Breni is an AI-powered learning app that simplifies learning by providing students with personalised content tailored to different learning styles and languages. The app launched in August and has already attracted over 3,000 users from more than 20 countries worldwide, with 90% of them outside Nigeria, according to TechPoint Africa. Founders Sadiq Umar and Bilal Abdullahi met while studying computer science at the Yusuf Maitama Sule University in Kano. They both discovered a love for technology and its potential to improve the ecosystem in the North. After finishing their studies,
NBA MVP Russell Westbrook, NBA All-Star Kemba Walker, and NCAA champion Donnell Beverly Jr. recently launched Eazewell, a tech startup that helps ease the burden of funeral planning. The startup is now launching its AI-Powered Care Transitions Platform. The platform aims to support families, hospices, senior living communities, and life insurers with the administrative tasks at the end of life, from notifying banks and Social Security to cancelling utilities and closing social media accounts. AI To Streamline End-of-Life Tasks The platform streamlines responsibilities such as account closures, documentation, utility cancellations, mail
will.i.am is set to teach a 15-week AI course titled “The Agentic Self” in January 2026. The course will be taught at Arizona State University (ASU), a school focused on increasing the digital fluency of the next generation of learners. “This professorship marks a new chapter in my life,” will.i.am said in a press release. “From creating global unifying music to establishing my i.am Angel Foundation, which empowers 15,000 Los Angeles area high school students with STEM skills and sends thousands to college, I find the answer to my question
Paid, an AI agent startup, has raised $21.6 million in a seed round led by Lightspeed. The London-based startup recently raised €10 million ($11.7 million) in a pre-seed round, meaning the company has raised $33.3 million and hasn’t even reached its Series A yet. The startup’s valuation exceeds $100 million, according to a source familiar with the deal, as reported by TechCrunch. The startup was founded by Manny Medina, the Ecuador-born founder and former CEO of Outreach, a $4.4 billion sales automation company. What is Paid? Paid differs from other
R&B artist named Xania Monet has just inked a $3 million deal with Hallwood Media, the company led by former Interscope executive Neil Jacobson, Billboard reports. But Xania isn’t human. She’s the AI-powered creation of Telisha “Nikki” Jones, a 31-year-old poet and design studio owner from Olive Branch, Mississippi. Jones, who grew up singing in church, writes all her own lyrics and uses the AI music-generation platform Suno to bring Monet’s music to life. Her tracks have been gaining momentum fast. On September 20, Xania debuted at No. 25 on Billboard’s
Ariel Alternatives has acquired Groome Industrial Service Group, a provider of industrial cleaning and maintenance solutions. JPMorgan Chase & Co. joined the deal with a minority stake through its asset management division. Founded by business leader Mellody Hobson, Ariel Alternatives is the private equity arm of Ariel Investments, one of the largest Black-owned money managers in the US. The acquisition will help Groome, which employs more than 900 people across more than 20 US sites, expand its market share by tapping into the firm’s ties in the energy and utilities
Former basketball star and serial entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal is partnering with used car retailer Carvana to launch an AI-powered assistant called the Shaqbot. “I’ve been buying and selling cars for years, and when I found Carvana, I really loved the ease and innovation of the brand. That’s what makes my partnership with Carvana so exciting,” O’Neal said in a press release. “And now for other Carvana fans, they can have a little fun with Shaqbot, an assistant as smart, smooth, and good-looking as me.” Shaq O’Neal launching AI assistant Built on
AI is helping Latinos get on the property ladder. Latinos often face several barriers when trying to buy a home, such as meeting loan officers who don’t speak Spanish and not being able to fully understand what is being explained to them by loan officers. Federal housing agencies have started to switch to English-only services as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to make English the official language of the United States, according to The Seattle Times. The use of bilingual AI may help Latinos and other underrepresented communities during
Garage, an online marketplace selling specialized equipment commonly used in local government, raised $13.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Infinity Venture. Other investors included Benchstrength, Wayfinder Ventures, and FJ Labs, according to TechCrunch. Being a firefighter since age 15 meant that co-founder Martin Hunt knew the struggles of small communities with tight budgets buying fire equipment. In 2023, he asked a colleague about better options for fighters. “When I couldn’t find anything, it became clear that there was a need for a streamlined, nationwide marketplace for
SRE.ai, an AI-powered automation platform, announced that it raised $7.2 million in a seed round led by Salesforce Ventures and Crane Venture Partners. The company will provide users with natural language AI agents that can perform complex enterprise DevOps workflows, such as continuous integration and testing, according to TechCrunch. “Instead of stitching together different low-code tools for enterprise applications like Salesforce, compared to products built on AWS, GCP, or Azure, teams can now move faster with context-driven, chat-like experiences that work across all of them,” CEO Raj Kadiyala said. How does
