Apple’s Upcoming AI Reveal, Pika Labs Raises $80 Million, Twelve Labs, $50 Million
What is the foundational AI model developed by Twelve Labs intended for, and who are the major investors in their Series A round?
Twelve Labs has developed a foundational AI model for multimodal video understanding. The Series A investment round was co-led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and NVIDIA's NVentures. Existing backers Radical Ventures, Index Ventures SA, and Korea Investment Partners also participated.
How does the total funding raised by Pika Labs compare to its competitors like OpenAI's Sora and RunwayML?
Pika Labs has raised a total of $130 million in funding, which is a significant amount in the AI video generation industry. However, its competitors have also secured substantial funding. OpenAI's Sora, for instance, has raised $250 million, while RunwayML has also raised a considerable amount of funding. It's important to note that funding isn't the sole indicator of a company's success or potential, as other factors such as technology, market demand, and team expertise play crucial roles in determining a company's position in the industry.
What are the implications of the layoffs at Microsoft's Mixed Reality team, and what future plans does the company have for its HoloLens 2 device?
The layoffs at Microsoft's Mixed Reality team have led to the restructuring of the organization. Although the exact number of positions affected is undisclosed, it is known that around 1,000 people have been laid off, including many from the mixed reality team1. This reorganization was anticipated after Microsoft deprecated Windows Mixed Reality in Windows 11 back in December 2023.
Despite the layoffs, Microsoft has stated that it will continue to sell and support the HoloLens 2, its augmented reality headset. However, plans for a successor device were shelved last year. The company is committed to the Department of Defense's IVAS program and aims to deliver cutting-edge technology to support soldiers.
The future of Microsoft's HoloLens 2 device remains unclear, as the company has not indicated any specific plans for its development path. However, Microsoft has expressed its intention to continue investing in Windows 365 to reach the broader Mixed Reality hardware ecosystem.