💦 Marvel Fusion Raises €50M Series B Extension as Fusion Tech Heats Up

Marvel Fusion, a nuclear energy startup based in Germany, has raised a €50M Series B extension, bringing its total funding to €385M and making it Europe’s best-funded fusion company.

🧪 The company is developing inertial confinement fusion, using lasers to trigger hydrogen implosions - an alternative to magnetic confinement used by competitors.

🙏 The new capital will support the shift from R&D to industrial deployment, with a prototype planned by 2032 and a commercial fusion plant by 2036.

As Europe races to catch up with U.S. fusion funding, Marvel’s novel approach and major backers position it as a leading contender in clean energy innovation.

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💵 Manna Raises $30M to Scale Drone Delivery to 1.5M Orders a Year

Irish drone startup Manna has secured $30 million to expand its autonomous delivery service across Europe, aiming for 1.5 million deliveries annually — a scale unmatched in the industry.

🚁 The company operates in Dublin suburbs and Finland, using drones that lower orders directly into backyards in under 3 minutes.

🔋 With hot-swappable battery modules and autonomous flight, Manna claims 8 deliveries/hour per drone - vs. 1.4/hour for rivals like Amazon, Alphabet’s Wing, and Zipline.

👍 Its ultra-lean operating model drives costs down to $4 per delivery, with a goal of hitting $1 at scale.

🫱 New partnerships with Wolt, Just Eat, and more top food delivery apps position Manna for rapid adoption through existing platforms.

While others chase scale with capital, Manna is quietly building a profitable, high-frequency delivery system that could dominate Europe's drone logistics race.

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📈 HoneyBook Hits $140M ARR, Adds AI as Valuation Pressure Eases

HoneyBook, the business management platform for freelancers and solopreneurs, revealed it has reached $140M in ARR, offering rare transparency from a ZIRP-era unicorn still holding a $2.4B valuation.

💼 Serving independent professionals with tools like CRM, billing, payments, and now AI-powered pricing guidance, HoneyBook says its proprietary data makes it uniquely positioned to support small business growth.

🛸 The newly launched AI features aim to boost user revenue by recommending pricing and strategy - thereby increasing transaction volume and platform take-rate.

Will AI-powered platforms like HoneyBook redefine productivity for solopreneurs - or is this too niche to scale further?

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⭕️ Willow Acquires Elvie's Assets as UK Women's Health Pioneer Moves into Administration

Willow, the San Francisco startup known for its wearable breast pumps, has acquired Elvie, a UK-based women's health company, as Elvie enters administration. The deal highlights a significant consolidation in the femtech sector amid ongoing market challenges.

💼 Willow has secured Elvie’s assets after months of negotiations, as Elvie faced financial struggles.

💰 Elvie, which raised over $186 million with a valuation of $241 million, will transfer its products and some of its team to Willow.

✨ Willow aims to expand its platform and strengthen its position in the women's health tech space, where profitability and scaling remain challenging.

⏫ The women's health market, valued at $60 billion, continues to face headwinds, including increased competition from cheaper products and limited exit opportunities for femtech companies.

Willow’s acquisition of Elvie marks a strategic move to consolidate and strengthen its presence in the femtech industry amid financial challenges and limited growth opportunities.

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🚗 Lucid to Ramp Up Gravity SUV Deliveries by End of April

Lucid Motors announced plans to resume customer deliveries for its all-electric Gravity SUV by the end of April, marking a crucial milestone for the EV maker as it aims to capture the American SUV market.

⚡️ Gravity is Lucid’s second vehicle and its first SUV, following the Lucid Air sedan series.

🧠 Production is ramping up at Lucid’s Casa Grande, Arizona factory, which will be key to maintaining momentum amid new 25% auto tariffs.

💰 The $94,900 Gravity boasts an impressive 450-mile EPA range and combines the performance of a sports car with the practicality of a seven-seater SUV.

🗣️ The announcement was made at a brand activation event in NYC, featuring a surprise performance by Cautious Clay.

Lucid’s efforts to ramp up Gravity deliveries mark a strategic push to solidify its position in the competitive electric SUV market.

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✅ Taxo Raises $5M to Transform Healthcare Admin with AI Reasoning Engine

San Francisco-based startup Taxo, founded by British doctor Ahmed Kerwan, has raised $5 million in a seed round led by Y Combinator, General Catalyst, and Character Capital. The company aims to reduce healthcare admin burdens with its innovative AI reasoning engine.

🧪 Taxo’s app helps medical professionals with tasks like prior authorizations, patient intake, and medical billing, achieving 98% prior authorization approval rates compared to the industry average of 80%.

🛸 What sets Taxo apart is its AI reasoning engine, which transparently explains its decision-making, building trust among users. The technology is built on existing models from OpenAI and Anthropic, with a healthcare-specific layer to increase accuracy and reliability.

⏫ The startup, founded in 2024, has already surpassed $1 million ARR and serves around 15 customers, including clinics and government providers.

💼 Taxo’s approach addresses doctors’ reluctance to use AI by ensuring transparency and traceability in recommendations, a critical factor in healthcare applications.

Will AI-powered platforms like Taxo redefine healthcare administration, or is the industry not ready for such transparency?

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👁 Scale AI Seeks $25 Billion Valuation in Potential Tender Offer

Data-labeling startup Scale AI is reportedly seeking a valuation of up to $25 billion in a potential tender offer, as demand for AI-driven data sorting surges. The move reflects investors' growing appetite for AI-focused companies.

⚡️ The company was last valued at $13.8 billion during a $1 billion Series F round led by Accel in 2024.

💼 A tender offer would allow existing shareholders to sell shares, offering liquidity amid prolonged public listing timelines.

🌱 Founded in 2016 by Alexandr Wang, the company serves major clients like OpenAI, Microsoft, and Meta, and recently secured a Defense Department contract to implement AI in operational decision-making.

🏅 Scale AI's rise has made Wang the world's youngest self-made billionaire, backed by prominent investors like Y Combinator, NVIDIA, Amazon, and Thrive Capital.

As AI demand intensifies, Scale AI is strategically positioning itself to capitalize on investor interest, potentially making a landmark move with its $25 billion valuation target.

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🛡 Hakimo Raises $10.5M to Revolutionize Autonomous Security with AI

Menlo Park-based AI security startup Hakimo has secured $10.5 million in Series A funding led by Vertex Ventures and Zigg Capital, with participation from RXR Arden Digital Ventures, Defy.vc, and Gokul Rajaram. The investment aims to expand Hakimo’s autonomous security monitoring platform.

🚨 Hakimo’s AI Operator autonomously monitors existing security systems, detecting threats in real time and responding without human intervention. This innovative approach tackles challenges like staff shortages, rising costs, and false alarm fatigue.

🛸 The AI reasoning engine distinguishes Hakimo by combining computer vision with generative AI, capable of detecting any describable threat and issuing real-time warnings.

🧠 Unlike traditional setups, Hakimo integrates with existing hardware, enabling quick deployment without the need for new infrastructure.

⏫ The company has tripled its customer base in the past year, now serving over 100 clients, including Fortune 500 enterprises, car dealerships, and multifamily apartments.

Will AI-driven autonomous security like Hakimo’s eventually replace human guards entirely, or will hybrid models prevail in the industry?

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🧪Ignota Labs Raises $6.9M to Give Failed Drugs a Second Chance with AI

Cambridge-based startup Ignota Labs has secured $6.9 million in a seed round co-led by Montage Ventures and AIX Ventures, aiming to revive failed drug candidates using AI-driven safety analysis. The funding will support the development of drugs that were nearly successful but were abandoned due to safety issues.

⭕️ Ignota Labs acquires failed drug candidates and uses its proprietary AI platform to identify toxicity issues, providing recommendations for chemical adjustments to make the drugs viable again.

💡 Instead of traditional drug discovery, which can cost over $10 million and take up to 8 years, Ignota’s approach cuts costs to under $1 million and speeds up the process to less than 2 years.

💰 The company plans to use the new funding to acquire more distressed drug assets and advance its first candidate, a PDE9A inhibitor for Alzheimer’s, into early trials.

🚨 CEO Sam Windsor highlights that while most AI drug discovery companies focus on new compounds, Ignota Labs targets near-successful drugs that were abandoned due to safety concerns, an area often overlooked by the industry.

Ignota Labs' innovative use of AI to revive failed drugs could disrupt traditional pharmaceutical R&D, offering a faster and more cost-effective path to clinical trials.

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👩‍⚕️ Gather Health Raises $17M to Revolutionize Primary Care for Older Adults

Gather Health, a Cambridge-based primary care startup, has secured $17 million in funding from Khosla Ventures, Maverick Ventures, and HC9 Ventures. The company focuses on keeping older adults out of the ER by combining medical offices with home care and social programs.

🚨 Gather Health targets patients aged 65+ on Medicare and Medicaid, aiming to reduce ER visits and hospitalizations through proactive care.

💡 The startup combines in-home monitoring technology, social activities, and remote care, reducing hospitalizations by 53% after 12 months.

🏠 By opening centers in underserved areas, like Dorchester, Boston, Gather Health addresses healthcare access challenges after the closure of local hospitals.

⏫With four centers already running, Gather aims to double its patient base to 5,000 by the end of the year while maintaining a value-based care model.

Gather Health's focus on community-driven, tech-enabled primary care offers a new approach to managing chronic conditions and reducing ER visits, especially for low-income older adults.

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💼 All Gravy Raises €2.6M to Bring AI to Frontline Workers

Copenhagen-based startup All Gravy has raised €2.6 million in a Seed round to scale its Gen Z-first, AI-powered platform for frontline workers. The funding supports UK expansion after signing major brands like Dishoom, Pizza Pilgrims, Honest Burgers, and Ottolenghi.

✨ All Gravy aims to streamline operations, communications, and training for retail and restaurant staff using a single all-in-one app.

⏫ The startup has tripled its revenue in the past 12 months and is used by over 1,000 shops and restaurants worldwide.

🤖 The platform uses AI to enhance productivity and support decision-making, adapting to the specific needs of each business.

💡 Investors include Scale Capital, Moonfire Ventures, Nordic Makers, and notable founders from Zendesk, Pleo, and Voi.

Will All Gravy's AI-powered platform become the new standard for frontline workforce management, or will traditional methods persist in the industry?

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🧬 Intelliseq Raises €4.5M to Advance DNA Analysis and Genetic Diagnostics

Polish bioinformatics startup Intelliseq has secured €4.5 million in its latest funding round led by Vinci HiTech, with participation from Unfold.vc and private investors. The funding will support international expansion, particularly in the US market.

⚡️ Intelliseq specializes in automated DNA analysis, using its flagship platform iFlow to streamline genetic diagnostics and make them more accessible and accurate.

🌎 The company collaborates with major research centers, including the Metrodora Institute and DNAnexus, to develop tools for chronic fatigue syndrome, long COVID, and somatic cancer diagnostics.

🧪 Founded in 2014 by four scientists, Intelliseq aims to enhance precision healthcare through genomics and bioinformatics solutions.

💡 The fresh funding will also be used to develop predictive algorithms and support the transition from traditional to preventive healthcare.

Intelliseq’s focus on automated DNA analysis and genetic diagnostics positions it as a pioneer in precision medicine, driving innovation and accessibility in healthcare.

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🍏 Apple Fined $162M by French Regulators Over Privacy Tool

French antitrust regulators have fined Apple 150 million euros ($162.4 million) for allegedly abusing its market dominance through the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) tool. This marks the first antitrust fine related to ATT.

⚖️ The fine addresses claims that ATT unfairly restricts mobile app advertising, making it harder for brands to advertise on Apple’s platforms.

🚫 The ruling follows previous fines, including a 1.8 billion euro penalty from the EU over Apple’s App Store practices.

💬 Apple expressed disappointment but noted that the French authority didn’t mandate specific changes to ATT.

🌎 The investigation covered the period 2021 to 2023, prompted by complaints from advertisers, publishers, and internet networks.

📊 The regulator argued that ATT disproportionately affected smaller publishers who rely on third-party data for revenue.

Apple now faces compliance challenges amid ongoing investigations in Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania.

Will this ruling prompt further scrutiny of Apple's privacy practices in Europe?

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▶️ Runway Unveils Gen-4: A High-Fidelity AI Video Generator

AI startup Runway has launched Gen-4, a cutting-edge AI-powered video generator designed to create highly dynamic and realistic videos with consistent characters, locations, and styles. The model is now available to individual and enterprise customers.

⚡️ Gen-4 can generate consistent characters and environments across scenes and maintain coherent world environments without additional fine-tuning.

🌎 The model supports dynamic videos with realistic motion, superior prompt adherence, and advanced world understanding.

💼 Backed by Salesforce, Google, and Nvidia, Runway competes with industry giants like OpenAI and Google while securing deals with Hollywood studios.

🚀 Runway plans to achieve $300 million in annual revenue this year and is currently raising a new funding round, aiming for a $4 billion valuation.

⚠️Runway faces a legal challenge over allegations of using copyrighted artwork for training its models, with the company arguing fair use as a defense.

With Gen-4, Runway is pushing the boundaries of AI-generated video content, but challenges remain as the film and TV industries grapple with the disruptive potential of these technologies.

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🤖 Temporal Raises $146M to Expand AI Microservices

Seattle-based startup Temporal has secured $146 million in a Series C funding round led by Tiger Global, with participation from Index Ventures and Sequoia Capital. The funding will support the development of AI-driven microservices and global expansion.

🚀 Temporal specializes in microservices orchestration, helping companies manage complex workflows and integrate AI capabilities.

🌎 The funds will be used to enhance R&D, improve cross-cloud support, and expand operations, particularly in EMEA and Asia-Pacific.

⚙️ Clients include Nvidia, Box, Instacart, Snap, and Stripe, utilizing Temporal for workflow management and AI integration.

💡The company's valuation has risen slightly to $1.72 billion, with revenues up 4.4x in the past 18 months.

Temporal's focus on agentic AI and reliable microservices positions it as a key player in the evolving AI infrastructure landscape.

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🧠 Chinese Brain Implant Project Set to Overtake Musk’s Neuralink

A Chinese brain-computer interface (BCI) project is gaining traction and may soon outpace Elon Musk's Neuralink. The collaboration between the Chinese Institute for Brain Research (CIBR) and NeuCyber NeuroTech has already implanted chips in three patients, with plans for ten more by the end of 2025.

🚀 The Beinao No.1 chip has shown success in enabling paralyzed patients to control robotic arms through thought.

🫱 China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has expressed strong support for advancing BCI technology, aiming to develop brain-computer fusion and brain-like chips.

🫀 Neuralink, which uses invasive chip implantation for stronger signals, lags behind as China pushes forward with semi-invasive chips.

💡 Another competitor, Synchron, backed by Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates, has trialed BCI tech on ten patients in the US.

🌎 With China's rapid support for BCI advancements, concerns arise over privacy and potential misuse of data within an authoritarian regime.

As China's BCI projects advance, the question remains: Can Neuralink maintain its edge in the race for human augmentation?

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🚀 SpaceX Launches 4 Space Tourists on Historic Polar Orbit

SpaceX has launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 4 space tourists on a groundbreaking mission to orbit both the North and South Poles. This marks the first-ever polar orbit with a commercial crew.

🚀 The crew includes Chun Wang, a Chinese-born entrepreneur and space enthusiast, along with Norwegian filmmaker Jannicke Mikkelsen, German robotics researcher Rabea Rogge, and Australian polar guide Eric Philips.

✨The mission, named Fram2, aims to conduct two dozen experiments, including the first human X-rays in space.

📸 The crew brought extra cameras to capture the unique polar views from space.

🌎 The polar orbit allows the capsule to circle the globe in 1.5 hours, flying over both poles, a first in 64 years of human spaceflight.

SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of commercial space travel, making space exploration more accessible and adventurous than ever before.

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🤖 Agility Robotics Raises $400M to Scale Bipedal Robot Digit

Agility Robotics, the company behind the bipedal robot Digit, has raised $400 million in new funding, pushing its valuation to $1.75 billion. The investment aims to scale production and expand real-world applications for Digit in logistics and industrial settings.

⚡️ Founded in 2015 as a spinout from Oregon State University, Agility focuses on creating humanoid robots to perform physically demanding tasks.

🤖 Digit is already being tested in Amazon warehouses, as well as by GXO Logistics and Schaeffler Group, to tackle warehouse shortages and repetitive tasks.

💡The new funding will support RoboFab expansion, team growth, and R&D to enhance Digit’s capabilities and reduce production costs.

🔗 Competitors like Figure AI, Apptronik, and Physical Intelligence are also attracting large investments, as the humanoid robotics race heats up.

Agility Robotics is positioning Digit as a practical, real-world solution for labor-intensive industries, moving humanoid robots closer to mainstream adoption.

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🏠 Roam Raises $11.5M to Revolutionize the Housing Market with Assumable Mortgages

New York-based startup Roam has raised $11.5 million in a Series A round led by Khosla Ventures, aiming to make assumable mortgages more accessible to homebuyers amid rising interest rates.

🌟 Roam's platform connects buyers to homes with assumable mortgages, allowing them to secure lower monthly payments compared to current rates.

🚀 In 2024, Roam facilitated $200 million in home sales, charging buyers 1% of the purchase price as a fee.

📈 The company plans to expand nationwide by the end of 2025, building on its presence in 17 states, including California, Texas, and Florida.

💼 CEO Raunaq Singh, formerly of Opendoor, emphasizes the platform's ability to reduce homebuying time from 180 days to 45 days.

💡 Roam's innovative model addresses the housing affordability crisis, offering a solution to high mortgage rates with assumable loans.

Roam’s mission to make homeownership more affordable positions it as a key player in the evolving housing tech landscape.

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🇨🇳 Chinese Tech Giants Rush to Buy Nvidia’s H20 AI Chips Amid U.S. Ban

Chinese companies like ByteDance, Alibaba, and Tencent have placed over $16 billion in orders for Nvidia’s H20 AI chips in the first quarter of 2025, trying to secure the hardware before potential U.S. export restrictions come into effect.

💰 The H20 chip is Nvidia’s top-tier AI processor still available in China, designed after the 2023 U.S. export ban on more advanced chips.

🚀 Nvidia’s revenue from Chinese sales hit $17 billion last year, accounting for 13% of its total revenue.

⚠️Supply concerns are emerging, as H3C and other Chinese manufacturers warn of potential shortages.

🔄 Despite the looming restrictions, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said he doesn’t expect a major short-term impact, though plans are in place to shift production to the U.S.

With AI demand skyrocketing in China, tech firms are racing to secure essential hardware, making Nvidia's H20 chip a hot commodity before potential bans hit.

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💡DeepIP Raises $15M to Streamline Patent Drafting with AI

Paris and New York-based startup DeepIP has secured $15 million in a Series A round led by Resonance, with participation from Headline, Serena Capital, and Balderton. The funding will be used to enhance its AI assistant and expand product teams.

🤖 DeepIP's AI assistant helps draft patents faster, summarizing large documents, suggesting alternative claim structures, and detecting omissions.

🌎 The platform is gaining traction among corporations and law firms, including Schwegman Lundberg Woessner, and has already helped draft 8,500 patent applications.

🗣️CEO François-Xavier Leduc emphasizes that the AI tool is designed to assist rather than replace patent practitioners, making the patent filing process more efficient.

💼 With legal tech investment on the rise, DeepIP's solution addresses the complexity of patent drafting, saving time and effort for attorneys.

DeepIP is positioned to revolutionize patent drafting by combining AI innovation with human expertise, making the process faster and more accurate.

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