• AI Elite Academy
  • Posts
  • AI Data Collection Startup Sapien Secures $10.5M in Seed Funding, Led by Variant!đź’¸

AI Data Collection Startup Sapien Secures $10.5M in Seed Funding, Led by Variant!đź’¸

AI Data Collection Startup Sapien Secures $10.5M in Seed Funding, Led by Variant!đź’¸

Author

Fabien B
October 31, 2024

Run CTV Ads on Roku This Holiday

This holiday season, Roku is making it easy to reach your audience while they’re streaming – and shopping. Take Roku Ads Manager for a spin and discover how easy it is to set up, optimize, and measure CTV campaigns in real-time to drive results.

đź“– TODAY’S ISSUE

🧵 Here are some insightful AI updates and tools we’ve curated for you today:

🚀 Latest in AI and Tech Discover cutting-edge AI advancements and transformative technologies.

🛠️ Cool AI Tools Explore innovative tools that are revolutionizing the AI landscape.

đź’ˇ AI Tips and Best Practices: Get actionable insights to enhance your AI projects and productivity.

🚀 Emerging Innovators: Spotlight on the Latest AI and Tech Startups

ASprinklr (NYSE) and IDC recently revealed a compelling 2025 AI priorities report, surveying 1,000 industry leaders from marketing and contact centers. Key insights emphasize the vital role of AI in transforming customer experience (CX), with a distinct focus on addressing employee skills and embracing AI for operational efficiency and CX innovation.

What We Think

The report’s findings indicate a significant pivot in priorities. Marketing leaders are honing in on AI efficiencies amid budget constraints, while contact centers prioritize digital transformation and 24/7 autonomous support. However, both face the challenge of limited skilled personnel. To unlock the true potential of AI in CX, enterprises must invest in data governance, skill-building, and robust AI governance frameworks. By moving beyond mere efficiency, AI-led CX can foster richer, contextualized customer engagements and secure business growth for the future.

For CX leaders, prioritizing advanced customer data infrastructures, AI ethics, and integrated customer insights are crucial steps toward a meaningful AI transformation.

Python has overtaken JavaScript as the most popular language on GitHub for the first time, driven by its critical role in AI and data science. GitHub's Octoverse report highlights a 59% rise in contributions to generative AI projects, with many developers joining the platform to work on AI-driven open-source projects. Python’s widespread use in AI and the notable 92% increase in Jupyter Notebook usage underscore it’s expanding appeal beyond traditional software development into broader STEM fields. This shift reflects a growing user base focused on AI, data science, and custom application needs across diverse industries.

AI Helps Identify High-Risk Heart Disease in Diabetic Patients

New research from the European Journal of Heart Failure shows that AI can pinpoint diabetes patients at high risk for diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Using a machine learning model, researchers identified a high-risk subgroup with biomarkers indicating elevated heart failure risk. The model’s accuracy was confirmed in multiple validation studies, highlighting AI's potential in personalized prevention strategies for diabetes-related heart conditions.

OpenAI to Develop In-House AI Chips by 2026

Reuters reports that OpenAI plans to produce its own AI chips by 2026, working with TSMC and Broadcom for design and manufacturing without investing in its own factories. This move aims to reduce reliance on external suppliers, particularly Nvidia, whose chip costs have surged due to high demand. In the interim, OpenAI will utilize AMD processors to continue training its AI models.

đź’ˇAI Tips and Best Practices

Micro SaaS for AI-Powered Document Processing

Efficient document processing is vital for B2B operations, involving extensive handling of contracts, invoices, and other essential documents. However, processing these documents at scale introduces significant challenges, such as:

  • Manual Data Entry Errors: Human errors in data entry can lead to inaccuracies and inconsistencies.

  • Inconsistent Document Formatting: Variability across documents complicates standardization and automated processing.

  • Time and Resource Demands: Processing large volumes of documents manually requires significant time and resources.

  • Complex Data Extraction: Extracting information from unstructured data sources, including handwritten or scanned documents, adds further complexity.

Without robust document processing solutions, businesses face inefficiencies, increased error rates, and critical operations and decision-making delays.

Docsumo exemplifies an effective Micro SaaS solution for document processing, achieving an annual revenue of $6.3M. Docsumo enables seamless ingestion of various document types from emails, APIs, cloud drives, or local storage. Its AI capabilities accurately capture fundamental values and tables from unstructured documents, such as invoices, bank statements, and contracts, streamlining information extraction.

LedgerBox is another solution, with a monthly revenue of $330. It specializes in converting PDF bank statements, invoices, and receipts into CSV and Excel formats, simplifying data management and integration with other platforms.

đź’» COOL AI TOOLS

A project management platform designed to help SaaS teams coordinate tasks, track progress, and stay aligned on goals. Asana’s intuitive task lists, calendars, and collaboration tools allow teams to prioritize and manage workloads efficiently, enhancing project productivity.

Amplitude is a product analytics platform focused on user behavior and engagement metrics. It provides SaaS businesses with actionable insights into customer journeys, enabling them to optimize features, improve retention, and make data-driven product decisions that resonate with users.

Hotjar is a user experience analytics tool that provides heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys for SaaS companies. It allows teams to visualize user interactions on their platform, helping identify areas for improvement and enhancing the overall user experience by uncovering key friction points.

đź’¸ WHO RAISED?

Discover startups who just raised funds.

German startup Vamo has raised an additional €7 million, bringing its total seed funding to over €10 million, aimed at scaling its sustainable heat pump solutions for households. Founded in 2022, Vamo offers an efficient alternative to oil and gas heating through its proprietary HeatOS software, simplifying installation and management within 30 days. Vamo’s “Heat Fleet” network links heat pumps to optimize energy use and reduce infrastructure costs, aligning with the International Energy Agency’s findings on heat pumps' potential to cut CO2 emissions by 500 million tons by 2030.

AI data collection startup Sapien has raised $10.5 million in seed funding, led by Variant, to build a blockchain-based system that incentivizes people to label data used in AI models. Co-founded by former Coinbase Base network co-creator Rowan Stone and Polymath founder Trevor Koverko, Sapien rewards contributors with USDC or points staked as collateral. This staking model helps ensure data quality by penalizing dishonest practices, like bot usage, like a proof-of-stake mechanism. The platform’s tasks vary from labeling traffic signs to identifying cancer cells, leveraging crypto incentives to expand AI data accuracy and diversity.

Swedish AI leader Sana has raised $55M at a $500M valuation, led by NEA, bringing its total funding to over $130M. Sana also acquired workflow automation startup CTRL and introduced "agentic AI" features, allowing organizations to build customizable AI agents for various workflows without coding. This expansion enables Sana’s AI to perform complex tasks, from filling out RFPs to managing sales data in real-time. Notable customers, including Merck and Electrolux, report up to 95% time savings as Sana scales its AI-powered platform to optimize enterprise productivity globally.