Key facts
- Vertice has acquired Vendr to create the world's largest procurement intelligence dataset.
- Terra AI secured $20 million in Series A funding for mineral and energy exploration.
- Scispot raised $8 million in Series A funding for its AI-powered lab automation system.
- Tilt raised $26 million for its AI-powered live shopping auction app.
- Quantinuum and Mitsubishi Electric are exploring quantum computing for industrial design.
- Google is introducing 'Search profiles' for creators and publishers.
- Neurometric AI and LumaDock are partnering to reduce AI inference costs for OpenClaw users.
- Fit Analytics Innovation launched an AI Shopping Assistant for apparel shoppers.
- Moon Commerce Group launched the Shopen AI mobile shopping platform.
- WasabiCard completed its Series Pre-A funding round.
- Website operators and creators report a drop in referral traffic due to Google's AI summaries.
The technology landscape sees a surge in AI and quantum computing advancements, marked by acquisitions, funding rounds, and strategic collaborations. Vertice, an AI procurement platform, has acquired US software-pricing leader Vendr, aiming to create the world's largest procurement intelligence dataset and enhance autonomous AI negotiation capabilities. In the realm of exploration and resource development, Terra AI has secured $20 million in Series A funding, with Khosla Ventures leading the round and BHP Ventures making a strategic investment. This capital will accelerate the exploration for critical minerals and energy resources using Terra AI's platform focused on subsurface uncertainty.
Funding continues to fuel AI-driven startups. Scispot, a Canadian company, has raised $8 million in Series A funding to advance its AI-native operating system for life sciences labs, which automates digital lab work, sample management, and traceability, serving over 100 labs. Tilt, a live shopping auction app, has raised $26 million to expand its AI-powered platform that automates listing creation, suggests pricing, and assists sellers during live auctions, competing with platforms like TikTok Shop and eBay Live. Infrastructure AI is expanding its Galaxy Agentic Operating System (GAOS) for global facilities management, utilizing autonomous AI agents.
Beyond AI, quantum computing is also gaining traction. Quantinuum and Mitsubishi Electric have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding to explore advanced industrial engineering and design applications leveraging Quantinuum's quantum computing platform. In a move to reduce operational costs for AI applications, Neurometric AI and LumaDock are partnering to offer a solution for OpenClaw users, aiming to cut inference costs by up to 90% for the platform's 3.2 million users. Fit Analytics Innovation has launched its AI Shopping Assistant for apparel shoppers, and Moon Commerce Group has launched Shopen AI, a mobile app integrating personalized recommendations and deal suggestions.
Separately, Google is introducing 'Search profiles' for creators and publishers to promote their content. This initiative comes as website operators and creators report a significant drop in referral traffic, which they attribute to Google's AI-generated search summaries. WasabiCard, a global payment infrastructure platform, has also announced the completion of its Series Pre-A funding round, with investors including Vernal Capital, Avenir Group, Vision Plus Capital, and 01VC.