Nvidia Expands in China, Microsoft Launches Phi-4, and Astrix Raises $45M

Hi there,

Today's top stories spotlight Nvidia's growing investment in China to drive autonomous vehicles, Microsoft’s unveiling of the compact and efficient Phi-4 generative AI model, and Astrix Security’s $45 million funding to tackle cyber threats targeting non-human identities.

Today’s top stories

Nvidia Expands Hiring in China to Advance AI-Driven Cars

Nvidia has increased its workforce in Beijing by around 200 people, aiming to enhance autonomous driving technologies despite trade restrictions on advanced chips. The company now employs nearly 600 people in China, a key market that generated $5.4 billion in sales last quarter. Read more

Astrix Security Secures $45M in Series B Funding to Enhance NHI Security

Astrix Security has successfully raised $45 million in a Series B funding round led by Menlo Ventures, aimed at bolstering its technology for securing non-human identities, which are increasingly targeted in cyberattacks. Read more

Scientifica VC Launches €200M Fund for Quantum Computing and AI Startups

Scientifica Venture Capital introduces a €200M fund, Scientifica Fund 1 (SF1), to boost innovation in quantum computing, smart materials, and more, set to launch in early 2025. Read more

Microsoft Unveils Phi-4, a Compact Yet Powerful Generative AI Model

Microsoft has introduced Phi-4, a generative AI model with 14 billion parameters, designed to excel in specialized tasks like mathematical reasoning. Currently available for research, Phi-4 aims to outperform larger models while using fewer computational resources. Read more

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Other stories

• Calabrio Acquires Echo AI to Enhance Contact Center Solutions

• ByteDance Launches Infinity Model for High-Resolution Image Synthesis

• Adobe Expands AI Strategy with Video Generation Tools

• Xaira Therapeutics Strengthens Leadership and Moves HQ for AI Drug Discovery

• Anybotics Secures $60 Million to Expand Autonomous Industrial Robots in the U.S.

• Microsoft's M12 Invests Additional $22.5M in AI Startup NeuBird

• US States Lead AI Regulation Efforts Amid Federal Inaction

• CDAO and DIU Launch AI Rapid Capabilities Cell to Enhance DoD's AI Adoption

• Harvard Releases AI Training Dataset of Public-Domain Books

• AI Startup HiringBranch Secures $3.5 Million for Soft Skills Assessment

• eSelf Secures $4.5 Million to Develop Video-Based Conversational AI Agents

• Blumind Unveils Low-Power Analog AI Chip for Wearables and Healthcare

• Amazon's SAMBhav Venture Fund Grows to $350 Million, Boosting AI Startups

• Alset AI Acquires Majority Stake in Cedarcross Technologies

• ETHIACK Secures €4 Million to Advance AI-Driven Cybersecurity Solutions

• Harvard and Google to Release 1 Million Public-Domain Books for AI Training

• Voice AI Startup Vapi Secures $20 Million in Funding Led by Bessemer and Y Combinator

• Suncorp and Microsoft Sign Five-Year Deal to Boost AI and Cloud Integration

• Abu Dhabi Unveils Hub71+ AI to Support AI Startups

• IP Copilot Secures $4.2M to Transform Slack Messages into Patents Using AI

• Crusoe Energy Systems Raises $600 Million to Expand AI Data Centers

• Malaysia Launches National AI Office to Boost Regional AI Development

• Acurai Achieves 100% Elimination of AI Hallucinations in Landmark Study

• Canada Proposes $15 Billion Incentive for AI Green Data Centre Investment

• Tenstorrent and BOS Semiconductors Introduce AI Chips for Vehicles

• SK Telecom Invests $3 Million in AI Video Analysis Startup Twelve Labs

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