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Your News, Your Way! You Voted, You Get it - StartupFest Speaker Spot Deeper Dive 2024

Your AI Product - News- Report - July 24th

Today's sponsor

For those that are new around here, this is an extension of my weekly newsletter where I highlight new and innovative AI products that are worth exploring.


Hey hey!

Happy Wednesday!

Here’s your news in newsletter!

Strap in, we have a big issue this week!

In this Issue:

  • Your Weekly Industry News Recap

  • Your Top Voted StartupFest 2024 Speaker Recap

  • The Raise Recap

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Your Weekly Industry News Recap

Some other notable news and product launches from this week

  • OpenAI just introduced GPT-4o Mini, a smaller and more affordable AI model that's also multimodal! Want to see how this could change the AI game? 🧠✨ Read more.

  • AWS is making waves with its private network designed to boost data movement in generative AI. Curious about the tech behind the scenes? 🌐🔍 Read more.

  • Meet GARY: The World’s First AI Bookkeeper by Docyt just launched! The AI bookkeeper is designed take the tedious out of recordkeeping. GARY automates everything from expense management to revenue accounting, getting owners closer to real-time financials. (P.S.: it does plug into QuickBooks) 🚀🌴 Read more.

Looks like Microsoft and Amazon are both in hot water over their latest AI startup deals! The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is giving Microsoft's acquisition the side-eye, while the US FTC is digging into Amazon's buyout of Adept. Seems like regulators are really cracking down on these tech giants to keep the AI playing field fair.

Read more about the Microsoft deal
Read more about the Amazon deal

  • AI is poised to support Africa’s socio-economic growth, according to a new GSMA report. See how AI can make a difference on the continent! 🌍💡 Read more.

  • South Korea's beauty industry is using AI to develop & recommend products to makeup enthusiasts. 💄🤖 Read more.

  • Synamics Therapeutics, an AI-driven drug discovery startup, just attracted top investors from Novozymes. Learn about their groundbreaking work! 💊🧬 Read more.

  • The U.S. Energy Department is proposing a new AI strategy. Find out what this means for the future of energy and technology! ⚡🤖 Read more.

Your Top Voted StartupFest 2024 Speaker Recap

A few weeks back, I was out and about getting the sweet digs on one of Montreal’s hottest Startup Events: StartupFest 2024. You voted last week on which talk you wanted to hear more about, and…

🎉 The winner was Peter Kirwan’s talk, "Embracing an AI-First Approach in Startups" 🎉

The man himself, Peter Kirwan on stage at StartupFest 2024

Key Highlights from the Talk

TL;DR: AI is shaking up the Startup Game, Big Time, And If You’re A Founder, It’s Almost Expected That You’re Looking At Using It To Lean Operations-By-Design

Peter Kirwan’s talk provided a wealth of insights. He delved into the importance of making AI the core of your startup's DNA. He discussed how everything, from software to knockoffs, is becoming cheaper and easier, but he also revealed the secrets to ensuring your solution stands out as the real deal.

Fundamentally, your moat against competition has more than your tech.

Beyond that, he also delved into acknowledging that internal operations de benefit from operating as lightly as possible from leveraging back-office AI tech where reasonable.

What Attendees Learned

  • User Expectations: Peter showed us how to keep up with increasing customer demands without losing our competitive edge - All this meant accelerating the loop between feedback, and feature releases…And how do we do that? Well… we build by default methods that use tools that are productivity catalysts: Like AI! 

  • Human-Centered Design Notes: Set any startup apart by reducing the learning curve for your products (training gap) and creating an emotional connection to your interface! The data is in, and virtual human interactions boost engagement nearly exponentially!

  • AI Integration: Peter emphasized that AI needs to be more than just a feature; it must be embedded in the very fabric of your company.

  • Future Tech: We explored the exciting future of digital clones and AI personas, with users surprisingly happy to interact with them.

Cool Tidbit

Peter also touched on an intriguing question for hardware creators: "Are people going to expect to interact with my hardware?" If the answer is a resounding yes, then all of the above applies to you too!

Thanks for voting, and stay tuned for more feature spots like this!

This Week’s Raise Recap

  • Anthropic and Menlo Ventures have teamed up to launch a massive $100 million Anthology Fund focused on AI innovation. Discover how this could shape the future of AI research and development. 🌟 Read more

  • SymphonyAI is gearing up for a big IPO in the second half of 2025, aiming for a $500 million revenue run rate. Find out what makes this AI company one to watch! 🚀 Read more

  • Pairaphrase has integrated OpenAI into its AI-powered translation solution, taking translations to the next level. See how this partnership could enhance global communication. 🌍 Read more

  • Samsung is set to acquire UK-based knowledge graph startup Oxford Semantic Technologies, boosting its AI capabilities. Learn more about this exciting acquisition! 🤝 Read more

  • Forwrd AI has just acquired LoudnClear AI, enhancing its AI-driven solutions portfolio. Discover what this acquisition means for the future of AI! 💡 Read more

  • GE Healthcare is set to buy Intelligent Ultrasound’s AI business, aiming to revolutionize medical imaging. Find out how this acquisition could impact healthcare! 🏥 Read more

  • Xapien has secured $10M in Series A funding to drive AI-powered transformation in the research industry. See how this funding could change the landscape of research! 📊 Read more

  • CultureAI has raised $10 million in Series A funding to enhance its AI-driven security solutions. Discover what this means for the future of cybersecurity! 🔒 Read more.

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Stay well, and see you Friday!

-✌🏽 Sam

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