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☆ Jefferies upgrades this pharma stock, citing overlooked 'blockbuster' drug opportunities
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

AstraZeneca's tozorakimab drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also seems underappreciated, with a potential to reach $4.5 billion in peak sales, according to Jefferies. The firm also suggests up to $3.5 billion in sales for AstraZeneca's eplontersen , a drug aimed at treating hereditary transthyretin-mediated amyloid polyneuropathy. The pharmaceutical giant is also poised to be the frontrunner in breast cancer treatments. Another one of AstraZeneca's breast cancer therapies, also being developed with Daiichi Sankyo, came out with positive news Friday. Its experimental precision drug datopotamab deruxtecan demonstrated an improvement in slowing the progression of a common type of breast cancer in a late-stage trial.

Persons: Peter Welford, Welford, AstraZeneca's, Jefferies, AstraZeneca's eplontersen, transthyretin, deruxtecan, Pascal Soriot's, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: AstraZeneca, Jefferies, AstraZeneca's, Japan's, pharma Locations: Japan's Daiichi

☆ Amazon invests up to $4 billion in Anthropic AI in exchange for minority stake and further AWS integration
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

As part of the deal, AWS will become the “primary” cloud provider for Anthropic, with the AI company using Amazon’s cloud platform to do “the majority” of its AI model development and research into AI safety, the companies said. That will include using Amazon’s suite of in-house AI chips. Anthropic also made a “long-term commitment” to offer its AI models to AWS customers, Amazon said, and promised to give AWS users early access to features such as the ability to adapt Anthropic models for specific use cases. Anthropic already offers its models to AWS users through Amazon Bedrock, Amazon’s one-stop shop for AI products. In a release, Anthropic said that Amazon’s minority stake would not change its corporate governance structure nor its commitments to developing AI responsibly.

Persons: Anthropic, ” Anthropic, Biden, OpenAI, Bing Organizations: CNN, Amazon Web Services, AWS, Amazon, AI21 Labs, Microsoft Locations: Anthropic, OpenAI

They declined to state how much Amazon now would own of Anthropic or the startup's updated valuation, last estimated at more than $4 billion. The deal also shows ongoing maneuvering by the cloud companies to secure ties with AI startups reshaping their industry. Yet with Monday's deal, Anthropic is giving a boost to Amazon Bedrock, a service that has attracted thousands of users to start building AI applications. LexisNexis, a data analytics company, is working with Anthropic and Amazon to make its own legal search capabilities more "intelligent," Amodei said. Asked if Amazon would invest in additional AI startups beyond Anthropic, Selipsky said, "I honestly don't know what the future will hold."

Persons: Anthropic, OpenAI, Adam Selipsky, Dario Amodei, Pascal, Selipsky, Claude, Amodei, Jeffrey Dastin, Kenneth Li Organizations: FRANCISCO, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Amazon's, REUTERS, LexisNexis, Bridgewater Associates, Thomson Locations: Anthropic, San Francisco

Amazon's employees and cloud customers will gain early access to technology from Anthropic as part of the deal, which they can infuse into their businesses. They declined to state how much Amazon now would own of Anthropic or the startup's updated valuation, last estimated at more than $4 billion. The deal also shows ongoing maneuvering by the cloud companies to secure ties with AI startups reshaping their industry. Yet with Monday's deal, Anthropic is giving a boost to Amazon Bedrock, a service that has attracted thousands of users to start building AI applications. Asked if Amazon would invest in additional AI startups beyond Anthropic, Selipsky said, "I honestly don't know what the future will hold."

Persons: Anthropic, OpenAI, Adam Selipsky, Dario Amodei, Selipsky, Claude, Amodei, Jeffrey Dastin, Kenneth Li Organizations: FRANCISCO, Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Amazon's, GOOGLE, LexisNexis, Bridgewater Associates, Thomson Locations: Anthropic, San Francisco

☆ Should We Oust Our Co-op Managing Agent and Find Another?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Jill Terreri Ramos | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“There needs to be transparency on the part of the co-op board and the managing agent as to why there was spotty service throughout the summer,” said Debra J. Guzov, a real estate lawyer in Manhattan. “If there is a problem, the board has a duty to the shareholders to address that problem.”The managing agent is hired by the co-op’s board of directors and typically assigns an account representative to carry out the co-op’s business at the direction of the board. Your managing agent should bring in an engineer or reputable heating-and-cooling company to inspect the air-conditioning equipment and identify the problem. If the board is dissatisfied with the managing agent, it can request a different account representative for the building or even terminate the managing agent’s contract and hire another company. “Finding the right managing agent and assigned property manager is always a challenge,” said Ronald H. Gitter, a real estate lawyer who focuses on co-ops and condominiums.

Persons: ”, Debra J, Ronald H Locations: Manhattan

☆ iPhone 15 hits shelves around the world. Here’s what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

People look at the new iPhone 15 as Apple's new iPhone 15 officially goes on sale across China, at an Apple store in Shanghai, China September 22, 2023. The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $1,099, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199. To start, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max now feature a titanium casing, allowing the design to be slimmer and thinner than before. The iPhone 15 comes in 5 colors (white, black, pink, green and yellow) and in two sizes: A 6.1-inch screen for the iPhone 15 and 6.7 inches for iPhone 15 Pro. After Apple's announcement of the iPhone 15 series on September 12, including the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the highly anticipated lineup is now available for in-store pickup starting today.

Persons: Aly Song, Max, Here’s, Mohamad Dabbous, Apple, Leon Neal, pare Organizations: CNN, Wedbush Securities, Pro Max, Apple, Citizens, Anadolu Agency, Getty, European Union Locations: China, Europe, Shanghai, Doha, Qatar, London, England

☆ How companies are embracing generative AI...or not
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —Companies are struggling to deal with the rapid rise of generative AI, with some rushing to embrace the technology as workflow tools for employees while others shun it – at least for now. Some companies are enacting internal bans on generative AI tools as they work to better understand the technology, and others have already begun to introduce the trendy tech to employees in their own ways. Among media companies that produce news, Insider editor-in-chief Nicholas Carlson has encouraged reporters to find ways to use AI in the newsroom. Of the companies currently banning ChatGPT, some are discussing future usage once security concerns are addressed. “I don’t think it’s that companies are against AI and against machine learning, per se.

Persons: JPMorgan Chase, Northrup, it’s, Mark McCreary, Fox Rothschild, McCreary, “, ” Jonathan Gillham, Nicholas Carlson, ”, ChatGPT, Larry Feinsmith, ” Northrop Grumman, “ They’re, they’re, ” Vern Glaser, Cheryl Ainoa, Donna Morris, PwC, “ Lilli ”, Lilli, Jacky Wright, EY.ai, OpenAI, ” Glaser Organizations: New, New York CNN — Companies, JPMorgan, Northrup Grumman, Apple, Verizon, Spotify, Accenture, Fox, Fox Rothschild LLP, CNN, “ Companies, Gannett, The Columbus Dispatch, UBS, JPMorgan Chase, Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneurship, Enterprise, University of Alberta, Walmart, Emerging Technologies, Consulting, McKinsey, PwC, ChatGPT, Fortune, ChatGPT Enterprise, Microsoft, Bing Locations: New York, ChatGPT, America

☆ Why trust is critical to business applications of generative AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Ibm With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The criticality of trust is even clearer today as generative AI is changing the landscape of what's possible with AI. For example, generative AI models can produce highly believable, well-structured responses so it can be hard to identify an incorrect response without the right subject matter expertise. Generative AI does not have test-retest reliability, meaning you can ask the same question many times to an LLM and get different answers each time. Many business leaders are feeling pressure from investors, clients, employees, and others to accelerate their adoption of AI, including generative AI, but they're weighing the urgency to act against the potential risks. AI governance is how you define policies and establish accountability throughout the AI lifecycle.

Persons: That's Organizations: IBM Institute for Business, IBM, Trust, Transparency, IBM Consulting

☆ The Man Who Trapped Us in Databases
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Mckenzie Funk | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Matrix, as Asher’s new counterterrorism system soon came to be known, arguably marked the beginning of our era of analytics. But Asher, enamored with the power of his magical machines, kept talking about the five names they got right. Many critiques of our increasingly algorithmic world focus on where algorithms fail. A third boils down to checks and balances: Algorithms are often proprietary black boxes, closed to outside scrutiny. He was burning through millions more buying up vast data sets that contained ever more granular information on Americans’ lives.

Persons: Isaac, —, Asher, Hank Asher, you’re, ’ Organizations: Facebook Locations: It’s

☆ Here's an exclusive look at the 17-slide presentation that startup Jude used to raise $4.24 million to help boomers who need bladder help
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Samantha Stokes | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Move over, millennials: one startup founder is betting big that baby boomers are a largely untapped goldmine for discreet undergarments and supplements. With the seed funding, Jude plans to expand into the U.S., selling at the intersection of bladder care, senior healthcare, and women's health. The combination of healthcare, eldercare, and women's health proved to be crucial when Jude tried to line up investors. Take a look at the 17-slide presentation Jude used to raise $4.24 million in seed funding. Jude - healthcare brand for a new age JudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJudeJude

Persons: Jude, Eka, Fiono Pathiraja, Christa Galli, Peony Li, Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude Organizations: Christa Galli Ventures Locations: Samos, London, U.S

Learn moreThe newest AirPods Pro 2 — the version with USB-C charging — aren't even out yet, and you can already save $50 on a pair. Apple releases the newest AirPods Pro 2 revision tomorrow. Buy the newest AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C with $50 offDeal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Beyond that, all other changes coming to the AirPods Pro 2 are strictly software-based, and they're applicable to both the Lightning and USB-C model. You can read our AirPods Pro 2 review to see whether these are right for you.

Persons: — aren't, There's, You'll Organizations: Apple, Apple AirPods, Amazon, European Union, Apple Vision

☆ The risks to alcohol and food stocks from Ozempic-like weight loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Paulina Likos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The rise of new anti-obesity medications could result in less alcohol consumption, impacting Club name Constellation Brands (STZ). The risk already seems to be playing out in food stocks with exposure to snacks and junk food. We don't think Constellation Brands stock will suffer the same fate as shares of leading snack food companies like J.M. Key points The increasing popularity of new diabetes/weight loss drugs could curtail consumer appetite for junk food and alcohol. Constellation Brands (STZ), the Club name behind the Mexican beers Corona and Modelo, should be able to weather any such headwind.

Persons: Eli Lilly, it's, Mills, Lilly, Jim Cramer, Mounjaro, Morgan, Morgan Stanley, AOMs, Jefferies, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Gabby Jones Organizations: Constellation Brands, Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, Nordisk, Ozempic, Club, Novo Nordisk, Brands, Conagra Brands, Constellation, Bud Light, Jefferies, JPMorgan, CNBC, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: U.S, Oro, Brooklyn Borough, New York

☆ FDA advisers to discuss future of ‘artificial womb’ for human infants
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

An artificial womb for humans would be a scientific advance that could help solve a major health problem. An artificial womb is not designed to replace a pregnant person; it could not be used from conception until birth. The artificial womb could be able to help the baby develop further through those vital final stages when the lung and brain are developing. In each study, the artificial womb is constructed a little bit differently. If an artificial womb was ultimately approved for use with humans, doctors will have to have conversations with parents about how successful such an intervention could be.

Persons: Prematurity, there’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, World Health, US Centers for Disease Control, Pediatric, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Newborn, University of Michigan, University of Toronto, CNN Health, FDA Locations: White, Japan, Australia

☆ As Instacart goes public, it's no victory lap for founder Apoorva Mehta
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Darius Rafieyan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Mehta was replaced as CEO of Instacart in July 2021 following a messy dispute with some of the company's largest investors. Instacart Founder Apoorva Mehta in his 2003 yearbook photo from Westdale Secondary School. The app started gaining momentum and Mehta put out ads on Craigslist for shoppers to do the grocery runs for him. Whole Foods reportedly broke the news to Mehta and a fellow Instacart executive on an early morning call. In a sworn affidavit, Mehta denies that he misappropriated any trade secrets and says he's since cut ties with Singh.

Persons: Apoorva Mehta, Mehta, Safeway Mehta, Hamilton Public Library Mehta, Bing Gordon, Kleiner Perkins, Gordon, he'd, Garry Tan, Tan, Garry, Andreessen Horowitz, catapulting Mehta, Forbes, Instacart, Mike Moritz, Fidji Simo, Simo, That's, Mehta's, he's, Tejasvi, Singh, Sam Bankman, NextMed, it's Organizations: Instacart, Safeway, Westdale Secondary, Hamilton Public Library, The University of Waterloo, Amazon, NPR, Electronic Arts, YC, TechCrunch, Sequoia Capital, Khosla Ventures, Forbes, Foods, Costco, Kroger, Facebook, Sunrise Locations: India, Libya, Hamilton , Ontario, Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco, wallowing, Sequoia, Mehta's, Marin County

☆ EV charging needs big improvements soon if the auto industry's transition is going to work
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( John Rosevear | In Jrosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Simply put, America's patchwork of CCS chargers offers spotty coverage, hard-to-use devices, and, too often, chargers that are broken. Not to mention, there are fewer than 12,000 CCS fast chargers across the U.S. today. Opening up the Tesla charging network to our customers, that's about them and it scales very quickly for them. watch nowThe broad uptake of Tesla's charging tech is generally good news. What's more, Tesla's chargers all work the same way, whereas CCS chargers from rival companies may have very different procedures.

Persons: Mark Blinch, Reuters There's, General Motors, it's, Joe Biden, Tesla, Justin Sullivan, JD Power, Brent Gruber, Ford, John Lawler, Lawler, We're, Elon Musk, EVgo Organizations: Benz, Canadian, Reuters, Ford Motor, General, Volkswagen, Cox Automotive, Consumer, Energy, Institute, University of Chicago, Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, United Auto Workers, EV, Public, U.S . Department of Energy, —, Detroit, CCS, University of California, JD, Ford EV, Ford, GM, Volvo, Mercedes, SAE International, ABB Locations: Toronto , Ontario, Canada, U.S, San Rafael , California, Berkeley, Bay, Swiss

☆ Apple's new AirPods won't have to be taken out of your ears as often, thanks to sophisticated AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this article AAPL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTKif Leswing/CNBCAlongside new iPhones and Apple Watches, Apple is releasing a new version of its AirPods Pro this month. The 2nd Generation AirPods Pro with USB-C — a mouthful of a model name — don't have any radical hardware changes. Apple's headphones are going far beyond the simple on-or-off noise-canceling features on competing devices. Apple calls the AirPods a "wearable," and reports it in the same revenue category as its Apple Watch. Apple frames Adaptive Audio as a safety feature, so users don't miss honks or disturbances when walking around cities.

Organizations: CNBC, Apple, AirPods Pro, Vision, Apple Watch, AirPods, Control

☆ Morgan Stanley says buy these defensive growth stocks as economy disappoints
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In an uncertain market environment, Morgan Stanley thinks investors can regain confidence with some large-cap defensive stocks. All are members of the top 1000 by market cap universe, have outperformed on a year-to-date basis, and are classified as a growth stock based on Morgan Stanley's proprietary factor classification model. "In our view, the best way to express that in a portfolio is to hold a barbell of defensive growth (select growth stories and more traditional defensive sectors like Healthcare and Consumer Staples) with late-cycle cyclicals (Industrials and Energy)." Here are some names from Morgan Stanley's playbook: McDonald's is a sure defensive play, according to the firm. Still, Morgan Stanley analysts view the burger chain as a growth stock that is set to outperform in the coming months.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Morgan, Michelle Weaver, Consumer Staples, Morgan Stanley's, FactSet Organizations: Healthcare, Consumer, Energy, Costco, Apple, Analysts, Accenture, Ross Stores, Marriott Locations: California

☆ Gas prices are unusually high. Here's why you shouldn't worry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Instead, gasoline prices are getting more expensive and are just pennies away from their highest level so far this year. Are rising oil prices another item to add to the list? How high do you think oil prices will go? When you adjust for inflation, oil isn’t that high right now. I think that we are going to see continued high prices for a lot of stuff, including gasoline, but I don’t think we’re gonna see an acceleration in prices.

Persons: David Kelly, Bell, Kelly, it’s, we’re, We’ve, — aren’t, Eva Rothenberg, Sen, Bernie Sanders, CNN’s Jake Tapper, “, ”, Jared, Kay Jewelers, Parija Kavilanz, Virginia Drosos Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Asset Management, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Federal, UAW, United Auto Workers, General Motors, Ford, Vermont Independent, Signet Jewelers, Signet, Diamonds, Goldman, Global Retailing Conference Locations: New York, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Libya, Ukraine, Gulf of Mexico, United States, Nile

☆ After 2023 wraps up, get ready for a spike in wedding proposals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

This trend then created an “engagement gap” since couples get engaged, on average, about 3.25 years after they begin dating, according to Signet’s proprietary data. About 2.8 million couples, on average, get engaged every year in the United States, said Drosos. Last year, the number slipped to 2.5 million. In 2024, Signet expects engagements will reach 2.4 to 2.5 million. Courtesy of Zales/KAY JewelersDrosos said Signet is able to closely track the yearly engagement cycle because of its customer data platform.

Persons: Jared, Kay Jewelers, “ Covid, Covid, ”, Virginia Drosos, Kay, Neil Lane, KAY Jewelers Drosos, Signet, “, ” Drosos, Drosos Organizations: New, New York CNN, Signet Jewelers, Signet, Diamonds, Goldman, Global Retailing Conference, ” Locations: New York, United States, Nile, Texas, Florida, California

☆ Here are Friday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, GM, Amazon, Zoom, Arm, Rivian, Ford, Deere & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

HSBC initiates Zoom as buy HSBC said Zoom is the leader in video conferencing. HSBC initiates Deere as buy HSBC said in its initiation of Deere that it sees "upside in the cycle." HSBC initiates Salesforce as buy HSBC said in its initiation of the stock that it's a "margin expansion story." HSBC initiates Snowflake as buy HSBC said Snowflake is well positioned for AI. HSBC initiates Oracle a buy HSBC said in its initiation of Oracle it likes the company's cloud platform.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Rivian, it's, TD Cowen, Needham, Piper Sandler, Piper, KEY's, Lauder, Redburn, Wolfe, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Casella, Zoom, Snowflake, Northcoast, Apple, Salesforce, Ford Organizations: Bank of America, underperform Bank of America, HSBC, Anheuser, Busch InBev, UBS, WWE, UFC, Systems, Moffett, Deere, Oracle, of America, Amazon, Apple, Lenovo, Adobe, General Motors, Ford, GM, UAW Locations: Americas, 2H23, North America, U.S, China

☆ Emata, a startup offering loans to farmers in East Africa, just raised $2.4 million with this 14-slide pitch deck
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Emata, a Ugandan startup that provides loans to farmers in East Africa, has raised $2.4 million in funding. It's also fundamentally unfair as farmers need capital to grow but a lot of money goes to people with connections, not the best farmers." Kampala-based Emata wants to be tech first in its offering and uses WhatsApp as a loan origination platform, given its popularity in a region where cell data is at a premium. The company claims it grew 7x in 2022 and could point to strong metrics when dealing with investors having already dispersed over $1 million in loans. Funding will go towards expanding the company's tech offering and looking into new verticals.

Persons: Bram van den Bosch, It's, Klarna, Niklas Adalberth's Norrsken, Draper Richards, Marcus Boström, van den Bosch, Emata Organizations: African Renaissance Partners, Zephyr Acorn, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Locations: Ugandan, East Africa, Uganda, Kampala

☆ Arm IPO: Should you buy shares? Here's what 4 analysts are saying
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

China risks Analysts have also noted Arm's limited control over its China joint venture, Arm China, which contributes 24% of revenue. "Plus, Arm can only sell to China customers via the Arm China channel, and they can offer competing product. With no direct stake in Arm China, they currently have very little control over their only means to sell in China." Valuation Analysts at New Constructs have also challenged Arm's valuation. Growth Analysts at Bernstein were also cautious, while expecting cloud, automotive, and mobile royalties to drive healthy top-line growth for Arm.

Persons: Rohit Kulkarni, Roth, SoftBank, Bernstein, Sara Russo, Russo, it's, Timm Schulze, Schulze, Melander, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Apple, Nvidia, SoftBank Locations: British, New York, SoftBank, China, Arm China

☆ Curipod helps teachers make interactive lessons using generative AI. Check out the pitch deck it used to raise $4.6 million in seed funding.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Instead, I wanted this interactive lesson tool where students can express themselves and have agency — the opposite of this lecture model." With Curipod, teachers can create lessons on any school subject using generative AI, first by inputting the subject of the lesson, the grade level, and any additional learning objectives. Curipod is free for teachers and students to use at the moment, with paid tiers for school districts, said Seip. The team only launched its AI product at the beginning of this year, and had not previously sought venture capital funding. Check out the nine-slide pitch deck that Curipod used to raise $4.6 million in seed funding.

Persons: Jens Aarre Seip, Seip, Eirik Hernes Berre, Frikk Fossan, Curipod, GPT3 Organizations: Norwegian School of Economics, Reach, aha, Emerson, Sondo, Edovate Locations: Norway

☆ Here's the 14-slide pitch deck Deft, an AI-powered search engine for e-commerce, used to raise $1.8 million in a round backed by Jason Calacanis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Deft, an AI-powered search engine startup for e-commerce, has emerged from stealth with a $1.8 million funding round. "Google and Amazon continue to push the most relevant searches down so they can make more money and marketers have figured out how to bump up results using SEO," Zach Hudson, Deft cofounder and CEO, told Insider. The rise of AI following the launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT 3 last year led to increased pressure to launch for Deft, Hudson added. Deft is emerging from stealth with its product after raising $1.8 million in funding at the beginning of 2022. The company's funding round comes from Hustle Fund, Frontier VC, Vitalize, Long Ecommerce Ventures, 43 Ventures, Launch, and angel investor Jason Calacanis alongside a variety of founders.

Persons: Alex Gunnarson, Zach Hudson, Hudson, Long, Jason Calacanis, I've Organizations: Google, Hustle Fund, Frontier, Long Ecommerce Ventures, Ventures

A big part of the reason is a European Union common charging rule that's coming soon for the 27-nation bloc. Here's a look at the USB-C plug and what it means for consumers:WHAT IS USB-C AND HOW CAN I TELL IT APART FROM OTHER PLUGS? Political Cartoons View All 1154 ImagesThe USB-C plug comes in a different shape than its predecessors — an elongated oval. It resisted the EU's common charging push, citing worries that it would limit innovation and end up hurting consumers. The EU spent more than a decade cajoling the tech industry into adopting a common charging standard.

Persons: that's, Kaiann Drance Organizations: Apple, Universal, EU Locations: European, U.S, Brussels

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