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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: Bakkt’s Virtual Visa Debit Card To Work With Google Pay
Bakkt announced today a tie-up with Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) to allow Bakkt users to add their virtual Bakkt Visa Debit Card into Google Pay to purchase everyday goods and services online, in-store, or wherever Google Pay is accepted. A user’s Bakkt crypto balance, such as bitcoin, would be converted into a fiat currency, such as dollars, to facilitate the payment.
Digital Assets: Public.com Launches Crypto Trading
Public.com, the stock trading app, social network, and rival to Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD), has added functionality to trade bitcoin, ether, cardano, dogecoin, litecoin, bitcoin cash, stellar, ethereum classic, dash, and zcash on its app.
Alternative Investments/Digital: The Volt ETF, Focused On Bitcoin Companies, Gets SEC Nod
The SEC approved on October 5 a new ETF that provides investors exposure to companies that hold a majority of their net assets in bitcoin or derive a majority of their profit or revenue from bitcoin-related activities.
Venture Capital: SpaceX Achieves “Centicorn” Valuation In Secondary Share Sale
Existing investors in Elon Musk’s space start up SpaceX have agreed to sell up to $755 million in stock at $560 a share, according to CNBC, which quoted multiple people familiar with the deal. The secondary share sale, a transaction in which the company does not receive any capital, valued SpaceX at $100.3 billion and capped the amount of saleable shares at $755 million.
FinTech: Yieldstreet Offers Venture Capital Opportunities To Retail Investors
Digital alternative investment platform Yieldstreet announced Thursday the launch of its new venture capital focused platform that allows retail investors exposure to private companies and start-ups that are disrupting existing sectors of creating entirely new ones. The move reflects the increasing demand for alternative investments to be made available easily to retail investors. Returns on venture capital in 2020 were more than 50% and have averaged 32% over the past 25 calendar years.
Artificial Intelligence: AI-Enabled Hearing Aids From Audibel Auto-Adjust To Environment
Audibel, a leading providing of hearing healthcare, has launched Arc AI, a full new line of AI driven hearing aids that provide exceptional sound quality through an AI algorithm that automatically adjusts hearing aids to the wearer’s environment.
Digital Assets: Crypto Miner Riot Held 3,534 Bitcoins Valued $191.5M On September 30
Riot Blockchain (NASDAQ: RIOT), the listed bitcoin mining company, said it produced 2,457 bitcoin during the year to date through September 2021. Compared to its production of 731 bitcoins in the same period in 2020, the company has boosted production by 236%.
Venture Capital: Five Seasons Ventures, A European Impact Venture Fund, Raises €180M For Foodtech
Five Seasons Ventures, the European venture capital firm seeking to finance foodtech startups that have a quantifiable, beneficial impact on the planet and/or human health, announced the close of a a €180 million Fund II.
Alternative Investments/ESG: A Hydrogen-Themed ETF Lists On The ASX
ETF Securities, the Australian fund manager that brought the first physically-backed gold ETF to the world in 2003, has launched a thematic equity ETF to target the world’s leading hydrogen companies. The ETFS Hydrogen ETF (ASX: HGEN) tracks the Solactive Global Hydrogen ESG Index.
FinTech: BNPL Tie-Ups Are The Flavor Of The Season – Affirm Shares Flare 20% After Target Deal
USA Today broke the story Wednesday that Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is offering its shoppers instalment payment (BNPL) options from Affirm (NYSE: AFRM) and Sezzle (ASX: SZL) ahead of the holiday season.
Artificial Intelligence: Olea Edge Lands $35M To Expand Its AI Platform For Water Utilities
Olea Edge Analytics, an Austin-based AI startup that seeks to enhance municipal water revenues at cities and helps them combat situations such as drought, has raised a $75 million Series C round led by Insight Partners, the New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm.
Alternative Investments/ESG: After Blockbuster KRBN, KraneShares Launches European and California Carbon ETFs
Asset management firm Krane Funds has launched two new ETFs that expand its range of carbon market offerings – the KraneShares European Carbon Allowance ETF (KEUA) and the KraneShares California Carbon Allowance ETF (KCCA).
Venture Capital: Nuveen Backs ‘Do Good Foods,’ A Food Waste Upcycler, With $169M
Do Good Foods has a mission to address the problem of the 48 billion pounds of food waste generated by grocery stores each year. Rather than throw food away, Do Good Foods is upcycling it. Surplus grocery food is first shared with local food pantries — what’s left over is then sent to its facility to be repurposed into feed for animals, such as chicken. The company received a $169 million investment from Nuveen.
Digital Assets: Is Adoption Of Bitcoin And Other Cryptos Breaking Out?
A round-up of news from across the world that shows that the adoption of crypto assets may be catching speed. From events at Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) to BNY Mellon (NYSE: BK), and Uruguay to India, it’s clear one can’t ignore this new asset class.
Artificial Intelligence: Alphabet-Owned DeepMind Is Finally In The Black
DeepMind, the UK AI unit which Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) acquired in 2014 for £400 million, has reported a maiden pre-tax profit of £46 million in 2020. Commercial revenues at DeepMind emanate from parent Alphabet, and those more than tripled to £826 million. Staffing and other costs surged to £780 million, up from £717 million in 2019.
FinTech: Walmart Has Saved Customers $2.4B On Money Transfers Since 2014
Walmart (NYSE: WMT) launched a Walmart2Walmart money transfer service back in 2014. The service – 50% cheaper than competitors – was a low-cost, white label money transfer service that later forced rivals to lower their remittance fees. The retailer announced today that it has saved customers more than $2.4 billion in fees till date, and more than $6 billion if one included the savings at its competitors through Walmart’s price actions.
Venture Capital: Auto Retail Platform Tekion Triples Valuation To $3.5B
Tekion’s end-to-end cloud-based automotive software platform, dubbed Automotive Retail Cloud, has raised $250 million in a Series D round led by Alkeon Capital and co-led by Durable Capital. Other investors include Hyundai Motor Company (KRX: 005380) and several reputable dealer groups across the United States. Advent International, who led Tekion’s Series C, Index Ventures who led its Series A, and FM Capital also reinvested in this round.
Digital Assets: Brazil May Soon Vote For Bitcoin As Legal Tender
Brazilians may soon be allowed to buy houses, cars, and fries at McDonald’s (NYSE: MCD) using bitcoin, according to Federal Deputy Aureo Ribeiro (pictured above). That’s if Bill 2.303/15, which calls for the regulation of virtual currencies, is approved by the country’s Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies this week.
Alternative Investments/Real Estate: Avantis Launches Active Real Estate ETF
Avantis Investors has launched Avantis Real Estate ETF (NYSEARCA: AVRE), an actively managed real estate ETF that provides exposure to real estate securities focused on income derived from real estate investments and structured in a similar way as real estate investment trusts (REITs).
Artificial Intelligence: Wessex Water To Use StormHarvester’s AI Tech To Monitor Sewer Network
UK-based Wessex Water is a regional water and sewerage business serving 2.8 million customers across the south west of England, owned by by YTL Power International of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The utility has engaged StormHarvester, a provider of solutions for smart drainage, to deploy AI over its sewer network spanning 35,000 km.
Venture Capital: Spudsy, Which Makes Sustainable Snacks, Nabs $3.3M Series A
Spudsy, which ‘rescues’ imperfect sweet potatoes and transforms them into puffed snacks and fries, raised $3.3 million in a Series A funding round led by KarpReilly and Stage 1 Fund, bringing its cumulative funding to $6.5 million over two years.
Alternative Investments/AI: New ETFs From ProShares For Exposure To High Tech Sectors
ProShares launched three new thematic ETFs that address high technology themes such as automated manufacturing, big data and clean tech. “Each ETF is designed to offer investors exposure to a rapidly changing industry, from the automation of manufacturing to enhanced analytics and big data processing to powering the transition to clean energy,” ProShares CEO Michael Sapir said Thursday in a statement.
Artificial Intelligence: China Unveils Guidelines For Ethical AI
China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) has released a document titled “New Generation Artificial Intelligence Ethics Specifications” that specifies six ethical guidelines for the implementation and use of AI, rests all decision-making with humans, and addresses issues such as fairness, security, discrimination, privacy and data leaks.
Digital Assets: In El Salvador, Pay For Gas With Bitcoin To Get A Discount
El Salvador residents get another reason to use their Chivo bitcoin wallet. Buying gas with it will earn them a discount of $0.20 per gallon, according to an announcement by President Nayib Bukele. Taking to Twitter, Bukele said on September 30: “The state company Chivo negotiated with the largest gas station companies in our country so that starting tomorrow, their stations will sell each gallon of fuel $ 0.20 cheaper, with Chivo wallet.” (Translated)