Our featured visitor on the present this week is Jamie Lee, Managing Companion at Tamarack World. Tamarack World emerged on our radar final month as one of many traders who participated within the latest collection B funding spherical for Determine AI.  After assembly Jamie Lee for analysis for these information tales, we invited Jamie to return onto the podcast and share his funding thesis and the explanation why they’re so bullish about humanoids, Determine AI, and particularly Determine CEO and founder Brett Adcock.

The guts of Tamarack’s funding philosophy facilities round investing in robust leaders who rent robust groups and construct options for very massive markets. However you’ll additionally find out about Jamie’s pragmatic philosophy for evaluating proposals and among the hazard indicators that he appears for when evaluating a possible funding.

New from the week

Viam raised $45 million in Sequence B funding

Viam has been quiet after the entire information final 12 months, however Viam is constructing a modular, interoperable, and open-source software program platform that works throughout all {hardware} and any fleet of machines. Viam said that the funding will allow it to speed up partnerships, drive business innovation, and additional develop its platform.

Accenture introduced an funding in Sanctuary AI

Sanctuary is constructing humanoids with embodied AI they usually’ve all the time tightly centered on hand-eye coordination and manipulation over the bipedal strolling points of humanoid robots. The funding in Sanctuary is the most recent transfer by Accenture to construct out a robotics technique. In January 2024, Accenture and Mujin created a three way partnership to assist carry robotics to the manufacturing and logistics industries. Known as Accenture Alpha Automation, the brand new enterprise is owned 70% by Accenture and 30% by Mujin. The brand new firm, known as Accenture Alpha Automation, combines Mujin’s industrial robotics experience with Accenture’s digital engineering and manufacturing service, Trade X.

Sanctuary has revealed a collection of movies of its robots “doing stuff” on YouTube. These movies illustrate the event path of the two-armed humanoid in addition to the AI behind the robots’ decision-making.

Sanctuary Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sanctuaryai

NYC takes steps to permit Robotaxis in NYC

NYC takes first steps in the direction of permitting Robotaxis in ​​New York Metropolis this week and introduced new security necessities and allowing pointers for corporations trying to check their self-driving vehicles on public roads. 

Even with town’s newfound curiosity in testing, AV commercialization in NYC is tough. New York is likely one of the hardest cities for AVs to navigate resulting from its pedestrian-filled streets, unpredictable automobile site visitors, and sensor-disrupting shiny lights.