Joyce Shen’s picks: musings and readings in AI/ML, December 30, 2025
5-minute weekly must-read on data science and artificial intelligence news, funding, and research, curated by Joyce J. Shen.
📌 Musings and Readings
“2026 will be 'year of autonomous': Analyst on Tesla, Waymo robotaxis” (Link)
“Meta buys Chinese-founded AI start-up Manus” (Link)
“SoftBank to buy data center firm DigitalBridge for $4 billion in AI push” (Link)
“Nvidia buying AI chip startup Groq’s assets for about $20 billion” (Link)
Tech That Will Change Your Life in 2026 (Link)
Japan to Quadruple Spending Support for Chips, AI in Budget (Link)
👏 Deals
Bloxley, a DE-based fintech startup building an AI-native, mobile-first digital finance platform, has raised $2.5m in funding.
AIR, a NYC-based fintech company providing a credit intelligence platform delivering real-time, explainable credit risk scores and analytics, has raised $6.1m in seed funding.
Dux, a NYC and Israel-based cybersecurity company offering AI-driven exposure management to help organizations identify, prioritize, and remediate exploitable security risks, has raised $9m in seed funding.
Arcads.ai, a CA-based company that enables businesses and marketers to generate professional-quality video ads and visual content, has raised $16m in seed funding.
Endra AI, a Sweden-based software company offering platform that automates the design, documentation, and compliance of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, has raised $20m in seed funding.
Gambit Cyber, a Netherlands-based cybersecurity company providing a solution to identify, prioritize, and remediate cyber risks, has raised $3.4m in seed funding.
InfiniteWatch, a NYC-based company developing AI-powered tools that monitor, analyze, and optimize customer interactions, has raised $4m in funding.
Edison Scientific, a CA-based startup offering an AI-powered solution that automates and accelerates scientific research, has raised $70m in seed funding.
Ciphero, a NYC-based enterprise AI security company providing an AI verification and security platform for enterprise environments, has raised $2.5m in pre-seed funding.
Finny, a NYC-based company developing a solution for financial advisors, has raised $17m in Series A funding.
Peripheral Labs, a Toronto, Canada-based company using AI to transform standard sports broadcast footage into immersive, photorealistic 3D and volumetric video, has raised $3.6m in seed funding.
ZeroPhase, a Munich, Germany-based defense technology startup building AI-enhanced, software-defined communication systems, has raised $6.8m in seed funding.
Vibranium Labs, a NYC-based startup providing AI-powered tools to help companies automatically monitor, detect, and resolve IT system issues, has raised $4.6m in seed funding.