This week, we had fewer investment announcements and more innovations, which definitely made our content more interesting. No less interesting was the past tech week, so check it out soon to catch up on the updates.
The latest innovations are reshaping how we live, work, and shop.
An AI assistant can be in your ring
Smartwatches are the past. Startup Aina has introduced a $399 smart ring to control AI agents and other digital devices. It has a tiny screen, microphone, speaker, and joystick to send prompts, take notes, approve AI actions, answer calls, and control music or smart home devices. This is a big step forward in helping users be free from constantly reaching for their smartphone or laptop.
In July, the startup raised $5.5 million. If this device attracts enough attention and outpaces competitors (Pebble Index 01, Oasis, Natura, and Sandbar Stream), it may become as common as a smartwatch. Preorders are open, with shipping expected in January 2027. Read more at TechCrunch.
Banks and fintech are working together again
For the past 2 years, the Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) sector has slowed its development and, maybe, even lost some credibility among banks. With Synctera, a Palo Alto finance and BaaS platform, the picture is starting to change. The company has raised $24,5 million in early-stage funding, bringing its total to $126 million.
The company connects banks with fintech businesses, providing the infrastructure and compliance tools needed to offer financial products without becoming banks themselves. This funding will support product development and help Synctera reach break-even. More details at Dealroom.
Nothing is building an AI device
Unlike other popular brands making so much noise around product releases, the bold Nothing brand keeps everything discreet. Its new AI device is rolling out next month, but we know absolutely nothing about it. CEO Carl Pei has confirmed that the company will launch its first AI-native device, and that will be a productivity tool. The mysterious gadget won’t have a screen and, according to the plan, won’t be turned into a smartphone app.
The company hasn’t revealed the name. All we have for now is a teaser image of a black object with rounded corners. We have enough room for speculation and rumors about new AI smart glasses and other wearable devices. Are we excited to see the AI device? Absolutely.
Check out the details on TechRepublic.
Meta acquires Conductor to Strengthen Its AI Coding Ambitions
Meta has acquired Conductor, a startup that allows software developers to run multiple AI coding agents simultaneously. The company will join Meta Superintelligence Labs, and together they will work on a new project that has not been disclosed, alongside the financial terms. Founded in 2024, Conductor launched its app in 2025, supporting coding agents from OpenAI and Anthropic.
As for its paying users, Conductor announced that they will continue using pro features for free. Conductor Cloud will close on 20 November, so users are asked to export their data before the date.
The deal will help to expand Meta’s developer tools and compete with OpenAI and Anthropic for the growing AI coding market. See the full story here.
Wonder files for IPO after building its food empire
Food-tech startup Wonder confidentially filed for a US IPO last Thursday after several acquisitions and expansions. Founded in 2018 as a food delivery platform, Wonder quickly expanded into a food technology business offering services from food delivery to meal preparation.
The company operates around 170 multi-brand food halls and owns Grubhub, Blue Apron, Tastemade, and the kitchen robotics company Spyce. Only in Texas does the company plan to open over 100 locations in the coming year.
After raising more than $3 billion over several years, Wonder was valued at approximately $9 billion in its latest $650 million funding round in July. Other details about the IPO, such as the share count or pricing, remain undisclosed. Read the full story behind the news at Yahoo Finance.
Clalit is getting a $2 million investment for its multilingual AI assistant
Google.org has announced a $2 million grant to Clalit Health Services, Israel’s largest healthcare provider, to develop a multilingual AI assistant for its five million patients. The system will be enhanced with Google’s Gemini models and will help patients report symptoms, book appointments, complete medical intake, and receive follow-up guidance in their own languages and dialects. The product’s selling point is its multilingual approach, where the outcome doesn’t depend on the language, and the system truly understands dialects.
Clalit will launch a pilot to test its usefulness before expanding nationwide. More details here.
Theranos 2.0: Notorious Theranos descendant or a completely new (legit) blood-testing startup?
Billy Evans, partner of convicted Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, is building a new blood-testing startup, Haemanthus, a laser-based technology to analyze blood and other biological samples using light and AI, rather than traditional laboratory testing. After the “You Can See Everything” movie, Elizabeth and Billy have been the topic of discussion, and now we are about to have Theranos 2.0. Or the film was a way to draw attention to their person and talk about the new startup.
Haemanthus has already raised $20 million without launching commercial products (I’m not trying to draw lines between the two companies, not at all) or publishing independently validated results. The company insists Holmes has no involvement in Haemanthus.
Read the full article on Forbes.
New shopping experience with AI agents
The Seattle-area startup Firmly has attracted $15 million in a Series A round led by Squarepoint Capital, supported by J.P. Morgan Payments, Mastercard, and Samsung Next. Its technology connects retailers’ stores to AI assistants and marketplaces, helping shoppers discover products and complete purchases without visiting websites and platforms one by one. It is like an online shopping mall with different shops in one place. The experience is absolutely different from Meta’s Muse assistant, which can shop with users’ consent.
Firmly also released the Ask Agent new feature, where users can describe what they are looking for and get personal recommendations.
Get the full story here.
A haptic tablet to help fans with limited vision issues have a full experience during the events
The NHL and Ticketmaster have partnered to provide OneCourt’s haptic tablets to major hockey events across North America. The technology converts real-time game activity into vibrations, letting fans with limited or no vision follow with their fingertips: track passes, shots, puck movement, and goals. The tablets will be provided for free at all NHL tentpole events this season. Four teams, the Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings, will also offer them at every home game.
This technology is a huge progress in making sports more accessible and inclusive. Read more at NHL.com.
European supercomputing efforts are in the spotlight
French computing company Bull has completed an €80 million expansion of its Angers factory, doubling production capacity to 12 supercomputer racks per week and aims to reach 24. The company is building major systems for France and Finland with a workforce of 3000 employees across 32 countries.
But the bigger move is the company’s new Open Factory initiative: Bull will give European startups access to manufacturing facilities, engineering expertise, and software platforms, helping deeptech companies move from prototypes to industrial production. The Open Factory program will be launched in early 2027. Read more at Tech.eu.
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