Top of the Day
DeepSeek’s AI Breakthrough Sparks Renewed Venture Capital Interest in China
DeepSeek’s latest artificial intelligence advancement is reigniting interest in China’s venture capital landscape, following three years of declining investment. The surge in AI enthusiasm comes as Insilico Medicine, a leader in AI-driven drug discovery, finalized a $110 million Series E funding round led by Hong Kong-based Value Partners. CEO Alex Zhavoronkov stated that interest from Chinese funds intensified significantly after DeepSeek’s announcement, prompting plans for an additional Series E2 round. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/03/13/deepseeks-ai-breakthrough-sparks-renewed-venture-capital-interest-in-china/
From Brain Drain to Brain Gain: How India Can Outflank the US in AI
(S. Yash Kalash – Centre for International Governance Innovation – 12 March 2025) The global race for artificial intelligence (AI) supremacy is intensifying, and India is well-positioned to assert its influence by nationalizing its AI and tech talent. This move is especially significant given the challenges that the United States faces in acquiring and retaining foreign-born professionals, particularly in political climates where immigration policies are subject to greater scrutiny. The reality is that the US AI sector owes much of its ascendancy to the contributions of immigrants — a fact evidenced by statistics. More than half of leading AI companies in the United States were founded or co-founded by immigrants or their children; Indian nationals, in particular, have played a major role, with around 65 percent of top US AI companies tracing some leadership to the Indian diaspora, while in academia, 70 percent of full-time graduate students in AI-related fields are international. These figures underscore a level of dependence that could become a strategic liability, should restrictive visa programs and domestic political tensions deter future talent inflows. – https://www.cigionline.org/articles/from-brain-drain-to-brain-gain-how-india-can-outflank-the-us-in-ai/
Space Force eyes commercial options for space surveillance mission
(Courtney Albon – Defense News – 12 March 2025) The Space Force is scanning the commercial marketplace for space domain awareness capabilities that could be part of a future proliferated constellation, according to its top military acquisition officer. The service reached out to industry last year for concepts for satellites and sensors that can track activity and objects in space from geosynchronous orbit, about 22,000 miles above Earth. The Space Force already has sensing systems in GEO through its Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, or GSSAP. But these new satellites would be small, potentially refuelable and lower cost than existing capabilities. – https://www.defensenews.com/space/2025/03/12/space-force-eyes-commercial-options-for-space-surveillance-mission/
Google DeepMind unveils new AI models for controlling robots
(TechCrunch – 12 March 2025) Google DeepMind, Google’s AI research lab, on Wednesday announced new AI models called Gemini Robotics designed to enable real-world machines to interact with objects, navigate environments, and more. – https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/12/google-deepmind-unveils-new-ai-models-for-controlling-robots/
Security
CISA: More than 300 critical infrastructure orgs attacked by Medusa ransomware
(Jonathan Greig – The Record – 12 March 2025) The Medusa ransomware gang has attacked over 300 victims in critical infrastructure sectors, according to U.S. cybersecurity agencies. An advisory from the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) on Wednesday said the group and its affiliates have attacked organizations in the medical, education, legal, insurance, technology and manufacturing industries. The ransomware-as-a-service group emerged in June 2021 and continues to cause havoc through relatively basic attacks that start with phishing and exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities. – https://therecord.media/medusa-ransomware-targeting-critical-infrastructure-orgs
Defense, Intelligence, and Warfare
BigBear.ai Receives $13.2M DoD Contract to Enhance AI-Powered Force Management
BigBear.ai (NYSE: BBAI), a leader in AI-driven decision intelligence solutions, has been awarded a $13.2 million sole-source contract by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to support the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s Directorate for Force Management (J-35). Over the next 3.5 years, BigBear.ai will deliver and maintain the ORION Decision Support Platform (DSP), which automates force management and data analytics for the DoD’s Joint Planning and Execution Community (JPEC). – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/03/13/bigbear-ai-receives-13-2m-dod-contract-to-enhance-ai-powered-force-management/
Chinese pilots defeated by AI in high-intensity, unpredictable air combat simulations
(Prabhat Ranjan Mishra – Interesting Engineering – 12 March 2025) Researchers in China have claimed that their AI system has defeated human pilots in dogfights and even successfully countered unpredictable, high-intensity aerial acrobatics during air combat simulations. Published in the Journal of Gun Launch & Control, the study involved advanced infrared imaging with AI-driven predictive modeling. The method anticipated enemy moves by focusing on wing-tail movements. Scientists from the Northwest Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineering involved in the study highlighted that their research overcame a major flaw in existing AI air combat systems, which have relied on trajectory-based predictions. – https://interestingengineering.com/military/chinese-pilots-defeated-by-ai-in-high-intensity-unpredictable-air-combat-simulations
DAF seeks industry feedback to strengthen Platform One DevSecOps, cloud management
(Carley Welch – Breaking Defense – 12 March 2025) The Department of the Air Force is turning to industry to shore up Platform One, the software development program created by the Air Force and used DoD-wide to create, integrate and launch software. According to the solicitation posted today, the DAF is looking for vendors, technologies and system integrators to provide “dual-use commercial products and/ or services” for cloud management and infrastructure for the platform’s development, security and operations (DevSecOps). DevSecOps is a framework that incorporates security practices into all phases of the software development cycle. “Ideal solutions should be effective for workloads operating across multiple AWS [Amazon Web Services] GovCloud accounts; however, preference will be given to solutions which are agnostic of cloud service providers,” the request for information states. – https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/daf-seeks-industry-feedback-to-strengthen-platform-one-devsecops-cloud-management/
DIU to start field testing quantum sensors in tough conditions
(Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. – Breaking Defense – 12 March 2025) While quantum computing hogs the hype — and the venture capital — military officers and officials increasingly see the biggest near-term possibilities in quantum sensors. Measuring the same kind of microscopic motion as atomic clocks, quantum magnetometers, gravitometers and more could help frontline forces navigate when GPS is jammed or hunt targets without conventional radar and sonar. But first, they have to work reliably outside the lab. To make that happen, the Pentagon’s outreach arm to Silicon Valley, the California-based Defense Innovation Unit, has just announced a slew of contracts to field test a dozen different quantum sensing systems. (This is similar to but separate from an ongoing DARPA effort to harden quantum sensors). The 18 vendors announced so far — another one or two might yet emerge from ongoing contract talks — include defense titans Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, established military-and-commercial players Honeywell and Leidos, upstart Anduril and a long list of smaller companies, many of them providing a single critical component to a larger team. – https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/diu-to-start-field-testing-quantum-sensors-in-tough-conditions/
Frontiers
Anysphere Eyes $10B Valuation as Investor Demand for AI Coding Assistants Surges
Investor interest in AI-powered coding tools is reaching new heights, with Anysphere, the developer of AI coding assistant Cursor, reportedly in talks to raise capital at a valuation nearing $10 billion, according to Bloomberg. This potential round comes just three months after Anysphere secured $100 million at a pre-money valuation of $2.5 billion, as first reported by TechCrunch. Thrive Capital, a returning investor, is expected to lead the new funding. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/03/13/anysphere-eyes-10b-valuation-as-investor-demand-for-ai-coding-assistants-surges/
Orion Funded Launches Orion V2 with AI-Powered Trading Tools and New Funding Model
(AI Insider – 13 March 2025) Orion Funded has launched Orion V2, an upgraded version of its proprietary trading program, introducing a restructured funding model, an enhanced trader dashboard, and AI-driven trading tools. The update allows traders to pay a portion of the evaluation fee upfront and complete the payment upon successful funding, replacing the previous requirement of full prepayment. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/03/13/orion-funded-launches-orion-v2-with-ai-powered-trading-tools-and-new-funding-model/
Darwin Emerges from Stealth to Empower Public Sector AI Adoption with $5M Seed Funding
(AI Insider – 13 March 2025) Darwin emerged from stealth with $5M in seed funding, co-led by UpWest and Resolute Ventures, to provide AI security and governance solutions for state and local agencies as they scale AI adoption. With 40% of the public sector workforce already using AI tools, Darwin helps agencies monitor AI usage, enforce policies, and ensure compliance, addressing risks tied to data security and regulatory oversight. Partnering with cities like Corona, CA, and Aurora, IL, Darwin enables governments to integrate AI securely and transparently, ensuring accountability, efficiency, and public trust in AI-powered operations. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/03/13/darwin-emerges-from-stealth-to-empower-public-sector-ai-adoption-with-5m-seed-funding/
Validation Cloud Raises $15M Series A to Bring Data x AI to Web3
(AI Insider – 13 March 2025) Validation Cloud raised $15M in Series A funding, led by True Global Ventures, to expand its staking, Node API, and AI-powered data services, enhancing business intelligence for blockchain networks like Chainlink, Aptos, and Stellar. With $1.5B in staked assets across 50+ protocols, the company is a top-ranked provider of Web3 infrastructure, helping enterprises scale interactions on blockchain networks with institutional-grade security and compliance. The funding will accelerate AI-driven blockchain intelligence, reducing time-to-value from hours to seconds, and positioning Validation Cloud as a leader in Web3 infrastructure and data insights. – https://theaiinsider.tech/2025/03/13/validation-cloud-raises-15m-series-a-to-bring-data-x-ai-to-web3/
QuamCore Emerges From Stealth With $9 Million in Seed Funding to Build World’s First Scalable 1 million Qubit Quantum Computer
(Quantum Insider – 12 March 2025) QuamCore has emerged from stealth with $9 million in seed funding and unveiled a patented superconducting quantum processor architecture capable of integrating 1 million qubits in a single cryostat. The company’s breakthrough eliminates traditional scaling bottlenecks by significantly reducing cabling needs, enabling practical large-scale quantum computing in a compact system. Led by experts from Mobileye, Technion, and the Weizmann Institute, QuamCore’s innovation provides a clear path toward fault-tolerant quantum systems, redefining the feasibility of commercial quantum computing. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/12/quamcore-emerges-from-stealth-with-9-million-in-seed-funding-to-build-worlds-first-scalable-1-million-qubit-quantum-computer/
Nu Quantum Partners With The University of Sussex, Cisco, and Infineon to Scale Trapped Ion Quantum Computers
(Quantum Insider – 12 March 2025) Nu Quantum has been selected to lead Project HyperIon under Innovate UK’s Quantum Missions Pilot, focusing on advancing quantum computing and networking through its Qubit-Photon Interface (QPI) technology. The project, in collaboration with the University of Sussex, Cisco, and Infineon Technologies, aims to demonstrate a first-of-its-kind QPI prototype for trapped ion computers, accelerating the path to scalable commercial quantum computing. Key objectives include a 50x increase in entanglement rate, integration with Quantum Processing Units (QPUs), and manufacturability through foundry-compatible ion-trap designs, positioning Nu Quantum at the forefront of modular quantum computing innovation. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/12/nu-quantum-partners-with-the-university-of-sussex-cisco-and-infineon-to-scale-trapped-ion-quantum-computers/
ConScience AB Unveils Next-Generation Quantum Devices: QiB1 and QiB2
(Quantum Insider – 12 March 2025) ConScience AB has launched two new quantum devices, QiB1 and QiB2, expanding its QiB product line to support quantum research and development. QiB1 is designed for versatile testing of single qubits, including fixed and tunable transmon qubits, while QiB2 focuses on studying qubit coupling with various coupling configurations. Both devices feature ConScience’s Box16 packaging for durability and integration, contributing to advancements in quantum computing applications across multiple industries. – https://thequantuminsider.com/2025/03/12/conscience-ab-unveils-next-generation-quantum-devices-qib1-and-qib2/