**Genesis AI**, a pioneering startup in robotics software, has successfully raised **$105 million** in a seed funding round that stands out for its unique blend of US and Chinese investors. This collaboration marks a significant moment in an industry often divided by geopolitical boundaries.

With headquarters in **Paris** and **Palo Alto, California**, Genesis AI announced this landmark investment on Tuesday. Leading the charge were **Khosla Ventures** and **Eclipse Capital**, with additional support from **Bpifrance**, tech moguls **Eric Schmidt** and **Xavier Niel**, and **HongShan** (previously known as Sequoia China).

This funding round not only highlights the growing interest in **AI and robotics** but also showcases the potential for **cross-border collaborations** in tech, despite the current geopolitical climate.

Genesis AI, a startup working on software for robots, has raised $105 million in a funding round with both US and Chinese backers — a rarity in an industry split along geopolitical lines.

Genesis AI Secures $105M in Rare Cross-Border Funding Amid Geopolitical Tensions

**Hans Braunfisch** is on a mission to connect **U.S. investors** with **Ukrainian startups**, addressing the lack of a clear investment pathway for individuals interested in supporting Ukraine's burgeoning startup ecosystem. With over **26,000 startups** in Ukraine, the potential is vast, yet untapped by foreign individual investors.

### The Birth of Pravo Venture
Braunfisch, a former PwC consultant, founded **Pravo Venture** to streamline foreign investment into Ukrainian startups. The platform acts as a bridge between **Ukrainian companies** and **SEC-accredited U.S. investors**, aiming to shift the narrative from Ukraine being a charity case to a land of **long-term business opportunities**.

### Why Ukraine?
Ukraine's startup ecosystem has **tripled in value** over the past five years, reaching **$28 billion**, making it the **second most valuable** in Central and Eastern Europe. Despite the ongoing war, **IT startups** contribute **4.4% to Ukraine's GDP**, with global successes like **Grammarly** and **Gitlab**.

### How Pravo Works
- **For Investors**: Open only to **SEC-accredited U.S. investors**, Pravo targets those willing to invest smaller sums (**$5,000 to $15,000**) in Ukrainian startups.
- **For Startups**: Companies must have **R&D in Ukraine** and be **legally domiciled in the U.S.** to facilitate dollar transactions.

### Current Listings
Pravo currently features two startups:
1. **Mosqitter**: Produces non-toxic mosquito repellents.
2. **Promin Aerospace**: A rocket producer.

![Showcase of Mosqitter - a non-toxic mosquito repellent.](https://assets.kyivindependent.com/content/images/2025/07/6adf74c3-cd9d-4360-b4a8-0578ec2ad5c6.webp)

### Challenges and Opportunities
Investing in wartime Ukraine is not without risks, but Braunfisch emphasizes **trust and quality** over quantity. Pravo takes a **1% passive equity stake** in startups, ensuring alignment with their success without burdening them with fees.

### The Bigger Picture
"We want to shift the narrative that Ukraine is a short-term charity case to Ukraine is an opportunity for a much longer-term business and collaborative partnership," says Braunfisch.

Hans Braunfisch wants Americans to invest in Ukrainian startups, but there's a problem: there's no clear path for individual investors to put money into the more than 26,000 Ukrainian startups out there.

The former PwC consultant plans to change that with Pravo Venture, a platform streamlining foreign investment for

Bridge the Gap: How Pravo Venture Connects US Investors with Ukrainian Startups

**Despite ongoing conflicts, Israeli tech startups have achieved a remarkable milestone, securing $9.3 billion in investments in the first half of 2025.** This marks the highest six-month funding in three years, showcasing the resilience and global confidence in Israel's tech ecosystem.

### **Key Highlights**
- **$9.3 billion** raised across **365 funding rounds**, a **54% increase** from the latter half of 2024.
- **Enterprise software** led the sectors with **$3.19 billion**, followed by **cybersecurity ($1.98 billion)** and **fintech ($751 million)**.
- **AI startup Safe Superintelligence** made headlines with a **$2 billion Series B round**, one of Israel's largest ever.

### **Global Investor Confidence**
Despite geopolitical tensions, **69% of funding rounds included global investors**, up from 61% in late 2024. **Avi Hasson, CEO of Startup Nation Central**, emphasized the market's long-term confidence in Israeli tech, citing the **strong shekel** and **positive market trends** as key factors.

![Illustrative: Eastech tech campus workspace in East Jerusalem.](https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2023/07/Eastj-640x400.jpg)

### **Sectoral Breakdown**
- **Enterprise Software**: $3.19B (71 rounds)
- **Cybersecurity**: $1.98B (56 rounds)
- **Fintech**: $751M (29 rounds)

**The data underscores Israel's tech sector as a global powerhouse, even amid regional instability.**

Local tech firms raised $9.3 billion in capital in the first six months of 2025 as foreign investor participation in funding rounds rose

Israeli Startups Thrive Amidst Conflict: Record $9.3B Investments in 2025

Grammarly, the San Francisco-based AI writing assistant, has made a strategic acquisition by purchasing **Superhuman**, the email efficiency tool, as part of its ambitious plan to build a comprehensive **AI-powered productivity suite**. This move signals Grammarly's intent to diversify beyond grammar correction and into broader workplace productivity tools.

### The Deal at a Glance
- **Superhuman** was last valued at **$825 million** in 2021 and boasts an annual revenue of about **$35 million**.
- The acquisition follows Grammarly's recent **$1 billion funding** round led by General Catalyst.
- **Rahul Vohra**, Superhuman's CEO, will join Grammarly, bringing over 100 employees with him.

### Why This Matters
Grammarly, with over **40 million daily users** and annual revenues exceeding **$700 million**, is looking to expand its offerings. The integration of Superhuman's email efficiency tools with Grammarly's AI capabilities could revolutionize how professionals manage their inboxes, claiming users can send and respond to **72% more emails per hour**.

### The Bigger Picture
This acquisition is part of a broader trend where **AI is becoming central to productivity tools**. With email giants like Google and Microsoft also embedding more AI features, the competition is heating up. Grammarly's vision includes creating a network of specialized AI agents that pull data from various digital workflows, aiming to reduce time spent on mundane tasks.

![AI Productivity Tools](https://www.reuters.com/resizer/v2/WFNCZIJZ7FKKBANWTIS2UA2WH4.jpg?auth=e65cca9db0789269904882a5b177a0ac1a33bced14edcd735e75bda14249f8bc&width=3000&quality=80)

*Illustration showing AI artificial intelligence and robot hands, symbolizing the future of productivity tools.*

Grammarly has signed a deal to acquire email efficiency tool Superhuman as part of the company's push to build an artificial intelligence-powered productivity suite and diversify its business, its executives told Reuters in an interview.

Grammarly's Bold Move: Acquiring Superhuman to Dominate AI-Powered Productivity

## **Breaking Barriers in Cancer Treatment with AI**

**Pi Health**, co-founded by cancer doctors Geoff Kim and Bobby Reddy, is tackling one of the biggest challenges in drug development: the slow pace of clinical trials. Their solution? **AI-enabled software** designed to streamline the process, from patient enrollment to regulatory submissions. But they didn't stop there. To prove their technology's potential, they took the unprecedented step of building their own **30-bed cancer hospital in Hyderabad, India**.

### **The Clinical Trial Bottleneck**

Clinical trials are notoriously slow, often taking years to complete due to **patient recruitment challenges** and **data management hurdles**. Pi Health's software aims to change that by **automating data collection and error-checking**, significantly reducing the time and cost associated with bringing new drugs to market.

### **A Bold Move: Building a Hospital**

In September 2023, Pi Health opened its state-of-the-art cancer hospital in Hyderabad, a major tech and pharma hub. This facility serves as a **testing ground** for their AI software, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world settings. The hospital has already participated in **eight clinical trials**, including one that led to the approval of an **esophageal cancer drug in just seven months**—less than half the usual time.

![Pi Health Cancer Hospital](https://imageio.forbes.com/specials-images/imageserve/685efddd380e9166b93c3f45/Pi-Health-Cancer-Hospital-opened-in-Hyderabad-in-September-2023-and-began-running/0x0.jpg?format=jpg&width=144)

### **The Power of AI in Oncology**

Pi Health's cloud-based platform **integrates all trial data into one system**, using AI to **identify discrepancies** and generate **automated clinical notes**. This not only speeds up the process but also ensures **higher data accuracy**, making it easier for smaller clinics and hospitals to participate in trials.

### **Global Impact and Future Goals**

With **$40 million in funding** and contracts worth **$70 million**, Pi Health is expanding its reach. The company is now working on **20 clinical studies** for five global pharmaceutical firms, including BeiGene. Their vision extends beyond oncology, with plans to apply their technology to **immunology, psychiatry, and other therapeutic areas**.

> **"We are passionate about changing oncology drug development,"** said Bobby Reddy. **"There’s too much of the same and not enough people that take bold risks."**

### **Democratizing Access to Clinical Trials**

By partnering with **community cancer clinics** in the U.S. and rural hospitals in India, Pi Health is making clinical trials more accessible. This approach not only **accelerates drug development** but also ensures **diverse patient populations** are included in studies.

**Key Takeaways:**
- Pi Health's AI software **cuts clinical trial time by more than half**.
- Their Hyderabad hospital serves as a **proof of concept** for global scalability.
- The company is **expanding into new therapeutic areas** beyond oncology.

New drugs take too long to get to market because of clinical trial bottlenecks. Two cancer doctors built AI-enabled tech to speed up the process.

Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment: How Pi Health's AI and Bold Hospital Venture Speeds Up Clinical Trials

## **North Korean Agents Pose as Developers to Steal Crypto**

Federal prosecutors have revealed a startling case where **four North Korean nationals** allegedly used stolen identities to secure remote IT jobs at a U.S.-based blockchain startup. Their mission? To **infiltrate, manipulate, and steal** nearly **$1 million in cryptocurrency**.

### **The Scheme Unfolded**
- The group, operating from the UAE, **embedded themselves** within the startup, gaining trust over time.
- In two separate incidents in 2022, they executed transactions siphoning off **$175,000 and $740,000**.
- The stolen funds were then **laundered through mixers and exchanges**, using fake IDs to obscure their trail.

### **A Sophisticated Playbook**
Andrew Fierman of Chainalysis highlights this as part of North Korea's **long-running strategy** to fund weapons programs through cybercrime. The hackers:
- **Used falsified documentation** to mask their origins.
- **Waited patiently** for the right moment to strike, exploiting their insider access.

### **The Broader Threat**
This incident sheds light on the **vulnerabilities in crypto's remote-first culture**. Many startups, eager to cut costs, skip thorough background checks, making them easy targets for **state-sponsored actors**.

Vladimir Sobolev of Hexens points out the **fundamental issue**: the preference for cheaper, less vetted developers over established professionals in the sector.

### **Enforcement Actions**
The DOJ has taken **coordinated raids** across 16 states, seizing:
- **29 financial accounts**
- **21 fraudulent websites**
- **200 computers** from "laptop farms" used in these schemes.

These farms served as **remote access points**, allowing operatives to manipulate smart contracts and drain funds while appearing to work from U.S. locations.

### **A Call to Vigilance**
Fierman warns that **recognizing and mitigating these threats** is crucial for organizations in the crypto space.

Federal prosecutors claim DPRK agents infiltrated a blockchain startup under false identities, pushing code to drain funds.

North Korean Hackers Infiltrate Crypto Startups: A $1M Heist Unveiled

**AppsForBharat**, the innovative Indian startup behind the **Sri Mandir** app, has successfully raised **$20 million** in a Series C funding round. This marks a significant milestone, coming just nine months after their previous $18 million raise. The app, designed to bring Hindu devotional practices into the digital age, has seen remarkable growth, attracting both devotees and investors alike.

### **Investor Confidence and Market Potential**
Leading the funding round was **Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital**, with contributions from notable investors like **Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum Partnership**, **Elevation Capital**, and **Peak XV Partners**. This strong financial backing underscores the app's potential in a market where the Hindu temple economy is valued at **₹3.02 trillion (about $40 billion)**, accounting for nearly **2.3% of India’s GDP**.

### **Bridging the Gap Between Devotion and Technology**
Launched in **November 2020**, Sri Mandir has quickly become a cornerstone for Hindu devotees, offering **online prayers** and **virtual offerings** to over **70 temples across India**. The app boasts **40 million downloads** and has facilitated **1.2 million devotees** in performing online rituals in the past year alone.

- **User Base**: The app has **3.5 million monthly active users**, with **90,000 from outside India**.
- **Revenue Insights**: While domestic users contribute an **ARPU of ₹600–800 ($7–9)**, international users, particularly the Indian diaspora in the **U.S., U.K., UAE, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand**, show a significantly higher **ARPU of ₹7,000 ($81)**.

![Sri Mandir App Screenshots](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/sri-mandir-screenshots.jpg)

### **Expanding Horizons**
With a **six-month retention rate of 55%**, Sri Mandir demonstrates strong user engagement. The startup is now focusing on:
- **Physical Facilities**: Establishing logistics hubs in **20 temple towns** across India to manage deliveries of **prasad** and ritual items.
- **AI Enhancements**: Introducing **AI-led features** to answer faith-related queries, enhancing user interaction.

### **Competitive Edge and Future Plans**
Despite competition, Sri Mandir remains the **leading Hindu devotional app**, with plans to expand its temple network to **500** and increase its team from **300 to 400 employees**. The startup aims for **profitability by 2027–28**, with potential plans for a **public listing**.

![Religious Tech Funding Trends](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/religious-tech-funding.jpg)

AppsForBharat, the Indian startup behind the Hindu devotional app Sri Mandir, has raised $20 million in a new round — just over nine months after securing

How Sri Mandir App is Revolutionizing Digital Devotion with $20M Funding Boost

**AppsForBharat**, the innovative Indian startup, has successfully raised **$20 million** in its latest funding round for **Sri Mandir**, a Hindu devotional app. This marks a significant milestone just nine months after their previous **$18 million** raise, showcasing the app's growing appeal among devotees and investors alike.

![Sri Mandir](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/qsNije1zPvyE3zfmF4SUqw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJp/https://media.zenfs.com/en/techcrunch_finance_785/a48c44c9fa9787f50f1643f4329081bd)

### The Backbone of Digital Devotion
With **Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital** leading the Series C round, and support from notable investors like **Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum Partnership**, **Elevation Capital**, and **Peak XV Partners**, Sri Mandir is set to expand its digital footprint in the religious sector.

### A Temple Economy Goes Digital
India's temple economy, valued at **₹3.02 trillion (about $40 billion)**, represents nearly **2.3% of the country's GDP**. Despite its size, the sector remains largely offline. Sri Mandir is changing that by offering online prayers and virtual offerings to over **70 temples across India**, attracting **40 million downloads** since its launch.

### Global Reach and Growing User Base
The app boasts **3.5 million monthly active users**, with a significant portion coming from outside India. The **average revenue per user (ARPU)** abroad is notably higher, around **₹7,000 (roughly $81)**, compared to **₹600–800 ($7–9)** domestically. The Indian diaspora in countries like the **U.S., U.K., UAE, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand** contributes to **20% of the platform's revenue**.

![Sri Mandir User Growth](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/nrNvNN_.N4L95x_iB0whDQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/techcrunch_finance_785/07d4b2efa7ec8860e409edee0afd067c)

### Retention and Revenue
Sri Mandir has achieved a **six-month retention rate of 55%**, with a **$12 million run rate** at the start of 2025. The app's ability to retain users is attributed to the recurring nature of devotional activities, as highlighted by **Prashant Sachan**, founder and CEO of AppsForBharat.

AppsForBharat, the Indian startup behind the Hindu devotional app Sri Mandir, has raised $20 million in a new round — just over nine months after securing $18 million — as the app continues to attract not only devotees but also strong investor interest. Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital led the Series C round with participation from […]

Genesis AI Secures $105M in Rare Cross-Border Funding Amid Geopolitical Tensions

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