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☆ Modo Energy wants to become the Morningstar of the renewable energy market. It just raised $15 million with this 9-slide pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A British company that wants to become the go-to data platform for renewable energy just raised $15 million in a Series A funding round. London-based Modo Energy, which was founded in 2019, has developed a software-as-a-service data platform to help renewable energy owners, operators, and investors navigate the market and ultimately make more money. The startup operates a "freemium" software-as-a-service business model with three tiers, including free access to a paid version for university students. Modo Energy is also working with co-located solar and storage facilities, so that batteries are charged with solar before the energy is sold onto the grid. Check out the pitch deck Modo Energy used to raise the cash injection below.

Persons: Morningstar, Quentin Scrimshire, Banks, Fred Olsen, Scrimshire Organizations: Modo Energy, Business, Reuters, Bloomberg, MMC Ventures, Triple Point Ventures, Fred, Fred Olsen Limited, Catalyst Capital Locations: London, Texas

☆ How generative AI's uncomfortable relationship with copyright law will determine the future of the industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Rights holders argue that AI using their work without a license should be considered "unauthorized derivative work" — an infringement of copyright law. Meanwhile, AI startups insist that their models comply with fair-use doctrine, which grants them some leeway to others' works. This month, Universal Music Group sued the AI startup Athropic for circulating copyrighted lyrics. He believes that future regulations may explicitly forbid AI data scraping. "They can train models on data that's not universally available to customers, and tell them it's licensed and compliant."

Persons: Eva Toorenent, who's, that's, Simon Menashy, Menashy, Ekaterina Almasque, OpenOcean Almasque, Getty, Sunny Dhillon, Harvey, Horowitz, Andre Retterath, GDPR, CCPA, Taylor, Swift Organizations: Universal Music Group, Getty, Harvard Business, MMC Ventures, Kyber Knight Capital, Nvidia, Earlybird Venture Locations: what's, Europe

☆ Europe is minting red hot AI startups like DeepL and Synthesia. Meet 15 of the most prolific investors backing the region's breakout stars.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | Tasmin Lockwood | Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meanwhile, Andreessen Horowitz has poured cash into the AI-voice-intelligence startup ElevenLabs and the Nordic AI startup Sloyd. Some of Europe's most prolific AI investors are national funds and startup accelerators. London's Phoenix Court, the parent company of the VC firm LocalGlobe, took the top spot for total investment value — with $713 million poured into AI startups since 2020. MMC Ventures, also in London, followed suit with $628 million in investments in AI startups. Insider has profiled 15 investors at these firms who have spearheaded investments into European AI startups, in no particular order.

Persons: ChatGPT, Andreessen Horowitz, LocalGlobe Organizations: Venture, Lightspeed, New, Nordic, Court, MMC Ventures Locations: French, New York, Europe, London

☆ Inside the secret Google DeepMind mafia of founders working on new stealth AI startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

There is an influx of cash and interest into artificial intelligence startups right now. Insider spoke to ex-Google DeepMind staffers who have founded AI startups in stealth. He isn't the only DeepMind alum working on practical applications of artificial intelligence. Last month, Mistral, an AI startup founded by DeepMind alum, secured $113 million in seed funding from Lightspeed just four weeks after it launched. He has since been working on his second AI startup in stealth mode since June 2023, adding that working under the radar was inspired by DeepMind's "own model of working in stealth."

Persons: Mustafa Suleyman, Suleyman, Devang Agrawal, Jonathan Godwin, DeepMind, Godwin, Simon Kohl, Ang Li, isn't, Li, Simon Menashy, Adam Liska, Demis Hassabis, GlyphicAI's Agrawal, Mehdi Ghissassi, OpenAI's, Agrawal, Karl Moritz Hermann, DeepMind's Organizations: Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Labs, MMC Ventures, DeepMind, Lightspeed Locations: DeepMind, London, California

☆ Climate startup Supercritical nabbed $13 million to help carbon removal projects get funded. Check out the 11-slide pitch deck it used to secure the funds from Lightspeed.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

London-based startup Supercritical just raised $13 million to help projects get funded via companies. London-based startup Supercritical has just raised $13 million from Lightspeed Venture Partners to help the "groundswell" of businesses pledging to invest in carbon removal. That's where carbon removal — tree-planting, sucking CO2 from the air using technology, or enhanced rock weathering — comes in. Long term, it wants to be the "no brainer" option for carbon removal purchases. Check out the 11-slide redacted pitch deck Supercritical used to raise the funds.

Persons: we've, Michelle You, Aaron Randall, Carbo Organizations: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Paris, Frontier Fund, RTP Global, Greencode Ventures, MMC Ventures Locations: London

☆ This startup enables companies to host video content on their own platforms. Check out the 15-slide pitch deck api.video used to raise $12 million.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bordeaux-based api.video enables developers to incorporate videos on companies' own platforms. A French startup that provides developers with the tools to embed video content on companies' native apps and websites has raised $12 million. Api.video has created a cloud-based platform that allows developers to integrate video content on companies' platforms. The startup makes its money "based on customers' usage of the platform," Montet told Insider. Tony Nysten, principal at OpenOcean, said that the rise of video as a preferred method for consumers to gain information has meant that "video infrastructure has become a critical part of modern data infrastructure."

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