Epiminds, an agentic AI company, has raised $6.6 million in funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners, EWOR, Entourage, and leading angels such as the former CMO of Booking.com, according to Tech Funding News reports. The Swedish startup, founded in 2025 by Mo Elkhidir (CEO) and Elias Malm, aims to reinvent how marketing agencies work by using multi-agent AI to automate campaign management. Helping marketers with routine tasks Both founders were driven by frustration with the inefficiencies of traditional marketing. Sudanese-born Elkhidir spent years researching multi-agent systems that enable digital agents to
Nigerian men are using AI to create fake nude images of women, according to Gst. On X, Nigerian men are using AI to create fake photos of women; some users are tagging Grok and commenting “remove her clothes” under women’s photos. After a few minutes, the manipulated images are posted under the original user’s post. These flagged images are rarely removed, allowing women to be digitally assaulted without any repercussions. Nigerian men digitally altering women’s pictures 58% of Nigerian women say they’ve faced online abuse, according to The State of Online
Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has raised concerns over the use of AI to recreate deceased public figures. Users have been generating AI videos of celebrities through OpenAI’s Sora app. The app, which launched in September, Sora 2 allows users to create videos from simple text prompts. The app was downloaded over a million times within five days of its release, according to the BBC. However, the app is now facing backlash from the families of deceased celebrities, including Dr. Bernice A. King herself. Blacklash over
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
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
