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      <p>
        Pismo, a Brazilian cloud-native core banking and payments platform, has raised USD 108 million in a Series B funding round co-led by SoftBank Latin America Fund, Amazon, and Accel, with participation from B3, Falabella Ventures, and PruVen, among others. The round brings the company&rsquo;s total funds raised to USD 118 million.
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        The company plans to utilize the funds for global scale expansion, including establishing new offices in Austin, Texas; Bristol, United Kingdom; and Singapore, to further develop its technology and to add 200 new engineers to its current team of 250+ employees.
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      <p>
        Pismo offers a cloud-native core processing platform pitched towards banks, FinTechs, and other financial institutions. The company has customers, including Banco Ita&uacute;, BTG, Cora, N26, and Falabella in Latin America, and expanded operations to include North America, Asia, and Europe earlier this year. The platform handles 4+ billion API calls monthly and hosts more than 25 million accounts, which when combined, transact more than USD 3 billion a month on average.
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  <p>
    <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pismo-raises-108-million-series-b-led-by-softbank-amazon-and-accel-to-enable-cloud-native-financial-services-globally-301403223.html">
      Press Release
    </a>
  </p>
  <p>
    <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/19/softbank-amazon-and-accel-back-brazilian-banking-and-payments-infrastructure-provider-pismo-in-108m-round/">
      TechCrunch
    </a>
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FinTech Infrastructure

Pismo raises USD 108 million in Series B funding

The toolkit to build machine learning applications at scale

Machine Learning Infrastructure

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

INCUMBENTS_PRESENT

PROMINENT_CATEGORY

<div>
 <p>Uber has announced the launch of Scaled Solutions, a division specialising in AI and data labeling that employs gig workers on a contractual basis. This service is designed to serve both Uber's internal business components and external clients.</p>
 <p>The remit of Scaled Solutions centers around AI annotation and data labeling projects. It serves a variety of clients, including Aurora Innovation, a company specialising in autonomous vehicles, and Niantic, a video game development company.</p>
 <p>Uber is seeking to grow its contractor workforce to support this new initiative, recruiting from multiple nations including the US, Canada, and India.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> Uber is expanding its presence in the GenAI space with <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/34566"> plans </a> to launch an AI assistant for drivers using OpenAI's GPT-4o model by early 2025. Central to this effort is its <a href="https:<br>
//aimresearch.co/market-industry/how-ubers-predictive-machine-learning-is-changing-user-experience"> Gen AI Gateway </a> , which provides a unified interface for accessing external large language models (LLMs) and Uber's proprietary models.</p>

Uber launches data labeling service 'Scaled Solutions'

A new generation for mobile connectivity with 5G and beyond

Next-gen Private Mobile Networks

<div>
 <p>Celona, a private 5G network solutions provider, has joined forces with HCLTech, a global technology company, to offer advanced private 5G network solutions that facilitate enterprise digital transformation.</p>
 <p>This collaboration integrates Celona's 5G LAN technology with HCLTech's digital suite to deliver comprehensive private 5G solutions. The goal is to boost connectivity and operational efficiency across diverse industries, primarily on Industry 4.0 projects and AI-powered digital transformation.</p>
 
</div>

Celona and HCLTech partner to deliver enterprise private 5G network solutions globally

<div>
 <p>IT and network technologies integrator, NEC, has formed a partnership with Cisco with a vision to offer comprehensive private 5G network solutions. This collaboration aims to unite NEC's expertise in radio networks with Cisco's 5G SA Core technology.</p>
 <p>This strategic alliance brings together Cisco's proficiency in core network with NEC's experience in wireless network. The focus will predominantly be on serving enterprise customers in Europe and the Middle East. NEC's demonstration unit is designed for customers to validate potential use cases in several areas like logistics, warehousing, event venues, and airport operations.</p>
 <p>Both companies affirm that their solution will enable organizations to install tailor-made 5G infrastructure which boasts improved security, reduced latency, and high-speed data transfer. This will support Industrial-Internet-of-Things and applications related to automation.</p>
</div>

NEC partners with Cisco to deliver private 5G network solutions

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

Additive Manufacturing

<div>
 <p>Wayland Additive, a manufacturer of electron beam 3D printers, has partnered with TECCLUSTER, a Danish engineering company, to distribute its products in the Nordic and Baltic regions.</p>
 <p>The partnership will focus on expanding sales of Wayland's Calibur3 system, which offers advanced metal 3D printing capabilities for materials like Tungsten and Molybdenum. TECCLUSTER will leverage its market presence and expansion from Danish to Nordic-Baltic markets to distribute Wayland's metal AM solutions in these territories.</p>
 
</div>

Wayland Additive partners with TECCLUSTER for metal 3D printer sales in Nordic-Baltic regions

Next-gen packaging solutions for enhanced product tracking, inspection solutions and freshness monitoring

Smart Packaging Tech

<div>
 <p>Mettler-Toledo has launched the X6 Series, containing two new X-ray inspection systems, X16 and X36.2, for medium- to large-sized packaged products and multi-lane applications.</p>
 <p>The entry-level X16 system comes with a HiGain detector for contamination detection and can manage products up to 300 mm in height. It operates at 60 m per minute and includes checks for product placement, mass count, and fill level. On the other hand, the advanced X36.2 system uses a HiGain+ detector and ContamPlus software, operates at 100 meters per minute, and processes over 1000 products per minute.</p>
 <p>These systems prioritize maximizing production uptime by offering user-friendly interfaces and easy cleaning. They boost product safety by detecting contaminants like metal, glass, stone, bone, and low-density materials and offer flexibility for manufacturers dealing with larger products or various packages per line.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> Mettler Toledo's new inspection systems could strengthen its position in the food safety sector by offering enhanced quality control solutions. This launch positions the company to compete effectively against similar systems by addressing stringent industry demands. In <a href="https:<br>
//sp-edge.com/updates/29698"> May 2024 </a> , the company introduced an advanced X-ray inspection system designed to inspect packaged goods accurately.</p>

Mettler-Toledo launches X6 Series x-ray inspection systems for improved packaging inspection

Travel Tech

<div>
 <p>Airbnb is initiating its long-term rental marketplace in the UK through a partnership with real estate developer Greystar. This development will initially facilitate tenants in almost 1,500 apartments across three Greystar-supervised properties in London to sublease their homes part-time.</p>
 <p>In this agreement, tenants are required to sign contracts with landlords specifying hosting rules, such as restrictions on annual rental nights, and they are required to share 10-25% of their rental income with landlords. Airbnb is purportedly in discussions with further landlords to broaden its services to additional areas of the UK.</p>
 
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> This initiative addresses <a href="https:<br>
//www.forbes.com/sites/garybarker/2020/02/21/the-airbnb-effect-on-housing-and-rent/"> growing </a> criticism of Airbnb's influence on local communities and housing markets. It aims to support younger renters facing the cost-of-living crisis by enabling them to earn additional income, reflecting an effort to enhance Airbnb’s brand reputation.</p>

Airbnb expands long-term rental marketplace to UK through Greystar partnership

<div>
 <p>HomeToGo, a vacation rental marketplace that uses Software as a Service (SaaS) has introduced a Travel Agency Hub. This hub provides a gateway for travel agencies to use HomeToGo's white-label solutions. It's presently being piloted with FDM Travel and Fora with plans to onboard more partners in the future.</p>
 <p>This newly launched hub equips travel agents with various features, including global vacation rental search, booking capabilities, insights into booking activities, competitive commission structures, and custom payment and invoicing processes. It also offers dedicated customer support services. For more global reach, the platform supports 27 different languages and currencies.</p>
 <p>The platform, according to HomeToGo, facilitates travel agency partners in integrating vacation rentals into their packages, and concurrently provides HomeToGo with new sources of demand.&nbsp;</p>
</div>

HomeToGo launches Travel Agency Hub for vacation rental bookings

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

Business Expense Management

<div>
 <p>Modulr, a payment platform, has bought accounts payable automation specialist Nook, with financial details remaining undisclosed. Modulr plans to leverage this acquisition and launch Modulr AP, which will be powered by Nook, by the first quarter of 2025.</p>
 <p>With this launch, Modulr aims to enhance its payment solutions and expand further in the UK and European markets. This merger will also grant Nook's clients access to the advanced payment capabilities of Modulr.</p>
 <p>Nook, established in 2021, is a platform that automates accounts payable, managing complete invoice lifecycles. It boasts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for invoice processing. Additionally, it supports customised approval workflows and seamless integration with existing accounting software.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
</b> This acquisition is part of Modulr's broader strategy to expand its services. In <a href="https:<br>
//thepaypers.com/payments-general/modulr-expands-xero-integration-to-include-payroll-services--1269925"> September 2024 </a> , Modulr integrated with Xero to include payroll services.</p>

Modulr acquires accounts payable automation firm Nook to expand capabilities and deliver enhanced payment solutions in UK

Exploring the limitless possibilities of AI

Generative AI Applications

<div>
 <p>Anthropic, a company that develops AI models and tools, has introduced the Model Context Protocol (MCP). This open-source standard links AI assistants to data systems and is available to all developers. Subscribers to the Claude Enterprise plan can integrate the Claude chatbot into their internal systems using MCP servers.</p>
 <p>The MCP paves the way for two-way connections between data sources and AI applications with the help of MCP servers and clients. It consists of three major components: Specification and SDKs, local MCP server support present in Claude Desktop apps, and an open-source repository of MCP servers. For enterprise systems such as Google Drive, Slack, GitHub, Git, Postgres, and Puppeteer, Anthropic offers pre-built MCP servers.</p>
</div> <p><b>Analyst QuickTake:<br>
 </b> MCP eliminates the need for maintaining separate connectors for each data source, allowing AI systems to maintain context while moving between different tools and datasets. The need for such a protocol has become increasingly apparent as businesses and organizations face the challenge of integrating AI chatbots and assistants into their existing technology stacks. Traditionally, these AI-powered tools have often operated in isolation, unable to fully leverage the data and information available within an organization. Anthropic's MCP aims to address this issue by providing a standardized framework for data connectivity and accessibility.</p>

Anthropic releases open-source Model Context Protocol for AI data connectivity

<div>
 <p>Voice AI platform PlayAI has secured USD 21 million in seed funding in a round led by Kindred Ventures. Other contributors include Race Capital, 500 Global, Y Combinator, Soma Capital, Pioneer Fund, TRAC, among others. Steve Jang from Kindred ventures has joined as a board observer.</p>
 <p>The newly acquired funds will be utilized to improve the company's generative AI voice models and voice agent platform. The aim is to reduce the time required for businesses to develop human-like speech experiences.</p>
 <p>PlayAI is a firm specializing in AI-powered voice generation and text-to-speech technology. It provides a platform that equips developers and enterprises with the ability to create human-like voice applications without the necessity of creating their own models. The company's main product is PlayDialog, a multi-turn text-to-speech model facilitating natural speech delivery by controlling prosody, intonation, emotion, and pacing based on conversational context. Play 3.0 mini, a lightweight model that supports over 30 languages, is another product from PlayAI, which finds application in the healthcare, travel, hospitality, and retail sectors.</p>
</div>

All Updates

Pismo raises USD 108 million in Series B funding

Uber launches data labeling service 'Scaled Solutions'

Celona and HCLTech partner to deliver enterprise private 5G network solutions globally

NEC partners with Cisco to deliver private 5G network solutions

Wayland Additive partners with TECCLUSTER for metal 3D printer sales in Nordic-Baltic regions

Mettler-Toledo launches X6 Series x-ray inspection systems for improved packaging inspection

Airbnb expands long-term rental marketplace to UK through Greystar partnership

HomeToGo launches Travel Agency Hub for vacation rental bookings

Modulr acquires accounts payable automation firm Nook to expand capabilities and deliver enhanced payment solutions in UK

Anthropic releases open-source Model Context Protocol for AI data connectivity

PlayAI raises USD 21 million in seed funding from Kindred Ventures

FinTech Infrastructure

Pismo raises USD 108 million in Series B funding

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