In an early-stage fundraising round, [DatologyAI](https://www.datologyai.com/) just raised $46 million to improve the effectiveness of AI model training. Less than three months after raising $11.65 million in seed funding, the artificial intelligence data curation company disclosed its Series A funding. The investment was led by Felicis Ventures' Viv Faga and Astasia Myers and featured new investors like Elad Gil, M12, and the Amazon Alexa Fund in addition to returning backers like Radical Ventures and Amplify Partners. DatologyAI has raised a total of around $57.7 million in investment thus far.

In order to solve a significant obstacle in the development of generative AI, the business wants to [democratize data research](https://siliconangle.com/2024/02/22/datologyai-raises-11-65m-automate-data-curation-efficient-ai-training/). This problem is the generation of large, pertinent datasets for the purpose of training advanced AI models such as Google LLC's [Gemini Pro](https://deepmind.google/technologies/gemini/pro/) and OpenAI's [GPT-4](https://openai.com/index/gpt-4-research/). Through the identification and optimization of the most valuable data inside datasets, DatologyAI's solutions simplify this process and increase the effectiveness of model training.

The strategy employed by DatologyAI is centered on preventing AI from being trained on toxic or biased content, which might result from subtle, prejudicial patterns in the data. The business places a strong emphasis on the value of well chosen, excellent training datasets for improving AI model performance without the need for big, expensive AI models. This effectiveness can drastically lower computing costs, which is a big worry for AI companies.

DatologyAI's technology helps identify potentially dangerous data items and labels unlabeled data in addition to maximizing data consumption. With the additional funding, DatologyAI intends to grow its workforce considerably, especially in the areas of engineering and research, and enhance its computational capacity to further the potential of data curation.


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DatologyAI Secures $46M for AI Model Optimization and Data Curation


Convergence AI, a UK AI startup founded last month by former [Cohere](https://cohere.com/) employees, is already in talks to raise a sizable pre-seed round in the midst of venture capitalists' ongoing spending rush in the AI sector.

Founded by former Cohere workers Marvin Purtorab and Andy Toulis (who was also an Uber machine-learning engineer), the firm was incorporated at the end of April. According to investor documents that were leaked and seen by [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/london-ai-startup-convergence-raising-pre-seed-024-5), their main goal is to use AI to build automated workforces.

According to two London insiders, the startup has at least six separate term sheets for funding and the backing of numerous top funds. Six people familiar with the transaction told BI that Convergence AI chose to pursue a pre-seed investment round headed by the London venture capital company Balderton Capital.

Because the agreement is not closed, the size of the round has not yet been decided. Five sources stated that Convergence AI's first goal was to obtain $10 million from investors.

Two sources claim that the business may raise closer to $12 million, thus the deal may close on a higher amount. According to three investors in London, the money might result in a $50 million valuation for Convergence AI.

The startup wants to create "agents" that can communicate with one another on behalf of staff members via pre-agreed access levels to messaging services like Slack or email. These employees' digital twins may respond and take activities on their behalf if they are not present or offline.

Significant VC interest has been seen in startups boasting alumni from AI giants such as OpenAI, DeepMind, and Nvidia throughout the last eighteen months. Numerous firms have surfaced, each with substantial funding.

Investor attention has been drawn to startups creating AI agents and foundational models since [ChatGPT-3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChatGPT) launched in November 2022. Notable examples include the London venture 11x, the Paris startup Holistic, the competitor French company Mistral in OpenAI, and the AI voice-cloning startup ElevenLabs.


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UK's Startup Convergence AI Plans Major Funding Round 


With their AI-powered, self-governing players, [Altera](https://altera.al/) is entering the gaming industry and has the potential to transform the way people play games. The firm has declared that it has successfully raised $9 million in an oversubscribed seed investment round. [First Spark Ventures](https://www.firstsparkventures.com/), directed by Eric Schmidt, and [Patron](https://patron.fund/), a fund started by former Riot Games engineers, co-led this round.

Earlier in the year, Altera raised $2 million from a16z SPEEDRUN and other investors in a pre-seed round. To speed up product development and expansion, the company intends to use the additional funding to hire more scientists, engineers, and employees.

Altera wants to go beyond the basic AI bots and generative AI copilots that help with resolving complicated queries at the moment. The current emphasis is on creating AI bots that behave like real people and have subtle human-like characteristics.

Gaming is one of the earliest uses for these AI agents, especially for games like [Minecraft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minecraft) that allow mods. The first offering from Altera is an AI agent made to play Minecraft with users, simulating a conversation with a real friend. Creating multi-agent environments that may lead to new opportunities in entertainment and market research is part of the company's larger goal.

Under the direction of neurologist and former MIT associate professor Robert Yang, Altera is not merely developing AI; it is also trying to reimagine its potential. Yang and his co-founders left their research lab at MIT to concentrate on creating AI entities with social-emotional intelligence. Yang stresses that these entities complement humanity rather than replace it, even in spite of his goal of creating digital humans.

Yang's customer-first strategy runs counter to the AI sector's overall emphasis on business solutions. Depending on the player's preference, Altera's agents can either improve or complicate gameplay as they are meant to function more as companions than as assistants.

With 750 Minecraft players, Altera is presently testing its model in preparation for a wider release at the end of the summer. The AI agents don't require unique programming for every game because they are made to carry out common gameplay tasks like construction and trading on their own. With an eye toward the future, Altera intends to modify its technology for more extensive gaming and virtual experience uses, suggesting a possible foray into different video games and platforms.

The ability of Altera's AI agents to completely alter interaction in digital settings is demonstrated by the startup's fundraising rounds success and the faith of prominent investors.


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Altera Develops Autonomous AI Agents for Interactive Gaming


[Sonio](https://sonio.ai/) is a French startup that creates ultrasound software with artificial intelligence. [Samsung Medison](https://www.samsungmedison.com/), a division of Samsung Electronics focused on diagnostic imaging products, stated on Wednesday that it intends to purchase Sonio for about $92.7 million (KRW 126 billion).

Based in Paris, Sonio offers artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to help gynecologists and obstetricians with the evaluation and recording of ultrasound exams. Sonio Detect is a deep learning tool that the firm has received FDA 510(k) approval for in the United States. It improves the quality of ultrasound images in real time.

According to Samsung Medison, using Sonio's software would improve its AI-powered imaging capabilities. Samsung Electronics presently owns 68.45% of Medison after paying $22 million for the bulk of the company in 2011.

Following the acquisition, Sonio will function independently and carry on growing its product line and market share in France.

Sonio was founded in 2020 by Rémi Besson, the CSO, and Cecile Brosset, the CEO. In August 2023, the company secured [$14 million in a Series A fundraising round](https://sonio.ai/en/news/series-a-funding/) led by Cross Border Impact Ventures. Among its investors are Elaia, Bpifrance French Tech Seed, and OneRagtime, with a total of $27.2 million raised.

In an [interview with TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/07/samsung-medison-to-aqcuire-french-ai-ultrasound-startup-sonio-for-92-7m/), Samsung Medison CEO Yong Kwan Kim explains that the acquisition of Sonio underlines the company's commitment to improve life quality through technology. He mentioned how the collaboration will bring about a significant change in prenatal ultrasound exams by integrating exceptional ultrasound AI technology with advanced reporting capabilities. 

The CEO of Sonio, Cecile Brosset, commented on the exciting growth potential that arises from fusing Sonio's cutting-edge AI with Samsung Medison's global ultrasound operations. She described Samsung Medison as a reliable partner that will help accelerate Sonio's objective. Sonio will continue to be independent in order to advance diagnostic software and medical reporting technologies globally, with a particular emphasis on underprivileged healthcare locations, even after the agreement.

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Samsung Medison Acquires French AI Ultrasound Startup Sonio for $92.7 Million


U.K.-based startup [Wayve](https://wayve.ai/), known for its self-learning autonomous driving technology, has secured $1.05 billion in Series C funding, led by SoftBank Group. This accomplishment is among the top 20 worldwide and signifies the most AI funding in the United Kingdom. Notable individuals like Yann LeCun, head of AI of [Meta](https://about.meta.com/) provided early backing for the funding round, which also included participation from Nvidia and Microsoft, an existing investor.

Wayve, founded in Cambridge in 2017, has already secured $20 million in a Series A round in 2019 and [$200 million in a Series B](https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/18/wayve-raises-200m-series-b-led-by-eclipse-for-its-ai-for-autonomous-delivery-vehicles/) financing in January 2022. The business plans to expand internationally and improve its solutions for assisted and completely autonomous driving in addition to other AI-driven automotive applications with the additional funds.

In contrast to its rivals in San Francisco, Wayve began testing an electric Renault Twizy on Cambridge's narrow streets as part of its "end-to-end" self-driving system. Using delivery trucks from businesses like [Ocado](https://www.ocado.com/webshop/startWebshop.do), which has invested $13.6 million in the venture, the company taught its model.

Like Tesla, Wayve aims to collect a large amount of training data to improve its models by selling its autonomous driving technology to different automakers. The business is also investigating the possibilities of its "Embodied AI" platform in the fields of robotics and manufacturing, with the goal of achieving breakthroughs in customized driving styles and language-responsive interfaces.

Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve, emphasized the company's advancements as well as the movement in the auto industry toward AI-enhanced cars with GPUs and cameras. This round of funding supports Wayve's objective of turning this technology into goods that are ready for the market and confirms its technological approach.

The managing partner of SoftBank initiative Advisers, Kentaro Matsui, and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have acknowledged the importance of this initiative, pointing out that it has the potential to establish the U.K. as a pioneer in artificial intelligence and to revolutionize worldwide standards for safety and mobility.



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Wayve Secures $1B for Autonomous Driving Tech, Marking the U.K.'s Largest AI Fundraise


Following a cyberattack last week that resulted in a temporary shutdown throughout Western Canada, [London Drugs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Drugs) will start to gradually restore its stores, the company announced on Saturday. President and Chief Operating Officer [Clint Mahlman showed appreciation](https://www.discoverairdrie.com/articles/london-drugs-to-re-open-stores-gradually-following-last-weeks-cyber-attack) for the company's efforts to restore full system operations and services in the wake of the cyber event, as well as for the patience and support shown by suppliers and consumers.

The company highlights that the reopening process will be gradual to ensure that all systems are operational and ready to serve customers effectively. As each store is meticulously verified for full functionality, the company requests continued patience. Due to the complex nature of their systems, which interact with multiple third-party services, details about which stores will reopen and when will not be disclosed.

London Drugs is also working with cybersecurity experts to safely restart its systems. By reopening core services in certain stores, the company has been able to address the immediate healthcare and everyday needs of its customers. It plans to gradually reintroduce additional services and systems as they become fully operational and secure.

The systems currently in use have passed thorough security testing and have been approved by external cybersecurity experts. The company is confident in the safety and security of the systems being activated. At present, there is no evidence that any customer data, including pharmacy and LDExtras members' databases, has been compromised. Should ongoing investigations uncover any impact on personal data, the company will inform those affected in compliance with privacy regulations.

According to London Drugs, pharmacists are on hand at every site to help with last-minute medical needs and prescriptions. The Insurance Services Call Center, which is open for consumer insurance inquiries, and Canada Post locations within retail establishments are two more reopened services.

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London Drugs Announces Gradual Reopening of Stores After Recent Cyber Attack


A major step forward in technology, the [Hubble Network](https://hubblenetwork.com/)'s groundbreaking accomplishment is the first-ever direct Bluetooth link with a satellite. This discovery has enormous potential for increasing connectivity to millions of devices worldwide in addition to validating the company's essential technology.

The Seattle-based company launched its first two satellites into orbit on [SpaceX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpaceX)'s Transporter-10 ride-sharing mission in March with success. It then verified that signals from the inbuilt 3.5mm Bluetooth chips could be received over 600 kilometers away.

Space-enabled Bluetooth devices have countless applications in a variety of industries, including inventory management, construction site surveillance, measuring soil temperature, tracking livestock, tracking pets, and child safety with GPS watches. This breakthrough will firstly assist companies that require intermittent network connectivity, such as remote asset monitoring in the oil and gas industry. Hubble wants to serve industries that require increasingly frequent updates, such soil monitoring and fall detection for the elderly, as the network of satellites grows.Customers will be able to easily upgrade the software on their devices to effortlessly connect their chipsets with Hubble's network once it is operational.

Initially skeptical about the viability of attaching Bluetooth chips to satellites, Hubble was founded in 2021 by aerospace engineer John Kim, Ben Wild (founder of Iotera, bought by Ring), and Alex Haro (co-creator of Life360). However, the business surmounted technical obstacles with creative solutions, such as unique phased array antennas, which allowed off-the-shelf Bluetooth chips to interact with satellites over great distances.

Taking into account the drawbacks of current IoT devices—such as excessive power consumption, high operating charges, and restricted worldwide connectivity—Hubble's approach presents a revolutionary remedy.

Following their admission to Y Combinator's Winter 2022 cohort and their successful acquisition of [$20 million in Series A investment](https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/31/hubble-network-is-building-out-a-space-based-bluetooth-network-to-connect-over-billion-devices/), Hubble worked on software that leverages off-the-shelf Bluetooth chips to enable low-power, long-range communication. Regarding space, the business received a patent for phased array antennas, which solved Doppler-related problems and allowed satellites in fast orbit to communicate with ground-based equipment.

This summer, Hubble intends to launch a third satellite as part of SpaceX's Transporter-11 mission, and a fourth satellite as part of Transporter-13. The business then intends to launch 32 more satellites, creating its first "production constellation" by late 2025 or early 2026, which will enable global communication with Hubble satellites for about 2-3 hours every day.

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Hubble Network Makes History, Connecting Bluetooth with Satellites For the First Time


The Western Uusimaa District Court has sentenced Aleksanteri Kivimäki to six years and three months in jail in a historic hacking case. The patient database of the psychotherapy institution Vastaamo [was breached by Kivimäki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vastaamo_data_breach), which made legal history in Finland's highest victim count possible. In addition to the numerous counts of invasion of privacy (over 9,600), attempted extortion (over 21,300), and blackmail (20 counts), he was charged with aggravated data breach.

According to the prosecution, Kivimäki breached Vastaamo's database in 2018, exposing the private data of about 33,000 people. He then made an attempt to collect money from the institution and its clients, threatening to post private patient information on the dark web if his requests were not fulfilled. When Vastaamo declined to cooperate, he eventually turned to posting patient records on the [Tor network](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_$network$), even though he had first demanded 370,000 euros in bitcoin.

The prosecution requested the maximum penalty of seven years; nevertheless, the court made its decision after taking into account Kivimäki's careless actions, the seriousness and nature of the crimes. It did, however, recognize as a mitigating element his consent to conditional settlements with many plaintiffs.

Kivimäki's attorney conveyed his client's dissatisfaction with the decision and hinted at a potential appeal. Since Kivimäki had not done any prison time in the five years prior to the hacking event, he was regarded by Finnish law as a first-time offender even though he had previously been found guilty of fraud involving false distress calls to American Airlines and US authorities.

Ville Tapio, the former CEO of Vastaamo, was sentenced to [three months of suspended jail time](https://yle.fi/a/74-20027665) last year for violating GDPR regulations. This verdict has been appealed by Tapio and the prosecution, and a hearing is set for May 2025.
