Lemon Slice Debuts with $10.5M in Funding and Unveils Real-Time Interactive Avatars
Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — New frontier AI research and product lab, Lemon Slice, is building the future of interactive video by developing foundational technology that other companies integrate into their products. The company launched Lemon Slice-2: the first real-time AI avatar model that turns any image into a live, conversational video call. No training data. No […]
AI Insider’s 2025 in Review: How AI Moved From Experimentation to Integration
Insider Brief Artificial intelligence in 2025 crossed a line from promise to practice, from experimentation to integration as the technology continued its fast-paced move from what was once just an academic curiosity to the machinery of daily business. Over the course of the year, coverage on The AI Insider traced a clear shift: AI was […]
Marissa Mayer’s New Startup Dazzle AI Raises $8M Seed Round
Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — Dazzle AI, a new startup founded by former Google and Yahoo executive Marissa Mayer, has raised $8 million in seed funding at a $35 million post-money valuation, signaling investor interest in a new wave of consumer-focused AI applications. The round was led by Forerunner, with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Greycroft, […]
Lucidean Raises $18M in Seed Funding for Next-Gen Coherent Optical Links for AI Data Centers
Insider Brief PRESS RELEASE — Lucidean, a Santa Barbara–based AI interconnect company pioneering coherent optical links for data centers, announced that Dr. James Raring has joined as Chief Executive Officer and that the company has raised $18 million in Seed financing. The Seed funding was co-led by Entrada Ventures and Koch Disruptive Technologies (KDT), with […]
Groq and Nvidia Enter Non-Exclusive Inference Technology Licensing Agreement
Insider Brief Groq said it has entered into a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Nvidia that gives the chip giant access to Groq’s inference technology, marking a notable convergence between a fast-growing AI hardware upstart and the dominant supplier of accelerators for model training. Under the agreement, announced Dec. 24, Groq founder Jonathan Ross, President Sunny […]
AI Insider’s Week in Review: OpenAI Expands ChatGPT, Yann LeCun Launches New Start-Up, Alphabet Moves to Secure Energy Supply, New York Enacts AI Safety Legislation, Plus the Latest Funding Rounds
As the year winds down and a holiday lull settles over much of the tech world, artificial intelligence shows little sign of slowing. Even in a shortened, end-of-year news cycle, companies, researchers, and regulators are pushing ahead by expanding platforms, locking in infrastructure, raising fresh capital, and advancing policies that will shape how AI is […]