AI startup roundup: Disney + metaverse avatars, blockchain security and more!AI startup roundup: Disney + metaverse avatars, blockchain security and more!

Also, supercharging contact centers, synthetic biology and no-code AI

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Funding blitz

Startup: Genies lets users create digital avatars, NFT wearables and experiences for the metaverse. Former Disney CEO Robert Iger is an investor and also joined its board.

Latest funding: $150 million

Lead investors: Silver Lake

Other investors: Bond, NEA and Tamarack Global

Funding plans: The capital will go towards supporting its avatar NFT marketplace, The Warehouse. Genies also plans to add additional staff and further roll out its avatar-making tools.

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Startup: Observe.ai is a provider of natural language tools for tracking voice and text conversations in contact centers.

Latest funding: $125 million, series C

Investors include: Zoom, Softbank Vision Fund 2, Menlo Ventures, Nexus Ventures,

Funding plans: The cash will go towards the company’s IPO plans, as well as funding its geographical expansions

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Startup: CertiK is blockchain security company that uses AI to secure and monitor blockchain protocols and smart contracts.

Latest funding: $88 million, series B

Lead investors: Insight Partners, Tiger Global and Advent International

Other investors: Goldman Sachs, Sequoia, Lightspeed Venture Partners.

Funding plans: Working capital and other purposes

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Startup: Ansa Biotechnologies is developing a DNA synthesis service to accelerate synthetic biology research.

Latest funding: $82 million, series A

Lead investors: Northpond Ventures

Other investors: RA Capital, Blue Water Life Science Advisors, Altitude Life Science Ventures, Fiscus Ventures,

Funding plans: The funding will be used to accelerate the development of Ansa’s next-generation enzymatic DNA synthesis technology based on polymerase-nucleotide conjugates, build high-throughput synthesizers, and launch its DNA synthesis service.

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Startup: SamCart is a web-based check-out platform for e-commerce sites.

Latest funding: $82 million, series B

Lead investors: Eldridge

Other investors: TTV Capital, Fin VC, the George Kaiser Foundation, eGateway Capital

Funding plans: The company plans to expand its team and platform features.

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Startup: BlueOcean builds marketing platforms for brands.

Latest funding: $30 million, series B

Lead investors: Insight Partners

Other investors: FJ Labs

Funding plans: BlueOcean plans to expand its tech and attract customers to join the likes of Amazon, Cisco and Microsoft, which already use its platform.

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Startup: Moot is building AI-enhanced e-commerce platforms for brands.

Latest funding: $18 million,

Lead investors: Espresso Capital

Funding plans: The U.K.-based startup is mulling M&A in a bid to grow its business and attract a growing list of brands. Timberland and Asos already use its solutions.

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Startup: Noogata is a developer of no-code AI platforms for enterprises.

Latest funding: $16 million, series A

Lead investors: Eight Roads

Other investors: Allon Ventures,

Funding plans: Noogata wants to use the latest investment to fuel rapid growth and accelerate its vision to enable any business user to make data-driven decisions leveraging AI.

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Startup: Union.ai is developing tools for software users from concept to production.

Latest funding: $10 million, seed round

Lead investors: New Enterprise Associates

Funding plans: After emerging from stealth, the startup plans to build out its tools.

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In other news

Altada partners with investment data platform firm

Altada, which provides AI solutions for data-driven decision-making in the financial services and other sectors, is joining forces with SlyceData, a company that develops data management platforms for investment researchers.

The strategic partnership will see the pair give customers joint access to data from the combined set of sources.

Sharing technology capabilities, the Altada-SlyceData partnership will “better serve the data analytics market across a variety of use cases,” the companies said.

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