<div>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Aurora Innovation (Aurora), an autonomous vehicle technology startup, has partnered with German automotive parts company Continental to design and develop autonomous driving systems for trucks.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        The companies aim to create the first commercially scalable autonomous trucking system, which will be available through Aurora&rsquo;s subscription trucking service &ldquo;Aurora Horizon&rdquo; and is set to launch in 2024. The products will initially be launched in the US commercial vehicle market in 2027.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://blog.aurora.tech/progress/partnering-with-continental-to-deliver-a-commercially-scalable-autonomous-trucking-system">
      Press release
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://theprint.in/tech/continental-aurora-to-jointly-develop-self-driving-systems-for-trucks/1541667/">
      The Print
    </a>
  </p>
</div>


Truck Industry Tech

Aurora Innovation partners with Continental to develop autonomous trucking systems

Automation and robotics are finally creating solutions for the complexities of doorstep deliveries.

Last-mile Delivery Automation

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 <p>Amazon has partnered with Embention, a provider of drone components and autopilot, to improve the safety of its Prime Air drone delivery service. Embention will supply safety-focused software and hardware to Amazon's Prime Air drones.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Amazon's latest <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/14505"> Prime Air drone, “MK30,” </a> is set to debut later this year, designed for dense suburban delivery areas. Currently, the company is conducting delivery flights in College Station, Texas, using its existing drone model. The company also had operations in Lockeford, California, but it was discontinued <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/28707"> earlier this month </a> . It has planned to launch the service in Tolleson, Arizona, later this year and also to expand the service to Amazon Prime customers in <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/22843"> the UK and Italy </a> once the MK30 model is live.</p>

Amazon partners with Embention to enhance safety of Prime Air drones

Platforms, apps, and cards to keep the corporate wallet in check

Business Expense Management

<div>
 
 <p>Swedish firm, Medius, which specializes in accounts payable automation and spend management, has forged a partnership with Open ECX, a company known for its e-trading and finance automation software. The aim of this partnership is to offer an enhanced solution for Accounts Payable (AP) automation.</p>
 <p>This collaboration brings together Open ECX's statement reconciliation features and Medius' automated AP and fraud detection platform. This combination aims to automate and simplify intricate, manual finance procedures within businesses.&nbsp;</p>
 <p>The integration of these services allows the company to deliver a comprehensive automation solution. This platform aims to enable businesses to fully optimize their operational efficiency and adherence to compliance measures.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> The latest partnership is in line with the firm's recent activities (which includes its&nbsp; <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25423https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25423"> partnership with Launchpad Technologies </a> ) to increase its partner network and expand its capabilities to provide an all-in-one integrated solution.</p>

Medius partners with Open ECX to offer advanced AP automation capabilities

<div>
 <p>MightyFly, a provider of drone-based delivery services, has been granted approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for a flight corridor between the New Jerusalem and Byron Airports in California, a distance of 20 miles. This approval will allow MightyFly to conduct various flight tests with their “2024 Cento” drone. The drone has the capability to operate beyond the visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) of the operator and will be monitored by a chase plane.</p>
 <p>MightyFly highlights the potential of their drone for B2B fast logistics in sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and defense. The company has plans to scale production through a Series A investment round.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> Today’s approval marks a significant step forward for MightyFly, as it looks to test and commercialize its drone technology. The company unveiled its third-gen 2024 Cento drone <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25965"> in January 2024, </a> which can carry a maximum payload of around 100 lbs while cruising at a speed of 150 mph at a range of around 600 m.</p>

MightyFly receives FAA approval for test flight corridor in California

Technologies bringing about a new reality

Extended Reality

<div>
 <p>Resolution Games, a developer of XR games, has appointed Johan Gästrin as its new chief technology officer (CTO). In his new role, Gästrin will direct the company's technology strategy and spearhead innovation efforts, with a particular focus on spatial computing and mixed reality.</p>
 <p>With a 25-year career in the technology industry, Gästrin brings a wealth of experience to his new role. He has previously served as head of technology at Resolution Games and head of King’s internal game engine, Fiction Factory. In addition to his gaming background, Gästrin has held key roles at H&amp;M and has been involved in various industries including ecommerce and healthcare.</p>
</div>

Resolution Games appoints Johan Gästrin as CTO

<div>
 <p>Meta has rolled out the v65 update for its Quest headsets, which includes an enhanced feature that lets users import panoramas straight from iPhones. This, in turn, enhances the passthrough capability for a more immersive VR experience.</p>
 <p>This update allows users to upload and view their panoramas in VR through the Meta Quest app, a feature which is compatible with iPhones equipped with iOS 17 or later. It further improves the spatial video playback aspect and extends passthrough support across all system interfaces. In addition, v65 is designed to minimize interruptions caused by hand tracking when using a mouse and keyboard connected to the headset.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> The update follows Meta’s v64 update for the Quest 3 in <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/28347"> April 2024 </a> , which brought notable improvements to the headset. These included improved resolution and image quality in its passthrough mode, allowing users to read smaller text, such as smartphone notifications, more easily.</p>

Meta updates Quest headsets with panorama import and improved passthrough features in v65 update

Making banking work, without the paperwork

Neobanks

<div>
 
 <p>Lunar, a Danish neobank, has raised approximately USD 25.7 million in a funding round, bringing its total funds raised to USD 510 million. The funding was contributed by its existing investors and will be used to strengthen the company's capital position and expand its services across the Nordic countries. Lunar also plans to become a full-service bank in Sweden.</p>
 <p>This funding is particularly significant as Lunar previously failed to acquire the local lender Instabank due to insufficient capital. The failed acquisition, worth around USD 140.7 million, led to legal proceedings. As a result, Lunar is bolstering its capital reserves while it anticipates the next steps in the proceedings.</p>
 
</div>

Lunar raises EUR 24.1 million in funding to sustain growth

<div>
 <p>In Knoxville, Tennessee, regulators have prohibited the use of delivery droids on streets and sidewalks due to insufficient infrastructure. The decision was made after assessing applications from droid operators requesting to introduce their robots in the city.</p>
 <p>While the city might reconsider this decision in the future, currently only Starship Technologies is allowed to continue its droid-based food delivery service at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. However, the service is restricted to on-campus deliveries due to the imposed ban on off-campus activities.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> Although Tennessee state regulations <a href="https:<br>
//trackbill.com/bill/tennessee-senate-bill-2836-traffic-safety-as-enacted-establishes-requirements-for-the-operation-of-personal-delivery-devices-specifies-that-a-personal-delivery-device-may-be-operated-in-pedestrian-areas-up-to-10-miles-per-hour-and-is-not-considered-a-motor-vehicle-amends-tca-title-55-chapter-1-title-55-chapter-10-title-55-chapter-12-and-title-55-chapter-8/1888807/"> approved </a> the operation of droids in 2020, the enacted ban in Knoxville will now restrict companies from deploying droids within the city. However, Knoxville is not the only city that has considered restricting delivery droids. Early adopters <a href="https:<br>
//www.bbc.com/news/technology-42265048"> San Francisco (California) </a> and <a href="https:<br>
//globalnews.ca/news/9324385/food-delivery-robots-canada-challenges/"> Toronto (Canada) </a> also later imposed restrictions or bans on robots due to concerns over pedestrian safety.&nbsp;</p>

Delivery droids banned in Knoxville, Tennessee

Empowering efficiency, visibility and collaboration throughout supply networks

Supply Chain Tech

<div>
 <p>Swedish company Medius, specializing in accounts payable automation and spend management, has formed a partnership with SourceDay, a supply chain collaboration platform. This partnership aims to enhance the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) cycle for manufacturers and distributors.</p>
 <p>This integration combines Medius' invoice management solution, driven by AI, with SourceDay's supplier engagement tools. This combination allows current and prospective customers of both companies to smoothen purchase order management. This is achieved through automated invoice processing, improved security through anomaly detection, and real-time notification systems for better operational efficiency.&nbsp;</p>
 <p>The collaboration between the two firms reportedly results in up to 80% efficiency gains. In addition, it increases on-time delivery rates through 100% PO matching and decreases financial risks.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> This latest initiative compliments SourceDay’s’ <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/28491"> partnership </a> with infor, a business cloud software provider, focusing on the management of direct spend purchase order (PO) lifecycles.</p>

Medius and SourceDay partner to optimize P2P operations for manufacturers and distributors worldwide

Empowering Tomorrow's Innovations with Generative AI Infrastructure

Generative AI Infrastructure

<div>

<p>An enterprise AI security platform, Prompt Security, has partnered with F5 to create a firewall specifically for AI applications within F5's Distributed Cloud Services. This collaboration targets security issues related to GenAI applications.</p>
<p>The newly developed firewall offers solutions to tackle GenAI-specific security problems by: 1) diverting all traffic to GenAI applications via Prompt Security to protect data privacy and prevent data leaks, 2) controlling content generated by LLMs to deter harm, and 3) ensuring governance and visibility through the surveillance of both incoming and outgoing traffic from GenAI apps.</p>
<p>Prompt Security asserts that this new solution can assist organizations in securely implementing GenAI applications, which will enhance business productivity and compliance with data governance regulations.</p>

</div>

Prompt Security Partners with F5 to launch ‘Firewall for AI’ to seucre GenAI Apps

<div>
 
 <p>Swedish company Medius, known for its accounts payable automation and spend management solutions, has forged a partnership with SourceDay, a firm that offers a supply chain collaboration platform. The aim of this partnership is to optimize the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) cycle specifically for distributors and manufacturers.</p>
 <p>By combining Medius' artificial intelligence (AI) driven invoice management solution with the supplier engagement tools offered by SourceDay, both existing and future customers will have the capacity to streamline their purchase order management. This is accomplished through automated invoice processing, enhanced security through the detection of anomalies, and real-time notifications to improve overall operational efficiency.&nbsp;</p>
 <p>According to the companies involved in the collaboration, this newly integrated solution can potentially lead to efficiency gains of up to 80%. Additionally, it could improve on-time delivery rates through 100% purchase order matching and minimize financial risks.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> This latest initiative compliments Medius’ partnership with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26113"> Antaras </a> , an ERP provider in the manufacturing industry, to bring AP automation capabilities to various industries.</p>

All Updates

Amazon partners with Embention to enhance safety of Prime Air drones

Medius partners with Open ECX to offer advanced AP automation capabilities

MightyFly receives FAA approval for test flight corridor in California

Resolution Games appoints Johan Gästrin as CTO

Meta updates Quest headsets with panorama import and improved passthrough features in v65 update

Lunar raises EUR 24.1 million in funding to sustain growth

Delivery droids banned in Knoxville, Tennessee

Medius and SourceDay partner to optimize P2P operations for manufacturers and distributors worldwide

Prompt Security Partners with F5 to launch ‘Firewall for AI’ to seucre GenAI Apps

Medius and SourceDay partner to optimize P2P operations for manufacturers and distributors worldwide