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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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Artificial Intelligence: AI Powers Mylo, A Virtual Lifeguard That Watches For Pool Drownings
Coral Smart Pool, an Israeli startup, has developed Mylo, a virtual lifeguard that uses computer vision and AI to detect potential drowning accidents in the swimming pool. It also sounds an alarm in case it detects a pool entry.
Artificial Intelligence: UK Startup Carbon Re Uses AI To Decarbonize The Biggest GHG Emitters
London-based Carbon Re uses AI to cut emissions at the most energy-intensive industries, for example, glass, cement, and steel. Its technology can develop a ‘digital twin’ of an individual plant by analysing the sensor data gathered on a minute-by-minute basis by Distributed Control Systems. In a cement plant, this creates a high-resolution digital model that captures the properties of a given kiln (the thermodynamics, and the physical processes of clinker production). AI agents can therefore learn these processes in a simulation, so to speak, and then act in real time to maximize the plant efficiency.
Artificial Intelligence: Mass Firings At Twitter Include Its Ethical AI Team
Elon Musk-owned Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) is executing a massive firing plan globally. Twitter has closed its offices and suspended the badges of all employees until a decision is made as to whether an employee is fired or retained.
Venture Capital: V.C. Arm Of Agricultural Cooperatives Invests In Agtech Startup Sabanto
“The labor shortage in ag retail is a very real problem,” said GROWMARK Director of Innovation Heather Thompson. “Autonomy presents an exciting solution but adopting autonomous equipment creates a new set of challenges for traditional operations. By partnering with Sabanto, GROWMARK and our FS cooperatives have the advanced opportunity to test and learn the impacts of this cutting-edge technology.”
Alternative Investments/AI: Arta Finance Nabs $90M For Opening Up An AI-Powered Family Office To All Comers
Arta, a Mountain View, Calif., based startup that calls itself a Digital Family Office, has come out of stealth and announced a raise of over $90 million from Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Coatue Management and more than 140 angel investors.
Digital Assets: Coinbase Reports A Net Loss Of $545M In The Third Quarter As Trading Volumes Decline
Crypto exchange Coinbase (NASDAQ: COIN) has reported disappointing numbers for the September quarter, with its perfomance impacted by the bearish conditions prevailing in the digital assets market, and the consequential impact on transaction revenues.
Digital Assets: Digital Platform Bakkt Acquires Apex Crypto For $200M
Digital asset platform Bakkt Holdings (NYSE: BKKT) has acquired Apex Crypto, a turnkey platform for crypto trading, for a maximum purchase price of $200 million. Of this, Bakkt will initially pay $55 million in cash upon the closing, and another $45 million in its stock subject to the achievement of certain financial targets by Apex in the fourth quarter of 2022. Depending upon the achievement of another set of financial targets by 2025, Bakkt may pay an additional $100 million in its stock and seller notes.
Digital Assets: Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX Crypto Exchange Is Now Live In The U.A.E.
FTX has announced that it has gone live in the UAE, though its services are initially available only to qualified retail investors, accredited investors and institutions. It will function in the UAE as FTX MENA FZE.
Artificial Intelligence: AI-Based Robotic Waste Recycler AMP Raises $91M
AMP Robotics Corp has announced a $91 million Series C round led by Congruent Ventures and Wellington Management as well as new and existing investors including Blue Earth Capital, Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP), Tao Capital Partners, XN, Sequoia Capital, GV, Range Ventures, and Valor Equity Partners. The funds will be used for AMP’s international expansion as well as to scale up its operations. The company intends to enhance manufacturing capacity to support a fleet of approximately 275 robots around the world and advance its ongoing development of AI-enabled automation applications for recycling.
FinTech: Cannabis Cloud Commerce Platform Treez Acquires Payments Processor Swifter
Treez, an enterprise cloud commerce platform that streamlines retail and supply chain operations within the cannabis market, has acquired Swifter, a YC startup from India that builds ACH APIs for cannabis merchants in the US. Swifter calls itself the “Stripe for Cannabis.” Treez said in a statement that Swifter was an attractive investment given its multi-location operating retail cannabis clients and Y Combinator background.
Digital Assets: Three Crypto ETFs Fold Up In Australia Amidst Downturn
Investors cold-shouldered the Cosmos ETFs in the so-called “crypto winter.” The Cosmos Purpose Bitcoin Access ETF, Cosmos Purpose Ethereum Access ETF, and Cosmos Global Digital Miners Access ETF, all of which were trading on the Cboe exchange in Australia, have applied for delisting, less than a year after their much-publicised launch. (COIN TELEGRAPH) Cosmos Asset…
FinTech: Revolut Integrates Encrypted Chat Feature In Its Global Financial Superapp
Customers in the UK and EEA can now chat as well as share gifs and stickers whilst sending and requesting funds to and from other customers. Revolut has incorporated a messaging facility into its superapp, following a recent UK and European survey of 8,000 people that said two thirds of people (67.5%) find it difficult…
FinTech: Stripe Lays Off 14% Of Employees As It Faces “A Different Economic Climate,” And “Leaner Times”
“Today we’re announcing the hardest change we have had to make at Stripe to date. We’re reducing the size of our team by around 14% and saying goodbye to many talented Stripes in the process. If you are among those impacted, you will receive a notification email within the next 15 minutes. For those of you leaving: we’re very sorry to be taking this step and John and I are fully responsible for the decisions leading up to it.
Venture Capital/AI: OpenAI Launches Converge, An Accelerator For AI Startups
In May last year OpenAI launched its $100 million Open AI Startup Fund to provide support to early-stage startups in fields where artificial intelligence (AI) can have a transformative effect—like health care, climate change, and education. On Wednesday, the Fund launched Converge, an accelerator program for founders building transformative companies powered by AI.
Artificial Intelligence: Google Event Showcases AI Advances In Robotics, Video Generation, And Disaster Management
Google Research showed off some of its AI projects at an event in Manhattan on Wednesday. Though the AI projects are still under development, their scope was impressive, ranging from health diagnostics and test-to-image generation to disaster management.
Artificial Intelligence: MGM Launches AI-Powered Clip Locator To Search Its Film And TV Library
MGM’s massive media library of film and TV has now become more easily searchable. Advertising and marketing people or researchers can use the MGM Clip Locator (currently in beta) to pinpoint all occasions of say, a specific line of dialogue across the library. What’s more, the users can even filter the results based on different parameters such as actor and title.
Alternative Investments/ESG: Hypatia, A New Fund Manager, Files For ETF On Women CEOs
Hypatia Capital Management boasts of a network of CEO-Level women, asset managers, and public board members that form its collaborative platform. The firm has formulated the Hypatia Women CEO Index (HWCEO), which is designed to measure the performance of female leadership in publicly traded companies. Hypatia has filed with the SEC for the launch of the Hypatia Women CEO ETF (ticker WCEO).
Alternative Investments/ESG: Dimensional Announces Equity ETFs Targeting Carbon Emissions
Dimensional Fund Advisors launched three new ETFs offering broadly diversified exposure to U.S., developed international, and emerging markets equities while applying climate-focused sustainability considerations – in particular, a reduction in carbon emissions exposure. The ETFs were listed on the NYSE on Wednesday and have net expense ratios varying from 0.18% to 0.41%.
FinTech: New Zealand Mulls Protection Against BNPL Debt Traps
Better checks are to be put in place to safeguard vulnerable BNPL consumers. New Zealand Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Dr David Clark announced that the Government intends to put in checks and balances in the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) financial innovation that allowed consumers to pay for their purchases in instalments. The primary…
FinTech: MoneyGram Launches Crypto Transactions Via Its App
MoneyGram International (NASDAQ: MGI) has launched crypto trading via its app, allowing customers the facility to buy, sell, and hold the bitcoin, ethereum, and litecoin cryptocurrencies. This feature is made possible through MoneyGram’s existing partnership with Coinme, a licensed crypto exchange and API-driven crypto-as-a-service provider. MoneyGram and Coinme have partnered since 2021 to expand access to crypto by creating thousands of new locations in the U.S. for consumers to buy and sell bitcoin with cash.
Venture Capital: Israel-Based Vintage, A Global Tech VC, Raises $631M For Fund-Of-Funds
Founded in 2003, Vintage Investment Partners is an Israeli investment firm managed by seven partners. It has closed its seventh fund-of-funds with a raise of $631 million, bringing its assets under management to more than $3.6 billion. A Fund of Funds type fund does not invest directly in companies, but in venture capital funds.
Venture Capital: J.P. Morgan Launches Life Sciences V.C. Team As Part Of Private Capital Platform
J.P. Morgan Asset Management today announced the launch of a new life sciences private equity team, Life Sciences Private Capital, as part of its J.P. Morgan Private Capital arm, a growth equity and private credit investment platform.
Artificial Intelligence: Meta AI Predicts The Shape Of 600 Million Proteins
Scientists at Meta (NASDAQ: META) used AI to predict the structures of approximately 600 million proteins from bacteria, viruses and other microbes that were not studied before. “Today, we announced an AI breakthrough that accelerates protein folding — the process of predicting a molecule’s shape. Our researchers have used it to create a database of the molecular structures of proteins, which are the building blocks of life on earth,” said an announcement from the company.
Alternative Investments: Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) Of Illinois Plugs $1.5B Into Alternative Investments
Teachers Retirement Systems (TRS) said its long-term funded ratio rose 1.3% during fiscal year 2022 to 43.8%, above TRS’ average funded ratio of 40.7% over the past decade. The Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) of the State of Illinois said it allocated nearly $1.5 billion to alternative investments, out of the $2.6 billion it committed since…