OpenAI Unleashes New Tools for Building Agents, China's Manus Sparks Debate, and Europe Invests Billions in Gigafactories
Artificial Intelligence news nº 62/2025
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News 🗞️📰
OpenAI Unleashes a Game-Changing Toolkit for Building Next-Gen AI Agents: OpenAI launches a revolutionary suite of APIs and an open-source Agents SDK—featuring built-in web, file, and computer use tools—to simplify the creation and deployment of smart, autonomous agents for any industry.
China's Manus AI Agent Sparks Debate. A new AI agent, Manus, developed in China, has sparked debates over its potential applications in surveillance and privacy concerns. The tool is being tested for use in public safety and urban management.
Next Tier GVC Gaesco Launches Inclusive VC Fund for AI Startups: GVC Gaesco debuts its first VC vehicle targeting seed-stage B2B AI companies. Initially for professionals with €100K minimum, it now accepts retail investments from €10K, aiming for 35% annual returns by investing in 30–35 companies across Spain, Europe, and the US.
If Europe Builds the Gigafactories, Will an AI Industry Come?: The European Commission is raising $20 billion to construct four "AI gigafactories" as part of Europe's strategy to catch up with the U.S. in AI development, focusing on fostering a competitive AI industry within the region.
USF to Launch College Focused on AI, Cybersecurity This Fall: The University of South Florida is set to inaugurate the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing, thanks to a $40 million donation, marking the nation's first college dedicated specifically to AI and cybersecurity
Meta Begins Testing Its First In-House AI Training Chip: Meta is testing its inaugural in-house chip designed for training AI systems, potentially reducing reliance on external suppliers like Nvidia and improving power efficiency.
Spain to Impose Massive Fines for Not Labeling AI-Generated Content: Spain's government has approved a bill to impose hefty fines on companies that fail to label AI-generated content, aiming to curb the misuse of "deepfakes" and enhance transparency.
Artificial Intelligence Is Going to Make Drone Wars Much More Efficient: AI-enhanced drones in Ukraine are proving significantly more accurate than human-piloted ones, potentially increasing the lethality of drone warfare.
MTA Teams Up with Google to Slash NYC Subway Delays with AI: New York City's MTA is partnering with Google to deploy AI-powered Pixel smartphones that monitor track vibrations, enabling early detection of maintenance issues and promising a smoother, delay-free commute.
Apple Delays Siri AI Features, Analysts Warn of Slower iPhone Growth: Citi analysts note that postponing enhanced Siri updates—featuring on-screen awareness and deep app integration—to next year may slow 2025 iPhone sales growth from 5% to 2%, though Apple remains a strong stock pick amid progress in China.
Funding 💼💸
Celestial AI Raises $250M to Accelerate Photonic Chip Innovation: Silicon Valley-based Celestial AI, advancing photonic chip technology to rival Nvidia, secures a $250M funding round led by Fidelity with participation from BlackRock and AMD Ventures, boosting its total capital to $515M and propelling breakthroughs in AI memory bandwidth and chip connectivity.
Lila Raises $200M for AI-Driven Autonomous Labs: Boston-based Lila Sciences, led by CEO Geoffrey von Maltzahn, secures $200M in seed funding. Backers include Flagship Pioneering, General Catalyst, March Capital, ARK Venture Fund, Altitude Life Science Ventures, Blue Horizon Advisors, State of Michigan Retirement System, Modi Ventures, and an ADIA subsidiary, to accelerate its AI platform for autonomous labs in life, chemical, and materials sciences.
Superintelligence Startup Reflection AI Launches with $130M Funding: Reflection AI Inc., led by ex-Google DeepMind researchers Misha Laskin (CEO) and Ioannis Antonoglou, raises $130M over two rounds ($25M seed led by Sequoia Capital and CRV, and $105M Series A co-led by CRV and Lightspeed Venture Partners) with investors including Nvidia VC, Reid Hoffman, and Alexandr Wang. Valued at $555M, the startup is building an autonomous programming tool as a step toward developing superintelligence.
Italian startup Lexroom raises €2M to transform the legal sector: AI-driven legal research platform led by CEO Paolo Fois secures €2M in seed funding, with Entourage leading the round alongside Verve Ventures, Vento Ventures, Banyan Ventures, X-Equity, and angel investors to boost product development and market expansion in Italy.
Uthana Raises $4.3M to Revolutionize 3D Animation: Generative AI company Uthana, led by CEO Viren Tellis, secures $4.3M in funding led by IA Ventures with participation from A16Z Speedrun, Acequia Capital, Cursor Capital, HustleFund, MetaVision, and JonesTrauber to launch its Open Beta for transforming 3D character animation.
OpusClip Raises $30M in Funding: Redwood City-based AI startup secures $30M led by Millennium New Horizons with Samsung Next, GTMfund, and DCM Ventures to expand operations and develop its viral video repurposing technology.
Harmony Intelligence Raises $3M to Build AI-Powered Cyber Defenses: Australian-American startup Harmony Intelligence, led by CEO Soroush Pour, secures $3M in seed funding led by Airtree VC with participation from over 30 strategic investors including First Row Partners, Maxwell Capital, and Eric Ries to develop advanced AI cyber defenses amid surging AI-enabled cyberattacks.
Validation Cloud Raises $15M in Series A for AI-Driven Crypto Infrastructure: Crypto infrastructure company Validation Cloud, co-founded by Andrew McFarlane, Alex Altman, Alex Nwaka, and Michael Horowitz, secures $15M led by True Global Ventures with participation from Cadenza, Blockchain Founders Fund, Side Door Ventures, and AP Capital. The startup manages over $1.5B in staked assets and plans to expand its engineering and market teams globally.
GovEagle Raises $2.5M for AI-Driven Proposal Platform: NYC-based GovEagle, founded by Akash Mandavilli and Gabe Villasana, secures $2.5M from Strategic Cyber Ventures, Y Combinator, Sequoia Scout, and angel investors to automate and enhance government proposal submissions, cutting draft time drastically while improving quality.
Beacon.li Secures $7M to Scale AI Automation: AI-powered product assistant Beacon.li, co-founded by Rakesh Vaddadi and Silus Reddy, raises $7M Series A led by Sorin Investments with participation from Athera Venture Partners, JAFCO Asia, Unicorn India Ventures, and key angel investors to expand its AI capabilities and refine enterprise automation offerings globally.
M&A 💰
ServiceNow Bolsters AI with $2.9B Moveworks Acquisition: ServiceNow acquires AI assistant firm Moveworks for $2.85B in cash and stock to enhance its AI-powered service management. The deal integrates over 500 Moveworks employees and aims to strengthen IT operations with advanced, agentic AI solutions used by top-tier clients such as Broadcom, Palo Alto Networks, and Pinterest.
Qualcomm Acquires Edge Impulse to Boost IoT AI Capabilities: At Embedded World, Qualcomm announces its intent to acquire Edge Impulse, integrating its advanced AI-powered edge platform with Qualcomm’s IoT strategy to enhance chipsets, software, and developer tools for critical industrial sectors.
Gleamer Expands into MRI with Two M&A Transactions: French radiology AI provider Gleamer, led by CEO Christian Allouche, accelerates its MRI ambitions by acquiring Caerus Medical and merging with Pixyl to develop dedicated AI platforms covering all MRI use cases over the next few years.
WNS Acquires Kipi.ai to Expand Data, Analytics & AI Capabilities: WNS (Holdings) Limited has acquired Houston-based Kipi.ai, a Snowflake Elite Partner specializing in data modernization and democratization. This move bolsters WNS’ AI and analytics practice by adding over 600 global employees and proprietary accelerators, driving decision intelligence across industries.
Cinelytic Expands AI Entertainment Analytics with Jumpcut Acquisition: Cinelytic, led by CEO Tobias Queisser, acquires Jumpcut Media to integrate its ScriptSense tool into its AI platform, empowering studios and executives with enhanced IP management and audience insights for strategic content decisions.
GlobalData Acquires Ai Palette to Boost AI-Powered CPG Insights: UK-based GlobalData acquires Singapore-based Ai Palette, founded by Somsubhra Ganguly and Himanshu Upreti, to enhance its market intelligence with AI-driven consumer packaged goods data. Terms undisclosed, with Tin Men Capital planning reinvestment into regional B2B startups.
Tempus Acquires Deep 6 AI to Expand Precision Medicine Network: Tempus AI, Inc. acquires Deep 6 AI—an AI-powered platform integrated with over 750 provider sites and 30 million patients—to enhance its precision medicine offerings and support critical applications for closing care gaps and matching patients to clinical trials.
Interesting Reads 💡🤔
AI Statistics and Trends for 2025 Unveiled: New research shows the global AI market is growing at a 37% annual rate and is expected to hit over $305.9B by the end of 2024. With projections of 133 million new jobs and over $15.7 trillion added to the global economy by 2030, 58% of companies plan to boost AI investments in 2025. Notably, generative AI is now used by 51% of firms for content creation and automation, while 42% rely on chatbots and predictive analytics.
AI 'Wingmen' Bots to Write Profiles and Flirt on Dating Apps: AI bots are being introduced to assist users on dating apps by crafting profiles and messages. While companies like Match Group plan to invest in AI for features like photo selection and coaching, experts warn this may erode human authenticity and social skills.
100 Game-Changing AI Statistics for 2025: Trends Shaping Our Future: A comprehensive new study reveals that the global AI market is projected to hit $1.2 trillion by 2025 with a CAGR of 26%, while AI investments will surge to $350 billion and contribute nearly $16 trillion to global GDP by 2030. The research highlights that 85% of organizations plan to boost AI spending, with 75% of businesses integrating AI to cut operational costs by 30% and enhance decision-making by 60%. Generative AI is set to drive 50% of all marketing content and reduce software development cycles by 35%, and AI is expected to create 133 million new jobs by 2030.
2025 AI Business Predictions: PwC's forecast on how AI agents will reshape software demand and how industrial companies will leverage AI for efficiency and innovation.
Finnish Church Learned from Creating a Service Almost Entirely with AI: A Finnish church experimented with an AI-generated service, including sermons and songs, finding it interesting but lacking the warmth and empathy of human-led services
Top 10 AI Tools Every Business Should Use in 2025. A comprehensive list of AI tools for various business needs, including ChatGPT, HubSpot AI, and Jasper AI for content creation and automation.
Startups / Tools 🧰🛠️
GPTBots.ai: Provides end-to-end AI solutions for enterprises, implementing AI agents across customer service, knowledge search, data analysis, lead generation, and more—empowering businesses to lead in the AI era.
Ocean: A decentralized AI search assistant designed to be the fastest and most powerful in its class, delivering unmatched speed and efficiency while remaining sovereign and censorship-resistant.
Rely.io: An internal developer portal that consolidates engineering tools and provides a custom AI assistant to automate tasks throughout the software delivery life cycle, boosting productivity.
AI Image Upscaler by Upscale.media: Automatically upscales image resolution up to 4x the original size without loss in quality. It’s free and forever will be, removing JPEG artifacts without pixelation.
Codesphere: A cloud IDE that deploys code in less than 5 seconds, combining an online code editor with integrated pipelines for creating, testing, and operating cloud software at scale.
Movie Deep Search by AI Keytalk: A recommendation AI system that gives all movies equal exposure, helping you discover long-tail movies that perfectly fit your search intention.
Venturefy.ai: Leverages AI to provide a public wiki of verified B2B relationships, enabling consumers to explore and companies to discover existing relationship listings.
ChainGPT: A state-of-the-art AI model in blockchain technology that assists with tasks like no-code smart-contract programming, debugging, and analysis.
ioni: An AI agent platform that transforms compliance management by automating tasks such as gap analysis, research, policy drafting, and contract creation.
NTV Highlights 🪩🎉
We are actively looking for AI startups
At Next Tier Ventures, we are actively looking for the next generation of AI startup founders ready to scale and create meaningful impact. Our investments range between $500K and $2M, accompanied by strategic support to help founders achieve their vision.
If you’re building cutting-edge B2B AI solutions let’s connect 👉
http://apply.nexttier.vc
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