FIGMA LOSES ANTHROPIC EXEC; ALLBIRDS PIVOTS TO AI
Anthropic executive Mike Krieger departed Figma's board this week, marking a potential conflict-of-interest moment similar to Google's 2009 exit from Apple's board. Meanwhile, struggling shoemaker Allbirds announced plans to become an AI chip-leasing firm after selling its footwear business.
■ MORE FROM THE AI DESK
Israel-based Hemispheric secured $52 million in funding for its AI model that analyzes non-invasive brain activity measurements and converts them into quantitative diagnostic metrics.
Anthropic and Blackstone are backing Ode, a new venture that embeds AI engineers directly inside enterprises. The bet signals a shift in where the next trillion dollars in AI value may be created: not in building models, but in implementing them.
Spectro Cloud, an AI infrastructure company focused on managing token costs, secured $100 million in Series D funding at a valuation exceeding $1 billion. The raise marks significant growth from the company's $750 million valuation in 2024.
Startups like Altur are deploying AI chatbots to handle debt collection calls, automating a process traditionally done by humans. Y Combinator has backed six debt collection and settlement startups over the past six years.