5 Interesting Startup Deals You May Have Missed: AI For Everything From Recycling To Breathing To Winning Construction Bids
This month’s installment of this column is all AI, though applications for the technology range widely, from two startups that apply AI to trash or recycling, to another that promises to help people breathe and sleep better, to a company that says its AI can help architects and builders spot commercial projects before they’re even announced.
Five intriguing startup funding deals that may have slipped under the radar this month focus on AI applications spanning recycling, robotics, sleep improvement, and converting unrecyclable waste into fuel. Greyparrot, a London-based startup, raised £20.3 million ($27 million) in Series B funding to install AI-powered camera systems above conveyor belts in recycling plants.
These systems identify materials, products, and brands in real time using computer vision, helping operators recover more valuable materials, improve sorting efficiency, and comply with recycling regulations.
In a different corner of the physical AI world, Emesent, an Australian startup, secured $17 million in funding to expand its AI autonomy and cloud mapping platforms. The company's Coretx products, including its Hovermap LiDAR scanning payload and Cortex AI platform, enable robots to navigate autonomously in environments without GPS, while its Aura cloud platform processes and analyzes the resulting spatial data.
These products are already deployed at over 200 mine sites worldwide and are expanding into other sectors such as defense, critical infrastructure, and construction.
Meanwhile, San Francisco-based medtech startup SoundHealth raised an oversubscribed $12.25 million Series A to develop AI-powered, noninvasive devices for treating congestion and improving sleep. The company's flagship Sonu band personalizes sound waves based on a user's facial anatomy to open nasal passages, while its Spatial Sleep device aims to help users fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
SoundHealth's approach to AI in healthcare aligns with an increasing trend of investors backing AI-powered medical devices that combine software with regulated hardware.
Finally, Nashville-based Forge Industries raised $3.85 million to commercialize technology that converts hard-to-recycle plastics and other unrecyclable waste into industrial fuel. This development highlights the growing interest in AI applications for managing plastic waste and turning it into a valuable resource. These diverse funding deals demonstrate the expanding role of AI in addressing various global challenges, from waste management to healthcare.
Written by urgent.news from Crunchbase News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
