Byte-Sized AI is a bi-weekly column that covers all things artificial intelligence—from startupfunding, to newly inked partnerships, to just-launched, AI-powered capabilities from major retailers, software providers and supply chain players.
RealSense, a company that spun out of Intel Corp., announced Friday that it has secured $50 million in investment from Intel Capital and MediaTek Innovation Fund.
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The company makes parts that better enable autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), humanoid robots and other physical AI systems. The company said its depth cameras, which help robots assess their surroundings and distance, are already deployed in 60 percent of the world’s AMRs and humanoid robots.
AMRs, humanoids and other examples of physical AI rely heavily on physical components that they leverage in combination with computer vision systems and other algorithms. Those systems help the robot reason and instruct it on what to do or where to go next. Roboticists typically work with third-party companies, like RealSense, to purchase the necessary components for the physical hardware their own companies make.
RealSense boasts about 3,000 customers globally, and it has employees in China, Israel in the U.S. working to develop further technology to empower the growth of the global robotics industry.
Nadav Orbach, the company’s CEO, said that, in doing so, it hopes to power technologies that make human workers’ lives better, safer and easier.
“Our mission is to enable the world to integrate robotics and AI in everyday life safely,” said Orbach. “This technology is not about replacing human creativity or decision-making — but about removing danger and drudgery from human work. Our systems are built to amplify human potential by offloading these types of tasks to machines equipped with intelligent, secure and reliable vision systems.”
Orbach and team plan to use the capital to expand into other markets, scale the manufacturing of the components embedded into customers’ robotics solutions and increase headcount on the sales side. The company said the additional sales representatives are needed as companies’ interest in AI-enabled robots and security continues to increase.
Software as a service (SaaS) startup Bonx announced late last month it had secured an $8.6 million seed round, led by 9900 Capital with further participation from Kima Ventures, Purple, OSS Ventures and Dynamo Ventures.
The French company uses AI to help replace antiquated, isolated factory operation systems with a one stop shop-style enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that can be integrated within several weeks. For the textile and apparel sectors, Bonx can help factories with real-time order tracking, updated inventory and value assessments, quality control and myriad other functions.
The technology can integrate with factories’ existing systems and is designed to help operators meet fluctuating regulatory requirements and higher order demand with greater ease.
Alexandre Barroux, CEO and co-founder of Bonx, said the company plans to use the capital secured in the seed round to scale up its operations in its primary market: Europe. He noted that mid-sized factories in the EU need to up their technology game to meet emerging demand.
“Our mission remains clear: empower manufacturers to simplify and take control of their operations through technology that adapts to their precise needs,” Barroux said in a statement. “This funding propels us into our next phase—becoming Europe’s definitive ERP leader for mid-sized manufacturers, expanding our successful model from France into new key markets, while scaling in Italy and Spain.”
In addition to scaling in Italy and Spain, Bonx plans to increase its headcount and further refine the technology underneath the hood. Juliette Sylvain, principal at 9900 Capital said now is the perfect time for meaningful, AI-based technologies to shake up the way digital infrastructure is handled for factories in the bloc.
“Bonx is redefining the ERP landscape by combining extraordinary implementation speeds with genuinely impactful AI-driven capabilities, driving enormous efficiencies within an industry plagued by legacy software,” Sylvain said in a statement.
Debenhams Group, which includes a portfolio of brands like PrettyLittleThing, Debenhams, Boohoo and others, announced this month it has broadened its partnership with AWS, the technology giant arm of e-tail behemoth Amazon.
The expanded partnership will see Debenhams Group’s brands deploying several new types of generative AI-based systems. By upgrading the systems behind its product naming and sorting, search on the brands’ sites will become more intuitive and easier for consumers.
In addition, Debenhams will leverage AWS technologies that allow it to automate product descriptions, then translate those descriptions into the appropriate languages for various markets; according to the announcement, that function makes it about 20 times faster for the retailer to list products.
While those functions are on the backend of Debenhams’ business, they are likely to benefit consumers looking for items that match the trends of the moment.
But the AWS integration will also offer a forward-facing experience upgrade for e-commerce, the companies noted. Debenhams has launched an AI-powered styling tool for home decor, which was developed alongside AWS. The system enables customers to upload a photo of their room, give some design inspiration then see suggestions tailored to their style to shop.
Dan Finley, CEO of Debenhams Group, said the collaboration will enable the further success of the company and its brands.
“Collaborating with AWS is a key part of our long-term strategy to transform Debenhams Group into a modern, technology-led retailer. We’ve successfully replaced outdated legacy systems with scalable, cloud-first architecture that’s adaptable, resilient and built to support innovation well into the Group’s future,” Finley said in a statement. “Our strategic investment in AI and emerging technologies will not only future proof the business, but create a faster, smarter and more personalized experience for our customers.”
Boston-based startup Remark announced early this month that it has scored a $16 million Series A, led by Inspired Capital, with further participation from Stripe, Neo, Spero Ventures, Shine Capital and Visible Ventures.
The company uses AI to help replicate the experience of speaking to an in-store associate about a product. Human experts help train the company’s proprietary AI personas, which companies can leverage to personalize shoppers’ experiences.
To date, Remark has leveraged the expertise of more than 60,000 experts in training its models. The AI personas take on the tone of a human expert that would be fit for the moment—options include Olympic athletes, brand-new parents, stylists and more, the company said. It already operates in the fashion, beauty, outdoor and other sectors, but it plans to diversify its industry offerings with the funds it has secured. It will also aim to churn out AI personas faster than it has previously been able to, by amping up its training models and data.
The Series A brings Remark’s total capital raised to $27 million.
Theo Satloff, Remark’s co-founder and CEO, said the startup wants to help companies make their consumers feel valued and acknowledged, regardless of the channel they’re shopping on.
“We believe AI should elevate the human experience, not replace it,” Satloff said in a statement. “By working with real product experts to train AI personas, we’re creating guidance that’s trusted, helpful and deeply personal. Our goal is to make online shopping feel less like a transaction and more like being guided by someone who truly understands what you need.”
Remark said shoppers that interact with an AI persona convert at a rate of 28 percent, which is far higher than standard e-commerce.
