With $50 million in cash, a recently created startup led by a former DeepMind scientist is coming out of stealth mode. [Latent Labs](https://www.latentlabs.com/) plans to work with biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies to discover and improve proteins, and hopes to build basic AI models to transform biology into a programmable field.

Since proteins are necessary for everything in living cells, including enzymes and antibodies, and are made up of approximately 20 distinct amino acids that fold into a three-dimensional shape to determine their function, it is imperative to understand their role in biology. Determining protein structure has always been a laborious human procedure, but [DeepMind's AlphaFold](https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/09/deepminds-demis-hassabis-and-john-jumper-scoop-nobel-prize-in-chemistry-for-alphafold/) has made substantial progress in this area by using machine learning to predict the shapes of nearly 200 million protein structures. This discovery allows the development of new drugs and synthetic proteins as well as a better understanding of diseases.

[Simon Kohl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-kohl-4840a7124/), a former DeepMind scientist who worked with AlphaFold2 and the protein design team, founded Latent Labs. Kohl started Latent Labs in London after helping create DeepMind's wet lab, and he eventually moved the company to San Francisco. The startup plans to create unique molecules programmatically to reduce its reliance on wet lab testing by switching to computational methods. Latent Labs focuses on improving early stages of R\&D through collaborations with life sciences companies rather than creating its own pharmaceutical prospects. 

Several investors contributed to the startup's $50 million fundraising, highlighting the potential to revolutionize drug development by merging biology and computer science, a field that is still in its infancy and presents many unexplored options.

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Former DeepMind Scientist Launches Latent Labs with $50M to Expand Biotech and Protein Science

###### February 4, 2025

[Opera](https://www.opera.com/de) has introduced [Opera Air](https://www.opera.com/es/air), an all-new browser that integrates mindfulness techniques directly into the browsing experience to support mental health. To help users focus and reduce stress, the lightweight browser incorporates soundscapes, breathing techniques, binaural beats, and pause reminders.

Opera Air's sleek, semi-transparent design integrates mindfulness elements into a floating sidebar that gives users quick access to Aria AI, Messenger, and WhatsApp, as well as Pause Reminders and Boosts, a carefully chosen mix of music, ambient sounds and binaural sounds. beats.

Similar to a usage tracker, the “Take a break” function encourages users to take a breather after prolonged browsing. It signals when a break is needed via a three-bar system that gradually decreases over time. Users can choose how long they want to browse continuously before receiving a reminder, or they can turn off the service completely.

Opera Air offers breathing techniques, meditation, neck stretches, and full-body scans for breaks, allowing users to choose an activity that meets their needs. Additionally, the browser has optional camera-based posture guidance with real-time feedback on neck stretches. There are now only guided exercises in English, but more language materials are being developed.

The Boosts feature provides preset soundscapes that combine music, background noise and binaural beats to improve focus. Frequency levels, audio components, and playback duration, which can vary from 15 minutes to indefinitely, can all be changed by users. You can control boosts directly from the sidebar.

Opera created Opera Air as a standalone mindfulness product rather than adding these features to its already existing browsers. This browser is designed to provide a peaceful, distraction-free experience, unlike the productivity-focused Opera One or the gaming-focused [Opera GX](https://techcrunch.com/2023/09/07/gaming-browser-opera-gx-integrates-chatgpt-powered-ai-feature/).

Given that Opera's other browsers offer feature-rich environments that consumers are accustomed to, user acceptance will be a major hurdle. But according to the company, Opera Air is a special desktop solution that combines attention and stress management, making it ideal for people who want to navigate more mindfully.

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Opera Air: The New Mindfulness-Focused Browser for Improved Mental Well-being


###### January 21, 2025

Swiss scientists have developed a biodegradable living battery capable of powering environmental sensors. Environmental sensors are useful for collecting data, but they often experience power supply issues. The Swiss researchers' solution is a 3D printed biologically degradable battery.

This battery uses the metabolism of two different types of fungi to produce energy, acting like a microbial fuel cell. Between 300 and 600 millivolts, as reported [in the paper ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c05494), the efficiency is not particularly high, but it is enough to run a four-cell temperature sensor for two and a half days. Usually, environmental studies and agriculture use these sensors.

Since these fuel cells historically use bacteria, the technique isn't exactly new. But this invention, made by the team at [Empa's Cellulose and Wood Materials Laboratory](https://www.empa.ch/web/s604/fungal-biobattery), is the first time that two separate fungi have been used to produce a functional fuel cell. While the cathode uses a white rot fungus that produces an enzyme to transport electrons, the anode releases electrons using regular baker's yeast.

The creation procedure involves 3D printing an ink composed of cellulose and fungal cells, to which graphite flakes and carbon black are added for conductivity. To keep the material electrically conductive and biodegradable, this ink is designed to promote fungal growth and preserve cell viability.

By eating the extra sugar molecules and, once the sugar is depleted, the cellulose itself, mushrooms also contribute to battery breakdown. When water and nutrients are added, the cells wrapped in beeswax, which can be kept dry, become active.

In the future, the Empa team intends to study more species of fungi that may be suitable for this technology and improve the functionality and durability of their fungal battery. According to them, fungi have untapped potential in materials science that deserves to be studied in more depth.

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Swiss Researchers Develop Biodegradable Battery Powered by Fungi for Environmental Sensors


In an effort to advance cognitive robotics, the Metzingen, Germany-based robotics company [Neura Robotics](https://neura-robotics.com/) has raised €120 million in a Series B funding round. To challenge the dominance of China and the United States in the humanoid robotics industry, the company intends to use this money to improve the hardware and software development of its robots.

Blue Crest Capital Management, Volvo Cars Tech Fund, InterAlpen Partners, Vsquared Ventures, HV Capital, Delta Electronics, C4 Ventures, L-Bank and David Reger, founder and CEO of the company, all contributed to the investment campaign led by Lingotto Investment Management.

In order to strengthen its national presence and promote its still globally successful “Made in Germany” label, Neura Robotics, founded in 2019 and initially operated in China, [repatriated the majority of its production to Germany in 2024](https://www.heise.de/news/Roboterhersteller-holt-Fertigung-komplett-nach-Deutschland-9637687.html).

Unlike other companies that focus on robotic hardware or software, Neura Robotics stands out in the European market by producing both.

Five models are currently in the company's product line, including the MAiRA cognitive robotic arm, the MAV heavy-duty transport robot, and the MiPA humanoid robot, which is intended for healthcare but is not yet commercially available. The third generation of the 4NE-1 humanoid robot, already in its second iteration, is expected in 2026.

In terms of software, Neura Robotics offers Neuraverse, a cloud-based platform that allows customers to train robots and develop custom robotic applications, such as technology providers and specialized machine manufacturers.

With an order book of one billion euros and a workforce that has almost doubled to 300 people, Neura Robotics has recorded tenfold growth in its turnover in 2024.

With this additional funding, Neura Robotics is poised to scale up its robotics research and development activities, with a focus on software and hardware advancements. The company wants to launch new products based on Neuraverse.

In order to counterbalance the domination of the United States and China in this field, Neura Robotics wishes to establish itself in the lucrative and rapidly expanding sector of robotics, particularly with humanoid robots.

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Neura Robotics Raises €120 Million to Advance Humanoid Robotics and Challenge US-China Dominance

###### December 3, 2024

The company [announced Monday](https://www.threads.net/@threads/post/DDFkqNuPil1) that Meta's Instagram Threads, a competitor to Elon Musk's X, is launching a more efficient search engine. Built on Instagram's social graph, Threads allows users to search for specific posts using filters based on user profiles and a variety of criteria.

While Threads' new feature, which offers options like filtering by language, keywords, phrases, excluded words, and hashtags, doesn't match X's sophisticated search, it does improve the ability to find posts. Additionally, Threads is close to [Bluesky](https://codelabsacademy.com/en/news/what-is-bluesky-everything-to-know-about-the-new-social-app-competing-with-x)'s search functionality, which supports filters such as user profiles and a range of queries via advanced queries. However, the Bluesky app does not yet display all of these filtering options in its interface.

In the past, Threads' search functionality was limited to keyword searches with the two filters of "Top" for the most interesting articles and "Recent" for the newest. A post from the Threads account indicated that the improved search feature would be made available to users around the world in the coming weeks.

In response to the growing danger posed by Bluesky, a developing competitor to X, Meta has accelerated the release of its features. After the US election, Bluesky's user base [grew to around 24 million](https://bsky.jazco.dev/stats) after surpassing 9 million in September. Indeed, customers left X due to Elon Musk's political views and policy changes, which included plans to change blocking methods and allow AI companies to train on data of X users.

Threads has added new features to compete with Bluesky, including an improved algorithm, a redesign for easier feed navigation, and adjustable default feeds. Additionally, Meta is rumored to be creating Starter Packs, its own version of Bluesky's user-curated recommendation lists.

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New Search Engine on Instagram Threads: A Strategic Move Against X and Bluesky


###### November 19, 2024

The majority of AI models are powered by graphics processing units (GPUs), which are notoriously energy-intensive. [According to Goldman Sachs](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/AI-poised-to-drive-160-increase-in-power-demand), by 2030, the increasing use of GPUs in data centers would result in a 160% rise in the need for electricity. Vishal Sarin, a seasoned designer of analog and memory circuits, established Sagence AI, originally known as [Analog Inference](https://www.sagence-ai.com/), after seeing that this tendency was unsustainable. The business focuses on developing GPU substitutes that consume less energy, tackling issues with both performance and the environment.

Sagence creates systems and analog chips for AI applications, as well as the software needed to program them. Analog chips use a range of values to represent information, in contrast to standard digital chips that store data as binary values. Because of this distinction, analog circuits may process data directly in memory and complete some computations using fewer parts, removing bottlenecks brought on by data transfers between processors and memory. Furthermore, compared to their digital counterparts, analog processors provide a higher data density.

Despite being available for decades, analog technology is making a comeback because digital processors can't keep up with the demands of the modern world. However, there are drawbacks to analog chips as well, namely the need for exact manufacture and the complexity of programming. Sagence markets its chips as an adjunct to digital technologies, focusing on certain server and mobile device applications to solve problems like latency, cost, and power consumption.

Sagence, which plans to commercialize its chips in 2025, is already collaborating with clients and facing competition from other analog chipmakers that specialize in AI, such as EnCharge and Mythic. Investors such as Vinod Khosla, TDK Ventures, and Aramco Ventures have contributed $58 million to the company, and it intends to seek more money to grow its staff of 75 employees. Sagence's cost-effective approach, which stays away from the newest production techniques, increases its allure in a cutthroat industry.

Potential opportunities for Sagence are indicated by recent trends. The amount of venture capital money raised for semiconductor startups [is increasing](https://news.crunchbase.com/semiconductors-and-5g/chip-startup-funding-bounces-back-ai-nvda/#:~:text=Thus%20far%20this%20year%2C%20VC,%2410.9%20billion%20in%20447%20deals.); in the first half of 2024 alone, $5.3 billion was raised. There are still obstacles to overcome, though, such as rivalry from well-known firms like Nvidia, expensive fabrication, and the problem of entering markets where established technologies predominate. The hazards are highlighted by the case of Graphcore, an AI chipmaker that declared bankruptcy in spite of substantial funding.

Sagence's success depends on its ability to deliver energy-efficient, high-performance chips while efficiently scaling production. The company aims to uniquely position itself in the progressing AI hardware landscape by addressing both economic and environmental challenges.

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Technology

Former DeepMind Scientist Launches Latent Labs with $50M to Expand Biotech and Protein Science