Relatively slow week in the AI world. Big news comes from Coursera, who raised a $103mm Series E round. The education tech startup has attracted a lot of attention in the past few years and plans to use the proceeds to further expand internationally.
Company developments:
JetBlue expands use of facial recognition software at airports via Homeland Security database – Apr. 27, 2019 (Boston Herald)
- Sharing her experience on Twitter, MacKenzie Fegan said, “Instead of scanning my boarding pass or handing over my passport, I looked into a camera before being allowed down the jet bridge. Did facial recognition replace boarding passes, unbeknownst to me? Did I consent to this?”
- According to the airline operator, the device used facial recognition software to identify Fegan and allowed her to board the plane in lieu of a boarding pass. JetBlue said Fegan could have opted out of using the facial recognition software. Fegan asked the company how it matches the photo to a person’s identity, to which JetBlue responded, “The information is provided by the United States Department of Homeland Security from existing holdings.”
Ford to deploy up to 100 autonomous cars by the end of 2019, expand testing to third city – Apr. 26, 2019 (VentureBeat)
- Ford intends to deploy upwards of 100 driverless vehicles by the end of 2019 and begin testing in a new city as it ramps up development of its autonomous technologies, CEO Jim Hackett told investors during the company’s Q1 2019 earnings call on Thursday
- Hackett said that Ford is focusing on “more complex” environments with seasonal weather changes and “intense” metro challenges, rather than suburban areas where the roads don’t change that often, or freeways. “We laughed that if autonomy was only destined for the L.A. freeways, you don’t have to deal with dogs and baseballs running across them, and no need to recognize that,” said Hackett. He added, “We’ve opted into some really difficult settings to prove this capability.”
Teenager sues Apple for $1bn, claiming facial recognition led to false arrest – Apr. 23, 2019 (Engadget)
- An 18-year-old from New York has filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Apple over a false arrest he says happened because of what he believes to be Apple’s face recognition system. NYPD officers arrested Ousmane Bah on November 29th after he was falsely linked to a series of Apple Store thefts in Boston, New Jersey, Delaware and Manhattan
- Apparently, the real perpetrator used a stolen ID that had his name, address and other personal information. However, since the ID didn’t have a photo, the lawsuit claims Apple programmed its stores’ face recognition system to associate the real thief’s face with Bah’s details. However, An Apple spokesperson told Engadget that the company does not use facial recognition in its stores
Tesla CEO plans to hand the car keys to robots next year – Apr. 22, 2019 (Washington Post)
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk expects to start converting the company’s electric cars into fully self-driving vehicles next year as part of an audacious plan to create a network of robotic taxis to compete against Uber and other ride-hailing services
- The vision sketched out Monday during an event at Tesla’s Silicon Valley headquarters requires several leaps of faith — something that the zealous investors and consumers who view Musk as a technological genius often are willing to take
Fundraising / investment:
Coursera secures $103M in Series E to accelerate the development its learning platform and drive international expansion – Apr. 26, 2019 (Tech Starts)
- The round was led by SEEK Group, a global leader in investing, scaling and operating online employment and education businesses, with participation from existing investors Future Fund and NEA
- 190 of the world’s top universities and industry educators partner with Coursera to offer courses, Specializations, and degrees that empower over 40 million learners around the world to achieve their career goals. Over 1,800 companies trust the company’s enterprise platform Coursera for Business to transform their talent
SalesLoft nabs $70M at around $600M valuation for its sales engagement platform – Apr. 25, 2019 (TechCrunch)
- SalesLoft, an Atlanta-based startup that has built a platform for salespeople to help them engage with their clients — providing communications tools, supporting data and finally analytics to “coach” salespeople to improve their processes — has raised $70 million in a Series D round of funding led by Insight Partners with participation from HarbourVest
- Kyle Porter, SalesLoft’s co-founder and CEO, would not disclose the amount of funding in an interview, but he did confirm that it is more than double its valuation from the previous round — a $50 million Series C that included LinkedIn among the investors (more on that below) — but less than $1 billion. That round was just over a year ago and would have valued the firm at $250 million. That would put SalesLoft’s current valuation at more than $500 million, and a source close to the company notes that it’s around $600 million
Vue.ai raises $17 million for AI-driven retail products – Apr. 24, 2019 (VentureBeat)
- The Fremont, California-based subbrand of AI startup Mad Street Den today announced that it’s raised $17 million in a series B financing round led by Falcon Edge Capital, with participation from Sequoia Capital India and KDDI Innovation Fund’s Global Brain
- Vue.ai, which in three years has experienced 200 percent annual revenue growth and seen household names like Macy’s, Levi’s, Diesel, Thredup, Tata, and Mercadolibre join its customer base, offers a suite of seven products designed to automate management and merchandising processes and personalize omnichannel customer experiences
Audioburst raises $10M to build AI-powered infotainment systems for cars, ad solutions – Apr. 22, 2019 (TechCrunch)
- Audioburst, a startup that uses AI technology to extract the best bits from podcasts and talk radio to create new listening experiences, has raised an additional $10 million in strategic funding from Dentsu and Hyundai Motor Company. The new round is focused on helping Audioburst further expand into advertising and in vehicles. It also precedes the company’s planned launch into Japan at the end of 2019
- Dentsu and Hyundai join Audioburst’s other strategic investors, Samsung Ventures, Nippon Broadcasting, and Advanced Media, Inc., and bring the company’s total raise to date to $25 million
Research / studies:
Pittsburgh autonomous vehicle companies issue report on local testing – Apr. 25, 2019 (Trib Live)
- The five companies — Aptiv, Argo AI, Aurora, Carnegie Mellon University and Uber — employ a combined total of 1,300 people locally in connection with the testing. Test vehicles include the BMW 540i, Chrysler Pacifica PHEV, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ, Cadillac SRX and Volvo XC90
- The five companies — Aptiv, Argo AI, Aurora, Carnegie Mellon University and Uber — employ a combined total of 1,300 people locally in connection with the testing. Test vehicles include the BMW 540i, Chrysler Pacifica PHEV, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Lincoln MKZ, Cadillac SRX and Volvo XC90