Rox Raises $100 Million at a $1.3 Billion Valuation

Key Takeaways

• In an Angus Reid survey, 24% of Canadian workers use AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude daily, 47% use them several times a week, and 39% use free or personal accounts for work.
• Cogent says its OpenAI-powered security agents cut critical-vulnerability remediation time by 75% for one Fortune 1000 customer and enabled a Fortune 500 customer to handle five times more vulnerability triage.
• AWS Emulator offers more than 400 API models across over 200 AWS services for free local testing; AWS says autonomous agents build and maintain it.
• Swiss payment provider Stablegate uses Vivox AI agents for client Know Your Business checks and says onboarding can be completed in a few days.
• Rox raised $100 million at a $1.3 billion valuation to develop its AI sales agents, which connect with Salesforce and Zendesk; it reports more than tenfold first-year ARR growth and net revenue retention above 700%.
• An analysis cites China’s electricity, power capacity and domestic chips as possible cost advantages in AI computing, while U.S. and Chinese officials have begun talks on testing advanced models, human oversight and serious-incident alerts.
• Rigetti’s $20 million sales outlook depends on C-DAC accepting its system in Q4, which would require $9.1 million in sales that quarter; acceptance is not confirmed. It also received a CHIPS Act award of up to $100 million.
• Kopin revenue rose 52% to $18.2 million in Q3 2026, while defense display and net product revenue declined. New awards include $18.6 million for color MicroLED work and a $2.4 million OLED microdisplay order.
• An article cites Anthropic’s collapse and a major AI-company executive’s departure as signs of uncertainty, but supplies no further details about either development.

Rigetti faces a $9.1 million fourth quarter to reach its sales goal

Rigetti Computing reported a third-quarter loss of $33.2 million, compared with $20.5 million a year earlier. Its GAAP net loss was $3.1 million, including a $25.3 million gain tied to a change in the fair value of its common stock. In September, the company received an award of up to $100 million from the U.S. Department of Commerce under the CHIPS Act, with later payments tied to milestones. CEO Dr. Subodh Kulkarni said the $20 million sales outlook depends on C-DAC accepting its system in the fourth quarter, which would require $9.1 million in sales that quarter; acceptance has not been confirmed.

Kopin revenue rises 52% as defense display sales decline

Kopin’s third-quarter 2026 revenue rose 52% to $18.2 million, helped by research and development revenue of $5.7 million and $3.1 million in grant income. Defense display revenue fell to $8.5 million from $9.9 million, while net product revenue declined to $8.8 million from $10.7 million. Kopin reported a $3.4 million net loss, or $0.02 per share, including about $2.7 million in investment losses. The company received an additional $18.6 million U.S. Army award for color MicroLED work, bringing total funding for the technology to $34 million, and received a $2.4 million OLED microdisplay order with deliveries starting in the fourth quarter. It also reported prototype headset orders from more than a dozen new customers for its Sentinel FPV drone viewer.

China gains ground in the race to supply low cost AI computing

Chinese AI stocks outperformed U.S. peers during the technology sell-off, with most Chinese AI stock groups rising in the week to November 5 as U.S. groups fell sharply. The analysis points to China’s growing power capacity, cheaper electricity, and increasingly competitive domestic chips as possible sources of a cost advantage in computing. It warns that lower-cost Chinese computing could reduce Western technology companies’ profits and help strengthen the renminbi over time. As open-weight models get closer to leading systems and become easier to switch between, the analysis says distribution and low-cost model operation will matter more.

Canadian workers adopt AI faster than employers can train them

An Angus Reid Forum survey of 1,042 working Canadians, commissioned by ISA Cybersecurity, found that workers are using AI faster than employers can train them to use it safely. About 24% use tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or Gemini daily, and 47% use them at least a few times a week; 39% use free or personal accounts for work. The survey also found that half of workers say their employer has a clear AI policy, while 17% say there is no policy. ISA Cybersecurity’s Andrew Buckles warned that personal accounts can expose sensitive company data and that AI tools may have more access to company systems than workers need. The article advises employers to set clear rules for data and tool use, review AI permissions, help workers verify unusual requests, and make it easy to report problems.

Cogent and OpenAI use AI agents to speed enterprise cyber defense

Cogent combines OpenAI models with information about each company to help find and fix security weaknesses. Its Cyber Defense Factories use AI agents to investigate exposures, make permitted changes, and verify that risks have been removed. Cogent’s Context Engine tracks company assets, vulnerabilities, identities, ownership, and dependencies, while its Agent Policies and TRACE system check whether proposed actions are allowed. The company says a Fortune 1000 automotive customer cut the time needed to fix critical vulnerabilities by 75%, and a Fortune 500 IT services customer handled five times more vulnerability triage. Customers can require approval for changes or allow limited automatic fixes.

US and China set up AI safety talks while competing for dominance

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States and China should recognize their differences as they work together to reduce AI risks while still competing. In remarks in New York on Tuesday, he said the countries had created a dialogue on “super intelligence,” or SI. They plan to share ways to test advanced models before release, keep human judgment in control and alert each other to serious incidents. Bessent did not promise to limit AI development as both countries race for global dominance.

AI industry faces setbacks as Anthropic collapse raises concerns

The article describes a difficult period for the AI industry, citing the collapse of startup Anthropic and the departure of a key executive from a major AI company. Anthropic’s collapse has raised questions about whether AI startups can succeed and what lies ahead for the industry. The executive’s departure has also prompted concerns about the company’s ability to innovate and adapt. The article says the sector faces uncertainty and can scarcely afford another setback.

Stablegate uses Vivox AI to onboard financial clients in days

Stablegate, a Swiss payment service provider for digital assets and cross-border payments, uses Vivox AI agents to check family offices, asset managers and corporate clients applying for its services. The agents run Know Your Business checks and help complete onboarding in a few days. Stablegate is operated by STGG AG, a financial intermediary supervised under Switzerland’s Anti-Money Laundering Act through VQF, a FINMA-recognized self-regulatory organization. Vivox AI says its explainable agents make the process transparent while supporting checks needed for high-value transactions.

AWS releases free local cloud emulator built by AI agents

AWS released AWS Emulator on Wednesday, a free tool that simulates AWS services on a developer’s own computer. It includes more than 400 API models covering over 200 services, allowing developers and coding agents to test code without a network connection or cloud charges. AWS says autonomous agents built and maintain the tool, testing it against real AWS and fixing problems. Engineers set up the specifications, tests and automated checks that guide the agents’ work. The article notes the emulator has limits and that other tools, including LocalStack, are available.

Rox raises $100 million at $1.3 billion valuation to challenge Salesforce

Rox, an AI sales startup founded in 2024, raised $100 million in Series B funding at a post-money valuation of $1.3 billion. General Catalyst and March Capital co-led the round, which reportedly closed on November 11, 2026; Sequoia and GV also invested again, while Prosperity7 joined as a new investor. Rox uses autonomous AI agents that connect with tools such as Salesforce and Zendesk to handle sales tasks. The company says its annual recurring revenue grew more than tenfold in its first year and that net revenue retention topped 700%. Rox plans to use the funding for AI research, product development and sales expansion, aiming to grow its go-to-market teams fivefold over the next year.

Sources

• Rigetti's Q3 Sales Fell 28%; $20M Goal Needs a $9.1M Q4
• Kopin revenue jumps 52% to $18 million on funded MicroLED and Fabric.AI work as defense display sales slip
• The next AI battleground is compute, and China has a cost advantage
• Canadian workers are using AI faster than employers are training them
• Cogent and OpenAI build cyber defense factories for enterprises
• U.S., China should ‘harbor no illusions’ as they cooperate, compete on AI, Bessent says
• The AI industry's week from hell
• Stablegate Uses Vivox AI to Onboard Family Offices and Asset Managers in Days, With AML Checks Built for High-Value Transactions
• AWS gives developers a free local stand-in for its cloud, built from scratch by AI agents
• Rox raises $100M at $1.3B valuation to take on Salesforce