How Did AI Startups Attract $195M Today? 🤖💰🚀

TL;DR

• Runware closed $50M Series A for unified AI API
• Chai Discovery hit $1.3B valuation in biotech
• MEQ Solutions landed US$15M to AI-grade beef quality
• Nvidia expanded open models with Nemotron 3 launch

HEADLINES

Runware raised $50M to build one AI API 🧩🔗

Chai Discovery secured $130M Series B for AI drug design 🧬🔗

MEQ Solutions raised US$15M for AI beef grading 🥩🔗

Nvidia bought SchedMD and launched Nemotron 3 🖥️🔗

Google released updated Gemini Deep Research for the web 🔎🔗

OpenAI hired ex-Google dealmaker Albert Lee 🧱🔗

FROM THE BIG PLAYERS

Insight Partners invested US$15M in MEQ Solutions 🥩🔗

Dawn Capital led $50M Series A into Runware 💸🔗

General Catalyst co-led $130M Series B for Chai Discovery 🧬🔗

Nvidia acquired SchedMD to lock in AI workloads ⚙️🔗

RAISES

Runware raised $50M in a Series A led by Dawn Capital 🚀🔗

Chai Discovery raised $130M in a Series B from General Catalyst, Oak HC/FT 💊🔗

MEQ Solutions raised US$15M (A$23M) in a Series A from Insight Partners 📊🔗

NEW LAUNCHES

Nvidia launched Nemotron 3 open AI model family 🌐🔗

Google unveiled updated Gemini Deep Research for complex queries 🔍🔗

Hyper3D announced Hyper3D Blender-integrated 3D generative pipeline 🧱🔗

TRY THESE TOOLS

Gemini Deep Research upgraded deep web research for complex prompts 🧠🔗

Hyper3D generates editable 3D assets from imagery 🦴🔗

Physical AI Workbench standardizes robotics sensor-to-simulation datasets 🤖🔗

METRICS

Chai Discovery reached $1.3B post-money valuation 📈🔗

Spectre AI token traded at $0.61, up 1.61% 🪙🔗

CoreWeave closed at $72.35, down 7.9% 📊🔗

Fortinet survey found 92% of firms breached in 2024 🛡️🔗

China AI toys market forecast at 29B yuan for 2025 🧸🔗

BENCHMARKS

UC Berkeley study showed OpenAI model matching expert linguists 📘🔗

Fortinet report found 68% breaches cost over $1M 📉🔗

China MIIT targets toy segment above 100B yuan 🎯🔗

Fuzozo AI toy sold 100k units since 2024 launch 🧸🔗

INFRA & COSTS

Nvidia doubled down on Slurm for AI infrastructure 🖥️🔗

Nemotron 3 Ultra targeted complex multi-agent AI workloads ⚙️🔗

Korea Zinc committed $1.94B rights issue for AI metals 🏗️🔗

CHIPS Act grant added $210M for U.S. AI infrastructure 🇺🇸🔗

VALUATIONS

Chai Discovery valued at $1.3B after Series B 🏷️🔗

CoreWeave saw nearly 8% single-day drawdown 💹🔗

Spectre AI token held $6.1M market capitalization 🪙🔗

ZenaTech traded around $143M market cap ✈️🔗

POLICY

HKU Law hosted “Regulating for AI Legitimacy” forum ⚖️🔗

Products That Count ran session on regulatory‑ready AI roadmaps 📜🔗

GSA flagged December 29 deadline for AI directive 🏛️🔗

White House set national framework preempting state AI laws 🇺🇸🔗

SOVEREIGN

Korea Zinc–US alliance backed $7.4B AI metals smelter 🏭🔗

U.S. Commerce Department granted $210M equity stake via CHIPS 💵🔗

Asia Times highlighted shifting US‑China AI research balance 🌏🔗

China MIIT plan promoted AI toys as priority consumption 🇨🇳🔗

SECTORS

Agri-tech deployed AI cameras for automated beef grading 🥩🔗

Biotech scaled AI models for antibody discovery 🧪🔗

Consumer toys deployed AI companions for emotional support 🧸🔗

Cybersecurity leaned on AI skills to close gaps 🛡️🔗

Robotics research adopted Physical AI workflows using NVIDIA tools 🤖🔗

COMMUNITY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Robopoet shipped Fuzozo AI companion, topping China AI toy charts 💖🔗