News: Chef’s $14.7M Round, Jua’s $16M Seed, Arch’s Additional Funding

ICEYE to Supply UAE with Constellation of SAR Satellites

ICEYE is expanding its presence and relationships in the Middle East, building on the partnership with Bayanat and Yahsat in the UAE that was announced in May 2023. This partnership will see ICEYE develop a constellation of five SAR satellites that will provide geospatial insights to various industries in both local and international markets.

Mapbox Partners with Michelin Mobility Intelligence to Boost Road Safety in the U.K. Launches Mapbox Autopilot Services for OEMs to Integrate into Vehicles

Mapbox, a location data platform, has been selected by Michelin Mobility Intelligence to enhance road safety efforts. Mapbox also introduced Mapbox Autopilot Services at CES 2024, making current and future assisted driving systems smarter, safer, and easier to use. Mapbox Autopilot Services can be integrated into vehicles equipped with existing ADAS sensors without additional hardware via an over-the-air update.

Lunasonde to Launch Third Satellite to Low Earth Orbit for Subsurface Imaging

Lunasonde, a company focused on subsurface imaging from space, has announced the launch timeline for its third satellite to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The San Xavier satellite will fly on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 Transporter-11 in the summer of 2024 via launch provider Exolaunch. This is planned to be the company’s first on-orbit test of its proprietary very low-frequency radar technological stack, which should be capable of detecting subsurface mineral deposits up to two kilometers underground.

Bellabeat Offers Innovative Personal Health Technology for Women

Bellabeat, a company specializing in creating, innovative products for women’s health and wellness tracking, maintains its position as a standout in the health and wellness tech market as noted by Vent Magazine. The company’s products, such as the Jewelry Health Tracker, offer comprehensive health tracking while blending fashion with functionality. Bellabeat serves consumers who prioritize wellness and fashion, providing seamlessly integrated technology for monitoring fitness goals and overall well-being.

Ellipsis Drive Joins Forces with Tilebox to Strengthen Earth Observation Data Chain and Featured as AWS Key Partner

Ellipsis Drive, which is building the world’s first drive for spatial data, has announced a partnership with Tilebox to enhance the data chain of the Earth Observation industry from satellite capture to end-user data delivery. This collaboration aims to streamline operations for operators, allowing them to focus on mission-related tasks and generating valuable data. Ellipsis was also featured by AWS as a key Partner in an AWS Partner Network case study focused on optimizing spatial data management and analytics.

Mangata Networks and Microsoft Partner for AI-Enabled Satellite Edge Cloud Connectivity

Mangata Networks, a company focused on developing a satellite communications constellation, has announced a partnership with Microsoft to help both companies pioneer AI-enabled edge cloud connectivity using Mangata’s satellite-enabled connectivity and intelligent edge computing solutions. Mangata aims to provide seamless connectivity and intelligent cloud computing services globally, extending the benefits of Microsoft Azure innovation worldwide. The network will utilize a multi-orbit constellation of HEO (Highly Elliptical Orbit) and MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) satellites, along with a terrestrial network of edge data centers.

WHOOP Launches New AI-Powered Fitness Coach

WHOOP, a performance optimization system that tracks athlete recovery, training, and sleeping hours to help boost performance, has unveiled a new AI-powered fitness coach. WHOOP’s new feature, Whoop Coach, is an OpenAI’s GPT-4-supported conversational chatbot that provides personalized recommendations and fitness coaching based on user data.

Halter Featured in AgFunder’s Top 20 AgTech Deals of 2023, Launches Beef Cattle Platform

Halter, an innovative precision agriculture company, featured its recent Series C by AgFunderNews as one of 20 AgTech deals in 2023 in its recent end-of-year review of almost $2B funding activity across the sector. Halter has launched a beef cattle platform to complement its dairy cow platform that has seen adoption by an estimated 20-25% of the dairy herd in New Zealand, which is Halter’s initial market. The promise of fenceless farming appeals to the beef cattle industry as well.

Recycleye Wins FANUC Award, Partners with SWEEEP for Waste Electrical Sorting, Announces First AI Waste Sorting Investment in Spain with Urbaser

Recycleye, a company specialized in AI robotics for waste and materials management, has strengthened its collaboration with FANUC by winning one of seven Global Partner Awards for Innovation at a FANUC event in Japan. The extended exclusivity agreement between the two companies ensures that Recycleye remains FANUC UK’s sole supplier for recycling applications in the UK and continue to benefit from technical and commercial partnership throughout its current growth phase. Recycleye has also successfully deployed AI computer vision technology in sorting waste electrical and electronic equipment, marking the first commercial application of its kind.

The Exploration Company partners with Trumpf for Spacecraft Components 

The Exploration Company, dedicated to making space exploration affordable, sustainable, and accessible, has announced a collaboration with Trumpf, a leading additive manufacturing company. Together, they will work on building core components for The Exploration Company’s Huracán and Mistral engines, intended for the planned Nyx family of spacecraft. In its initial mission, The Exploration Company aims to launch a Nyx space capsule into Earth orbit for several months, scheduled for 2026. Subsequent missions, starting in 2028, are planned for lunar exploration. Initially focused on carrying freight, the spacecraft’s long-term goal includes accommodating passengers.

SeerAI’s Geodesic Data Mesh Tool Optimizes GIS Workflows

SeerAI is working on a next-generation cloud-native platform for spatiotemporal analytics and data fusion. Daniel Wilson, Co-Founder and CTO, describes how SeerAI’s Geodesic tool will accelerate GIS workflows on the ArcGIS StoryMaps platform. The company’s geodesic platform is used to help global companies across oil and gas, agriculture, defense and others analyze data for new insights.