Happy Thursday everyone and Happy New Year!
Welcome to AI Weekly Digest ?? Your essential AI briefing, carefully curated by me, Rubén Colomer, AI Specialist and GP at Next Tier Ventures. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest AI breakthroughs, key funding news, innovative tools, thought-provoking reads, and the best AI job opportunities - it's all here!
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News ?????
- OpenAI Considers Restructuring to Better Support Its Mission: OpenAI's Board of Directors is exploring changes to its corporate structure to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. The company is considering transforming its current for-profit entity into a Delaware Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) to allow for conventional equity capital raising while still maintaining the non-profit’s mission focus. This restructuring aims to make the non-profit sustainable and ensure both arms of OpenAI can effectively contribute to advancing AGI.
- Why 2025 will be the year of AI orchestration: As organizations move beyond experimentation, 2025 will focus on deploying AI agents at scale and improving productivity. With new orchestration frameworks emerging and better agent integrations across platforms, businesses aim to demonstrate real ROI. Overcoming human adoption challenges remains a critical hurdle.
- Google’s CEO warns ChatGPT may become synonymous to AI the way Google is to Search. During a recent strategy meeting, Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted the company’s plan to scale Gemini, its consumer-focused AI, in 2025. Pichai expressed concern that ChatGPT is becoming synonymous with AI, similar to how Google is associated with search. He emphasized the need for Google to execute well and stay competitive in the evolving AI space, with a focus on faster product development and addressing real user problems. Pichai also anticipates a back-and-forth competition between Gemini and OpenAI’s GPT models in the coming year.
- AI Reshapes the Workforce with a 200% Surge in Job Titles: AI-related leadership roles have grown 428% since 2022, emphasizing strategic investments across industries. The rise in engineering and generative AI roles highlights the increasing demand for technical skills as companies prioritize AI-driven innovation and compete for top talent.
- Coca-Cola and Omnicom lead AI marketing innovation: Coca-Cola and Omnicom are transforming advertising by integrating AI into creative and operational strategies. From AI-generated ad remakes to predictive analytics optimizing customer engagement, these initiatives highlight AI’s growing role in refining marketing tactics and driving efficiency. Despite its potential, concerns around ethics and agency use persist.
- OpenAI's o3 isn't AGI yet but it just did something no other AI has done. OpenAI's new model, o3, has demonstrated significant advancements in AI capabilities, outperforming previous AI models in the ARC-AGI test. With a 76% accuracy, it surpassed human participants, marking a major shift in AI's adaptability to novel tasks. However, experts like Fran?ois Chollet emphasize that o3 is not yet AGI, noting that it still struggles with some simpler tasks. The model's architecture, which involves extensive test-time search, is considered a departure from the GPT series, signifying a step change in AI's capabilities.
Funding ????
- Mantis Robotics Raises $5 Million to Revolutionize Human-Robot Interaction. Mantis Robotics, led by CEO Gerry Vannuffelen, has raised $5 million in funding, spearheaded by Emerald Technology Ventures and joined by the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. The company specializes in Physical AI for industrial robots, enabling human-robot interaction without external safeguards. Mantis' technology uses AI and sensor data to allow robots to detect obstacles and adjust autonomously, making them safer and more efficient.
- Retellio Raises $1.3 Million to Transform Customer Insights for B2B Companies. Retellio, led by co-founders Brent Pretty and Andrea King, has secured $1.3 million in funding, with Pelorus Ventures leading the round, supported by Island Capital, East Valley Ventures, The51, and the Women’s Equity Lab. Retellio leverages AI to convert customer calls into insightful podcasts, helping B2B companies gain actionable intelligence from hours of customer feedback.
- Sentient AI Secures $1.5 Million for AI Agent Launchpad on Sui. Sentient AI, founded by Sergei B, has raised $1.5 million in funding, with backing from Ape Terminal, GameFi.org, Polkastarter, and ChainGPT. The company is developing an advanced AI Agent capable of human-like thoughts and emotions, functioning as a chatbot and personal assistant. Sentient AI's unique approach emphasizes empathy and creativity in its responses.
- Proton Intelligence Raises $6.95 Million to Revolutionize Potassium Monitoring in Cardio-Kidney Care. Proton Intelligence, led by CEO Dr. Sahan Ranamukhaarachchi, has secured $6.95 million in Seed financing, with participation from SOSV, We Venture Capital, and others. The company is developing the first-ever Continuous Potassium Monitoring (CKM) platform, designed to address critical gaps in managing cardio-kidney-metabolic diseases.
- Cadstrom Raises $6.8 Million to Revolutionize Electronic Design with AI. Cadstrom, founded by Margot Blouin and Scott Bright, has secured $6.8 million in Seed funding, led by Bison Ventures and supported by Innovation Endeavors and AI2 Incubator. The company’s AI-based expert system, powered by its proprietary Sigma Engine, helps electrical engineers design devices that work on the first try, reducing the need for costly and time-consuming design respins.
M&A ??
- 2024's Most Impactful Tech Mergers and Acquisitions: AI-Driven Deals Lead the Way. The tech sector in 2024 saw an unprecedented $250 billion in mergers and acquisitions, driven largely by artificial intelligence advancements. Key acquisitions include HubSpot’s purchase of Frame AI to boost its CRM capabilities with AI-powered insights, and Proofpoint’s acquisition of Normalyze to enhance its data security platform with AI-driven technologies. Notable cybersecurity deals include the $162 million acquisition of Trail Security by Cyera, while the semiconductor space saw AMD’s $4.9 billion acquisition of ZT Systems. These strategic moves reflect the industry's rapid evolution, driven by AI and cloud technologies, setting the stage for future innovations.
- Coeptis Therapeutics Acquires NexGenAI Platform and Launches Coeptis Technologies Division. Coeptis Therapeutics, led by CEO Dave Mehalick, has acquired the NexGenAI Affiliates Network platform, an AI-powered marketing and robotic process automation tool developed by NexGenAI Solutions Group. This acquisition enhances Coeptis' ability to streamline marketing and operations in the highly regulated biotech, pharmaceutical, and MLM sectors. Additionally, Coeptis has launched Coeptis Technologies, a new division aimed at diversifying the company's growth potential and advancing innovation within the biopharmaceutical industry.
- Permira’s Brian Ruder Discusses AI, Co-Leadership, and Recent Acquisitions: In an interview, Brian Ruder, co-managing partner and co-CEO at Permira, shared insights on the firm’s recent billion-dollar acquisitions, including taking Squarespace private for $7.2 billion. Ruder emphasized Permira's focus on the tech sector, especially AI, and how the firm is applying AI across its portfolio, such as Zendesk’s embrace of generative AI. Ruder also discussed Permira's co-leadership model, which he believes enhances decision-making speed and effectiveness, and their strategy of investing in high-quality businesses led by founders.
Interesting Reads ????
- What We Learned About AI from 7 Active Startup Investors in 2024. In 2024, AI emerged as the primary focus for venture funding, with investors backing AI-driven applications that transform sectors like healthcare, autonomous driving, and robotics. Scale Venture Partners' Rory O’Driscoll emphasized the importance of identifying the first successful AI applications in industries, while Felicis' Sundeep Peechu predicted a rise in multimodal AI, integrating text, images, sound, and video. Menlo Ventures' Anthology fund, backed by Anthropic, is helping early-stage startups leverage AI models. Investors like Battery Ventures’ Dharmesh Thakker see AI as a "fabric" boosting productivity across sectors, while others note AI’s potential to turn service revenue into product revenue
- 12 Key AI Predictions for 2025: What to Expect in the World of Artificial Intelligence. This article highlights 12 key AI predictions for 2025, including the widespread enterprise adoption of Generative AI, the shift to smaller, custom language models, and improved reasoning abilities for better decision-making. We’ll see massive growth in AI use cases in sectors like customer service and marketing, along with increased AI regulation. AI will become more ubiquitous in workflows, enabling mass customization of enterprise software solutions.
- 10 AI Predictions for 2025: What the Future Holds for Artificial Intelligence. In this article, Rob Toews presents 10 key AI predictions for 2025, covering technology, business, and policy shifts. Key insights include Meta charging for its Llama models, the emergence of scaling laws beyond text, and AI data centers in space. Web agents are expected to become mainstream, while autonomous vehicles and robotaxi services will significantly grow. Additionally, AI systems will start autonomously building better AI, and the first real AI safety incident will take place, marking a turning point in AI governance and regulation.
- 2025 Predictions: Enterprises, Researchers, and Startups Home In on Humanoids, AI Agents as Generative AI Crosses the Chasm. In this article, NVIDIA experts predict that agentic AI and humanoid robots will be key developments in 2025, helping industries to innovate and improve efficiency. Enterprises will adopt multimodal AI to power a range of applications, from customer service to manufacturing. As quantum computing matures, AI will drive progress in complex simulations. AI agents will become widespread, acting as orchestrators in business, and AI-powered humanoid robots will gradually enter various industries. The rise of AI query engines will transform how businesses access and utilize data, enhancing decision-making and productivity.
- How Agentic AI Is Reshaping Data Science Careers: Agentic AI is transforming data science, demanding a shift from problem-solving to problem-framing, and emphasizing business understanding and technical integration. Data scientists will play a pivotal role as orchestrators, balancing AI frameworks, business goals, and ethical considerations, while mastering skills in reinforcement learning, multimodal AI, and AI ethics to remain indispensable in an AI-driven world.
Startups / Tools ?????
- GMind AI: An AI-driven platform designed to assist professionals with research, ideation, and web content creation. It offers features for content generation, research assistance, and business support, tailored to meet the needs of educators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
- You.com: An AI-powered search engine that integrates various tools to enhance productivity. It includes features like YouWrite, an AI writing assistant, and YouImagine, an AI art generator, providing a comprehensive platform for information retrieval and content creation.
- Twos: A versatile to-do list app with strategic AI integration, aimed at making task management simpler and more intuitive. It offers note-taking, to-do lists, and various list functionalities, with AI components providing relevant links and automations based on user input.
- Fireflies: An AI meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and analyzes meetings, providing summaries and actionable insights to enhance team collaboration and productivity.
- Speechify: An AI-powered text-to-speech tool that transforms text into natural-sounding speech, allowing users to listen to articles, documents, and books on the go.
- Deepnote: A collaborative data analysis and visualization platform that integrates with various data sources, enabling teams to work together in real-time on data projects.
- Artguru: An AI-driven tool that transforms your photos into various artistic styles, including oil painting, watercolor, and cartoon, offering a creative outlet for content creators and marketers.
- LightX: An AI-powered photo editing tool that allows users to replace objects in images with a simple text prompt, facilitating quick and creative image modifications.
- PaperPal: An AI tool designed to assist researchers and writers by offering suggestions on grammar, style, and clarity to improve academic and professional writing.
- Elicit: An AI platform that aids businesses in conducting market research by analyzing customer feedback and generating actionable insights.
NTV Highlights ????
€50 Million AI Startup Fund Launched by GVC Gaesco and Next Tier Ventures Yesterday, several media outlets announced the launch of our joint venture with GVC Gaesco and the approval of our €50 million fund by the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV). Named Next Tier GVC Gaesco S.C.R.S.A., the fund will target 30–35 B2B AI startups across Europe, the U.S., and Latin America, focusing on transformative AI technologies.
Led by my partner Patricia Pastor and myself, this initiative combines GVC Gaesco’s financial expertise with our extensive experience in tech investments. It’s a significant step in positioning ourselves as leading AI investors in Spain and Latin America, and we couldn’t be more excited to get started!
Next Tier Ventures Heads to Punta Tech Uruguay in January 2025 We're excited to announce that Next Tier Ventures will be attending Punta Tech Meetup this coming January in Punta del Este, Uruguay. As one of the most anticipated networking events in Latin America, Punta Tech brings together tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors to foster connections and strengthen the region's tech ecosystem.
We look forward to engaging with like-minded innovators and exploring new opportunities to collaborate and grow. See you at the Museum of Contemporary Art Atchugarry (MACA) on January 13th!
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