The year is 2019 and at the moment, there is one thing on every tech company’s mind—Artificial Intelligence (AI.) Startups all over the world are taking a leap with AI and Machine Learning (ML) as their wing bearers. From offering services like automated data collection to real time data collection, here are the best AI powered startups to watch out for this year:
1. Front
Although Front officially launched in the year 2014, it started making its presence felt only in the beginning of 2019. A completely user friendly tool, Front helps users stay connected to all the emails in your inbox, social media content and all your texts. By collating all the unread data in one place, this tool makes sure you don’t lose time by constantly switching between one app to another. The app is doing so well that CEO Mathilde Collin raised $ 66 million and made Front one of the hottest startups of this year!
2. Five AI
While the automotive industry has been dreaming about self driven cars for quite a while now, not a lot of companies have been able to turn this dream into reality. One of the major concerns about this field is, while the car can drive itself, will the car ensure the safety of the drivers and passengers as well? Five AI is a startup which is working on this very issue. Based out of Europe, this Company works on making sure all the cities in Europe have immersive and secure autonomous driving services. Five AI is planning to start trials with this service this year.
3. SenSat
Based out of Europe, SenSat is making massive waves by using AI. By building digital copies of physical environments, this Company uses artificial intelligence models to understand the parameters of the environment. By doing this, the startup aims at analysing and understanding the structure of the place so they can understand how much impact the project will have on the environment. To date, SenSat raised 3.4 million pounds in seed funding and has made a steady climb to the top in this field.
4. Toutiao
Founded in the year 2012, Toutiao is based out of China. A content platform, this startup helps people discover content all over the world by using artificial intelligence technology. Using the Natural Learning Process and Computer Vision tools, this Company extracts keywords and entities from individual pieces of content. In the beginning of this year, Toutiao joined Buzzfeed to distribute content to 120 million consumers in China!
5. Skydio
This startup combines two of the most exciting fields in technology: AI and drones. Based in San Francisco, this startup designs self flying camera drones which drive without any help from humans. Not only does it show and interpret things around it, it can also give visuals as seen in real time. One of the primary things on which this startup is working is making sure visuals are captured without obstacles. The AI powered drone can be remotely controlled from your smartphone.
About which startup are you most excited? Comment and let us know!
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.