OpenAI Unveils Social Network Prototype, Google Launches Its “Lovable” Firebase Studio, and AI Set to Replace Lawyers and Recruiters

Happy Thursday everyone!

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News 🗞️📰

• OpenAI Unveils Social Network Prototype Amid Rivalry with Musk and Zuckerberg: OpenAI is reportedly developing its own social network built around ChatGPT’s advanced image generation capabilities, with an early prototype focused on a dynamic social feed now under testing. CEO Sam Altman is actively seeking external feedback on the project, which could pave the way for a unique data ecosystem that directly challenges platforms from Elon Musk and Meta, further expanding OpenAI's growth ambitions.
• Firebase Studio Unveiled: Empowering Full-Stack AI App Development with Gemini: At Google Cloud Next, Google introduced Firebase Studio—a unified, cloud-based platform that streamlines app development using Gemini-powered agentic tools. The new environment offers pre-built templates, intelligent coding workspaces, and early access to Gemini Code Assist agents, enabling rapid prototyping and deployment of innovative, data-driven applications.
• Claude Takes Research to New Places: OpenAI’s Claude now broadens its capabilities with a new Research feature and deep Google Workspace integration. These updates enable Claude to search both internal organizational data—emails, calendars, and documents—and the broader web, delivering comprehensive, citation-backed insights in minutes.
• Kling AI Unveils Phase 2.0 with Next-Gen Video, Image, and Editing Tools: Kling AI has launched its Phase 2.0 update, introducing KLING 2.0 Master for video generation, KOLORS 2.0 for image generation, a Multi-Elements Editor, and enhanced image editing & restyle capabilities. The update is designed to empower creators with powerful, intuitive tools that offer greater creative freedom to bring meaningful stories to life
• Lawyers and Recruiters Will Be Fully Replaced by AI, According to Victor Lazarte: Tech investor Victor Lazarte of Benchmark warns that AI will fully automate routine tasks in legal and recruitment sectors within a few years, transforming these industries by replacing functions traditionally performed by humans.
• Notion Unveils Notion Mail: AI-Powered Gmail Client for a Custom Inbox Experience: Notion has released Notion Mail, an AI-enabled email client that integrates with Gmail and Notion's workflow platform. Led by Jason Ginsberg, Notion Mail uses AI to organize emails into custom views, draft responses, and schedule meetings—transforming email from a burden into a streamlined, configurable tool. Derived from Skiff's technology, the product leverages deep integration with Notion Calendar and its knowledge base for enhanced productivity
• API Organization Verification: Unlock Advanced OpenAI Models: OpenAI now offers a Verified Organization status to safely unlock its most advanced models. The verification process is quick, requires a valid government-issued ID, and has no spend requirements—ensuring responsible use while maintaining broad access for developers.

Funding 💼💸

• NetRise Raises $10M to Enhance Software Supply Chain Security: Founded in 2020, NetRise secured $10M in a funding round led by DNX Ventures, with participation from Miramar Digital Ventures, Sorenson Capital, Squadra Ventures, and Talons Ventures. Its platform, featuring robust SBOM management and the AI-powered NetRise Trace tool, delivers critical insights into vulnerabilities across firmware and software components.
• Allegrow Secures $1M to Revolutionize B2B Email Deliverability: Founded in Scotland and now expanding into the US, Allegrow raised $1M in seed funding led by Golden Section with support from Sequoia scout Harrison Rose. CEO and Co-Founder Ruari says the capital will accelerate product development to ensure emails reliably reach primary inboxes, turning deliverability into a competitive advantage for B2B SaaS companies.
• beSirius Raises €3M for AI-Driven ESG Platform in Metals & Mining: Amsterdam-based beSirius, founded by Anastasia Kuskova , Sergey Tyan , and Seva Martynov , secured €3M in Seed funding led by NAP. Its "Sustainability Twin" technology transforms scattered ESG data into actionable insights, enabling global industry leaders like FLSmidth, ArcelorMittal, and Freeport-McMoRan to drive smarter, revenue-protecting decisions.
• Homemove Secures $5M to Transform the Home Moving Experience: Co-founded by 🚀James Freestone and Louis O'Connell-Bristow , Homemove—an all-in-one proptech platform—raised $5M in funding led by Fuel Ventures with co-investors Blandford Family Office and Oxford Innovation. The capital will accelerate product enhancements across estate agents, mortgages, surveys, conveyancing, and removals to simplify the moving process.
• Collide Raises $5M Seed Round to Power AI for the Energy Sector: Founded by industry veterans Fracslap 👿 and Chuck Yates, Collide secured $5M in seed funding led by Mercury Fund. The platform leverages RAG and advanced LLMs to deliver precise, energy-specific insights to oil and gas professionals worldwide, streamlining workflows and boosting operational efficiency.
• Friday Harbor Raises $6M in Seed Funding to Revolutionize Mortgage Lending: Seattle-based Friday Harbor, led by CEO Theo Ellis, CFA and CTO Jesse C. , raised $6M in Seed funding led by Abstract Ventures, with participation from Wischoff Ventures, Blend, and AI2 Incubator. The platform leverages AI to help loan officers assemble complete, compliant loan files in real time, reducing complexity and origination costs while improving the borrower experience.
• Sonix Secures CHF 1.8M and Opens Crowdfunding for Gamer Co-Ownership: Sonix, an AI-Audio communication leader for gamers, raised an additional CHF 1.8M—bringing total funding to CHF 6M—from business angels, entrepreneurs, and family offices. CEO Nicolas Abelé and co-founder Olivier Müller revealed that the company is now offering its capital directly to gamers through crowdfunding, aiming to become the first gaming communication platform co-owned by its community.
• Detecting Deepfakes: Seattle Startup Loti Raises $16.2M to Protect Digital Likenesses: Founded by Luke Arrigoni , Rebekah Arrigoni , and Dr. Hirak Chhatbar , Loti secured a $16.2M Series A led by Khosla Ventures and supported by FUSE, Bling Capital, Ensemble, Alpha Edison, and K5 Tokyo Black. Its advanced facial and voice recognition software monitors the web to protect celebrities, politicians, and high-profile individuals from deepfakes and unauthorized uses of their likenesses.
• Corvic Emerges from Stealth with $12M Seed Funding to Revolutionize AI Data Organization: Founded by Farshid Sabet , Donald Nguyen , and Gurbinder Gill , Corvic has secured $12M to unify disparate data types for generative AI. Its proprietary Mixture of Spaces and Adaptive Chain of Actions streamline enterprise data pipelines, boosting accuracy and efficiency in AI training.
• Klaimy Secures €1.2M in Pre-Seed Funding to Transform Insurance Decision-Making: Paris-based insurtech startup Klaimy, led by CEO Amira Nakouri , raised €1.2M in a pre-seed round led by Insurtech Gateway with participation from U-Investors, Tenity, and angel investors. Founded in 2023, Klaimy’s AI-driven platform automates underwriting and claims by turning complex medical documents into structured insights, helping insurers make faster, more accurate decisions.

M&A 💰

• Hugging Face Acquires Pollen Robotics to Expand into Open-Source Humanoid Hardware: Hugging Face is venturing into hardware by acquiring French startup Pollen Robotics, known for its $70K Reachy2 humanoid robot used in research and education. The deal brings on board co-founders Matthieu Lapeyre and Pierre Rouanet t along with 20 employees, marking Hugging Face’s first step into offering open-source robotics solutions to advance embodied AI and pave the way toward AGI.
• ISC Acquires TravelInsurance.com to Expand Its Global Footprint: ISC, backed by KKR, has acquired one of the largest independent travel insurance marketplaces in the US. Founded by co-founders Stan Sandberg and Drew Sharma , TravelInsurance.com—serving millions and protecting billions in trip costs—will continue operating under its brand while leveraging ISC’s technology and resources for accelerated growth.
• Landbase Acquires Delegate to Accelerate AI-Driven GTM Innovation: Landbase, an agentic AI leader in go-to-market workflows, has acquired Delegate to enhance product development and speed up campaign execution. With key hires from Delegate— Hugh Hopkins as head of product development and Alex Berry as head of sales—Landbase plans to leverage its proprietary GTM-1 Omni model to deliver hyper-targeted, omnichannel campaigns in minutes, reinforcing its competitive edge in the M&A landscape.

Interesting Reads 💡🤔

• Generative AI in Healthcare: Current Trends and Future Outlook: A McKinsey survey shows 85% of healthcare leaders are actively exploring or implementing generative AI. The report highlights its potential for boosting administrative efficiency, clinical productivity, and patient engagement through strategic partnerships with IT providers and hyperscalers, while also calling for robust risk management and regulatory compliance measures.
• Forbes AI 50 2025: Battling for Innovation Amid Unprecedented Investment and Legal Challenges: Over two years after ChatGPT's breakthrough, Forbes’ seventh annual AI 50 list—created with Sequoia and Meritech Capital—spotlights the shift from model races to deploying practical AI applications across industries like engineering, healthcare, legal, and sales.
• Best AI Courses Online for Free in 2025 – Future-Proof Your Skills in a Booming Market: By Shivam Arora. Amidst a global AI market projected to reach $1,811.8 billion by 2030, this guide curates the top free AI courses for 2025. Covering fundamentals like machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, these courses from platforms like SkillUp and Simplilearn offer practical, hands-on training with cutting-edge tools such as ChatGPT and TensorFlow, positioning learners at the forefront of the AI revolution.
• AI Action Figure Trend, Explained — And How to Make Your Own: Discover how ChatGPT 4o’s image generator is fueling a viral trend where users create personalized, toy-like action figures from a single prompt. From transforming your photo into a collectible hero to customizing the accessories to reflect your personality, this guide explains how to harness AI for creative social commentary and fun, meme-worthy visuals.
• Top 10 AI Courses for Product Managers to Stay Ahead in 2025: By Pavitra M. This guide curates the best free AI courses tailored for product managers, providing essential hands-on training—from Duke University's specialization to IBM, Stanford, and Udacity programs. Gain cutting-edge skills and industry-recognized certifications to drive AI-powered product innovation in 2025.
• Canva Unveils Visual Suite 2.0: Revolutionizing Creative Productivity At Canva Create 2025, Canva introduced Visual Suite 2.0—a unified platform merging design and productivity tools to streamline the creation of presentations, websites, videos, and more. Leveraging advanced AI features like Canva Sheets, Magic Studio, and Canva Code, the update empowers users to work seamlessly and collaboratively, transforming the way creative ideas are brought to life.
• Builders, Meet Your New AI Assistant: Airtable Assistant Transforms App Development: Airtable has launched Airtable Assistant in beta, an AI-powered tool that lets you build and modify apps entirely with natural language. Seamlessly integrated with the Airtable platform, it streamlines coding, data analysis, and workflow automation, empowering builders to turn ideas into fully functional applications faster than ever.
• Over-Training LLMs May Hinder Fine-Tuning, Researchers Warn: A collaborative study from Carnegie Mellon, Stanford, Harvard, and Princeton reveals that pushing large language models past an "inflection point"—as seen when training OLMo-1B with 3 trillion tokens instead of 2.3 trillion—can reduce performance by up to 3% and increase model fragility, making subsequent fine-tuning less effective. The phenomenon, termed "catastrophic overtraining," highlights the need for more efficient training strategies or alternative methods to extend training without compromising stability.
• Meta AI to Train on EU Users' Public Data with Opt-Out Option: Meta is set to begin training its AI on public data from EU users—including posts, comments, and chat history with Meta AI—while excluding private messages. The company will notify affected users via in-app alerts and email, offering a chance to opt out, as it aims to refine its models to better reflect local dialects, colloquialisms, and cultural nuances in its multimodal outputs.
• How AI is Helping Scientists Hunt for Alien Earths: A new machine-learning algorithm, developed by researchers at the University of Bern, has identified 44 star systems highly likely to host Earth-like planets in their habitable zones, with precision values reaching up to 0.99. By analyzing simulated planetary systems to uncover key correlations between planet size and orbital characteristics, the model delivers targeted candidate lists that could streamline follow-up observations and accelerate the search for extraterrestrial life.

Startups / Tools 🧰🛠️

• HeyBoss: AI-powered platform that designs, builds, hosts, and maintains your digital product from start to finish. Their solution delivers, fully optimized apps in just 9 minutes, free for the first 10,000 users.
• OffDeal: An AI-powered platform for discovering and managing exclusive deals and offers, designed to help both businesses and consumers optimize savings and track promotions effortlessly.
• MecAgent: A next-generation AI solution that deploys intelligent agents to automate and optimize operational tasks, boosting efficiency in various business workflows.
• OpenNote: A collaborative note-taking tool that leverages AI to help teams capture, organize, and share information seamlessly, enhancing productivity for both personal and professional use.
• Pippit: An AI-driven video editing tool integrated with CapCut, enabling users to quickly create and customize engaging social media content with intuitive and streamlined workflows.
• ImageStyles: An AI platform that transforms photos with customizable artistic styles, offering advanced image generation and style transfer capabilities to enhance visual content.
• TinyAlbert: Your AI-powered email marketing manager for Shopify that creates, sends, and manages campaigns in minutes
• HeyMilo: An intelligent conversational AI platform designed to streamline communication and task management, providing real-time insights and automation to boost team productivity.
• Twill Health: An AI-powered healthcare platform that leverages data analytics to improve patient outcomes and operational efficiency, offering innovative solutions for healthcare providers and insurers.

NTV Highlights 🪩🎉

• Our First Investment: Nilo, the Revolutionary AI-Powered Game Engine Transforming Gaming: We’re proud to invest in Nilo, an AI-powered game engine led by visionary founder Nuno Leiria, whose 15+ years at Epic Games and work on Unreal Engine 5 and Fortnite set the stage for this breakthrough. Co-investors include a16z, Flex Capital, and business angel Logan Kilpatrick, as Nilo harnesses generative AI and natural language processing to make game development fast, accessible, and dynamic.
• Next Tier Ventures proudly participated in the GENAI Summit last Friday This event, tailored for pioneers driving the future of data, machine learning, and AI innovation. At this transformative gathering, global innovators and industry leaders converged to share insights, explore disruptive technologies, and push the boundaries of what artificial intelligence can achieve
• We are actively looking for AI startups At Next Tier Ventures, we are actively looking for the next generation of AI startup founders ready to scale and create meaningful impact. Our investments range between $500K and $2M, accompanied by strategic support to help founders achieve their vision. If you’re building cutting-edge B2B AI solutions let’s connect 👉 http://apply.nexttier.vc

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