Topic: market expansion
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Booz Allen Acquires Defy Security to Expand Global Cybersecurity Reach
Booz Allen Hamilton is acquiring Defy Security to enhance its delivery of comprehensive, technology-driven cybersecurity solutions for commercial sectors like finance and healthcare. The deal combines Defy's commercial customer base and AI-powered malware analysis platform with Booz Allen's techn...
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Hesai to Double Lidar Production Amid Industry Shakeout
Hesai is aggressively doubling its annual lidar production to four million units, capitalizing on surging demand from the automotive and robotics sectors amid global industry consolidation. The company's strong growth and financial position contrast with the bankruptcy of U.S. competitor Luminar,...
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Spotify Launches Premium Platinum with Lossless Audio
Spotify has introduced three new subscription tiers—Premium Lite, Standard, and Platinum—in India, Indonesia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, tailoring options to different user needs and budgets. The plans vary in features and pricing, with Premium Lite offering ad-free streaming, Stand...
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What Is ChatGPT Go? Your Quick Guide
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Go, a more affordable subscription tier priced around $4.50, to increase accessibility in markets where the standard $20 fee is prohibitive, though it is not available in the United States. The plan offers significant upgrades over the free version, including higher me...
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AI to Fuel 40% Surge in Global Trade by 2040, WTO Reports
AI could boost global trade by up to 40% by 2040 by enhancing productivity, reducing costs, and opening new markets through tools like predictive analytics and automated logistics. Digital trade platforms powered by AI are lowering barriers for businesses, especially SMEs, by streamlining cross-b...
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Brevo's $583M Funding Aims to Challenge CRM Giants
Brevo has achieved unicorn status with €500 million in funding, which it will use to challenge major CRM competitors like Salesforce and expand aggressively in the North American market. The company, which evolved from an email tool to a comprehensive platform, will invest heavily in the U.S. and...
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ByteDance's Quiet AI Chatbot Is Winning Global Fans
Cici, ByteDance's international AI chatbot, is expanding globally by targeting markets like the UK, Mexico, and Southeast Asia while avoiding China and the US, using a female cartoon avatar similar to its domestic counterpart Doubao. ByteDance has aggressively marketed Cici with extensive ad camp...
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Charles Schwab Invests in Qapita, a Carta Rival in Singapore
Qapita raised $26.5 million in a Series B funding round led by Charles Schwab, aiming to transform equity management and employee stock plans for private companies. The partnership introduces Schwab Private Issuer Equity Services, a platform using Qapita's technology to help U.S. startups manage ...
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MoneyHash & Noon Payments Partner to Boost MEA Payment Adoption
MoneyHash and noon payments have formed a strategic alliance to accelerate tailored payment solution adoption in the Gulf Cooperation Council, enabling businesses to activate regional payment methods through a single API. The partnership addresses fragmented payment infrastructures in the MEA reg...
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IQM Quantum Computers Expands Global Ambitions Beyond Europe
IQM Quantum Computers has reached unicorn status after raising $300 million in a Series B round led by Ten Eleven Ventures, fueling its global expansion and focus on the U.S. and Asia-Pacific markets. The funding will accelerate R&D in chip fabrication, software development, and error correction ...
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OpenAI Partners With Tata for 100MW AI Data Center in India
OpenAI has partnered with India's Tata Group to secure 100 megawatts of AI data center capacity, with plans to scale to a full gigawatt, as part of its strategic expansion in a key growth market. The initiative will host OpenAI's advanced models locally to reduce latency and meet India's data res...
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Tem Secures $75M to Automate Energy Markets Using AI
London-based AI energy platform Tem raised $75 million in a Series B round, valuing the company at over $300 million to fund international expansion into markets like the U.S. and Australia. Tem's AI platform automates electricity trading, using machine learning to forecast supply and demand, whi...
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Snabbit's Valuation Doubles to $180M in 5 Months
Snabbit's valuation surged to $180 million after a $30 million Series C funding round, reflecting rapid growth in India's on-demand home services market. The platform has experienced explosive growth, with daily job bookings increasing tenfold since May and a workforce of 5,000 women ensuring ser...
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Google Expands AI Overview Ads to New Markets
Google is expanding its AI Overview advertisements to key English-speaking regions outside the U.S., with full rollout expected by the end of 2025, integrating ads into AI-powered search results. This expansion allows brands to place ads directly within AI-generated summaries, offering new engage...
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Stream Forza Horizon 5 to Your Car with Xbox
Microsoft is partnering with LG to bring Xbox Cloud Gaming to internet-connected vehicles, aiming to integrate gaming into over 20 million cars by the end of the decade. The initiative initially targets electric vehicles with LG's webOS platform, though current availability is limited to certain ...
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NomuPay Secures $40M from SoftBank at $290M Valuation
NomuPay, an Ireland-based fintech startup, secured $40 million in Series C funding from SoftBank's SB Payment Service, valuing the company at $290 million and bringing total funding to around $120 million. The company specializes in simplifying cross-border transactions for merchants in fragmente...
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Benchmark invests in Chinese AI startup Manus, valuing it at $500M
Manus AI, a Chinese AI agent tool startup, has raised $75 million in a funding round led by Benchmark, valuing the company at $500 million. The investment will enable Manus to expand its reach into key markets including the U.S., Japan, and the Middle East, following initial success. Following a ...
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Paysky Unveils Revolutionary Fintech Solutions at MTN Summit 2025
The MTN Fintech Summit 2025 in Johannesburg highlighted Paysky's advanced digital payment solutions and its strategic partnership with MTN Group to expand financial services across Africa. Paysky and MTN are collaborating to scale the MoMo platform, aiming to connect merchants and consumers acros...
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SKY Perfect Upgrades Playout-to-Delivery with Harmonic
SKY Perfect JSAT has partnered with Harmonic to upgrade its broadcast infrastructure using Harmonic's software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor, aiming to improve video quality and explore new revenue opportunities. The collaboration leverages Harmonic's cloud-native technology, which integrate...
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Augment AI Logistics Startup Raises $85M Series A from Deliverr Founder
Harish Abbott, co-founder of Deliverr, has launched Augment, an AI-driven logistics company that recently secured $85 million in Series A funding to modernize freight operations. Augment's AI assistant, Augie, automates routine tasks like tracking shipments and invoicing, reducing manual work and...
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Canva Hits $4B Revenue Boosted by AI Traffic Surge
Canva achieved $4 billion in annual recurring revenue in 2025, driven by a 20% increase in monthly active users and the strategic integration of AI tools that attracted new users and enterprise customers. The company's business-to-business segment grew by 100% to $500 million, and it is expanding...
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Waymo's New Robotaxi Enters Mass Production and Passenger Service
Waymo has launched its sixth-generation autonomous driving system, designed for mass production and cost-effectiveness to support a major expansion of its robotaxi service into new cities. The system's safety is built on extensive real-world testing and a multi-modal sensor suite, including high-...
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ChatGPT: Your Complete Guide to the AI Chatbot
OpenAI's ChatGPT has grown into a global phenomenon with hundreds of millions of weekly users, driving significant enterprise adoption and reshaping work and creativity. The company faced intense challenges in 2025, including legal battles over copyright and safety, executive departures, and comp...
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Ledger's New Nano: More Than Just a Crypto Wallet
The Ledger Nano Gen5 is a larger, $179 device rebranded as a versatile "signer," featuring a nearly three-inch E Ink touchscreen for improved usability and security in reviewing transactions. It aims to attract a broader audience beyond cryptocurrency users by positioning itself as a secure tool ...
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Ooredoo Fintech & PayPal Boost Global Digital Payments
Ooredoo Fintech and PayPal have partnered to integrate Ooredoo Wallet with PayPal World, creating a unified global payments network for the MENA region. This collaboration enables users to connect with nearly two billion consumers worldwide, facilitating international money transfers and access t...
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RecordPoint Names Brett Hooker as Inaugural Chief Operating Officer
RecordPoint has appointed Brett Hooker as its first Chief Operating Officer to support global expansion and operational scaling amid rising demand for data governance solutions. Hooker brings extensive experience from TechnologyOne and will oversee end-to-end operations, enhancing systems and ali...
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Senators Warn Regulator: Don't Interfere in Prediction Market Lawsuits
A group of 23 Democratic senators has urged the CFTC not to intervene in state lawsuits against prediction markets, arguing these platforms should be treated as illegal gambling under state, not federal, jurisdiction. The conflict centers on a clash between the CFTC, which asserts exclusive feder...
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Backslash Security Raises $19M to Secure AI-Generated Code
The software development landscape is shifting from AI-assisted tools to fully autonomous AI agents, creating a new and complex security attack surface that demands specialized solutions. Backslash Security has secured $19 million in Series A funding to build an end-to-end platform that secures t...
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Google's Budget-Friendly AI Plus Plan Now Available Worldwide
Google has globally launched its affordable Google AI Plus plan, priced at $7.99/month in the US, expanding access to advanced AI tools in over 35 new countries. The plan provides access to Gemini AI models, Flow filmmaking tools, 200GB of cloud storage, and family sharing, with existing Google O...
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Netflix's Cloud Gaming Push: Co-CEO Admits "A Lot of Work" Ahead
Netflix is prioritizing cloud gaming as a strategic initiative to deepen user engagement and retention, though it acknowledges the initiative is still in early stages with significant challenges ahead. Early results show promising engagement, with social games reaching about 10% of eligible subsc...
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Grubhub Parent Company Buys Restaurant Rewards Startup Claim
Wonder, Grubhub's parent company, has acquired the restaurant rewards startup Claim to integrate cash-back incentives into its dining ecosystem, enhancing tools for restaurants and savings for customers. The acquisition provides Grubhub's extensive restaurant network with advanced customer acquis...
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Belgian Cybersecurity Startup Aikido Reaches Unicorn Status
Aikido Security, a Belgian cybersecurity startup founded in 2022, has achieved a $1 billion valuation after a $60 million Series B funding round, marking the fastest rise to unicorn status for a European cybersecurity company. The company's success is built on a developer-first platform that inte...
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A Ride in a UK Self-Driving Car - Here’s What Happened
Wayve, in partnership with Uber, plans to launch Level 4 autonomous robotaxi trials in London by 2026, with wider deployment targeted for late 2027, while Waymo also aims to introduce its driverless service in the city around the same time. London presents unique challenges for self-driving cars,...
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Wonderful Raises $100M to Deploy AI Agents for Customer Service
Wonderful secured a $100 million Series A investment, led by Index Ventures with other major investors, to develop its scalable multi-agent AI platform for customer service. The company's localized approach, adapting to language, culture, and regulations, has driven rapid growth, achieving an 80%...
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METSAKUUR Inc. Unveils Global Growth at GITEX Global 2025
METSAKUUR Inc. showcased its advanced facial recognition AI at GITEX Global 2025, attracting international interest and advancing its expansion in Middle Eastern and European markets. The company presented AI-driven security systems with anti-spoofing features, perfect accuracy, and rapid process...
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Cloudflare Names Pat Breen VP for Australia & New Zealand
Cloudflare has appointed Pat Breen as Area Vice President for Australia and New Zealand, leveraging his 25+ years of tech leadership experience to drive regional growth and strengthen market presence. Breen highlighted the need for businesses in ANZ to innovate while securing their assets, with C...
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Musk Aims to End Tesla Robotaxi Babysitters This Year
Elon Musk aims to remove human safety monitors from Tesla's robotaxis, targeting fully autonomous operations in parts of Austin by year-end while prioritizing safety and regulatory compliance. Tesla plans to expand its robotaxi service to eight to ten additional markets by the end of 2025, includ...
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Spiro Secures Record $100M for Africa's E-Mobility
Spiro secured a record $100 million investment, the largest for an African EV mobility company, to expand its electric motorcycle fleet and battery-swapping network across the continent. The company's battery-swapping model reduces operating costs by 30% and eliminates refueling downtime, making ...
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MoneyHash & Tabby Launch BNPL for MEA Merchants
MoneyHash and Tabby have partnered to launch a buy now, pay later (BNPL) solution for merchants in the Middle East and Africa, enabling quick integration through MoneyHash's unified API. The collaboration allows e-commerce businesses to offer Tabby's interest-free installment plans at checkout, a...
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Zepto Hits $7B Valuation with $450M Funding Amid Quick Commerce Boom
Zepto secured a $400 million investment led by CalPERS, boosting its valuation to $7 billion and positioning it for an IPO next year, with daily orders surging to 1.7 million. The company operates in a highly competitive quick commerce market against rivals like BlinkIt and Swiggy Instamart, whil...
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Advent Partners Takes Majority Stake in Efex
Advent Partners has acquired a majority stake in efex, an Australian managed IT services provider, to support its expansion, enhance service offerings, and continue its strategic acquisition model under founder and CEO Nick Sheehan. efex serves 7,500 customers across Australia with a comprehensiv...
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PEXA Appoints New Executives to Drive Innovation and Growth
PEXA Group has made strategic executive appointments to strengthen its leadership team, aiming to accelerate innovation and support expansion into new markets while enhancing its core digital property settlement platform. Key external hires include Peter Bonney as Chief Product and Technology Off...
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Casio's Furry Stress-Relief Robot Launches in the US
Casio's Moflin, a stress-relief robotic companion, has expanded to the US and UK after a successful launch in Japan, offering comfort through simulated emotional interactions. Designed to be held and cuddled, Moflin expresses mood through subtle movements and sounds, using AI to develop a unique ...
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Google Ventures Doubles Down on Blacksmith Just 4 Months After Seed Round
Blacksmith, a startup specializing in continuous integration and delivery optimization, has secured a $10 million Series A investment led by Google Ventures, following strong early traction and rapid growth. The company differentiates itself by using high-performance, gaming-grade CPUs, which it ...
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Orange & Synamedia Expand Multi-CDN Reach at IBC 2025
Orange and Synamedia are partnering to integrate a telecommunications-grade CDN with the Quortex Switch platform, enabling flexible multi-CDN deployment for global content distribution. The collaboration leverages Orange's network in the Middle East and Africa, along with Synamedia's intelligent ...
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OpenAI Launches AI Hiring Platform to Challenge LinkedIn
OpenAI is launching an AI-powered hiring platform by mid-2026 to connect businesses and job seekers, potentially competing with established networks like LinkedIn. The company is also developing an AI certification program through its OpenAI Academy, aiming to certify 10 million Americans by 2030...
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Perplexity's Comet Hits Android: Can It Beat Chrome? How to Try
Perplexity has launched its AI-powered browser, Comet, on Android, featuring smart summarization and an ad blocker, designed specifically for mobile use rather than being a desktop adaptation. The Android platform's open ecosystem and easier default browser settings provide a strategic advantage ...
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Shure Debuts First Digital Array Mic for MEA Broadcasts
Shure has launched the DCA901 Planar Array Microphone, a digital audio solution designed to enhance broadcast production with pristine sound and simplified setup in the Middle East and Africa. The microphone features digitally steerable lobes and integrated processing, allowing engineers to isola...
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PayPal & Venmo Users: Get Free Perplexity Pro & Comet AI Browser
PayPal and Venmo users in select countries can receive a free 12-month subscription to Perplexity Pro, which includes access to the AI browser Comet, normally valued at $200 per year. Comet is designed as an intelligent assistant that integrates with personal data like emails and calendars to pro...
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Ex-Googlers Build Tools to Unlock Video Data Insights
InfiniMind, a startup founded by former Google engineers, addresses the untapped potential of vast corporate video archives by converting them into structured, queryable data for business intelligence. The company leverages advanced vision-language models to move beyond simple object recognition,...
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