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AI Startup Humans& Raises $480 Million at $4.5 Billion Valuation in Seed Round

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Artificial intelligence startup Humans& has raised $480 million in a seed funding round, valuing the company at about $4.48 billion, highlighting strong investor appetite for next-generation AI labs founded by experienced researchers.

The round was led by SV Angel and co-founder Georges Harik, with participation from Nvidia, Jeff Bezos, and Alphabet’s venture arm GV. Nvidia has become a prominent backer of AI startups as demand for its chips continues to surge.

Humans& was founded by former researchers from OpenAI, Alphabet, and xAI, and is developing human-centric AI tools designed to improve communication and collaboration. The company expects to launch its first product early this year.

Chief executive Eric Zelikman said the technology is designed to coordinate with people and other AI systems to help users work more effectively together. The founding team also includes alumni from Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Meta, underscoring the depth of expertise behind the new venture.

AI Chip Startup Positron Raises $23.5 Million to Challenge Nvidia

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Positron, a startup aiming to rival Nvidia in the artificial intelligence (AI) chip market, announced on Tuesday that it has raised $23.5 million in a seed funding round. Investors in the round included Valor Equity Partners, known for its support of Elon Musk’s ventures, along with Atreides Management, Flume Ventures, and Resilience Reserve.

Focus on Efficiency and Inference:

Positron’s chips are manufactured in Arizona and are designed to use less than a third of the power of Nvidia’s leading H100 graphical processing units (GPUs) while offering similar performance. The company’s chips are specifically intended for AI inference, the phase where AI models are utilized, as opposed to training the models. Although demand currently leans toward training chips, analysts forecast that the need for inference chips will rise as more AI applications are developed.

Industry Shift and Rising Costs:

With major players like OpenAI, Google, and Meta investing heavily in AI infrastructure, the demand for chips is expected to grow significantly. Meta, for example, has pledged to spend up to $65 billion this year, while Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion. OpenAI also announced a $500 billion Stargate infrastructure project. Despite Nvidia’s dominance, holding around 80% of the market, rising costs and concerns about over-reliance on a single supplier have pushed companies such as Microsoft, Meta, and OpenAI to seek alternative solutions, both in-house and externally.

Orchid Security Raises $36 Million in Seed Funding to Tackle AI-Driven Identity Challenges

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Identity security startup Orchid Security has secured $36 million in seed funding as it officially emerged from “stealth mode” after a year of secretive development. The early-stage funding round was led by Intel Capital and Team8, with additional support from CapitalOne and prominent individual investors.

Focus on Identity Protection Amid AI Growth

Orchid Security aims to address the complex challenge of managing identity systems in an era of rapidly expanding AI technologies. The startup leverages large language models to enhance identity security, helping organizations verify and protect individual identities more efficiently.

Strategic Partnerships and Global Clients

Headquartered in New York with its research and development hub in Israel, Orchid Security is already working with several major firms across industries such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail. The company’s clientele includes Fortune 100 companies like Costco and Repsol, showcasing its credibility and relevance in high-demand sectors.

The Importance of Identity Verification

Identity verification ensures that businesses can confidently engage with individuals, safeguarding against fraud and unauthorized access. As AI technologies advance, securing these systems becomes increasingly critical to maintaining trust and operational security.

Israel: A Cybersecurity Hub

Israel’s prominence in the cybersecurity space has continued to grow, with cyber-focused companies accounting for 7% of its tech sector. In 2024 alone, cybersecurity startups in Israel raised nearly $4 billion, representing 36% of the total funding for the country’s tech ecosystem. Orchid Security’s R&D roots in Israel align with the nation’s global reputation for innovation in cybersecurity.

Funding Allocation

The $36 million seed funding will be used to accelerate Orchid Security’s growth and expand its use of AI-powered solutions for identity security. With strong backing from industry leaders and a focus on cutting-edge technology, Orchid aims to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of identity verification.