INTERNATIONAL news
Henkel and LAIIER to scale novel solutions for smart buildings
Sensor maker LAIIER and Germany based chemical and consumer goods company Henkel recently announced a partnership to scale novel printed electronics solutions for smart building applications. The companies plan to drive the implementation of LAIIER´s Severn Water Leak Detector for commercial and industrial buildings and to combine their tech and innovation capabilities to further develop the solution.
Metaverse education alliance to federate metaverse industry leaders
It is said that 70 to 150 million talents are required to realise the metaverse by 2030 and 7 million educators are needed to train the next generation of builders of metaverse. This was discussed in the forum at MetaExpo Singapore where the forum participants agreed that at this stage of market development, the Web3 and metaverse ecosystem should take collective action in creating educational programs.
World Mobile expands its network across Africa
World Mobile is looking to provide connectivity for hard-toreach areas within Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria. After successful pilot tests using low earth orbit (LEO) satellites in the US and the UK, World Mobile is now expanding its network across the African continent. With positive results being found in the ongoing tests of Starlink, one of the many LEO satellites, the company looks to enable services to roll out more efficiently across sub-Saharan Africa. There are an estimated 2.7 billion people who are unconnected globally.
36 Volvo electric trucks ordered by Australia
Volvo Trucks, currently the only global truck manufacturer with a full range of electric trucks in series production, aims for half of its global total sales of new trucks to be electric by 2030. Team Global Express, in line with the country’s aim, has placed an order for 36 Volvo trucks of the model Volvo FL Electric. These trucks can operate at a total weight of 16 tonnes. They are equipped with four 66kWh battery packs for increased range and improved charging performance and utilise a 600volt single motor electric drive system and a 2-speed automated transmission.
Spot AI to transform data from cameras into video intelligence
Video intelligence company Spot AI recently announced that it has raised a sum of $40 million in its Series B funding round.
Led by Scale Venture Partners, the financing round saw the participation from existing investors Redpoint Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and new investors StepStone Group and MVP Ventures. The company aims to utilise the funds to transform data from business cameras into video intelligence. It also noted that Hypergrowth Partners joined Spot AI as an advisor.
Locus Robotics raises funds for its warehouses
Locus Robotics recently secured $117 million in its latest round of Series F funding. The round was led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners. It must be noted that Goldman Sachs MD, Mark Midle, and Zach Barasz, Partner, G2 Venture Partners, will join the Locus Board of Directors. The company aims to rush the funds for fulfilment and distribution warehouses.
Chicony and TI collaborate to roll out 65W laptop adaptor
Chicony Power recently announced its collaboration with semiconductor solutions leader Texas Instruments (TI) to roll out Chicony Power’s latest 65W laptop power adaptor, Le Petit, featuring TI’s GaN technology. Chicony leveraged TI’s half-bridge GaN FET with an integrated gate driver, LMG2610. The official communication noted that the companies collaborated on a design to reduce the size of Chicony’s power adaptor by 50% and increase efficiency by up to 94%.
M12 and GitHub partner to launch M12 GitHub Fund
Microsoft’s venture fund M12 has partnered with GitHub to launch the M12 GitHub Fund. This fund would provide meaningful resources enabling open source startups that develop on GitHub’s platform to achieve their goals. Both parties believe that developers are the heartbeat of enterprise progress and innovation and are looking for investments at the seed stage. This would ensure that the impact, capital, connections, access, and benefits that the founders need are clearly seen.
Shield AI to bolster tech development with infused capital
Shield AI recently announced that it secured additional equity capital of $60 million at its Series E price, whose initial part was closed in June this year. The capital was infused by the US Innovative Technology Fund. Shield AI mentioned that the additional raise closed out the round at $225 million, with $150 million in equity and $75 million in debt. The defence company will bolster its technology development with the infused capital. It is noteworthy that the initial part of Series E made the company the fourth venture-backed, multi-billion-dollar defence-technology startup in two decades.