AI startup roundup: Conversational AI, data stack optimization

Also -  digital postage solutions, fintech tools for renters

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From funding rounds to acquisitions, and product launches to partnerships, AI Business covers all things artificial intelligence.

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Funding blitz

Startup: Rivery - provider of SaaS solutions designed to create the optimal data stack. Its products help data teams avoid complex issues that come with managing fragmented data stacks.

Latest funding: $30 million, series B

Lead investors: Tiger Global Management

Other investors: State Of Mind Ventures, Entrée Capital

Funding plans: Rivery will look to grow its teams in New York and Tel Aviv and expand to London. It will use the cash to double down on its R&D and product efforts.

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Startup: Curious Thing - Conversational AI tools that ask users questions for use in settings like e-commerce and financial services

Latest funding: $4.8 million, pre-series A

Lead investors: Hawkstone

Other investors: Black Sheep Capital, January Capital, Reinventure and Qualgro

Funding plans: Currently in Australia, the company plans to expand to the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

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Startup: Stamp Free Limited - a provider of digital postage solutions, the company’s offerings are designed to send and receive parcels with ease

Latest funding: $757,000, seed round

Investors: R42 Group, Cambridge Angels

Funding plans: Stamp Free will use the cash to increase marketing activities and product development.

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Startup: Jetty - A fintech firm focusing on the rent market - replacing traditional cash deposits with low-cost surety bonds

Latest funding: Undisclosed

Investors: PayPal Ventures and Experian Ventures

Funding plans: The undisclosed sum will be put towards growing its current product portfolio as well as expanding into new lines, including a credit building service.

In other news

Iterate.ai launches Interplay 7

The San Jose-based company has unveiled a platform designed to help brands build low-code applications.

The solution supports AI workflows, with data scientists able to import code written on Jupyter.

“Interplay 7 will absolutely supercharge application development for enterprises working to outpace competitors and get new products and innovations to market,” said Brian Sathianathan, CTO of Iterate.ai.