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## Paid Secures Massive $21M Seed for AI Agent ‘Results-Based Billing’ **Paid**, a new startup spearheaded by tech veteran Manny Medina, has made a significant splash by announcing a colossal **$21 million seed funding round**. The substantial investment positions the company to revolutionize how AI agents are monetized through its innovative ‘results-based billing’ model. Founded

**Clarifai Unveils Reasoning Engine: Boosting AI Efficiency and Affordability** Clarifai, a leader in AI development, has announced a significant breakthrough with the launch of its new reasoning engine. This innovative technology promises to fundamentally reshape how AI models operate, making them both significantly faster and more cost-effective to deploy and run. The new reasoning engine

## Beyond the Hype: What Top VCs Demand from AI Founders at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 **SAN FRANCISCO – TechCrunch Disrupt 2025** saw a packed house for a highly anticipated panel: “What Top VCs Want from AI Founders: Inside the Investor Lens.” Moderated by a TechCrunch editor, the discussion featured an all-star lineup: **Jon McNeill** (former

## Love, Lies, and Algorithms: Is AI Really Helping Us Find ‘The One’? Live at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 **SAN FRANCISCO, CA – TechCrunch Disrupt 2025** played host to a riveting debate this morning, posing a question increasingly relevant in our data-driven world: Are algorithms truly the cupid of the 21st century, or are they just

**xAI Offers Grok to Federal Government for 42 Cents** Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, has reportedly made an unusually low-cost offer to the U.S. federal government: its Grok AI model for a mere 42 cents. This highly aggressive pricing strategy aims to position Grok as an accessible and economical AI solution for federal agencies,

**GPT-5: Bridging the Gap Between AI and Human-Level Performance** OpenAI has reportedly made a significant claim regarding its upcoming GPT-5 model, stating it will be capable of performing on par with humans across a wide spectrum of jobs. This assertion suggests a substantial leap in artificial intelligence capabilities, moving beyond sophisticated text generation to demonstrate

**Steph Curry’s Penny Jar Capital Backs AI for Food Supply Chain Innovation** Stephen Curry’s venture capital firm, Penny Jar Capital, has announced its latest investment, throwing its weight behind an AI startup focused on revolutionizing food supply chains. The move signals a growing interest from high-profile investors in leveraging advanced technology to address critical global

**Juicebox Secures $30M from Sequoia to Redefine Hiring with LLM-Powered Search** Juicebox, an innovative startup aiming to transform the recruitment landscape, has announced a significant $30 million funding round led by venture capital giant Sequoia Capital. This substantial investment underscores the industry’s growing confidence in Juicebox’s unique approach to talent acquisition, which leverages large language

OpenAI has announced the launch of ChatGPT Pulse, a groundbreaking AI service designed to transform morning routines. ChatGPT Pulse proactively curates and delivers personalized morning briefs directly to users, leveraging advanced language models to synthesize news, email summaries, and other relevant digital information. This innovative tool aims to provide individuals with a concise, tailored overview

**Microsoft Halts Cloud Services to Israeli Military Unit Amid Surveillance Concerns** Microsoft has reportedly cut cloud services to an Israeli military unit, citing concerns over its use in surveillance of Palestinians. The decision follows internal discussions and scrutiny regarding the ethical implications of providing technology to the unit, which has been implicated in advanced surveillance