February 22, 2025

US AI Safety Institute could face big cuts

The National Institute of Standards and Technology could fire as many as 500 staffers, according to multiple reports — cuts that further threaten a fledgling AI safety organization. Axios reported this week that the US AI Safety Institute (AISI) and Chips for America, both part of NIST, would be “gutted” by layoffs targeting probationary employees […]

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September 2023

Patronus AI conjures up an LLM evaluation tool for regulated industries

September 14, 2023
It turns out that when you put together two AI experts, both of whom formerly worked at Meta researching responsible AI, magic happens. The founders of Patronus AI came together last March to build a solution to evaluate and test large language models with an eye towards regulated industries where there is little tolerance for […]

Databricks raises $500M more, boosting valuation to $43B despite late-stage gloom

September 14, 2023
Data analytics and AI software maker Databricks has raised a Series I round worth more than $500 million, earning a valuation of $43 billion. This round sticks out, particularly as many late-stage startups are seeing their valuations being slashed amid a wider funding slowdown. Databricks last raised $1.6 billion in August of 2021 at a […]

Smart display company Hearth Display raises $4.6M additional funding

September 14, 2023
Hearth Display, a hardware company making digital whiteboards for family task management, has raised $4.6 million in additional funding. The round, which is a bridge round, has a mix of existing and new investors including Female Founders Fund, Stellation Capital, Sweater Ventures, Behind Genius Ventures, an SPV led by Golden Hour Ventures and Dream Ventures, […]

The Download: climate heroes, and a new way to track diseases

September 14, 2023
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Meet the climate innovators of tomorrow A lot of bright minds are working on solutions to climate change. You can find some of them in the latest edition of our annual 35 Innovators…

OpenAI to open its first EU office as it readies for regulatory hurdles

September 14, 2023
OpenAI is set to open its first office in the European Union (EU) and make several strategic hires, as the company prepares for regulatory headwinds. The ChatGPT-maker says that it plans to open its third office, after San Francisco and London which it announced in June, in Ireland, which has emerged as almost a second […]

Meet the climate innovators of tomorrow

September 14, 2023
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. A lot of bright minds are working on solutions to climate change. You can find some of them in the latest edition of our annual 35 Innovators Under 35 list.  We’ve highlighted…

Mecho Autotech raises $2.4M, ventures into wholesale spare parts distribution

September 14, 2023
Mecho Autotech, a startup offering automotive spare parts, vehicle repairs and maintenance services, has raised a $2.4 million pre-Series A round. The firm targets the Nigerian market, where 90% of the country’s more than 12 million registered cars (mainly used) require regular maintenance to avoid recurring breakdowns. Its primary business connects vehicle owners (individuals and […]

China’s Honor returns to the Indian smartphone market

September 14, 2023
Honor is a top five smartphone maker in its native China. Now the company is returning to India with the Honor 90, its first new device for the world’s second largest smartphone market in more than three years. The new handset is already available in global markets, including Malaysia, Europe, the Middle East and U.K. […]