Joyce Shen’s picks: musings and readings in AI/ML, October 26, 2026
📌 Musings and Readings
The Market Read-Through by Joyce Shen: What earnings tell us about data, the workflows, and AI adoption (Link)
“Sequential Diagnosis with Language Models” (Link)
“Pennsylvania enacts law regulating AI-generated advertisements” (Link)
“OpenAI's isolated red-team AI agents built a hidden CPU cache channel to talk with no network or shared files — exploited CPU cache timing to bypass microVM sandboxes” (Link)
“Air Force Cadets Explore Human-Machine Teaming Through Research” (Link)
👏 Deals
Solvera, an Oslo, Norway-based company building an engineering solution to automate and optimize mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) design for the construction industry, has raised $6.3m in pre-seed funding.
Horizon3, a CA-based cybersecurity company, has received a strategic investment from Singapore's EDBI and SG Growth Capital.
Kodama Systems, a CA-based forestry robotics company developing autonomous systems to automate logging operations, address labor shortages, and improve productivity, safety, and forest management, has raised $7m in funding.
ZAP Surgical Systems, a CA-based medical tech company developing robotic radiosurgery systems that intends to deliver non-invasive treatment for brain tumors and neurological disorders, has raised $36m in funding.
Dream Labs, a CA-based company developing general-purpose robotic foundation models that enable robots to autonomously perform tasks across diverse environments and hardware platforms, has raised $90m in seed funding.
XRlabs, a London, UK-based company that combines computer vision and extended reality to enable patient-specific surgical planning and immersive simulation, has raised $8.4m in seed funding.
Delegance Brokerage, a NYC-based commercial insurance brokerage that streamlines insurance placement, optimizes coverage, and automates policy servicing, has raised $3.1m in pre-seed funding.
Electric Plant Company, a CA-based plant intelligence startup leveraging sensors and AI to decode plants’ electrical signals for real-time monitoring of plant health and environmental conditions, has raised $11.2m in seed funding.
Ultra Security, a Birmingham, MI-based AI cybersecurity startup securing enterprise AI agents through real-time monitoring, access controls, and data protection, has raised $10m in seed funding.
Firstwork, a NYC-based workforce operations startup automating frontline employee onboarding, credentialing, and compliance for enterprise employers, has raised $15m in series A funding.
Longeye, a CA-based AI-powered public safety startup automating digital evidence analysis and investigative workflows for law enforcement agencies, has raised $20m in series A funding.
Enact Intelligence, a Zurich, Switzerland-based physical AI startup developing force- and touch-aware robotics technology to enable dexterous automation across industrial applications, has raised $30m in pre-seed funding.
Fort Robotics, a Philadelphia, PA-based robotics startup building hardware and software that enables human-robot collaboration for industrial applications, has raised approximately $20m in funding.
Indurex, an Amsterdam, The Netherlands-based industrial cybersecurity startup helping critical infrastructure operators detect threats and manage operational risks, has raised €7m in funding.
Reduck, a Paris, French-based AI startup building browser automation that enables AI agents to reliably execute workflows across websites and business applications, has raised $3m in pre-seed funding.
Rulen, a Milan, Italy-based AI legal-tech startup automating tax research, accounting workflows, document analysis, and legal drafting, has raised €1.8m in seed funding.
