Meta invests nearly $100 billion in smart glasses & DeepSeek’s censorship persists even in locally run models.

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INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY WORTH EXPLORING

🧐A Fresh $62B Market Play—Why Investors Are Backing Lettuce Grow

Spotted something interesting this week that got me digging deeper. Lettuce Grow is changing how we get fresh produce—starting with home hydroponics and now making its way to grocery aisles.

Why I’m paying attention:

The founding team is stacked—Jacob Pechenik (MIT grad with a major NYSE exit), Greg Campbell (built 4 successful ventures), and Zooey Deschanel (who sold HelloGiggles to Time Inc.).

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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS

💰 Startup funding updates

Invary, a Lawrence, KS-based runtime integrity solutions provider, raised $3.5M in Seed funding. Backers included SineWave Ventures, Flyover Capital, Hyperlink Ventures, and KCRise Fund.

Diag-Nose.io, a Seattle, WA-based respiratory healthcare company, raised $2M in Seed funding. The round was led by Breakthrough Victoria, with participation from Radar Ventures, a syndicate of physicians from Specialty Physician Associates (SPA), biotech angel investors Carl Stubbings, Stephen Ho, and Richard Lipscombe, as well as physicians affiliated with leading U.S. hospitals.

Riot, a Paris-based cybersecurity startup, raised a $30M Series B led by Left Lane Capital, with Y Combinator, Base10, and FundersClub participating. The company, now valued above $170M, plans to expand beyond phishing education with an Employee Security Posture Management platform. Riot serves 1,500 companies, including L’Occitane, Deel, and Intercom.

Semeris, a London, UK-based finance-focused legal AI company, raised $4.3M in funding. The round was led by Puma Growth Partners.

Zest Health, a NYC-based virtual care company focused on treating patients with inflammatory skin diseases, raised $13M in Seed funding. Roivant Health made the investment.

Tana, a London, UK-based provider of a workspace that naturally integrates AI into everyday work, raised $14M in Series A funding. The round, which brought the total funding to $25M, was led by Tola Capital, with participation from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Northzone, Alliance VC, and firstminute capital.’

Gallabox, a Chennai, India, and San Diego, CA-based provider of a no-code conversational platform, raised $3.5M in funding. The round, which brought the total amount to $5M, was led by FUSE, with participation from existing investors Prime Venture Partners and Neon Fund.

Yavrio, a London, UK-based open banking fintech company, raised £1.9M in Seed funding. The round was led by Fuel Ventures with participation from Sir Sajid Javid, and Garth Ritchie, alongside Dan Cobley.

SuperOps, a Dallas, TX-based AI-driven IT platform transforming operations for IT service providers and internal IT teams, raised $25M in Series C funding. The round, which brought the total amount to $54.4M, was led by March Capital with participation from existing investors Addition and Z47.

Jump, a Salt Lake City, UT-based provider of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for financial advisors and other financial services providers, raised $20M in Series A funding. The round was led by Battery Ventures, with participation from Citi Ventures and existing investors Sorenson Capital and Pelion Ventures Partners.

Nibertex, a Singapore-based nanofiber technology company, raised an undisclosed amount in Pre-Series A funding. Backers included Foxmont Capital Partners and ADB Ventures.

Lula, an Overland Park, KS-based provider of a platform for streamlined property maintenance solutions, raised $28M in Series A funding. The round was led by PeakSpan Capital with participation from existing investor RET Ventures.

Riot, a NYC-based provider of an employee-focused cyber-protection software platform, raised $30M in Series B funding. The round, which brought the total amount to $45M, was led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from existing investors Y Combinator, Base10, and FundersClub.

Affineon Health, a Denver, CO-based company which specializes in AI-powered solutions to streamline the inbox for healthcare physicians and providers, raised $5M in funding. The round was led by GPG Ventures with participation from existing investor AI Fund, and other new investors including Deepwater, Benhamou Global Ventures (BGV), Headwater Ventures, and Signal Peak Ventures.

AdvanCell, a Sydney, Australia-based clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing innovative cancer therapeutics, closed a US$112m Series C financing. The round was co-led by SV Health Investors, Sanofi Ventures, Abingworth, and SymBiosis with participation from existing investor Morningside, alongside new investors Tenmile, Brandon Capital, and others.

BiocSol, a Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium-based sustainable crop protection solutions provider, raised €4.4M in funding. The round included an equity investment from Pymwymic and non-dilutive financing from the Walloon Region via the Win4company program.

Myne, a Dubai, UAE-based provider of a wealth and asset tracking platform, raised US$2M in Pre-Seed funding. The round was led by Scene Holding, followed by Raz holding with participation from Plus VC, Annex Investments, and a group of strategic angel investors.

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NEW VCs IN THE MARKET

🏦 Venture Capital updates

Conviction Partners, a San Francisco-based AI-focused VC firm, raised a $230M second fund and added ex-Sequoia partner Mike Vernal as GP. Founded by former Greylock investor Sarah Guo, the firm has backed AI startups like Mistral, Harvey, and Sierra. The new fund more than doubles Conviction’s $101M debut fund.

KEY STORIES IN TECH

📜 Latest in tech

Apple will pay $20M to settle Watch battery swelling suit, ‘denies wrongdoing’:

• Apple has agreed to pay $20 million to settle a class-action lawsuit, which alleged that battery swelling affected the first four Apple Watch models, though the company denies any wrongdoing.

• Eligible U.S. customers who reported battery issues between 2015 and 2024 will receive compensation ranging from $20 to $50, with notifications sent via email or postcard.

• The settlement follows a similar case against Google-owned Fitbit, which was recently ordered to pay $12.25 million over battery overheating concerns in its Ionic smartwatch.

DeepSeek’s censorship persists even in locally run models:

• DeepSeek’s censorship remains even when run locally, debunking the claim that its restrictions only apply at the application layer, according to a Wired investigation.

• Tests show the model avoids sensitive Chinese topics, with DeepSeek’s reasoning feature admitting it should focus on the positive aspects of the Chinese Communist Party.

• A TechCrunch check confirmed selective censorship, as DeepSeek answered questions about U.S. events like Kent State but refused to discuss Tiananmen Square.

OpenAI trademark filing hints at AI gadgets, robots, and custom chips:

• OpenAI’s new trademark application covers AI-powered hardware, including smart glasses, AR/VR headsets, and humanoid robots, aligning with its collaboration with ex-Apple designer Jony Ive and recent robotics hires.

• The filing also references custom AI chips and quantum computing services, reinforcing reports that OpenAI is developing proprietary semiconductors with Broadcom and TSMC to optimize AI performance.

• While the application hints at ambitious projects, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman cautions that consumer AI devices are years away, and some trademarked tech may not make it to market.

Meta invests nearly $100 billion in smart glasses:

• Meta plans to invest over $100 billion in virtual and augmented reality initiatives this year, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg targeting 2025 as a crucial year for their smart glasses.

• Last year, Meta invested nearly $20 billion in its Reality Labs unit, marking a record in spending, as the lab produced both Ray-Ban smart glasses and Quest VR headsets.

• Since acquiring Oculus in 2014, Meta’s total spending on VR and AR has surpassed $80 billion, aiming to create a computing platform that could eventually replace smartphones and reduce reliance on Apple and Google.

The EU enforces the AI Act:

• The European Union's AI Act has taken effect, banning AI systems considered to pose unacceptable risks, such as social credit systems and those using subliminal messaging to influence choices.

• Regulators are now empowered to enforce compliance, with penalties including fines of up to €35 million or 7% of global revenue for non-compliance, following its approval by the European Parliament last year.

• Despite some high-profile companies like Meta and Apple not joining the voluntary compliance pact, they are still subject to the law and could face significant fines for any violations.

LAST COFFEE SIP

☕Other news

Trump proposes US Sovereign Wealth fund to Buy TikTok:

• Trump signed an executive order to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, suggesting it could be used to purchase TikTok, though details on funding remain unclear.

• The move follows his decision to delay TikTok’s ban by 75 days, keeping the app online but absent from app stores as ownership negotiations continue.

• Trump has discussed TikTok’s sale with multiple buyers, including Microsoft, Elon Musk, and Larry Ellison, with a final decision expected in February.

HIRING ALERT: STARTUPS & VC ROLES

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• AI Engineer - Linkt | Remote - Apply Here

• Investment Analyst - Softbank Vision Fund | UK - Apply Here

• Founding AI engineer | Remote - Apply Here

• Investment Associate - Elevation Capital | USA - Apply Here

• Marketing Intern - Connecticut Innovation | USA - Apply Here

• Director, Finance - Antler | India - Apply Here

• Investment Team Programs - Dexter Program | India - Apply Here

• 25 VC firms hiring from analyst to partner role - Apply Here

CURATED RESOURCES

🎁 Don’t miss - Curated Resources for Founders.

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