AI Startups Are on Fire: $36M Raised for Smarter Tools and Tech

April was a big month for AI startups—Qevlar, HoneyHive, Solve Intelligence, and Delos pulled in a combined $36 million in funding. From cybersecurity and patent automation to testing AI agents and boosting office productivity, these companies are building tools that could shape how we work and innovate in the AI space.

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Google rolls out real-time video AI features for Gemini

Google is rolling out powerful new AI features to Gemini Live, letting it “see” your screen or camera feed and help in real time—like suggesting paint colors or explaining what’s on your screen. These updates, based on its Project Astra tech, give Google a solid edge over Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s delayed Siri upgrades. Gemini’s getting smarter—and fast.

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Medicare Startup Chapter Secures $75M, Hits $1.5B Valuation

Chapter, a Medicare advisory startup co-founded by Vivek Ramaswamy, raised $75 million, pushing its valuation to $1.5 billion. Known for prioritizing client needs over insurer profits, the company draws bipartisan leadership, including Donna Shalala. Backed by investors like Peter Thiel and JD Vance, Chapter continues to reshape Medicare plan guidance for seniors.

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xAI Introduces Memory Feature to Grok

Elon Musk’s xAI has rolled out a memory feature for its Grok chatbot, enabling it to remember past chats for more personalized responses. Currently in beta on web and mobile (except EU/UK), users can view, manage, or delete memories anytime. This update brings Grok closer to rivals like ChatGPT and Gemini in user-tailored AI interactions.

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Wall Street Sinks, Nvidia Slides Amid Fresh U.S. Chip Export Restrictions

Wall Street dipped Wednesday, led by chipmakers, after new U.S. export curbs hit Nvidia and AMD hard, wiping billions from their outlooks. Nvidia warned of a $5.5 billion charge, AMD $800 million. Investors grew cautious as trade tensions, tariff worries, and Fed rate speculations added uncertainty, despite strong retail sales data and stable earnings from United Airlines.

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Figma Files for IPO After Adobe Deal Collapse

Design software maker Figma has confidentially filed for an IPO with the SEC, following the collapse of its $20 billion Adobe acquisition due to regulatory hurdles. The move comes as tech IPOs face uncertainty. Valued at $12.5 billion in 2024, Figma continues to grow, backed by top investors and earning $600 million annually.

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OpenAI Unveils GPT-4.1 Models Designed for Smarter Coding

OpenAI launched GPT-4.1, plus mini and nano versions, flaunting a huge 1M-token context window. It promises sharper coding skills and better real-world use, but still lags behind Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude on benchmarks. Cheap, fast, but not perfect — OpenAI admits reliability drops as input grows. Progress? Sure. Flawless? Not yet!

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Flipkart Bets Big on Quick Commerce in 2025

After a $379 Mn fund boost, Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy revealed plans to expand its quick commerce arm, Flipkart Minutes, from 300 to 800 stores by year-end. Despite tough competition from Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart, Flipkart is eyeing India’s top cities where fast delivery demand is surging. The quick commerce market is rapidly growing, despite ongoing cash burn.

Read more on Inc42

WhatsApp Rolls Out New Features Across Chats, Calls & Channels

WhatsApp has introduced new updates including real-time online status in group chats, smarter notification controls, and document scanning on iPhones. Video calls now offer better quality and reliability. Users can create events in personal chats, invite others during calls, and enjoy upgraded channel tools like short video sharing, QR codes, and voice message summaries.

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Cal AI, a Photo-Based Calorie Tracker with Over a Million Downloads, Created by Teen Duo

Zach Yadegari and Henry Langmack, both 18, launched Cal AI, a calorie-tracking app, in May. It’s racked up over 5 million downloads and $2 million in revenue last month. Using AI models, it’s 90% accurate at logging food from photos. The teen founders met more coders, lived in a hacker house, but Zach still wants college.

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