a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). SPACs are the latest craze in the stock market, and 80 of them have raised more than $32 billion in the third quarter of 2020. That amount is up 4X from the second quarter. According to CNBC, the Vision Fund’s plans around its SPAC are likely to firm up in the next two weeks.
FinTech: Revolut Sets Sights On U.S. Banking License
Revolut, the European fintech giant and digital bank, is likely to apply for a U.S. banking license at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and California’s Division of Financial Institutions in the coming weeks
Alternative Investments/ESG: Invesco Launches ESG ETF For The Canadian TSX Index
Invesco’s new ETF launch will trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange and allow investors to invest in Canadian large-cap equities that have been screened for ethical concerns. The Invesco S&P/TSX Composite ESG Index ETF is the first Canadian-listed ETF to track the S&P/TSX Composite ESG Index.
Artificial Intelligence: InoBat Auto Launches “Intelligent,” AI-Built EV Batteries
European electric vehicle (EV) battery producer, InoBat Auto announced Friday the launch of the world’s first intelligent electric vehicle battery. The company said the battery was developed through a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and High Throughput (HTP) technologies within just a year of research and development.
Digital Assets: Tyler Winklevoss Predicts Investment “Tsunami” In Bitcoin
Tyler Winklevoss, the famous bitcoin billionaire and co-founder of Gemini, said in a tweet that there will a tsunami of capital flows into the bitcoin cryptocurrency. He was referring to the recent multi-million dollar investments in bitcoin by MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR) and Square (NYSE: SQ).
Venture Capital: Ynsect, Which Farms Insects, Snags $372M
Ÿnsect is a start-up based in France that farms insects for use as feed for aquaculture and pets, as well as a fertilizer for crops. It is building the world’s largest insect farm in northern France where it will grow mealworms and produce proteins. It raised $ 224 million in its Series C round which culminated with a total of $ 372 million.
FinTech: U.K. Digital Lender Molo Raises £266M As The Pandemic Boosts Demand
Digital lender Molo, which focuses on buy-to-let purchases or remortgages only, raised £ 266 million to cater to a sharp rise in mortgage applications since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Alternative Investments/ESG: New “Blue Economy” Equity ETF From BNP Paribas
Investors looking for sustainable investment opportunities may consider ESG criteria like the blue economy and its sectors such as renewable marine energies, biotechnologies, aquaculture and fishing, tourism and environmental protection. The new BNP Paribas Easy ECPI Global ESG Blue Economy UCITS ETF is tailor-made for this purpose.
Artificial Intelligence: U.K. Plane Manufacturer Plans Pilotless Flight By 2030
Britten-Norman, the only commercial aircraft manufacturer in the U.K., manufactures the world-renowned Islander aircraft. The short take-off and landing plane is a reliable workhorse that serves multiple functions such as transportation of cargo or passengers, search and rescue, and medevac. It also specializes in short-haul flights and is in operation between the Scottish islands, with a capacity of nine passengers. By 2025, Britten-Norman plans to have just one pilot in its planes, and none at all by 2030. For this, it has partnered with Blue Bear, a pioneer and leader in unmanned flight systems.
FinTech: Banking Platform Mambu Ties Up With Digital Lending Platform Ranqx
Global, white-label, SaaS-on-cloud banking platform Mambu will parter with New Zealand-based digital banking platform Ranqx. According to an announcement, RanqX will utilize Mambu’s API-first digital banking platform for loan origination, decisioning, and monitoring as part of a frictionless digital lending experience for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Venture Capital: Instant Needs Platform goPuff Raises $380M At $3.9B Valuation
goPuff, the startup that brings the convenience store to your home, announced Thursday its latest funding round worth $ 350 million led by Accel and D1 Capital Partners. The round helped the everyday fulfillment company garner a valuation of $3.9 billion and included participation by Luxor Capital and previous investor SoftBank Vision Fund.
Digital Assets: Jack Dorsey’s Square Buys $50M of Bitcoin
Square (NYSE: SQ), the payments processing company co-founded by Jack Dorsey, just signaled a massive vote of confidence in bitcoin. It bought 4,709 bitcoins for $50 million, an amount equivalent to 1% of its total assets, or about 2.5% of its cash as on June 30.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Renewable Energy ETFs Soar On Possible Dem Election Sweep
As clean energy supporter and Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden’s election chances seem to brighten, so do the prices on two renewable energy ETFs.
Artificial Intelligence: Skoda Car Maintenance And AI’s Growing Role
Skoda Auto Digital Lab is testing a new smartphone app called Sound Analyser that uses artificial intelligence to identify whether the car needs servicing. The app is trained to compare the noise made from a running vehicle with a stored library of sound patterns. The artificial intelligence algorithm determines what the problem is after identifying any discrepancies between the actual noise from the car and what it should be.
Digital Assets: As 60:40 Falters, Could Bitcoin Be An Alternative?
The traditional, rule-of-thumb portfolio allocation of 60:40 between equities and bonds is under threat. With bond yields at record lows, and likely to remain there for a few years at least, and stocks at handsome valuations, investors need to be more creative with their portfolios. That often means more risk. But bitcoin is shaping up as a worthy alternative.
Venture Capital: E.ON’s Energy-Focused VC Fund Launches With €250M
E.ON, the Germany-based, international, privately owned energy supplier, announced October 8 the launch of Future Energy Ventures, its venture capital arm. The fund will invest in energy focused startups employing digital technology or business models that could “redefine the energy landscape.
Fintech: Fraudsters Use Fintechs To Milk The PPP Loan Program
After the virus pandemic broke, small businesses were desperate to get their hand on the forgivable loans offered under the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration. As banks lumbered along with disbursements, often described as slow and cumbersome, the SBA roped in fintech companies to speed up payments. However, it appears that some checks and balances failed, because nearly three-quarters of the loans found fraudulent by the U.S. Deptt of Justice were processed by fintechs.
Alternative Investments/Real Estate: Mortgage Rates Set Another Record Low; Real Estate ETFs Could Benefit
The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with conforming loan balances of up to $510,400 slipped to 3.01% from 3.05% last week, CNBC reports.
Venture Capital: Salesforce Ventures Launches $100M Impact Fund (II) For Cloud Startups
Salesforce Ventures, the global strategic investment arm of Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), announced Tuesday the launch of its second Impact Fund worth $ 100 Million. The fund will invest in cloud companies that have a positive social mission in education, climate action, diversity, equity, and inclusion, or support for nonprofits and foundations.
Artificial Intelligence: BlackBerry Now Arms Its Mobiles With AI-Powered Threat Defense
BlackBerry Protect Mobile is the new AI-powered mobile threat defense solution from BlackBerry Ltd (NYSE: BB).
BlackBerry Protect Mobile is an extension of the BlackBerry Protect AI-based endpoint security solution that prevents breaches and provides additional controls to guard against sophisticated threats. BlackBerry Protect does not need human intervention, cloud connections, signatures, heuristics, or sandboxes.
Digital Assets: The U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Bans Crypto Derivatives For Retail
After an 18-month study of the cryptoassets market, followed by a consultation, the U.K’s Financial Conduct Authority banned the sale of crypto-derivatives to retail customers on grounds they were “ill-suited for retail consumers due to the harm they pose.”