<div>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Walnut, a no code platform to build product demos, raised USD 15 million in Series A financing led by Eight Roads Ventures. The funding comes eight months after the company raised USD 3.5 million in seed funding in December 2020 and brings its total funding up to USD 21 million.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        The company intends to use the funds to grow its workforce across its offices in the US, Europe, and Israel, and further develop its platform.
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <ul>
    <li>
      <p>
        Israeli company Walnut offers a no code, drag-and-drop platform for B2B sales, marketing, and customer success (CS) teams to create customized product demos for prospective clients. The demos created can be integrated with the user&rsquo;s CRM systems and data sources, and also offer insights to help sales management teams optimize their future demos.&nbsp;
      </p>
    </li>
  </ul>
  <p>
    
    &lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;
    <b>Analyst quicktake: </b>
    2020 saw the arrival of companies offering no-code platforms to build and remotely deliver software demos, possibly to fulfill the need for remote sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We note that Reprise and Demostack also offer similar platforms to Walnut, and also raised funding this year (
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/1198215">
      Demostack raised USD 13.3 million in March
    </a>
     and 
    <a href="https://sp-edge.com/sectors/work/updates/1190">
      Reprise raised USD 17 million in February
    </a>
    ). All three companies were founded in 2020, and with today&rsquo;s funding, Walnut becomes the highest funded, followed closely by Reprise&rsquo;s USD 20.2 million and Demostack&rsquo;s USD 17.3 million.&lt;/ul&gt; 
  </p>
</div>


<div>
  <p>
    <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210831005696/en/">
      Press Release
    </a>
  </p>
</div>


No-code Software

Walnut raises USD 15 million in Series A funding

Clean, congestion-free air travel gets liftoff

Passenger eVTOL Aircraft

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 
 <p>Urban air mobility company BETA Technologies, based in the US, has received UL certification for its Charge Cube, a product for electric charging. </p>
 <p>The certification was awarded after extensive testing in areas such as electrical, mechanical, environmental, and electromagnetic compatibility. The charger complies with multiple UL standards, namely UL 2202, UL 2231-1, and UL 2231-2.</p>
 <p>The Charge Cube has a number of features including multimodal, interoperability, and a 50-foot cord that uses a global charging standard. This makes it compatible with a range of electric vehicles, including cars, trucks, and airplanes. The cube can be used in conjunction with BETA’s Thermal Management System and can be used to charge electric aircraft and ground EVs. </p>
 
</div>

BETA Technologies receives UL certification for charge cube

Powering digital transformation for businesses

Low-code Platforms

<div>
 <p>Kore.ai has launched a new product, Kore.ai Experience Optimization (XO) platform Version 11.0. This product is a conversational AI building platform that enhances AI-driven business interactions across various use cases, with the goal of improving customer, agent, and search experiences.</p>
 <p>The Kore.ai XO V11.0 platform features a unified experience across all Kore.ai integrated products, a multi-LLM GenAI, XO GPT models, advanced retrieval augmented generation (RAG), outbound campaigns, and agent assistance. These key features provide businesses with a streamlined interface that optimizes their conversational experiences.</p>
</div>

Kore.ai releases new version of Experience Optimization Platform to accelerate AI-automated business interactions

Additive manufacturing makes objects by systematically adding material via a CAD program

Additive Manufacturing

<div>
 
 <p>3D printing technology provider Formlabs has launched a new 3D printer, Form 4, designed for large-scale and rapid 3D printing projects. The printer uses a new print engine that employs low force display (LFD) technology, enabling parts to cure at quick speeds, amounting to 100 mm per hour. The build volume of the printer is 30% larger than its predecessors, permitting users to print several small parts at once.</p>
  
 <p>Formlabs also introduced a biocompatible variant, Form 4B, which uses stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing technology. The company asserts that Form 4B can produce most parts in less than two hours.</p> 
     
</div>

Formlabs launches Form 4, a new 3D printer for high speed and large-scale production

Foundation Models

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

<div>
 
 <p>The EU antitrust regulators have determined that Microsoft's USD 13 billion investment in OpenAI does not constitute an acquisition, thus does not warrant a formal investigation. Despite the investment, Microsoft holds a non-voting position and does not have control over OpenAI's operational direction.</p>
 <p>The EU's competition agency is said to be assessing the potential influence and market power of partnerships between leading AI entities.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Earlier this year, the European Commission initiated a competition investigation into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/25468"> investment in OpenAI </a> . <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/27024"> Microsoft's partnership with Mistral AI </a> was also under scrutiny from the EU in February, and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26068"> Italy's Data Protection Authority issued a warning to OpenAI </a> that its chatbot ChatGPT was supposedly breaching data protection rules in January.&nbsp;</p>

EU regulators make statement on Microsoft's USD 13 billion investment in OpenAI

<div>

<p>Stability AI, the team behind Stable Diffusion text-to-image AI, has released Stable Diffusion 3 and Stable Diffusion 3 Turbo on their own API platform.</p>
<p>The firm has also joined forces with API platform provider Fireworks AI, with the aim of providing enterprises with Stable Diffusion 3 and Stable Diffusion 3 Turbo.</p>
<p>Stability AI also has future plans to allow users to self-host their models, which will require a Stability AI Membership.</p>

</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> This news comes amid an unstable time when Stability AI’s <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/27872"> CEO and founder, Emad Mostaque, resigned </a> from his role and the company's board last month, along with some other key personnel. However, the company has been focused on expanding its product portfolio as it launched several models recently, including <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/28305"> Stable LM 2 12B </a> in April, <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/27695"> Stable Video 3D </a> in March, and <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/26910"> Stable Diffusion 3 </a> this February.</p>

Stability AI releases Stable Diffusion 3 on developer platform API

<div>

 <p>Eve Air Mobility, a company specializing in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions, has penned a letter of intent with Japan's major public helicopter air charter service, AirX, to provide as many as 50 eVTOL aircraft.</p>

 <p>The intent is for AirX to employ Eve's eVTOLs and urban air traffic management software, named Vector, to progress its air mobility operations. Eve's eVTOLs are projected to be functional by 2026 in a move that will solidify Eve’s presence in the Asia-Pacific area.</p>
 
</div>

Eve Air Mobility partners with AirX Inc. to advance eVTOL operations in Japan

Technology to explore opportunities beyond Earth

Space Travel and Exploration Tech

<div>
 
 <p>Goodspeed Capital Management (GCM) has acquired Special Aerospace Services (SAS), a global solutions provider for aerospace, aviation, defense, and energy organizations. </p>
 <p>Post-purchase, SAS will integrate into GCM’s newly formed platform where it will offer space engineering, defense, and communications technology solutions. The customer base to be catered will include US defense and intelligence agencies, and commercial space customers. The leadership of the platform will come under Heather Bulk, SAS’s co-founder and CEO, along with industry expert Warren Kohm as CFO.</p>
 <p>Colorado-based SAS has had a history of collaborations with both private and public sector clients in the Aerospace and Aviation industries. In addition, SAS is the parent company of SAS Flight Factory that supplies rapid prototypes, precision machines, and component testing capabilities.</p>
 
</div>

Special Aerospace Services acquired by Goodspeed Capital Management

Helping employers provide personalized, high-touch, and holistic financial wellness tools to their entire workforce.

Financial Wellness Tools

<div>
<p>Wagestream, the UK-based financial wellness platform, successfully raised funding of GBP 17.5 million (~USD 21.8 million). British Patient Capital led this round with Lombard Odier Investment Managers, Northzone, and others also participating, bringing Wagestream's total funding to USD 278.6 million.</p>
<p>With this investment, Wagestream plans to expand its services by bringing in new offerings. The planned introductions include a credit-builder card, shopping discounts, AI-driven financial coaching, and loans structured for affordability. All these features are set for launch within the current year.</p>
<p>As of now, Wagestream caters to a user base of over 3 million people in the UK, Spain, and the US, who are seeking wellness benefits. The platform collaborates with over 1,000 employers across these regions to provide these benefits.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Six months ago, Wagestream <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/22520"> acquired Keebo </a> , a UK-based neobank to integrate Keebo’s suite of products, technology, software, and workforce with Wagestream and expand its financial services offerings to those with poor credit histories.</p>

Wagestream raises GBP 17.5 million in funding to expand service offerings

Exploring the limitless possibilities of AI

Generative AI Applications

<div>
 
 <p>Veesual, a French AI-based virtual try-on platform for the fashion industry, has raised USD 7.5 million in a seed funding round led by AVP (AXA Venture Partners) and Techstars.</p>
 <p>The funds will be used for Veesual's expansion into the US market, which includes the opening of its first US office in 2025, product development for US brands, and the recruitment of senior US talent.</p>
 <p>The company has also partnered with women's fashion brand EILEEN FISHER as its initial US partner brand to incorporate virtual try-on solutions into their online experience.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Veesual leverages its proprietary technology to equip fashion brands with adaptable and scalable imagery to engage a diverse array of online customers better. The funding also signals increasing interest in using GenAI solutions in the industry as this news comes a month after fashion development platform Raspberry AI also raised <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/27202"> USD 4.5 million </a> to expand operations.&nbsp;</p>

Veesual raises USD 7.5 million in seed funding; expands to US with EILEEN FISHER partnership

<div>
 
 <p>NeuBird, a firm specialized in cloud-native and GenAI technology, secured USD 22 million funding from Mayfield.</p>
 <p>These funds aim at accelerating the introduction of NeuBird's products into the market, anticipating a launch this year.</p>
 <p>The company's goal is to tackle the complexity of data layers in cloud-native communities. It utilizes large language models (LLMs) for analyzing massive data quantities, providing solutions in mere seconds. NeuBird is focused on developing a digital co-worker to assist engineers, intending to shorten incident response time from hours to minutes.&nbsp;</p>
 
</div>

All Updates