Nvidia unveils AI avatar assistant for desktop & Samsung will let you rent a robot.

DAILY PICKS

🗞️ What else is brewing

• Jensen Huang On Nvidia’s seed round: You need these three things to raise money from investors.

• 33 ways to grow your startup with AI.

• Y-Combinator request founders to Avoid These Startup Ideas.

• Where OpenAI is investing? A chart from CBInsights talks about OpenAI’s robotics investment.

• Should founders use memos instead of pitch decks for fundraising? An advice from founders/VCs on writing investment memos for fundraising.

• The question Peter Thiel asks every startup founder he invests in.

• 2700+ US Angel Investors & VC Firms Contact Database (Email + LinkedIn Link).

• The brutal truth this founder wishes he knew when fundraising.

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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS

💰 Startup funding updates

Innovaccer Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based healthcare AI company, raised $275M in Series F funding round. The round led by B Capital Group, Banner Health, Danaher Ventures LLC, Generation Investment Management, Kaiser Permanente, and M12.

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.

Hippocratic AI, a healthcare AI company based in the US, raised $141M in a Series B round at a $1.64B valuation. The round was led by Kleiner Perkins, with participation from General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, and Nvidia.

Abstract, a NYC-based artificial intelligence company developing a legislative and regulatory platform, raised $4.8M in Seed funding. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures and Communitas Capital.

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.

A2 Biotherapeutics, an Agoura Hills, CA-based clinical-stage cell therapy company developing logic-gated cell therapies to selectively target tumor cells and protect normal cells, raised $80M in Series C funding. Backers included The Column Group and Samsara BioCapital.

Air, a NYC-based provider of a purpose-built platform for creative operations, raised $35M in Series B funding. The round was led by Avenir Growth, with participation from XFund, Good Friends, and a host of other existing and new investors.

Rena Labs, a NYC-based TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) abstraction middleware company, raised $3.3M in Pre-Seed funding. Backers included Lightspeed Faction, Eterna Capital, Lyrik Ventures, Mapleblock Capital, Selini Capital, Keyrock, and others.

RyboDyn, a San Diego, CA-based biotechnology company developing immunotherapies targeting the dark genome, raised $4M in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by Genedant Capital and SeaX Ventures, with participation from SOSV and Swell VC.

Biosphere, an Oakland, CA-based startup developing advanced bioproduction systems, raised $8.8M in Seed funding. The round was led by Lowercarbon Capital and VXI Capital, with participation from Founders Fund, GS Futures, Caffeinated Capital, and B37 Ventures.

PrettyDamnQuick, a NYC-based provider of an operational data platform for profitable commerce, raised $25M in Series A funding. The round was led by Peakspan Capital, with participation from existing investors TLV Partners and Moneta.

Oxford Cancer Analytics, an Oxford, UK- and Toronto, Canada-based medtech company developing blood tests for early cancer detection using proteomics and AI, raised USD$11M in Series A funding. The round was led by We Venture Capital and Cross-Border Impact Ventures with participation from Eka Ventures, and Civilization Ventures.

Leyden Labs, a Leiden, the Netherlands-based provider of a mucosal protection platform, raised $70M in funding. The round was led by ClavystBio and Polaris Partners with participation from Qiming Venture Partners and continued backing from existing investors including GV and Casdin Capital.

Prudentia Sciences, a Cambridge, MA-based provider of an AI-powered technology platform for life sciences, raised $7M in funding. The round was led by GV, with participation from Iaso Ventures and Virtue.

Grand Games, a Istanbul, Turkey-based gaming studio, raised $30M in Series A funding. The round was led by Balderton Capital with participation from existing investors Bek Ventures, Laton Ventures and angel investor Mert Gür.

Coave Therapeutics, a Paris, France-based genetic medicines company, raised €32M in Series A funding. The round was led by Novo Holdings A/S and Bpifrance, with participation from Invus and UI Investissement, alongside existing investors Seroba Life Sciences, Fund+, Kurma Partners, Omnes Capital and Turenne Capital.

Gridware, a San Francisco, CA-based continuous power grid monitoring solution provider, raised $26.4M in Series A funding. The round was led by Sequoia Capital.

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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET

🏦 Venture Capital updates

Defiant, a London- and Lisbon-based early-stage VC firm, has raised $30M for its debut fund, targeting $70M. The firm invests $1M–$10M in late seed or Series A B2B SaaS and fintech startups, using proprietary tools like Morpheus for deal sourcing and Blueprint for benchmarking. Backed by individuals from Atomico, Cherry Ventures, and Salesforce Ventures, Defiant aims to build a portfolio of 15–20 high-performing startups.

KEY STORIES IN TECH

📜 Latest in tech

Apple develops new app for event management:

• Apple is reportedly developing a new app called Invites, spotted in iOS 18.3 beta code, to share visually rich event details and invitee lists.

• The app could compete with platforms like Evite or Partiful and focus on events like parties, weddings, and reunions.

• Integrated with iCloud and possibly featuring an iMessage mini app, Invites would use Apple's GroupKit framework to manage invitees.

Nvidia Unveils R2X AI Avatar Assistant for Your Desktop:

• Nvidia's R2X avatar, unveiled at CES 2025, is a desktop AI assistant that combines video game-like visuals with LLMs like GPT-4o or xAI's Grok for enhanced functionality.

• R2X can assist with tasks like navigating apps, processing files, and even offering guidance in complex software, though its accuracy and capabilities are still evolving.

• Despite early bugs, Nvidia plans to open-source R2X avatars in mid-2025, allowing users to integrate their preferred AI models and use these avatars in enterprise settings like Microsoft Teams.

Mark Zuckerberg gave Meta’s Llama team the OK to train on copyrighted works, filing claims:

• Mark Zuckerberg allegedly approved Meta’s use of pirated e-books from LibGen to train the company’s Llama AI models, despite internal concerns.

• Meta is accused of stripping copyright information from the LibGen data and torrenting it, further concealing its infringement.

• The case raises significant issues about Meta’s approach to AI training, potentially damaging its reputation in the tech industry.

Musk’s Grok now available as Independent app in the US:

• Elon Musk's xAI has launched a beta iOS app for its chatbot Grok, now available in countries like the U.S., Australia, and India.

• Grok offers real-time web data access, generative AI features, and photorealistic image creation with minimal restrictions on content.

• xAI is also developing Grok.com for web access, expanding availability beyond X users and rolling out free versions of the chatbot.

Samsung will let you rent a robot:

• Samsung's AI Subscription Club now lets users rent AI-powered gadgets like Galaxy phones and Ballie robots for a monthly fee, similar to car leasing.

• The program includes optional maintenance services, covering accidental damage and offering ongoing device support for renters.

• Initially a home appliance rental service in South Korea, Samsung expanded the program to mobile devices to boost accessibility and secure recurring revenue.

LAST COFFEE SIP

☕Other news

Scale AI hit by its second employee wage lawsuit in less than a month:

• Former Scale AI worker Amber Rogowicz filed a PAGA lawsuit, alleging misclassification as a contractor. Claims include unpaid training time, below-minimum wages, and lack of employee benefits.

• This is the second lawsuit in a month, following a December 2024 class action over similar issues. Both cases highlight legal challenges surrounding Scale's labor practices.

• Scale denies the claims, stating Rogowicz was fairly paid and removed for guideline violations. Her attorney argues the case seeks to address systemic misclassification and wage violations.

HIRING ALERT: ANALYST TO PARTNER ROLE

💼 Today’s VC & startup job opportunities

• Investor Relations Associate - Invitro Capital | USA - Apply Here

• Program Manager - Generator | USA - Apply Here

• Corporate Partnerships Associate - Plug and Play tech Center | USA - Apply Here

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• Venture Fellow - DeVC | India - Apply Here

• VC Associate, Growth Team - SpeedInvest | UK - Apply Here

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CURATED RESOURCES

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