Issue #73 • January 23, 2026
Hi Seedradar Squad! This week, the future of logistics went vertical as Zipline secured a massive war chest to deploy its silent, precision delivery droids across our cities, aiming to make 10-minute delivery the new urban standard.
Simultaneously, the financial markets saw a new AI heavyweight emerge as Vertus shattered records, driven entirely by autonomous neural networks. Plus, we look at Humans&, a stealth lab founded by ex-Google researchers that just raised a staggering funding... for a Seed round.
🚁 Zipline Secures $600 Million, Pushing Valuation to $7.6 Billion
Autonomous delivery leader Zipline has raised $600 million, boosting its valuation to $7.6 billion, to aggressively scale its next-generation "Platform 2" system. Unlike traditional drones, P2 uses silent, hovering aircraft that lower precise delivery droids on a tether, enabling safe drop-offs in dense urban backyards and patios without landing.
Zipline is now operationalizing city-wide networks with partners like Sweetgreen, GNC, and Cleveland Clinic, aiming to make 10-minute delivery faster and cheaper than human couriers.
📈 Vertus Hits $1 Billion Daily Trading Milestone
Algorithmic trading firm Vertus Foundation has surpassed $1 billion in daily trading volume, driven by a massive 51% annual return that is attracting heavy institutional capital. This milestone validates their "Neural-HFT" strategy, where AI autonomously manages risk and execution across 24/7 crypto markets, significantly outperforming traditional quantitative funds.
Their proprietary deep reinforcement learning engine adapts to volatility in milliseconds, switching strategies (like arbitrage) without human intervention. By unifying liquidity from both centralized and decentralized exchanges, Vertus secures consistent alpha for large-scale investors.
💰 Snapshots: What Else Is Happening?
• Humans& Stealth AI lab Humans& raised a massive $480 million Seed round to build human-centric AI collaboration tools. Founded by ex-Google and Anthropic researchers, the startup aims to integrate human creativity with autonomous agents for complex enterprise workflows. - Read More
• OpenAI announced a major strategic shift to prioritize child safety, introducing strict age verification and restrictions on "companion bots." Speaking at the World Economic Forum, executives outlined plans to set a new global standard for AI safety to prevent misuse by minors. - Read More
• Mews secured $300 million to accelerate its global expansion and M&A strategy. The funding supports their mission to revolutionize hotel operations with a connected, API-first ecosystem that streamlines guest experiences and property management. - Read More
• Ericsson announced the deployment of Realbotix humanoid robots at its Texas experience center to handle visitor engagement and training. The robots use proprietary vision technology to recognize faces and emotions, marking a significant step in the commercial adoption of embodied AI. - Read More
🔥 Igniting the Future: Seedradar Ventures Syndicate!
At Seedradar Ventures, we back relentless founders at the earliest stage, investing in teams solving big problems with solutions that deliver a 10–20x greater impact.
Our syndicate offers investors access to a curated pipeline of early-stage startups, sourced through our network.
🚀 Startup Radar: Movers, Shakers & Future Makers
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🛠️ Trending AI Tools to Supercharge Your Workflow!
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💼 Join the Revolution: Hot Startup Jobs!
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💼 Resource of the Week!
⚖️ WitnessAI: Shadow AI Discovery Tool
A platform to detect and catalog unauthorized AI applications and agents running in your enterprise network.
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Disclosure: Seedradar Ventures and/or its general partner may hold investments in some of the companies mentioned in this newsletter. This content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice.
