AGENTIC AI STARTUPS
ByteDance prepares Meta's Muse-like agent in push to close AI gap
ByteDance is preparing to release an AI assistant similar to Muse by Meta Platforms soon. Co-founder Zhang Yiming has shared his vision of competing with companies like Anthropic and OpenAI by 2030. The company intends to invest up to $70 billion in developing the Seedance video AI platform.
OpenAI acquires AI travel startup Odessia; founder Francis Davidson to join team
OpenAI has recently acquired Odessia, a travel startup that utilises artificial intelligence for planning trips. Founder Francis Davidson expressed enthusiasm about joining OpenAI to enhance future travel experiences. Odessia was launched less than one year ago and has gained significant user interest in travel planning.
Rippling steps up AI hiring in India, looks to expand enterprise push
The firm is hiring principal engineers, senior staff engineers and senior directors among others as the lab focuses on developing core components of Rippling’s global AI platform, Parandekar told ET in an exclusive interaction.
AI pushes B-schools to rethink curriculum, skills and leadership training
Artificial intelligence is reshaping management education, prompting business schools such as IIM Kozhikode, IIM Lucknow, ISB and BITSoM to overhaul MBA programmes. The changes include integrating AI across subjects, requiring students to build AI agents, introducing specialised courses and labs, and placing greater emphasis on judgement, ethics and responsible decision-making.
AI training startup Mercor valued at $20 billion in latest funding round
Mercor said on Tuesday it had raised $750 million in a funding round that valued the AI training startup at $20 billion. The Series D round drew participation from Benchmark, Felicis, Fundomo, Nvidia and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo, among others.
UPI sees Diwali boom; AI cracks Captcha
Diwali spending fuelled a surge in UPI transactions, with both payment volumes and values rising. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
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Israeli AI security startup Bay raises $50 million
Bay says it addresses a primary barrier to AI adoption by "allowing autonomous agents to perform business-critical work safely while enterprises retain control and accountability at scale".
Anthropic's IPO: A close look at AI frontrunner's rapid growth, spiraling costs
Anthropic aims to raise up to $64.4 billion in an upcoming IPO, representing a significant market debut. The company plans a valuation of up to $1.02 trillion, showcasing its ambitions in AI. Founded by former OpenAI researchers, Anthropic's revenue has rapidly surged with enterprise adoption of its AI models. While facing substantial operating losses, the company remains committed to its substantial infrastructure investments.
Anthropic unveils new Fable, Mythos models as competition heats up ahead of IPO
Anthropic on Monday unveiled two new AI models, Claude Fable 5.2 and Claude Mythos 5.2, as the OpenAI rival looks to strengthen its position in the fast-growing AI market ahead of its planned IPO.
Claude Fable 5.2, Claude Mythos 5.2: Anthropic unveils new AI models, check features, speed, price, release date
Claude Fable 5.2 targets coding, reasoning and AI agent tasks, while Claude Mythos 5.2 targets approved cybersecurity and life-sciences research applications.
Sarvam names Google Cloud India head Sashikumar Sreedharan as president & chief business officer
Sashikumar will additionally join Sarvam's board of directors. He will lead the company's business across enterprises and government, while expanding its engagement with digital-native companies, developers and partners.
South Korea says Nvidia issues won't affect contracted GPU supplies
Vice Minister of Science and ICT Ryu Jemyung told a parliamentary budget committee that 10,000 GPUs funded under a 2025 supplementary budget had already arrived and were in use.
China blocks SoftBank's $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB Robotics
China has blocked SoftBank’s $5.4 billion acquisition of ABB’s robotics business, disrupting the Japanese group’s AI-powered robotics expansion. The intervention highlights Beijing’s growing scrutiny of cross-border deals involving strategically important technologies.
Ex-Ultrahuman executive launches AI ring startup Aina for agentic interactions
The startup said it is positioning the device as an alternative interface to smartphones for everyday interactions with AI systems. It has spent the past 15 months developing the product and is now opening pre-orders globally, with prices starting at $399 (about Rs 36,000), the startup said in a statement.
Carl Pei teases Nothing’s first AI-native product; says it 'couldn't have been an app'
Nothing will launch its first AI-native product in December with a focus on productivity. The chief executive, Carl Pei, provided limited details about the product’s functions. It is suggested that the product may help users capture conversations and take notes. Other companies are also exploring wearable AI devices that focus on companionship or productivity.
Ripik.ai in talks to raise Rs 150 crore from Gaja Capital
The startup deploys its hardware and software systems at large manufacturing and industrial units, including cement and steel plants, using cameras, sensors and proprietary AI models to monitor equipment, materials and production processes. It counts Accel and Venture Highway (now merged with General Catalyst) among its existing investors.
AI sales startup Nooks secures $500 million in funding for expansion
Unlike traditional investors that buy a stake in a company, General Catalyst's commitment involves taking a share of the returns its capital helps generate, Nooks CEO Dan Lee said. He declined to give details on the terms of the deal.
L&T Finance Pitch Point 2.0: Where an AI startup’s big idea meets enterprise scale
Pitch Point, L&T Finance’s contest for AI startups, is back for a second edition. Last year’s winners, Arrowhead AI and SpoofSense, talk about what they got out of it and what they would tell this year’s new applicants.
Decoded: Will AI agents outlast the hype?
Krish Ramineni, founder of AI note-taking company Fireflies.ai, said consumers were experimenting with applications ranging from shopping and price comparisons to booking flights and hotels, making restaurant reservations, managing bills and subscriptions, and seeking refunds.
OpenAI’s India user base doubles; Rapido GOV quadruples
Happy Tuesday! India has become ChatGPT’s largest market globally, with its user base doubling. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
In 2026, Sonya Jin and Aadi Nashikkar-led Phinity Labs raised $5.2 million to let AI agents design computer chips from text prompts
Phinity Labs has raised $5.2 million to develop AI agents that can design computer chips from text prompts. Founders Sonya Jin and Aadi Nashikkar want the technology to explore chip architectures beyond conventional engineering methods. Backed by Uncork Capital, Moxxie and investors including Jeff Dean, the startup plans to build a system that tests designs using physical feedback and improves them before manufacturing.
Get $20 an hour to walk robot dogs, no work experience needed: San Francisco startup has an unusual job offer, but there is a catch
A San Francisco startup is offering $20 an hour to people willing to walk robot dogs through city streets. The job requires no previous experience and includes paid training, but workers must be prepared to carry the 33-pound machines back if they overheat or stop working. The unusual hiring exercise is part of Dimensional's effort to train AI systems to control robots and navigate real-world environments independently.
The next AI advantage for India's developers: Turning code into companies
In India's rapidly growing builder economy, AI is revolutionising software creation, allowing developers to generate code and build prototypes in minutes. But speed is only half the battle-code to deployment is the other half. Through tools like GoDaddy's Developer Platform, the real opportunity is achieving this next half of the challenge seamlessly and turning fast-built applications into viable, long-lasting products and thriving companies.
Cyberattacks hit NBFCs; Pine Labs Q2 profit zooms
Cyber criminals are targetting smaller NBFCs with specialised AI toolkits. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Chinese AI model carries out complex cyberattacks in controlled tests, researchers say
Chinese firm Z.AI's flagship AI model carried out complex cyberattacks in controlled simulations and repeatedly ignored instructions in separate tests, according to a report by AI security research firm Irregular.
Freshworks acquires AI startup Robusta to strengthen IT operations platform
The acquisition will bring Robusta’s AI-based incident investigation technology to Freshservice, Freshworks’ IT service management platform. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Why big IT firms are buying stakes in AI startups
From HCLTech's $150 million investment in Indian AI startup Sarvam to Accenture's investment in Within, an enterprise AI company, IT firms are backing AI companies to access new technology and offer it to their clients.
Protectt.ai takes majority stake in Bosch-incubated AIShield to build security platform
Protectt.ai, backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, has invested through a mix of primary and secondary share purchases. The business — AI Shield Private Limited — will operate as a separate entity, with existing intellectual property transferred to it, founder and chief executive Manish Mimani told ET. The deal value has not been disclosed.
Eye for an eye? Think AI for AI: How one startup is using AI to make AI chips more energy-efficient
Discovered Materials, a groundbreaking startup led by founders Akash Ramdas and Advaith Sridhar, is dedicated to advancing chip materials. Their innovative approach leverages AI technologies to revolutionize electricity efficiency and thermal management. Backed by $9 million in seed funding from Lightspeed India Partners, the team anticipates having cutting-edge, patent-ready materials available for chipmakers by next year, while key specifics about their advancements are kept under wraps for competitive integrity.
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