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xAI has rolled out an exciting new memory feature for its Grok chatbot, bringing a major boost in personalization and context-awareness. With this enhancement, Grok can now remember details from previous interactions—such as your preferred topics, tone, or recurring questions—making future conversations more intuitive and tailored to your needs. What sets Grok apart is its commitment to transparency. Users can view, manage, or delete individual memory entries at any time—or even reset everything with a single click. The feature is currently in beta and available on Grok.com as well as in its iOS and Android apps (excluding users in the EU and UK). This move positions xAI alongside other AI leaders like OpenAI and Google, who have recently launched similar memory capabilities for ChatGPT and Gemini, respectively. In a lighthearted nod to the competition, Grok’s official X account shared: “Great minds think alike—we’re always cooking up something new at xAI.” With memory now in play, Grok aims to deliver a more meaningful and intelligent user experience—one conversation at a time.

Microsoft has officially launched Copilot Vision in the Edge browser, and here’s the best part — it’s completely free. This new feature takes AI browsing to the next level by allowing Copilot to not only chat with you but also see and understand what’s on your screen. Whether you're reading an article, browsing online stores, or analyzing complex charts, just open the Copilot panel in the Edge sidebar, tap the mic icon, and start talking. The AI will instantly interpret the content of the webpage and provide relevant insights, summaries, or answers — all in real-time. No more copying, pasting, or explaining what you’re looking at. Copilot Vision understands the context directly from the page you're on, acting like a smart assistant that can read alongside you and help you take instant action. From students doing research to professionals working on reports, this feature transforms your browser into a powerful, AI-driven productivity tool. Open Edge, speak to Copilot, and experience the future of browsing. #Microsoft #CopilotVision #EdgeBrowser #AItools #TechNews #ArtificialIntelligence #ProductivityTools #DigitalAssistant

OpenAI has introduced two cutting-edge AI models — 03 and o4-mini — that represent a major leap toward more intelligent, tool-using AI systems. These new O-series models don’t just respond — they reason, leveraging deeper contextual understanding and the ability to autonomously use tools like web browsing, file analysis, and image interpretation. 03 is now OpenAI’s most capable model, outperforming the previous 01 model in coding, math, science, and visual tasks. It also makes 20% fewer major mistakes on real-world challenges. On the other hand, o4-mini is built for speed and lightweight tasks, but still delivers top-tier performance — scoring an impressive 99.5% on AIME 2025 and outshining 03-mini in non-STEM reasoning and data science tasks. These models are the first to fully integrate with all ChatGPT tools, laying the groundwork for a more autonomous, agent-like AI experience. Starting today, 03, o4-mini, and o4-mini-high are available to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team users, replacing older 01 and mini models. Enterprise and Edu users will gain access next week, while free-tier users can try o4-mini by selecting the new “Think” mode. Up next? o3-pro — a new model arriving soon with even more advanced reasoning and full tool support. #OpenAI #ChatGPT #AInews #TechUpdate #StartupTracker #ArtificialIntelligence #ProductLaunch

Bengaluru-based electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions startup IPEC India has secured $3 million in funding from Gruhas , the investment platform co-founded by Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha) and Abhijeet Pai. Founded in 2017, IPEC specializes in a broad range of EV charging infrastructure—from public and private chargers to portable solutions, vehicle inlets, and cloud-based charging management systems with real-time mobile monitoring. The company counts major Indian EV players like Ather Energy, Bajaj Auto, and Greaves Electric Mobility (Ampere) among its key clients. Scaling for the Future: With over 1 million EV charging products already delivered, IPEC is now gearing up to ramp up its production capacity to 50,000 units per month. All products comply with both Indian and global standards, including PM E-Drive and the PLI Scheme. CEO Zohra Khan highlighted the startup’s commitment to reducing reliance on imported technology: "We’re building power electronics in India for both local and global markets. This funding reinforces our dedication to the ‘Make in India’ movement and strengthens the EV ecosystem at large." The company reported a 40% revenue increase in FY25, with projections to double revenue in FY26 as it eyes international expansion. Gruhas’ Backing Investor and Gruhas co-founder Abhijeet Pai praised IPEC for its impact on India’s evolving EV landscape: "IPEC is setting the bar high in EV manufacturing while serving crucial two-wheeler OEMs. With its solid tech foundation, the company is ready to expand into wider EV applications." IPEC is a joint venture between MEHER Group, Deki Electronics, and Sungho Electronics, and will leverage this investment to broaden both its product line and global reach. #EVCharging #IPECIndia #Gruhas #ElectricVehicles #MakeInIndia #StartupFunding #EVRevolution

As AI startup valuations continue to rise, concerns about whether giants like Google will eventually dominate the landscape are becoming more pronounced. But for Perplexity AI—now valued at an impressive $9 billion—this uncertainty is nothing new. In a recent Reddit AMA, CEO Aravind Srinivas addressed the mounting skepticism around Google's advancements in AI, particularly its Gemini 2.5 models and evolving AI-powered search features. Some questioned whether Perplexity could withstand the competition in a market heavily influenced by Google. Srinivas responded confidently: “They’ve had two years to stop Perplexity—and haven’t.” He emphasized that Google’s ad-based business model may actually be a constraint. Unlike traditional search engines, Perplexity provides AI-generated answers instantly, reducing the need for users to click through to external websites—something that conflicts with Google’s ad revenue strategies. Supporting this perspective, a report by Analytics India Magazine highlighted that generative AI search has the potential to disrupt Google’s core advertising-driven revenue, possibly slowing its transition to a fully AI-centric search model. Despite the presence of Big Tech, Srinivas believes Perplexity has built a unique and defensible position in the AI search space—and the company’s rapid growth is evidence of that. #AIsearch #PerplexityAI #GoogleAds #GeminiAI #TechNews

Chennai-based drone tech innovator Garuda Aerospace Private Limited has raised Rs 100 crore in a Series B funding round led by Venture Catalysts++, pushing the company’s valuation to an impressive $250 million. This fresh infusion of capital will fuel scaling of production, R&D of defense-grade drones, and advancement in drone innovation—further establishing Garuda as a key player in India’s growing aerospace ecosystem. Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder & CEO, shared, “This funding empowers us to boost manufacturing and accelerate next-gen drone development. Our focus is now on expanding our IP portfolio—already boasting over 20 patents—and building a dedicated drone testing centre.” Dr Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-founder of Venture Catalysts, added, “Our investment reflects our commitment to backing India-first tech disruptors. With policy enablers like the Drone Rules 2021 and PLI schemes, Garuda is set to lead the charge in Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS), agri-tech, defense, and more.” As India sharpens its focus on indigenous drone capabilities, Garuda Aerospace is poised to take flight globally—proving once again that the sky is just the beginning.

Audio entertainment platform Pocket FM has clocked Rs 1,768 crore in revenue for FY25, reflecting a 68% year-on-year growth, according to cofounder and CEO Rohan Nayak in a conversation with The Economic Times. This impressive growth has been propelled by the platform’s strong performance in key markets like the US and India, alongside an expanded and diverse content catalogue. Founded in 2018, Pocket FM offers long-form audio series across genres like romance, thriller, and drama. Its business model blends subscriptions, microtransactions, and AI-driven content creation, allowing for rapid and scalable content production. The US has emerged as a standout market, with increased user engagement and higher conversion rates. Looking ahead, Pocket FM aims to strengthen its creator ecosystem and broaden its global footprint, continuing its journey as a leading force in the audio entertainment industry. As it steps into FY26, Pocket FM is well-positioned to further solidify its status as a global audio content powerhouse.

B2B commerce platform OfBusiness has secured INR 100 crore (around $11.7 million) in fresh funding from Cornerstone Ventures , marking a strategic boost ahead of its anticipated IPO in the latter half of 2025. This investment is part of Cornerstone’s second fund of $200 million, which completed its first close at $40 million earlier this year, with plans to reach the second close by the end of 2025. The newly raised capital will be directed towards enhancing digital adoption and expanding financial access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) — a core focus area for OfBusiness. Commenting on the investment, Abhishek Prasad, Managing Partner at Cornerstone Ventures, shared, “This is our first move under the late-stage investment strategy. We’ve closely followed OfBusiness and are excited to back their mission of transforming supply chains and commerce for Indian SMEs.” Founded in 2016 by Asish Mohapatra, Ruchi Kalra, Vasant Sridhar, Bhuvan Gupta, and Nitin Jain, OfBusiness facilitates raw material procurement and credit solutions for SMEs in sectors like manufacturing and infrastructure. The startup has raised approximately $878 million to date, with backing from big names like Alpha Wave, Tiger Global, and SoftBank.

RIO INNOBEV PVT LTD., the Pune-headquartered beverage startup behind the popular RIO drinks, has raised ₹10 crore in its first institutional round led by Atomic Capital, along with several strategic investors. Founded in 2014 by Rahul Sangoi , Rajiv Sangoi , and Rohan Sangoi, the company is known for its two flagship products — RIO Bubbly Fruit Drink (BFD) and RIO BOOM Energy Drink. RIO BFD combines fruity fizz with added Vitamin C, honey, and reduced sugar content, while RIO BOOM caters to India’s youth with an energizing blend. With this fresh infusion of capital, the startup aims to scale up distribution, enhance brand visibility, introduce new innovations, and upgrade manufacturing infrastructure. Currently available in 35,000+ retail outlets across 25 cities in Maharashtra and Gujarat, RIO is now targeting 1 lakh outlets in the next three years. The company also plans to strengthen its digital footprint via quick-commerce platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart, as well as expand presence in retail giants like Dmart, 7-Eleven, and Reliance Retail. Despite being bootstrapped until now, RIO has maintained consistent EBITDA-level profitability, growing from 7.5 lakh units in its first year to over 15 million cans and bottles annually. With a focus on health, indulgence, and functional beverages, RIO is tapping into India’s rapidly evolving beverage landscape.

Hugging Face , a prominent name in open-source AI, has announced its acquisition of French robotics startup Pollen Robotics — marking a major step forward in the company’s push into open robotics. Pollen Robotics is best known for Reachy, its modular humanoid robot tailored for research and education. The latest model, Reachy 2, comes equipped with features like stereo vision, spatial audio, VR teleoperation, and a bio-inspired design. It’s already being used in top-tier institutions such as Cornell and Carnegie Mellon and is available for order at $70,000. This acquisition strengthens Hugging Face’s “Le Robot” initiative, led by former Tesla robotics engineer Rémi Cadene, and reflects the company’s belief that robots could be the next major interface for AI — and that such technology should be open, accessible, and easy to build on. Pollen Robotics co-founder Matthieu Lapeyre emphasized the alignment in values: “We’ve always focused on making robotics fun, simple, and accessible. Partnering with Hugging Face, who shares that ethos in the AI space, just makes perfect sense.” With this move, Hugging Face continues to champion the democratization of advanced technologies — blending the worlds of AI and robotics for researchers, developers, and educators alike.