TechCapsules

Astrall Dynamics, a Shenzhen-based embodied AI robotics startup, has secured investment from SAIC Motor and Dongfang Precision, increasing its registered capital to 67.33 million yuan. Founded in June 2024, the company specializes in R&D, manufacturing, and sales of smart robots and motor control systems. Astrall Dynamics has also partnered with China Life Property & Casualty Insurance to develop dedicated insurance products for quadruped robots, aiming to drive innovation in smart equipment and establish a new model for

DeepL has acquired Mixhalo, a real-time audio startup, to enhance its translation suite for live events and conferences. Mixhalo's technology allows for seamless audio streaming and translation, addressing the issue of attendees struggling to capture audio from a distance. Founded in 2016, Mixhalo has raised over $39 million in capital and has been a long-time customer of DeepL's translation services. The acquisition will enable DeepL to expand its offerings in the live event space and showcase its [...]

Dawn Aerospace has secured $25 million in funding to scale up its work in in-space transportation and suborbital spaceplanes. The company, valued at $196 million, plans to use the funding for a global rollout of its services, establishing teams in the United States and Europe. Dawn currently sells thrusters for spacecraft and has grown its annual revenue from $3 million in 2022 to $15 million, with the company now cash-flow positive. The company is developing an in-space [...]

PSYONIC, a San Diego-based startup, is partnering with ABB Robotics to equip robotic arms with its prosthetic Ability Hand. The goal is to give robots humanlike dexterity for complex assembly work, potentially involving irregularly shaped parts. Founded in 2015, PSYONIC initially developed advanced prosthetic hands for amputees, providing muscle control and touch feedback. The Ability Hand features touch sensors that allow users to feel vibrations on their skin when touching objects. This technology is now being used [...]

Critical Energy, a startup founded by SpaceX alum Spencer Jackson, has raised $22 million to develop modular turbines for geothermal power plants. The company aims to fill a gap in the market by providing turbines tailored to geothermal power plants, with the funds earmarked to build its first 2.5 megawatt project. Geothermal energy has significant potential, with at least 42 terawatts of capacity available worldwide, and Critical Energy hopes to play a key role in its development. [...]

Pramaana Labs has announced a $27 million seed funding round led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from several other investors. The startup aims to bring formal verification to AI, focusing on sensitive verticals like law, drug discovery, and tax preparation where errors can be costly. Pramaana's system combines a conventional large language model with a deterministic layer, using the open-source LEAN programming language to verify mathematical proofs. The company will build formal verification systems for each use [...]

The US has held off adding China's AI startup DeepSeek and over 100 other companies to a trade blacklist, despite being flagged as national security risks. DeepSeek, which has supported China's military and intelligence operations, and memory chipmaker CXMT, were approved for addition to the Entity List last year. The list, which restricts US companies from shipping goods to listed companies without a license, has not been updated since October. The delay is seen as an effort [...]

Rivian, a US startup, is poised to challenge Tesla in the premium electric vehicle market with its 100% battery-powered electric vehicles, excluding hybrids and range extenders. Despite the decline in US EV sales following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit, Rivian has announced volume production of its R2 SUV and plans to launch two new affordable EVs, the R3 and 3X. The company is also partnering with ChargeScape to enable its drivers to tap into [...]