As the pandemic reaches new heights, with nearly 12 million cases and 260,000 deaths recorded in the U.S. to date, a glimmer of hope is on the horizon. Moderna and pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which are developing vaccines to fight the virus, have released preliminary data suggesting their vaccines are around 95% effective. Manufacturing and distribution is expected to ramp up as soon as the…
Loadsmart raises $90 million for AI that matches shippers with truck transportation
November 26, 2020
Loadsmart, a New York-based startup that leverages AI and hundreds of data sources to automate truckload booking, today announced a $90 million round at a valuation “north of $400 million.” The funding comes after the 300-person startup experienced 250% revenue growth…
ClosedLoop.ai raises $11 million for off-the-shelf AI solutions tailored for health care scenarios
November 26, 2020
ClosedLoop.ai (formerly Deep Health Technologies), a health care data science startup specializing in AI and automation, today raised $11 million in series A funding led by Greycroft and .406 Ventures with participation from Silicon Valley Bank and Meridian Street Capital.
BeyondMinds raises $15 million to drive enterprise AI adoption
November 26, 2020
BeyondMinds today announced a $15 million funding round led by Check Point cofounder Marius Nacht. The company, which is based in Tel Aviv and New York, says it will devote the bulk of these funds to sales and product R&D as it expands its customer base.
The benefits of AI and machine learning can feel intangible at times, but surveys show this hasn’t kept enterprises from adopting the…
AI-powered grocery management platform Afresh today raised $13 million in funding, which a source tells VentureBeat values the company at over $100 million. Afresh says the capital will enable it to expand its product across supply chain, store operations, and merchandising…
Google’s Project Guideline uses AI to help low-vision users navigate running courses
November 26, 2020
In collaboration with nonprofit organization Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Google today piloted an AI system called Project Guideline, designed to help blind and low-vision people run races independently with just a smartphone. Using an app that tracked the virtual race via…
Though humans historically provided concierge services for commercial buildings, guiding visitors to their destinations and answering questions, artificial intelligence and computer vision have advanced to the stage where fully digital alternatives can offer the same or better guidance. So Resonai is targeting enterprises with today’s launch of Vera Concierge, an augmented reality system that…
Canvas emerges from stealth with AI for drywall installation
November 26, 2020
Canvas, a company that uses machine learning to install drywall at construction sites, emerged from stealth today. Canvas was founded in 2017 and uses a modified JLG lift, robotic arm, and sensors to automate drywall installation.
Once that task is perfected, Canvas plans to…
Fable Studio won an Emmy Award for its Wolves in the Walls virtual reality project. Now it’s relaunching Lucy, a next-generation AI character, to have conversations in the wider world.
Lucy will soon be available on social platforms such as Zoom, Facebook, and Google…
Forter raises $125 million at a $1.3 billion valuation to combat ecommerce fraud with AI
November 26, 2020
Forter, an automated fraud detection platform for ecommerce, has raised $125 million in a series E round that values the company at over $1.3 billion.
The raise comes as ecommerce transactions surge under pandemic-driven lockdowns. But the throngs of people jumping online to shop have opened the floodgates to fraud. Recent data suggests digital fraud attacks have doubled in 2020, while the U.K.
