<div>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Expensify, a platform offering several business expenses and payout solutions, has introduced a new feature in its app that enables users to send and receive money, split expenses among both individuals and groups, and engage with the chat functionality. This marks the company's expansion into the realm of personal finance.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        Expensify now offers financial collaboration for various groups, such as roommates, student organizations, church congregations, neighborhood associations, professional societies, and friends.
      </p>
    </li>
    <li>
      <p>
        Notably, Expensify is conducting a trial of bill splitting in its new app at the Money20/20 conference in Las Vegas this week. 
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://ir.expensify.com/news-releases/news-release-details/expensify-unveils-personal-payments-and-bill-splitting-everyone">
      Press release
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
  </p>
</div>


Business Expense Management

DISRUPTOR_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Expensify has launched a new feature in its app, allowing users to send and receive money, split expenses, and engage in the chat feature. This move marks the company's expansion into personal finance.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p>The new feature enables financial collaboration for various groups, including roommates, student organizations, church congregations, neighborhood associations, professional societies, and friends.</p>
</li>
<li>Expensify is currently trialling bill splitting in their app at the Money20/20 conference in Las Vegas.</li>
</ul>
</div>

Expensify ventures into personal finance

Making banking work, without the paperwork

Neobanks

<div>
 
 <p>UK-based online SME lender, Capify, has been granted a GBP 100 million credit facility from Pollen Street Capital. This funding will enable Capify's strategies for growth and cater to the company's working capital lending for SMEs in the UK and Australia.</p>
 <p>The lender, established in 2002, is also improving its tech platform to enhance processes and quicken decision-making. Capify is a provider of unsecured business loans to SMEs in the UK, US, and Australia, with a unique approach ensuring all loan decisions are human-made.</p>
 
</div>

Capify secures GBP 100 million credit facility funding for growth

A decentralized version of the web powered by the blockchain

Web3 Ecosystem

<div>
 
 <p>Web3 video game developer and publisher, Games for a Living (GFAL), has raised USD 3.2 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by Supercell Ltd and Mitch Lasky from Benchmark. With this round, GFAL's total funding has reached USD 8.9 million, raising its fully diluted valuation to USD 254.7 million. </p>
 <p>The funds are intended to boost the strength of GFAL's core team and speed up the development of future video game projects.&nbsp;</p>
 <p>GFAL, established in 2021, aims to create immersive and innovative games that provide limitless entertainment. The company witnessed its gaming community expand and successfully soft-launched a mobile game called Elemental Raiders in March 2023.</p>
 
</div>

GFAL raises USD 3.2 million in seed funding for recruitment and product development

Quantum information processing is slowly becoming a reality, ushering in a new technological era.

Quantum Computing

<div>
<p>PsiQuantum, a quantum hardware company based in California, has received AUD 940 million (USD 620 million) from the Australian Commonwealth and Queensland Governments, with an equal contribution from each. The Australian Government also awarded AUD 18.4 million (USD 12.0 million) to the University of Sydney (UoS).</p>
<p>The funding for PsiQuantum, which is a combination of equity, grants, and loans, will be used to develop the first utility-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer in Australia. The computer will be situated near Brisbane Airport and is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2027.</p>
<p>The funds given to the UoS will be used to set up a new national quantum center named Quantum Australia. Its goal is to unify industry participants, academic experts, and research institutions to bolster Australia's quantum ecosystem.</p>
<p>The Australian government's financing is a part of its “Future Made in Australia” initiative.</p>
</div>

Australia invests nearly AUD 1 billion in PsiQuantum and University of Sydney

Giving creators the power of content monetization and audience engagement.

Creator Economy

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

<div>
 <p>Meta is trialling a bonus program for creators on Threads, its text-only social media app. This exclusive program offers creators a chance to monetise their content if it achieves a certain number of views. Threads is targeted specifically to encourage user interaction and content creation. To comply with the program, creators' posts must be viewed at least 2,500 times according to Meta's guidelines. The initiative may also be widened to include Meta's Instagram users who have amassed a large following, to enhance user interaction and activity on Threads.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Meta's pilot of an invitation-only bonus program for creators on Threads represents a strategic move to incentivize creators through bonuses. It seeks to attract high-quality content and encourage creators to remain active on Threads. The initiative aligns with Meta's broader product strategy to expand its presence in the Creator Economy space and strengthen its platforms as hubs for content creation and community interaction.</p>

Meta tests bonus program for creators on Threads platform

Incorporating technology to improve efficiency and success rate of clinical trials

Clinical Trial Technology

<div>

 <p>Klineo, a company specializing in patient recruitment for clinical trials, has secured EUR 2 million (USD 2.1 million) in a recent investment round. The round was spearheaded by BPI France and supported by multiple individual investors.</p>
 <p>The raised capital will be utilized to extend the company's operations and development, particularly by extending its coverage to include rare and neurological diseases, as well as diverse types of cancer, including lung cancer. The overarching aim is to cover all cancer types by the end of 2024. Additional planned uses for the funds include broadening Klineo's business reach across Europe and the US and growing the team.</p>
 <p>Based in France, Klineo offers an AI-based tool designed to simplify the process of patient recruitment for oncology-related clinical trials. Its platform connects patients and doctors with appropriate France-based clinical trials for treating skin cancer, breast cancer, and lymphoma. As of April 2024, Klineo's platform is in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and it hosts user health data on Health Data Hosts ISO-certified by the French Ministry of Health. Their work is supported by significant pharmaceutical providers and research organizations, such as Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Lysarc.</p>
 
</div>

Klineo raises EUR 2 million in funding to expand the company's operations and development

A new wave of meat, fish, and poultry alternatives are driving this hyper-growth industry into the mainstream.

Plant-based Meat

<div>
 <p>Blackbird Foods, a plant-based food startup, initiated an equity crowdfunding campaign on StartEngine with a minimum investment of USD 249. Specific funding goals were not disclosed. Early investors are being offered additional benefits via the platform.</p>
 <p>The funds raised will be used for the startup's next phase of growth, specifically, the addition of two new plant-based wing varieties to its product range.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Blackbird Foods’ last funding round was in 2021 when it raised USD 1.5 million in a seed funding round. In 2023, the company inked two significant partnerships with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/17711"> Daring Foods </a> and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/23573"> Beyond Meat </a> and reported a 60% YoY growth in sales.</p>

Blackbird Foods initiates crowdfunding campaign to fuel next phase

Autonomous and connected technologies shaping the future of the auto industry

Auto Tech

<div>
 <p>The electric carmaker, Tesla, has successfully passed regulatory tests in China. This move paves the way for the deployment of its self-driving software, Full Self-Driving (FSD), in the country. The permissions comes after Tesla CEO Elon Musk's visit to China where he held discussions on the implementation of FSD software and the international transfer of driving data.</p>
 <p>Tesla has managed to meet the rigorous data security standards set by China, according to confirmations by Chinese motoring associations for its Model 3 and Y vehicles. These high standards were set in November and are being put into place for vehicles being released in 2022 and 2023. The guidelines necessitate the anonymization of facial recognition data and mandate that the data collected within the cockpit is optional and should be processed locally.</p>
 <p>The electric vehicle company further forged a partnership with Chinese tech giant Baidu in order to collect data using Baidu's mapping license. This move played a pivotal role in launching FSD in China.</p>
 <p>Tesla is the only overseas company that has managed to meet the data compliance standards set by China. Following closely, other Chinese automakers, including BYD, Lotus, Nezha, Li Auto, and Nio, have also met China's most recent data security standards.</p>
</div>

Tesla gains tentative approval to introduce ‘FSD’ driver assistance system in China

Empowering efficiency, visibility and collaboration throughout supply networks

Supply Chain Tech

<div>
 <p>Sayari has formed a collaboration with GAN Integrity, a firm that is focused on the mitigation of risk and compliance, in a bid to fight corruption and the issue of modern slavery within global supply chains.</p>
 <p>Through their partnership, the business risk intelligence and ownership data provided by Sayari is combined with GAN Integrity's third-party management automation, offering an integrated solution to streamline the onboarding, assessment, monitoring, and management of intricate supplier networks. By leveraging data from numerous companies globally, the partnership can evaluate risk more efficiently amidst increasing regulatory scrutiny. The overall objective is to identify various forms of risk, which include forced labor and political exposure, and manage these risks effectively throughout their lifecycle. This collaborative solution assists corporations in fulfilling heightened compliance standards and promotes a more ethical business environment.</p>

</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> In April 2024, Sayari <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/28374"> launched </a> Sayari Map, a platform that allows users to explore complex corporate ownership structures and trace corporate relationships across borders. The platform allows sourcing, procurement, and trade compliance teams to map and screen potential risks from direct and upstream suppliers. The collaborates with GAN Integrity, which leverages the insights from this platform and delivers new capabilities in managing supply chain risks through enhanced compliance.</p>

Sayari collaborates with GAN Integrity to counter corruption and modern slavery in supply chains

<div>
 <p>NVIDIA, a tech company, has established a partnership with Chery Automobile, a Chinese car manufacturing giant, to create an intelligent driving platform. This platform will be based on NVIDIA's "DRIVE Thor," a centralized car computing technology, and will be initially employed in Chery's high-end vehicle models.</p>
 <p>The advanced AI capabilities of DRIVE Thor chip will be integrated into the future models of Chery to enhance the driving experience.</p>
 <p>Notably, this collaboration is an advancement from NVIDIA’s existing "DRIVE Orin" platform, utilized in Chery's latest model, "EXEED STERRA ET." This model offers features like automated driving assistance and intelligent parking.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> NVIDIA's Drive Thor chip introduced <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/13215"> in September 2022 </a> is anticipated to power a range of next-generation vehicles, including robotaxis, autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs), and long-haul trucks. ADV developer <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/454812"> Nuro </a> and autonomous truck manufacturer <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/1410679"> Waabi </a> have already integrated Drive Thor into their driving systems. Other Chinese automakers like <a href="https:<br>
//www.teslarati.com/nvida-drive-thor-chip-autonomous-vehicles/"> BYD, Li Motors, and Xpeng </a> also plan to incorporate Drive Thor into their upcoming vehicle models, highlighting the chip's broad adoption and pivotal role in advancing autonomous transportation technologies.</p>

NVIDIA to offer 'Drive Thor' platform to Chery to develop intelligent driving functions

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

Last-mile Delivery Automation

<div>
 <p>Alphabet's drone delivery division, Wing, is partnering with the National Health Services (NHS) in the UK to test drone-based blood sample deliveries between London hospitals. They will be working alongside Apian, a medical logistics firm and this project will be financially supported by the NHS.</p>
 <p>The service is set to roll out in summer of this year, and is planned to run for six months, with potential expansion if successful. The drones will be used to transport high-priority samples between Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals in South London. The goal is to make 10 daily deliveries during weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the trial period.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> Alphabet Wing’s upcoming UK trial would mark the company’s first drone-based delivery operations in the country. This positions the company to potentially launch ahead of <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/203208"> Amazon </a> <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/22843"> this year. </a> Furthermore, Wing has previously collaborated with Apian <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/21053"> in August 2023 </a> for drone deliveries in Ireland. On a separate note, NHS is already experienced in drone-based deliveries, having previously conducted UK trials in partnership with startups including <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/69024"> Zipline </a> <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25057"> (December 2023), </a> &nbsp; <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/865738"> Skyports </a> <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/20818"> (August 2023), </a> and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/companies/1311070"> Skyfarer </a> <a href="https:<br>
//www.commercialdroneprofessional.com/coventry-universitys-medical-drone-start-up-skyfarer-takes-flight/"> (September 2020). </a></p>

All Updates