April 24, 2025

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Lace AI Raises $19M, Microsoft Introduces AI Agents, AI Chatbots, and FHE Solutions

Recent developments in the tech industry have seen significant advancements in AI technology, with various companies and startups raising funds to enhance their AI-powered platforms. Lace AI, a Bulgarian-founded startup, has raised $19 million to transform revenue intelligence in the home services industry using AI. Meanwhile, Microsoft has introduced AI 'agents' designed to function as digital colleagues, aiming to make AI an integral collaborator in daily work. Other notable developments include the launch of AI chatbots offering business and investing advice, partnerships to deliver AI-powered solutions to federal government users, and the emergence of FHE-based platforms enabling secure and private use of AI in the cloud. However, concerns have also been raised about the increasing realism of AI-generated child abuse images, highlighting the need for continued efforts to combat such issues. Additionally, research is being conducted on the use of AI to detect diseases and disorders through voice analysis, with potential applications in healthcare and beyond.

Key Takeaways

  • Lace AI has raised $19 million to enhance its revenue intelligence platform for the home services industry using AI.
  • Microsoft has introduced AI 'agents' to function as digital colleagues and transform the workplace.
  • Mark Cuban has launched an AI chatbot offering business and investing advice.
  • Lawelawe Nexus has partnered with EmergeGen AI to deliver AI-powered solutions to federal government users.
  • Lattica has emerged with a Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) solution for secure and private AI use in the cloud.
  • AI-generated child abuse images are becoming increasingly realistic, posing a significant challenge.
  • Zhipu AI is expanding overseas through a partnership with Alibaba Cloud to launch localized sovereign AI agents.
  • Datadog has acquired Metaplane, an AI-powered data observability startup, to accelerate its expansion into data observability.
  • Research is being conducted on using AI to detect diseases and disorders through voice analysis, with potential applications in healthcare.
  • Microsoft predicts a fundamental restructuring of organizations around 'Work Charts' - more fluid, outcome-driven team structures powered by AI agents.

Lace AI raises $19M for home services

Lace AI, a Bulgarian-founded startup, has raised $19 million to transform revenue intelligence in the home services industry using AI. The company's platform analyzes 100% of inbound calls, identifies missed revenue opportunities, and provides coaching insights. Lace AI has achieved 1000% growth in 2024 and plans to use the funding to expand its R&D initiatives and advance AI innovation.

Ex-Meta engineer raises $14M for Lace AI

Boris Valkov, a former Meta engineer, has raised $14 million in seed funding for his startup Lace AI. The company's AI-powered software helps home service businesses increase sales by optimizing call center interactions. Lace AI analyzes every customer call to identify missed revenue opportunities and provide coaching insights. The company has already seen remarkable growth, with its revenue growing at an astounding 1,000% annual recurring revenue (ARR) in 2024.

Lace AI secures $19M in seed funding

Lace AI, a Bulgarian-founded startup, has secured $19 million in seed funding to enhance its revenue intelligence platform. The company's platform uses AI to analyze inbound calls, classify outcomes, and identify missed opportunities. Clients have reported booking rates of up to 98% and net sales increases of 35%. Lace AI plans to use the funding to accelerate its five-year product vision and expand its engineering team.

Microsoft introduces AI coworkers

Microsoft has announced a major expansion of its AI tools, introducing AI 'agents' designed to function as digital colleagues. The company's 365 Copilot Wave 2 spring release features AI-powered search, a 'create' experience, and Copilot Notebooks. Microsoft aims to make AI an integral collaborator in daily work, with the goal of transforming the workplace. The company predicts a fundamental restructuring of organizations around 'Work Charts' - more fluid, outcome-driven team structures powered by agents.

Microsoft launches AI agents

Microsoft has launched powerful AI 'agents' that could transform the workday. The company's 365 Copilot Wave 2 spring release features AI-powered search, a 'create' experience, and Copilot Notebooks. Microsoft aims to make AI an integral collaborator in daily work, with the goal of transforming the workplace. The company predicts a fundamental restructuring of organizations around 'Work Charts' - more fluid, outcome-driven team structures powered by agents.

Mark Cuban's AI chatbot offers money advice

Mark Cuban, star of 'Shark Tank,' has launched an AI chatbot that offers business and investing advice. The chatbot, available through MasterClass On Call, provides general business principles and avoids talking about specific companies or political statements. While the advice is broad, it may be helpful for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for motivation. Other unconventional sources of money advice include TikTok financial educators, public library financial workshops, and credit union education programs.

Lawelawe Nexus partners with EmergeGen AI

Lawelawe Nexus has partnered with EmergeGen AI to deliver AI-powered solutions to federal government users. The partnership, called EmergeNexus, will combine expertise and capabilities to offer a unified delivery framework that empowers agencies to scale the use of AI. Lawelawe Nexus will contribute its full-spectrum services, including cloud, cybersecurity, and program management, while EmergeGen AI will provide its interoperable AI platform.

Lattica emerges with FHE solution

Lattica, an FHE-based platform, has emerged from stealth with $3.25 million in pre-seed funding. The company's technology enables secure and private use of AI in the cloud, addressing a critical challenge in AI security. Lattica's platform uses Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) to deliver secure and private AI solutions, with potential applications in healthcare, finance, and government sectors.

AI-generated child abuse images becoming more realistic

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has reported that AI-generated images of child sexual abuse are becoming increasingly realistic. The IWF received 245 reports of AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery in 2024, a 380% increase from the previous year. The organization is working to combat the issue, including making a new safety tool available to smaller websites to help them spot and prevent the spread of abuse material.

VentureBeat spins off GamesBeat

VentureBeat has spun off GamesBeat as a standalone company, sharpening its focus on the enterprise shift to artificial intelligence, data infrastructure, and intelligent security. The move enables GamesBeat to thrive independently, while allowing VentureBeat to scale with greater clarity and purpose. VentureBeat will continue to host events and summits, convening influential minds in enterprise technology.

Zhipu AI expands overseas

Zhipu AI, a Chinese startup, is ramping up its overseas expansion through a partnership with Alibaba Cloud. The company is pitching governments globally to help them launch localized sovereign AI agents. Zhipu AI has offices in several countries, including the Middle East, Singapore, and the UK, and is running joint innovation centers across Asia. The company is preparing for an initial public offering and has secured state-backed funding.

Datadog acquires Metaplane

Datadog, a cloud monitoring and security platform, has acquired Metaplane, an AI-powered data observability startup. The acquisition accelerates Datadog's expansion into data observability, building on the launch of related products. Metaplane will continue to support its existing and new customers through a rebranded offering. The deal is expected to help organizations build reliable AI systems and unify observability across applications and data.

USF doctor researches AI-powered vocal disease detection

A University of South Florida laryngologist is researching the use of artificial intelligence to detect diseases and disorders through voice analysis. The project, called Bridge2AI Voice, has been ongoing for three years and has already released two datasets. The goal is to create a system that can detect health conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, or mental health disorders through voice analysis. The project has the potential to create real-life solutions for patients, including smartwatches that can detect when a person is about to fall or needs to go to the emergency room.

Sources

Artificial Intelligence AI-powered Revenue Intelligence Home Services Call Center Optimization AI Innovation Machine Learning