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  • Apple introduces thinnest iPhone yet with in-house modem & OpenAI has begun building out its robotics team.

Apple introduces thinnest iPhone yet with in-house modem & OpenAI has begun building out its robotics team.

Venture Daily Digest - 13/01/2025

Plastic was an accident. The first fully synthetic plastic, Bakelite, was invented by mistake in 1907. Basically, they were trying to make something else, and boom—plastic happened. And now turtles hate us.

📬 What’s in store:

  • Daily Picks: Sam Altman on fundraising, YC's seed guide, VC market sizing, pitch deck tips, startup financial model, Antler's framework, and AI subscription insights.

  • OpenAI has begun building out its robotics team.

  • NovaSky launches $450 reasoning AI that outperforms OpenAI.

  • Apple to Launch iPhone 17 Air with In-House Modem and Thinner Design.

  • Microsoft sues group for bypassing Azure OpenAI security with stolen API keys.

  • Blue Origin set to launch New Glenn, challenging SpaceX.

  • OpenAI and Google purchase YouTubers' unpublished videos.

  • VC & Startup Jobs: VC & investors backed startup hiring for remote roles.

⏱️ Read Time: 5 minutes

DAILY PICKS

🗞️ What else is brewing

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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS

💰 Startup funding updates

Ouro Medicines, a San Francisco, CA-based biotechnology company developing immune reset therapeutics for people living with chronic immune-mediated diseases, launched with $120m in Series A funding. The Series A was co-led by TPG Life Sciences Innovations, NEA, and Norwest Venture Partners, with participation from Monograph Capital, GSK, UPMC Enterprises, Boyu/Zoo Capital, LongRiver Investments, and other unnamed investors.

Epirus, a U.S.-based defense tech startup developing drone interception technology, is in talks to raise $150M-$200M led by 8VC, potentially lowering its valuation to $1B from $1.35B. Co-founded in 2018, Epirus has raised nearly $300M from investors like DCVC and Bedrock and is among the few U.S. defense tech unicorns alongside Anduril and Shield AI.

Holly, a NYC-based provider of an AI-powered platform modernizing government hiring, raised $2.2M in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by J2 Ventures with participation from Roble Ventures, Gaingels, and angel investors.

Light Horse Therapeutics, a San Diego, CA-based developer of small molecule therapeutics, raised $62M in Series A funding. The round was led by Versant Ventures and included Mubadala Capital as well as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Taiho Ventures, and AbbVie.

Innovaccer Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based healthcare AI company, raised $275M in Series F funding round. The round was a combination of primary and secondary, and includes participation from B Capital Group, Banner Health, Danaher Ventures LLC, Generation Investment Management, Kaiser Permanente, and M12.

Overhaul, an Austin, TX-based supply chain visibility platform that uses AI to track shipments and combat cargo theft, raised $55M in funding. The round was led by Springcoast Partners, with participation from Edison Partners and Americo.

Metis Intelligence, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based provider of NextGen AI-driven intelligence and law enforcement solutions, raised an undisclosed amount in pivotal funding. The round was led by Tau Capital.

RheumaGen, an Aurora, CO-based cell and gene therapy company, raised $15M in Series A funding. The round was led by SPRIM Global Investments and William Taylor Nominees.

Timberlyne Therapeutics, a San Diego, CA-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of new therapies for autoimmune disorders, raised $180M in Series A funding. The round was led by Abingworth, Bain Capital Life Sciences, and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, with participation from Boyu Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Braidwell LP, and 3H Health Investment.

Origis Energy, a Miami, FL-based provider of a renewable energy and decarbonization solution platform, raised $415M in funding package for the Swift Air Solar project in Ector County, Texas. The funding package included construction, term debt and tax equity financing from Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) and Advantage Capital.

RLTYco, a NYC-based provider of comprehensive resources for real estate professionals, raised $20M in Series A funding. The round was led by Altriarch. Other investors included Andrew Dodge, Christopher Schmidt, and SERHANT. Ventures.

XOCEAN, a Dublin, Ireland-based provider of ocean data to the offshore energy and civil hydrography sectors, raised €115M in funding. Backers included S2G Ventures, Climate Investment, Morgan Stanley’s 1GT fund, and CCI.

Gumloop, a San Francisco, CA-based AI-powered workflow automation platform, raised $17M in Series A funding. The round was led by Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from First Round Capital, Y Combinator, and angel investors, including Instacart co-founder Max Mullen and Databricks co-founder Reynold Xin.

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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET

🏦 Venture Capital updates

VCs say AI companies need proprietary data to stand out from the pack: AI startups secured over $100B in VC funding in 2024, nearly a third of all venture dollars, driven by the promise of differentiated proprietary data and workflow moats. VCs like Salesforce Ventures' Paul Drews and Battery Ventures' Jason Mendel highlight that unique data, combined with strong user experiences and feedback loops, gives AI startups a competitive edge. Vertical AI solutions, such as Fermata, stand out by leveraging domain expertise and in-house data labeling to address specific workflows, while startups that integrate deeply with customer systems and clean vast datasets effectively are better positioned for long-term success.

KEY STORIES IN TECH

📜 Latest in tech

Apple to Launch iPhone 17 Air with In-House Modem and Thinner Design:

  • Apple plans to introduce the iPhone 17 Air as part of its next major iPhone upgrade, offering a thinner, more appealing option than the iPhone Plus or mini.

  • The iPhone 17 Air will feature Apple’s first in-house modem, debuting in the iPhone SE, and will be two millimeters thinner than current models.

  • This move aligns with Apple’s push toward foldable devices, with further plans for a foldable iPhone and iPad rumored for 2026, though no new Vision Pro headset is expected in 2025.

NovaSky Launches Affordable Reasoning AI Outperforming OpenAI:

  • NovaSky, a UC Berkeley team, released Sky-T1-32B-Preview, an open-source reasoning AI model trained for under $450, competing with earlier OpenAI models.

  • Sky-T1 outperforms OpenAI’s o1 on math and coding benchmarks, though it lags behind on advanced physics and biology questions.

  • NovaSky aims to develop more efficient and accurate open-source reasoning models, marking the beginning of their journey in AI advancements.

OpenAI Revives Robotics Division with Plans for AI-Powered Robots:

  • OpenAI revived its robotics department, with plans to develop adaptive, versatile robots powered by its in-house AI models and custom sensors.

  • The robotics team will focus on creating robots for real-world environments, with job listings hinting at humanoid designs and potential full-scale production.

  • OpenAI’s robotics push comes as the sector attracts significant investment, with the company aiming to scale its robots for high-volume production in the near future.

Microsoft Sues Group for Bypassing Azure OpenAI Security with Stolen API Keys:

  • Microsoft filed a lawsuit against a group of 10 unnamed defendants for allegedly using stolen Azure OpenAI Service API keys to bypass security and generate harmful content.

  • The defendants are accused of using custom software, including a tool called de3u, to circumvent Microsoft’s safety measures and engage in “hacking-as-a-service.”

  • Microsoft is seeking damages and has been authorized to seize a website linked to the defendants, aiming to gather evidence and disrupt their operations.

LAST COFFEE SIP

Other news

Blue Origin Set to Launch New Glenn, Challenging SpaceX:

  • Blue Origin is preparing for the first launch of its New Glenn rocket, aiming to challenge SpaceX's dominance in the space industry.

  • The New Glenn rocket, developed over a decade, is designed to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9 by capturing a share of the satellite launch market.

  • If the launch is successful, New Glenn will later support Amazon’s Kuiper satellite constellation, intensifying competition with SpaceX's Starlink network.

OpenAI and Google Purchase YouTubers' Unpublished Videos:

  • OpenAI, Google, and other tech firms are buying unpublished videos from creators, paying between $1 and $4 per minute for content, with higher rates for premium footage.

  • Licensing logistics are managed by companies like Troveo AI, which has paid over $5 million to creators, with significant interest from firms developing video models.

  • To protect creators, contracts prevent AI companies from digitally replicating creators or misusing footage, while YouTube now allows creators to control AI access to their public videos.

HIRING ALERT: ANALYST TO PARTNER ROLE

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