Business & Startups
Business & StartupsGoogle's YouTube ads are getting an AI sales assistant beside the video
A new Business Agent would answer product questions inside a video ad, as Google also reduces the taps between visual ads and a seller's page.
Business & StartupsESA asks space startups to solve Coca-Cola and P&G industry challenges
The contest pairs satellite-enabled service teams with four corporate challenge owners for six-month proof-of-concept studies. Applications close November 4.
Business & StartupsCrusoe’s planned $3.9B Series F puts modular AI factories in focus
Crusoe announced the initial close of an anticipated $3.9 billion Series F at a $30.9 billion valuation, backing large AI campuses and modular Spark data centers.
Business & StartupsTwo days after Clarity Act stalled, SEC opens a five-year onchain stock path
The SEC issued an immediate Innovation Exemption letting platforms trade tokenized NMS stocks for five years under strict conditions. Holders must keep full shareholder rights, issuers can veto listings, and synthetic exposure products are out.
Business & StartupsRaindrop raises $35M to test agents against their production past
Raindrop’s Series A takes total funding to $50 million as Simulations replays real traffic against proposed agent changes before release.
Business & StartupsComp AI raises $34 million to turn compliance paperwork into continuous cyber agents
Miami-based Comp AI raised a $34 million Series A led by Roo Capital and Grand Ventures to expand from compliance automation into continuous cybersecurity. Founded in January 2025, it reports more than 1,000 customers and 15x ARR growth, with agents for policies, evidence, monitoring, and security testing.
Business & StartupsA six-week-old DeepMind spinout is already shopping a near-$700M seed
Emulate, founded in August by DeepMind world-model researchers behind Genie-style systems, is in advanced talks to raise up to about $700 million. Index Ventures and Lightspeed are reportedly leading, with Creandum joining. Bloomberg and the Financial Times disagree on whether the pre-money ask is closer to $3 billion or $3.7 billion.
Business & StartupsIceland's Treble raises $18M to simulate sound for physical AI and voice devices
Treble Technologies closed an $18 million Series A-2 led by Paladin to expand acoustic digital twins and synthetic audio for voice AI and physical AI. Existing backers KOMPAS, Frumtak, and EIC joined; total funding reaches about €36 million.
Business & StartupsOpenAI weighs pre-IPO funding talks that could value it above $1.2 trillion
Early investor-initiated talks could price OpenAI above $1.2 trillion, per Bloomberg, FT, and WSJ reporting. The company declined to comment; March's round committed $122 billion at $852 billion, and Altman has called a 2026 IPO ill-advised amid safety.
Business & StartupsManus seeks about $500M at a $4B valuation after Meta breakup
Chinese-founded AI agent startup Manus is in talks to raise about $500 million at roughly a $4 billion valuation, its first financing since Beijing forced an unwind of its Meta deal. Terms are still fluid and the round is not closed.
Business & StartupsProfound raises $180 million Series D at $1.8 billion valuation
Sequoia and Kleiner Perkins co-lead a fast follow-on for the AI marketing platform as brands chase visibility inside answer engines.
Business & StartupsSword signs deal to buy Headspace and fold it into AI care
Sword Health says it will acquire Headspace, aiming to close early in Q4 2026, while Bloomberg cites a person putting the all cash price near $300 million.