XOi raises $230M, acquires Specifx to expand its tech for field service technicians

Field service engineers may not be the first group of customers that come to mind when you think about lucrative opportunities in B2B technology. But that same blind spot speaks of the opportunity in the space for those who are stepping up and targeting “the job site.” One of the playe

Paragon spyware used to target citizens across Europe, says Italian government

The Italian government said in a press release on Wednesday that a spyware campaign revealed by WhatsApp, and carried out with spyware made by Paragon Solutions, targeted people across several countries in Europe.  The government, led by far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni, denied being behin

Why IQ is a poor test for AI

During a recent press appearance, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that he’s observed the “IQ” of AI rapidly improve over the past several years. “Very roughly, it feels to me like — this is not scientifically accurate, this is just a vibe or spiritual answer — every year we

As GLP-1s boom, dietician startups Berry Street, Fay each nab $50M rounds

For decades, the U.S. healthcare system has struggled to address the diet-related chronic illnesses affecting nearly half of all adults. That changed in recent years with the discovery of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs that help people lose weight. While insurance covers these medications, doctors

The Elon Musk Act aims to ban 'special government employees' from having federal contracts

U.S. Democratic Representative Mark Pocan plans to introduce a bill designed to ban “special government employees” like Elon Musk from having federal contracts so they can't steer spending toward their own self-interest.  The proposed bill is called the ELON MUSK Act, which stands for Eli

New target of Paragon spyware comes forward

On Wednesday, Mediterranea Saving Humans, an Italian nonprofit with the mission of rescuing immigrants who try to cross the Mediterranean Sea from Africa to Europe, said one of its founders was among the targets of a recent spyware campaign carried out against WhatsApp users.  In a press rele

Google launches new AI models and brings ‘thinking’ to Gemini

Google launched its much-anticipated new flagship AI model, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental, on Wednesday. The announcement was part of a series of other AI model releases. The company is also making its “reasoning’ model, Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking, available in the Gemini app. Notably, Go

Musk moves to dismiss suit over Tesla’s alleged use of AI-generated ‘Blade Runner’ imagery

Attorneys for Elon Musk intend to move to dismiss a case that accuses the Tesla CEO, who is also the head of President Donald Trump’s DOGE organization, of using AI-generated, copyright-violating “Blade Runner”-inspired images at a Tesla press event. In a filing submitted to the

Cherry Ventures raises a new $500M fund for early-stage and beyond, but will it be enough?

It's sometimes said that European VC doesn't have the firepower to compete with VCs in the U.S., which regularly raise billion-dollar+ funds these days. Perhaps further evidence of this view persists in the news that Berlin-based Cherry Ventures has closed its latest fund at $500 million, t

CodeSignal wants you to practice soft skills with its AI-powered guide

Startups and big tech companies have aggressively used AI to help developers write code or learn programming better. People have used chatbots to prepare for different scenarios in life, like interviews. Tech assessment platform CodeSignal, which introduced a learning platform for technical subjec

Shein hit with consumer protection action in EU as bloc unboxes strategy to tackle low-cost e-commerce risks

Chinese e-commerce and fast fashion giant Shein is facing fresh scrutiny in the European Union in relation to consumer protection rules following the launch of a coordinated action by the bloc’s Consumer Protection Cooperation Network (CPCN). The action is being conducted with reference to t

Former Whoop exec's new app Alma uses AI for all things nutrition

Generative AI models have demonstrated to app developers that combining a robust knowledge base with the right model can enable them to offer users services — once reliant on costly professionals like therapists or executive assistants — at a fraction of the price. Former VP of product at fitne

Waymo just popped up on the Uber app in Austin ahead of robotaxi launch

Uber customers in Austin may notice a new offer when they open the app and hail a ride: an invitation to signal their interest in a Waymo robotaxi. For now, this doesn’t translate into a Waymo picking them up. But it will soon. The “interest list,” which launch

Router maker Zyxel tells customers to replace vulnerable hardware exploited by hackers

Taiwanese hardware maker Zyxel says it has no plans to release a patch for two actively exploited vulnerabilities affecting potentially thousands of customers.  Threat intelligence startup GreyNoise warned late last month that a critical-rated zero-day vulnerability impacting Zyxel routers wa