WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.940 OK, let's just jump right into this deep dive, 00:00:02.080 --> 00:00:06.639 because seriously, this past week, May 31st to 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:10.380 June 6th, 2025, it was just absolutely massive 00:00:10.380 --> 00:00:13.900 for AI funding. Yeah, massive feels about right. 00:00:13.980 --> 00:00:16.039 The source material we're looking at, it actually 00:00:16.039 --> 00:00:18.679 calls it a mountain of cash. And honestly, looking 00:00:18.679 --> 00:00:20.219 at these numbers, that might even be putting 00:00:20.219 --> 00:00:22.579 it mildly. Ultimately, the scale is kind of wild. 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:26.120 So our mission today, it's pretty straightforward, 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:28.379 but. You know, there's a lot to cover. We're 00:00:28.379 --> 00:00:30.600 going to unpack the top 20 AI funding rounds 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:32.840 announced just in this one week. We'll look at 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:35.640 the companies, the sometimes staggering money 00:00:35.640 --> 00:00:38.219 involved, and really the incredible ways they're 00:00:38.219 --> 00:00:40.679 applying AI, sometimes really unexpected ways. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:43.340 Right. And think of this as like. your shortcut. 00:00:43.500 --> 00:00:45.460 You get a clear snapshot of where the big money 00:00:45.460 --> 00:00:47.719 is flowing in AI right now. It really shows how 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:50.100 AI is moving beyond theory. You know, it's being 00:00:50.100 --> 00:00:52.280 applied everywhere in sectors you might not even 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:54.700 immediately think of. Exactly. It's definitely 00:00:54.700 --> 00:00:57.560 not just about chatbots anymore, is it? So let's 00:00:57.560 --> 00:00:59.240 start climbing this mountain. We'll kick off 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:01.640 with the biggest newsmakers from the source list 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:04.200 working our way down the top 20 and right at 00:01:04.200 --> 00:01:06.959 the very top with a number that honestly feels 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:09.900 a bit sci -fi. Neuralink. Yeah, Neuralink. They 00:01:09.900 --> 00:01:13.099 grab the single largest round. Like by a huge 00:01:13.099 --> 00:01:18.379 margin this week, $650 million. Wow. $650 million. 00:01:18.640 --> 00:01:23.920 Series E announced June 2nd, June 3rd, somewhere 00:01:23.920 --> 00:01:26.000 in there. I mean, that is a statement. It absolutely 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:28.439 is. And their focus is, well, it's fascinating. 00:01:28.540 --> 00:01:32.140 AI driven brain computer interfaces. They're 00:01:32.140 --> 00:01:34.079 literally trying to build a direct link, you 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:35.819 know, between the human brain and computers. 00:01:36.140 --> 00:01:38.209 Which for years that just sounded like. Like 00:01:38.209 --> 00:01:39.810 pure science fiction, right? Straight out of 00:01:39.810 --> 00:01:42.489 a novel. It really did. But the AI is kind of 00:01:42.489 --> 00:01:44.629 the key piece here. It's the software that has 00:01:44.629 --> 00:01:46.989 the incredibly hard job of interpreting those 00:01:46.989 --> 00:01:49.590 super complex, noisy signals from the brain, 00:01:49.689 --> 00:01:53.090 trying to decode the electrical language of thought. 00:01:53.209 --> 00:01:55.489 That takes some serious AI power for pattern 00:01:55.489 --> 00:01:59.849 recognition. And the initial goal, it's really 00:01:59.849 --> 00:02:01.870 powerful, isn't it? Yeah. It's not just like 00:02:01.870 --> 00:02:04.370 controlling video games with your mind yet. The 00:02:04.370 --> 00:02:07.069 focus is on... Helping people with profound challenges. 00:02:07.230 --> 00:02:10.050 Yeah. Paralysis. Severe speech issues. Right. 00:02:10.129 --> 00:02:12.750 Giving them new avenues for communication, for 00:02:12.750 --> 00:02:15.370 interaction. Yeah. It's that sci -fi dream. But 00:02:15.370 --> 00:02:18.729 starting with a really profound, practical, almost 00:02:18.729 --> 00:02:23.090 urgent need and that kind of funding. $650 million. 00:02:24.199 --> 00:02:27.060 It just shows the massive bet being placed on 00:02:27.060 --> 00:02:29.520 this. Absolutely. It's a huge swing, a real moonshot, 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:32.000 and investors are clearly all in. Okay. So moving 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:33.900 down the list, but still way up there in the 00:02:33.900 --> 00:02:36.120 hundreds of millions. Yeah. Impulse Space. Ah, 00:02:36.219 --> 00:02:38.479 yes. Impulse Space. They're doing really interesting 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:40.960 stuff. They raised $300 million in a Series C. 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:43.699 That was announced between June 3rd and 5th. 00:02:43.699 --> 00:02:46.699 And their focus, AI -driven mobility in space. 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:49.340 Okay. So we talk about self -driving cars all 00:02:49.340 --> 00:02:51.659 the time. Is this like self -driving spacecraft? 00:02:52.300 --> 00:02:53.960 Pretty much. That's a good way to think about 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:57.479 it. Or the source calls them space tugs. They 00:02:57.479 --> 00:02:59.319 build these vehicles designed to move things 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:01.340 around after they're already in orbit or deep 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:04.460 space, moving satellites, delivering cargo, that 00:03:04.460 --> 00:03:07.360 kind of complex stuff. And the AI, what's its 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:10.159 role in space tugging? Seems complicated. Well, 00:03:10.240 --> 00:03:12.639 space is incredibly hard, right? Navigation needs 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.360 to be precise. Docking with other objects moving 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:18.659 at insane speeds, optimizing fuel for long trips. 00:03:18.819 --> 00:03:21.960 It's all super complex. Their AI handles that 00:03:21.960 --> 00:03:24.259 navigation, the tricky docking maneuvers, planning 00:03:24.259 --> 00:03:26.620 the most efficient routes. It's automating the 00:03:26.620 --> 00:03:28.539 really difficult parts of operating in space, 00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:31.939 making it easier and, importantly, cheaper. Wow. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:35.240 So AI decoding brainwaves, AI driving vehicles 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:38.569 in space. The sheer range just in the top two 00:03:38.569 --> 00:03:40.629 is kind of breathtaking already. And we're only 00:03:40.629 --> 00:03:42.449 two companies in. It really shows the breadth. 00:03:42.710 --> 00:03:45.330 Next up, we see AI tackling something maybe a 00:03:45.330 --> 00:03:47.469 bit closer to home for a lot of folks. Investing. 00:03:47.650 --> 00:03:50.530 Scalable Capital raised a very significant $175 00:03:50.530 --> 00:03:53.349 million in their Series E announced June 3rd. 00:03:53.409 --> 00:03:56.550 Right. An AI -powered retail investing platform. 00:03:56.789 --> 00:03:59.759 So this is aimed at, like... Everyday people 00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:01.879 wanting to invest, not the big Wall Street firms. 00:04:02.039 --> 00:04:05.719 Exactly. Their platform uses AI essentially as 00:04:05.719 --> 00:04:09.009 a, you know. a smart financial advisor for individual 00:04:09.009 --> 00:04:11.949 investors. It helps manage portfolios, just investments 00:04:11.949 --> 00:04:14.409 based on your goals and risk level, personalizes 00:04:14.409 --> 00:04:18.569 things. It's trying to make investing less intimidating. 00:04:18.930 --> 00:04:20.490 Yeah, I guess the goal is just making it feel 00:04:20.490 --> 00:04:23.149 way less daunting or more accessible if you don't 00:04:23.149 --> 00:04:25.689 have deep financial knowledge or hours to research. 00:04:25.889 --> 00:04:27.829 Makes sense. It totally does. And that funding 00:04:27.829 --> 00:04:29.670 level suggests they're getting real traction, 00:04:29.930 --> 00:04:32.410 making that AI guide smarter and reaching more 00:04:32.410 --> 00:04:34.410 people across Europe and potentially elsewhere. 00:04:34.649 --> 00:04:37.379 Okay, now this next one. The funding amount at 00:04:37.379 --> 00:04:39.000 this stage, and it kind of made me do a double 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:41.920 take. Shield technology. Oh, yeah. Shield technology. 00:04:41.939 --> 00:04:46.399 This is wild. Over $100 million for a seed round. 00:04:46.519 --> 00:04:49.319 A seed round. Yeah. Announced June 5th, Thrive 00:04:49.319 --> 00:04:51.920 Holdings and ZBS Partners leading. That is just 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:54.800 massive early stage confidence. What on earth 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:56.800 are they doing that gets that kind of money right 00:04:56.800 --> 00:04:58.980 out of the gate? They're building AI -enabled 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:02.279 managed IT services. You know, think about the 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.699 IT support team at work, the people who seem 00:05:04.699 --> 00:05:06.800 to magically know what's wrong when your system 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.379 goes down. Shield is trying to bottle that using 00:05:09.379 --> 00:05:11.740 AI. So instead of waiting for things to break 00:05:11.740 --> 00:05:15.040 and calling help desk, their AI tries to predict 00:05:15.040 --> 00:05:17.259 problems before they happen and fix them automatically, 00:05:17.480 --> 00:05:21.160 like... digital IT wizards. Kind of, yeah. Digital 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:24.259 IT wizards or maybe proactive digital mechanics. 00:05:24.480 --> 00:05:28.120 The idea is moving from reactive support to proactive 00:05:28.120 --> 00:05:31.139 automated maintenance. Keeping systems running 00:05:31.139 --> 00:05:33.680 smoothly, maybe fixing stuff before anyone even 00:05:33.680 --> 00:05:35.879 knows there was an issue, that kind of uptime 00:05:35.879 --> 00:05:38.079 for businesses. It's clearly super valuable, 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:40.480 hence the huge seed round. Okay, sticking with 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:42.740 businesses, Boltek also pulled in a big number, 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:47.519 $147 million in a Series C on June 5th. Right. 00:05:47.629 --> 00:05:49.509 Boltec. They're an insert tech insurance plus 00:05:49.509 --> 00:05:51.949 technology. And what stands out, according to 00:05:51.949 --> 00:05:54.069 the source, is their Gen AI factory. They're 00:05:54.069 --> 00:05:56.509 working with AWS on this. A Gen AI factory. That 00:05:56.509 --> 00:05:58.750 sounds very organized for insurance, almost industrial. 00:05:58.990 --> 00:06:01.230 Well, that seems to be the point. They're using 00:06:01.230 --> 00:06:03.810 generative AI to build and deploy systems that 00:06:03.810 --> 00:06:05.769 can rapidly create more personalized insurance 00:06:05.769 --> 00:06:08.509 products and streamline the whole process, really 00:06:08.509 --> 00:06:11.569 getting quotes, processing claims, customer service. 00:06:11.610 --> 00:06:14.829 So the goal is pretty straightforward then. Use 00:06:14.829 --> 00:06:17.430 AI to make insurance less of a hassle for everybody. 00:06:17.670 --> 00:06:20.430 Pretty much. Insurance can be incredibly clunky. 00:06:20.589 --> 00:06:23.290 This funding suggests investors see massive potential 00:06:23.290 --> 00:06:26.329 in using Gen AI to automate and personalize it 00:06:26.329 --> 00:06:28.949 all at scale. Better efficiency, better customer 00:06:28.949 --> 00:06:30.829 experience. All right, let's swing back to the 00:06:30.829 --> 00:06:33.089 really cutting edge, maybe brain bending stuff, 00:06:33.250 --> 00:06:36.649 inflation. $100 million, Series C, June 2nd. 00:06:37.250 --> 00:06:40.970 Their focus sounds... Oh, absolutely. They're 00:06:40.970 --> 00:06:42.810 right at the intersection of quantum computing 00:06:42.810 --> 00:06:45.689 and AI, developing quantum enhanced AI and something 00:06:45.689 --> 00:06:48.430 called contextual machine learning or CML. OK, 00:06:48.509 --> 00:06:51.949 quantum enhanced AI, like using quantum physics, 00:06:52.110 --> 00:06:56.029 weirdness, position entanglement to make AI algorithms 00:06:56.029 --> 00:06:58.470 more powerful. How does that even work? That's 00:06:58.470 --> 00:07:00.990 the fundamental idea. Yeah. The hope is that 00:07:00.990 --> 00:07:03.029 quantum approaches can solve certain problems 00:07:03.029 --> 00:07:05.829 that are just intractable for today's best classical 00:07:05.829 --> 00:07:09.290 computers. Optimizing incredibly complex systems, 00:07:09.430 --> 00:07:11.930 maybe discovering new materials, code breaking. 00:07:12.189 --> 00:07:15.050 So unlocking new types of computation. Potentially 00:07:15.050 --> 00:07:17.509 building the next generation of super smart machines. 00:07:18.060 --> 00:07:19.959 That seems to be the ambition. And the contextual 00:07:19.959 --> 00:07:22.740 machine learning part, my read is it suggests 00:07:22.740 --> 00:07:25.319 AI systems that are better at grasping the nuances, 00:07:25.500 --> 00:07:29.199 the surrounding info, the context of data, leading 00:07:29.199 --> 00:07:31.560 to more accurate insights, especially where simple 00:07:31.560 --> 00:07:34.279 pattern matching isn't enough. It's really pushing 00:07:34.279 --> 00:07:36.620 the boundaries. Deep tech, like you said. Yeah, 00:07:36.660 --> 00:07:39.319 deep is right. Okay, let's pivot back to something 00:07:39.319 --> 00:07:41.839 impacting businesses more directly, though maybe 00:07:41.839 --> 00:07:44.920 less flashy than quantum physics. Symmetric raised 00:07:44.920 --> 00:07:48.800 $85 million in a Series B, led by Goldman Sachs. 00:07:49.040 --> 00:07:51.560 Announced June 5th, and the source noted a new 00:07:51.560 --> 00:07:54.480 $30 million part of that round. Symmetric is 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:57.259 tackling a huge ongoing headache for almost any 00:07:57.259 --> 00:08:00.100 company handling lots of transactions. Financial 00:08:00.100 --> 00:08:01.839 reconciliation. Financial reconciliation. OK, 00:08:01.939 --> 00:08:03.920 break that down simply. What's that mean? Imagine 00:08:03.920 --> 00:08:07.060 a big company. millions of transactions, daily 00:08:07.060 --> 00:08:10.079 cards, transfers, different processors, currencies, 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:13.660 refunds. Reconciliation is the super tedious 00:08:13.660 --> 00:08:16.139 job of matching all their internal records against 00:08:16.139 --> 00:08:18.300 bank statements and payment reports to ensure 00:08:18.300 --> 00:08:22.060 everything adds up. It's complex, slow, and really 00:08:22.060 --> 00:08:25.220 easy to make mistakes. Oh man, I can just picture 00:08:25.220 --> 00:08:28.220 the endless spreadsheets. So Symmetrix AI comes 00:08:28.220 --> 00:08:30.100 in and acts like it's a super accountant that 00:08:30.100 --> 00:08:32.970 never gets tired. Or maybe a robot army matching 00:08:32.970 --> 00:08:35.409 numbers? That's pretty much it. Their AI automates 00:08:35.409 --> 00:08:37.169 matching those millions of transactions from 00:08:37.169 --> 00:08:39.330 all these different places. It flags problems 00:08:39.330 --> 00:08:41.250 that a human would have to hunt for manually, 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:44.470 saves finance teams tons of time, cuts errors, 00:08:44.649 --> 00:08:47.029 and lets people focus on more strategic stuff. 00:08:47.289 --> 00:08:49.230 That sounds incredibly valuable for any decent 00:08:49.230 --> 00:08:51.190 -sized business. Making finance less stressful 00:08:51.190 --> 00:08:53.570 is always good. Absolutely. It's crucial back 00:08:53.570 --> 00:08:55.570 -office stuff, and clearly big investors like 00:08:55.570 --> 00:08:57.929 Goldman see the huge need for AI to automate 00:08:57.929 --> 00:09:01.529 it. Ah, next. Prepared. They're using AI for 00:09:01.529 --> 00:09:03.149 something really critical, emergency response. 00:09:03.490 --> 00:09:07.009 $80 million in a Series C, led by General Catalyst, 00:09:07.169 --> 00:09:09.409 announced sometime between May 30th and June 00:09:09.409 --> 00:09:12.289 5th. Prepared is focused on assistive AI for 00:09:12.289 --> 00:09:14.909 emergency responders. You know, when 911 calls 00:09:14.909 --> 00:09:18.149 flood in or during a major incident, information 00:09:18.149 --> 00:09:20.909 is coming from everywhere. Calls, texts, maybe 00:09:20.909 --> 00:09:24.350 sensors, video feeds. Right. Total chaos. How 00:09:24.350 --> 00:09:27.649 does AI help there? Their AI works to synthesize 00:09:27.649 --> 00:09:30.379 all that incoming data in real time. It processes 00:09:30.379 --> 00:09:32.980 the language from calls, analyzes data streams, 00:09:33.179 --> 00:09:36.320 and gives crucial insights and context to dispatchers 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:38.740 and first responders instantly. It helps them 00:09:38.740 --> 00:09:41.299 build a clearer picture of a confusing situation 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:44.120 way faster than humans could alone. So it's like 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:46.419 a vital sidekick, feeding them better, faster 00:09:46.419 --> 00:09:48.659 info to make critical decisions more effectively. 00:09:48.899 --> 00:09:51.960 Exactly. It's genuinely lifesaving tech if it 00:09:51.960 --> 00:09:54.519 improves response times or helps responders understand 00:09:54.519 --> 00:09:57.000 the situation better before they arrive. That 00:09:57.000 --> 00:09:59.039 funding is backing technology that can have a 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:02.059 real impact on public safety. Wow. Okay, shifting 00:10:02.059 --> 00:10:04.100 gears again, but still high impact. Yeah. And 00:10:04.100 --> 00:10:06.860 Thea raised $56 million in a Series C on June 00:10:06.860 --> 00:10:10.519 3rd, using AI in biology and medicine. Yes, they're 00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:13.720 working in AI -driven synthetic biology, specifically 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:17.360 producing essential drug ingredients using basically 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:20.399 reprogrammed microbes. The source used a neat 00:10:20.399 --> 00:10:23.090 analogy. calling it kind of like a high -tech 00:10:23.090 --> 00:10:25.490 brewery. High -tech brewery making medicine. 00:10:25.870 --> 00:10:27.629 Okay, tell me more about that. That sounds cool. 00:10:27.830 --> 00:10:30.669 Well, they use AI to help redesign the internal 00:10:30.669 --> 00:10:34.590 workings, the biological pathways inside microorganisms 00:10:34.590 --> 00:10:37.610 like yeast. The AI helps figure out how to make 00:10:37.610 --> 00:10:40.129 these tiny yeast cells act like efficient little 00:10:40.129 --> 00:10:42.730 factories. Factories for what? Factories that 00:10:42.730 --> 00:10:44.970 produce complex molecules needed for essential 00:10:44.970 --> 00:10:47.250 medicines. Things that might otherwise be hard 00:10:47.250 --> 00:10:49.909 to make, expensive, or depend on unstable supply 00:10:49.909 --> 00:10:52.529 chains, like relying on specific plants. So the 00:10:52.529 --> 00:10:54.850 impact is scaling up production of critical drugs. 00:10:54.950 --> 00:10:56.909 Yeah. Making supply chains more stable. Exactly. 00:10:56.990 --> 00:10:58.950 It's about making these vital pharmaceutical 00:10:58.950 --> 00:11:01.549 ingredients in a more controlled, potentially 00:11:01.549 --> 00:11:04.110 cheaper, and more reliable way. It could really 00:11:04.110 --> 00:11:06.529 help stabilize global drug supplies, which is 00:11:06.529 --> 00:11:09.129 huge for health care. Okay. Cybersecurity, always 00:11:09.129 --> 00:11:12.100 a hot topic. Zero Networks got 55. million in 00:11:12.100 --> 00:11:14.720 the Series B on June 3rd for their AI -driven 00:11:14.720 --> 00:11:17.320 platform. Zero Networks is looking at cybersecurity 00:11:17.320 --> 00:11:20.299 from a slightly different angle. A lot of security 00:11:20.299 --> 00:11:22.600 is about building walls around the network, keeping 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:25.240 threats out. But what if something does get inside? 00:11:25.779 --> 00:11:28.759 Their platform focuses on internal network security, 00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:32.320 specifically microsegmentation automated by AI. 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:35.820 Microsegmentation. So instead of one big open 00:11:35.820 --> 00:11:39.220 network inside a company, AI automatically carves 00:11:39.220 --> 00:11:42.980 it up into lots of tiny isolated zones, like 00:11:42.980 --> 00:11:45.139 smart automatic internal firewalls. That's a 00:11:45.139 --> 00:11:47.240 really good way to put it. The AI learns normal 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:49.139 traffic patterns, who needs to talk to what, 00:11:49.299 --> 00:11:51.220 and automatically creates these tiny barriers. 00:11:51.500 --> 00:11:53.980 If a threat gets into one zone, the AI stops 00:11:53.980 --> 00:11:56.440 it from easily spreading everywhere else, contains 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:59.200 the breach, limits the damage. It's a key part 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:01.299 of defense in depth. Makes sense. You can't just 00:12:01.299 --> 00:12:03.639 rely on the outer wall. Right. And having AI 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:05.559 automate that segmentation makes it way more 00:12:05.559 --> 00:12:08.059 practical and less error prone than trying to 00:12:08.059 --> 00:12:10.720 manage it all manually. Speaking of the underlying 00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.120 tech, SpeedEdit raised $44 million in a Series 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:17.059 B on June 3rd. They're focusing on AI analytics 00:12:17.059 --> 00:12:20.549 processing units, APUs. Yeah, this is about the 00:12:20.549 --> 00:12:23.450 actual hardware AI runs on. Speedata is jumping 00:12:23.450 --> 00:12:25.629 into the race to build specialized chips designed 00:12:25.629 --> 00:12:28.190 specifically for AI and data analytics, these 00:12:28.190 --> 00:12:30.750 APUs. They're aiming to compete with the established 00:12:30.750 --> 00:12:33.909 players, maybe even giants like NVIDIA. So building 00:12:33.909 --> 00:12:36.750 the silicon muscle needed for all this AI computation. 00:12:37.250 --> 00:12:41.070 Exactly. AI needs massive processing power, especially 00:12:41.070 --> 00:12:43.389 for training big models and running analysis 00:12:43.389 --> 00:12:46.409 at scale. This funding helps them speed up designing, 00:12:46.669 --> 00:12:48.590 making, and selling their specialized hardware. 00:12:48.990 --> 00:12:51.610 More competition and innovation in AI chips is 00:12:51.610 --> 00:12:53.789 definitely a good thing. Moving over to global 00:12:53.789 --> 00:12:57.309 finance, NomiPay raised $40 million in the Series 00:12:57.309 --> 00:13:01.230 C on June 3rd for AI cross -border payment infrastructure. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:04.159 This tackles the pain of sending money internationally. 00:13:04.500 --> 00:13:06.940 It can be slow, expensive, lots of intermediaries. 00:13:07.100 --> 00:13:09.940 NomaPay uses AI to streamline that whole process. 00:13:10.200 --> 00:13:12.279 How does AI make international payments better 00:13:12.279 --> 00:13:14.639 exactly? The AI looks at all the different possible 00:13:14.639 --> 00:13:16.799 payment routes, the correspondent banks involved, 00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:19.700 the network fees, all in real time. It finds 00:13:19.700 --> 00:13:22.299 the fastest, cheapest, most reliable path for 00:13:22.299 --> 00:13:24.759 money to get from country A to country B, basically 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:26.960 untangles that complex web. Which has got to 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:29.320 be huge for businesses operating globally, right? 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:32.240 Right. Getting bogged down by... slow or costly 00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:35.100 payments is a real drag on international trade. 00:13:35.259 --> 00:13:37.659 Totally. This investment should help them expand 00:13:37.659 --> 00:13:40.080 their network and make sending money internationally 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:42.700 much smoother and more affordable for businesses 00:13:42.700 --> 00:13:45.759 and maybe even individuals. Keeping data safe 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:49.360 is always critical. Mind raised $30 million in 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:52.620 a Series A on June 4th. Their platform is for 00:13:52.620 --> 00:13:55.549 AI -native data loss prevention. What's interesting 00:13:55.549 --> 00:13:58.049 about Mind, backed by folks like Okta Ventures 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:01.210 and Paladin Capital, is their approach to DLP, 00:14:01.529 --> 00:14:04.929 data loss prevention. Old school DLP often uses 00:14:04.929 --> 00:14:07.610 rigid rules like block files with these keywords. 00:14:07.950 --> 00:14:10.590 But attackers and even accidental leaks get smarter 00:14:10.590 --> 00:14:13.470 than simple rules, don't they? Exactly. Mind's 00:14:13.470 --> 00:14:16.039 platform is AI native. Instead of just rules, 00:14:16.200 --> 00:14:18.659 their AI learns what normal data usage looks 00:14:18.659 --> 00:14:21.120 like inside a company, how data typically moves, 00:14:21.279 --> 00:14:24.019 who accesses what. It builds a baseline of normal 00:14:24.019 --> 00:14:26.700 behavior. Ah, okay. So it can spot something 00:14:26.700 --> 00:14:28.500 weird even if it doesn't break a specific rule 00:14:28.500 --> 00:14:29.940 just because it's not normal for that company. 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:32.879 Precisely. It's more like a smart security guard 00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:35.220 who understands the context, not just a checklist 00:14:35.220 --> 00:14:37.700 minder. That should make it way better at catching 00:14:37.700 --> 00:14:40.019 subtle or new ways data might leak out. That 00:14:40.019 --> 00:14:42.519 makes a lot of sense. Smarter defense needed 00:14:42.519 --> 00:14:45.480 for smarter threats. Okay, electric vehicles. 00:14:46.190 --> 00:14:49.429 Hypercraft raised $26 million in a Series A on 00:14:49.429 --> 00:14:52.789 June 4th. Stalwart Ventures led that. They're 00:14:52.789 --> 00:14:55.509 doing AI -optimized electric powertrains. Yeah, 00:14:55.549 --> 00:14:58.070 this is about making EVs even better. The powertrain 00:14:58.070 --> 00:15:00.710 is basically everything that gets power from 00:15:00.710 --> 00:15:02.970 the battery to the wheels, motor, controllers, 00:15:03.129 --> 00:15:05.970 gears, etc. It's a complex system. And how does 00:15:05.970 --> 00:15:08.289 AI optimize it? Is it designing better parts? 00:15:08.610 --> 00:15:10.669 It's used in both the design and the real -time 00:15:10.669 --> 00:15:13.440 control. AI can simulate countless configurations 00:15:13.440 --> 00:15:16.120 to find the best designs for efficiency, power, 00:15:16.259 --> 00:15:19.080 keeping things cool. And then AI in the car can 00:15:19.080 --> 00:15:21.379 actively manage the powertrain for optimal performance 00:15:21.379 --> 00:15:24.259 moment to moment. So that could mean, what, longer 00:15:24.259 --> 00:15:27.440 range, better acceleration, maybe faster charging. 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:31.269 Exactly. Things like that. Using AI and designing 00:15:31.269 --> 00:15:33.809 control to squeeze out every bit of performance 00:15:33.809 --> 00:15:36.669 and efficiency, making EVs better, accelerating 00:15:36.669 --> 00:15:39.149 that smarter electric future by fine -tuning 00:15:39.149 --> 00:15:42.509 the core tech. Semaphore .ai got $25 million 00:15:42.509 --> 00:15:46.350 in a Series A extension on June 4th. Their focus 00:15:46.350 --> 00:15:49.289 is an enterprise AI agent platform. Right, we 00:15:49.289 --> 00:15:51.789 hear a lot about AI agents' smart programs that 00:15:51.789 --> 00:15:54.889 do tasks. Semaphore .ai provides the platform 00:15:54.889 --> 00:15:57.269 layer so companies can actually build, manage, 00:15:57.350 --> 00:16:04.129 and use these agents across the board. So it's 00:16:04.129 --> 00:16:05.830 not the agents themselves, but more like the 00:16:05.830 --> 00:16:08.529 factory for making and managing the agents inside 00:16:08.529 --> 00:16:10.330 a company. Yeah, that's a good way to think about 00:16:10.330 --> 00:16:12.509 it. It's the toolkit and infrastructure for businesses 00:16:12.509 --> 00:16:15.590 to really put AI agents to practical use. The 00:16:15.590 --> 00:16:17.590 source mentioned they integrate with data platforms 00:16:17.590 --> 00:16:20.309 like Snowflake, which is crucial. Agents need 00:16:20.309 --> 00:16:22.710 data. This funding helps make their platform 00:16:22.710 --> 00:16:25.029 more powerful and easier for companies to adopt. 00:16:25.250 --> 00:16:28.419 More security. Trustify raised $25 million. in 00:16:28.419 --> 00:16:31.820 a Series A on June 4th focused on AI email security. 00:16:32.200 --> 00:16:34.779 Yeah, our email inboxes. There's still a major 00:16:34.779 --> 00:16:37.080 front line for cyber attacks, right? Phishing, 00:16:37.179 --> 00:16:40.019 malware. Justify is building an AI shield that 00:16:40.019 --> 00:16:42.179 aims to be smarter than traditional filters that 00:16:42.179 --> 00:16:44.659 just look for known threats. How's AI better 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:47.500 at filtering email? Their AI analyzes the email 00:16:47.500 --> 00:16:49.820 content, the sender's behavior, even subtle things 00:16:49.820 --> 00:16:51.480 in the language that might signal a phishing 00:16:51.480 --> 00:16:53.600 attempt or malicious link that a simple filter 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:55.919 would miss. Plus, they integrate things like 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:58.200 encryption and data loss prevention specifically 00:16:58.200 --> 00:17:01.080 for email. So it's trying to keep up with the 00:17:01.080 --> 00:17:03.700 constantly evolving tricks cyber criminals use. 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:06.759 Absolutely. The threats get sneakier. Email volume 00:17:06.759 --> 00:17:10.259 is huge. You need smarter defenses like AI to 00:17:10.259 --> 00:17:13.279 stay ahead in that ongoing battle. This investment 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:15.240 helps them scale up. Okay, switching to... the 00:17:15.240 --> 00:17:18.099 legal world famously document heavy. WordSmith 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:21.559 AI raised $25 million in a Series A on June 3rd. 00:17:21.579 --> 00:17:24.119 Index Ventures, Scottish Enterprise were involved. 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:27.039 Yep, LegalTech AI agents. Legal work involves 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:29.420 so much reading, research, document analysis. 00:17:30.160 --> 00:17:33.079 WordSmith AI's platform offers AI agents designed 00:17:33.079 --> 00:17:35.079 specifically to help lawyers with those kinds 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:37.619 of tasks. So just to be clear, this isn't AI 00:17:37.619 --> 00:17:40.019 replacing lawyers, right? It's more like giving 00:17:40.019 --> 00:17:42.609 them tools. Definitely the latter. Think of them 00:17:42.609 --> 00:17:45.410 as AI legal assistants. They can rapidly sift 00:17:45.410 --> 00:17:48.390 through huge document sets, find relevant info, 00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:51.569 speed up legal research, even help draft standard 00:17:51.569 --> 00:17:54.849 documents. OK, so it frees up lawyers from the 00:17:54.849 --> 00:17:57.470 really time -consuming, maybe tedious parts, 00:17:57.630 --> 00:18:00.789 letting them focus on strategy, advice, court 00:18:00.789 --> 00:18:03.450 work. Precisely. Doesn't replace legal judgment, 00:18:03.630 --> 00:18:06.230 but gives lawyers powerful tools to work faster 00:18:06.230 --> 00:18:08.470 and maybe more accurately through mountains of 00:18:08.470 --> 00:18:10.950 information. That funding will help get these 00:18:10.950 --> 00:18:15.369 AI assistants Fabric raised just over $25 million, 00:18:15.670 --> 00:18:18.849 about $22 million in growth capital on June 4th. 00:18:18.869 --> 00:18:21.890 Their focus, industrial AI for the factory floor. 00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:24.490 Fabric is putting AI right into manufacturing 00:18:24.490 --> 00:18:27.329 plants. They focus on analyzing data coming directly 00:18:27.329 --> 00:18:29.349 off the machines and production lines in real 00:18:29.349 --> 00:18:31.569 time. Data from the machines. What for? What 00:18:31.569 --> 00:18:34.089 does the AI do with it? It optimizes everything 00:18:34.089 --> 00:18:37.430 on the factory floor. Spots inefficiencies, identifies 00:18:37.430 --> 00:18:40.049 bottlenecks, predicts when a machine might fail 00:18:40.049 --> 00:18:42.250 so they can fix it before it breaks down, improves 00:18:42.250 --> 00:18:45.769 overall quality and output. Investors like OSS 00:18:45.769 --> 00:18:47.890 Ventures are specifically focused on factories, 00:18:47.970 --> 00:18:49.769 so this is hitting a real need. So it's like 00:18:49.769 --> 00:18:52.450 giving the whole factory an IQ boost. Making 00:18:52.450 --> 00:18:55.390 it run smarter, smoother, less prone to surprises. 00:18:55.710 --> 00:18:58.490 Exactly. Taking all that raw machine data and 00:18:58.490 --> 00:19:01.109 turning it into actionable insights to make manufacturing 00:19:01.109 --> 00:19:03.470 much more efficient and cost effective. Almost 00:19:03.470 --> 00:19:07.069 there. Moma's lab raised $24 million in an unspecified 00:19:07.069 --> 00:19:10.130 series round on June 3rd. Ox and Orange Ventures. 00:19:10.509 --> 00:19:12.750 We're investors. Moments Lab tackles a growing 00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:15.650 problem. Finding stuff inside all the video content 00:19:15.650 --> 00:19:18.029 out there. They have an AI powered video discovery 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:19.809 platform. Like if I need to find where someone 00:19:19.809 --> 00:19:21.730 mentioned a specific topic in a long meeting 00:19:21.730 --> 00:19:24.960 recording or webinar. That kind of thing. Exactly 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.660 that. Their AI effectively watches and understands 00:19:27.660 --> 00:19:30.400 video content, identifies speakers, transcribes 00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:33.940 audio, recognizes objects, grasps concepts. It 00:19:33.940 --> 00:19:36.400 automatically tags everything, creates transcripts, 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:38.460 builds a searchable index. So you can search 00:19:38.460 --> 00:19:41.480 for words, topics, even people within huge video 00:19:41.480 --> 00:19:43.880 libraries and jump right to the relevant spot. 00:19:44.539 --> 00:19:47.240 Precisely. It makes video content, which is usually 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:49.480 pretty opaque, much more searchable and useful, 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.940 like text. This investment helps make their video 00:19:52.940 --> 00:19:55.720 search faster, smarter, and handle even more 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:58.319 content. And finally, rounding out our top 20 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:02.119 for this week, Avio raised $22 million in a Series 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:05.319 A, announced between June 4th and 5th, backed 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:08.200 by big names like Bain Capital Ventures and Kosla 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:11.440 Ventures. Avio is applying AI to a super important 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:14.740 area, traffic safety. Their platform uses AI 00:20:14.740 --> 00:20:17.660 to analyze traffic data and video feeds. How 00:20:17.660 --> 00:20:19.559 does that improve safety? What's the AI actually 00:20:19.559 --> 00:20:21.819 looking for? It's not just counting cars. The 00:20:21.819 --> 00:20:24.579 AI analyzes patterns to spot dangerous situations 00:20:24.579 --> 00:20:27.180 before accidents happen. It can identify near 00:20:27.180 --> 00:20:29.559 misses, predict high -risk intersections based 00:20:29.559 --> 00:20:31.980 on traffic flow issues, or even detect risky 00:20:31.980 --> 00:20:34.000 driving behaviors from camera feeds while maintaining 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:36.440 privacy naturally. Wow, so it's about preventing 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:38.440 crashes, not just analyzing them afterwards. 00:20:38.720 --> 00:20:42.039 Exactly. By flagging risks proactively, cities 00:20:42.039 --> 00:20:44.279 and traffic... authorities can use Obvio's insights 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:47.180 to maybe change signal timings, deploy resources 00:20:47.180 --> 00:20:50.400 more effectively, or redesign problem areas before 00:20:50.400 --> 00:20:53.380 people get hurt. It's critical safety tech, and 00:20:53.380 --> 00:20:55.940 that funding shows real confidence in its potential 00:20:55.940 --> 00:20:59.480 to save lives. Wow. Okay, so we just went through 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:02.200 the top 20 AI funding rounds from just one week, 00:21:02.319 --> 00:21:07.039 May 31st to June 6th, and the range... Seriously, 00:21:07.160 --> 00:21:09.200 it's just staggering. From literally plugging 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:11.680 into the brain with Neuralink to driving things 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:14.099 in space with Impulse Space, managing personal 00:21:14.099 --> 00:21:17.039 finances with Scalable Capital, fixing IT automatically 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:19.859 with Shield, helping first responders with Prepared, 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:22.339 brewing medicines with Anthea, securing email 00:21:22.339 --> 00:21:25.099 with Trustify, optimizing factories with Fabric, 00:21:25.140 --> 00:21:28.130 even preventing car crashes with Avio. Yeah, 00:21:28.210 --> 00:21:29.930 it really hammers the point home, doesn't it? 00:21:29.950 --> 00:21:31.910 This wasn't just, you know, a list of chatbot 00:21:31.910 --> 00:21:34.569 companies. It underscores the incredible breadth 00:21:34.569 --> 00:21:36.849 and the sheer speed of AI development and adoption. 00:21:37.109 --> 00:21:39.430 And the amount of money we saw just in that one 00:21:39.430 --> 00:21:41.750 week shows how much capital is backing these 00:21:41.750 --> 00:21:43.789 incredibly varied, sometimes really ambitious 00:21:43.789 --> 00:21:46.650 visions for AI's future. It really makes you 00:21:46.650 --> 00:21:48.869 stop and think like, OK, you've heard this incredible 00:21:48.869 --> 00:21:51.769 range, augmenting brains, automating space travel, 00:21:51.930 --> 00:21:54.730 managing money, running factories. It's such 00:21:54.730 --> 00:21:58.089 a spectrum. Totally. Yeah. For you listening 00:21:58.089 --> 00:22:00.589 right now, what do you think is the single most 00:22:00.589 --> 00:22:02.910 impactful AI application we talked about today? 00:22:03.369 --> 00:22:06.029 Which one feels like it could really shift things 00:22:06.029 --> 00:22:09.789 near or long term? And maybe take it a step further. 00:22:10.769 --> 00:22:13.869 How might these different areas, brain tech, 00:22:14.109 --> 00:22:17.210 space tech, finance, industry, how could they 00:22:17.210 --> 00:22:19.109 connect or influence each other down the line 00:22:19.109 --> 00:22:21.210 in ways we haven't even thought of? Yeah, that's 00:22:21.210 --> 00:22:23.710 a great question to ponder. Could insights from 00:22:23.710 --> 00:22:26.309 brain interfaces, say, help us build more intuitive 00:22:26.309 --> 00:22:28.970 controls for complex machines? Could better financial 00:22:28.970 --> 00:22:32.069 AI unlock funding for even wilder deep tech projects? 00:22:32.390 --> 00:22:34.670 The potential crossovers are fascinating. Right. 00:22:34.750 --> 00:22:36.849 It's not just 20 separate stories. It's a snapshot 00:22:36.849 --> 00:22:40.009 of this rapidly evolving ecosystem. This week's 00:22:40.009 --> 00:22:41.890 funding isn't just about the cash. It's a real 00:22:41.890 --> 00:22:44.630 glimpse into where AI is going and just how fast 00:22:44.630 --> 00:22:46.450 that future is being built. Definitely something 00:22:46.450 --> 00:22:48.480 to think about. Thanks for joining us on this 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:50.839 deep dive into that mountain of AI cash from 00:22:50.839 --> 00:22:52.000 one pretty remarkable week.