🖥️ Tech Futures #17

Happy Monday 👋

LG Electronics is enhancing its AI semiconductor capabilities through collaboration with Tenstorrent to innovate in AI technologies and applications. Vietnam is actively attracting semiconductor enterprises to boost its digital economy and advance technological development in the region. Warped Games partnered with Mysten Labs to develop the Warped Universe on the Sui blockchain, enhancing player-driven gaming experiences. A new UKRI-funded network led by Oxford University aims to improve the UK's cyber security research ecosystem with a $7.6M investment. L&T Technology Services acquired California-based AI firm Intelliswift for $110M to enhance software and AI capabilities for global clients.

What's new?

HolonIQ’s new Green Skills Map and Workforce section reveals industry-wide sustainability skills and jobs, as well as workforce development initiatives, supporting upskilling for a sustainable economy.

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⚙️ Artificial Intelligence

💽 LG Electronics Strengthens AI Semiconductor Capabilities. LG Electronics is strengthening its AI semiconductor capabilities to realize its AI orientation called 'Affectionate Intelligence' and lead innovation with AI technology.

🧬 Google DeepMind Open-Sources Revolutionary AlphaFold 3 for Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery. Google DeepMind open-sourced the code for AlphaFold 3, its AI system for predicting protein structures, to academics, enabling advancements in molecular biology and drug discovery.

🤖 OpenAI Integrates SearchGPT into ChatGPT. OpenAI integrated SearchGPT into ChatGPT, enabling the AI assistant to search the internet for information. The news also mentions Grandata, Vizrt, and other companies.

💾 Semiconductors

🔌 Vietnam Embraces Semiconductor Industry for Digital Economy Boost. Vietnam welcomes more semiconductor enterprises as it positions the semiconductor industry as a key driver for strengthening its digital economy and advancing cutting-edge technology.

⚠️ TSMC halts chip shipments to Chinese firms after US order. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reportedly halted advanced chip shipments to Chinese companies after the US Department of Commerce ordered the halt when a TSMC-manufactured chip was found inside a Huawei processor.

🏭 Japanese Company to Produce Semiconductor Core Material Photoresist Domestically from 2026. A Japanese company will start producing the semiconductor core material photoresist at its domestic factory in 2026. Photoresist was a key issue in the past trade conflict between Korea and Japan.

⚡ Blockchain

🤝 Warped Games Partners with Mysten Labs for Sui Blockchain. Warped Games, a game development company, announced an official partnership with Mysten Labs to build on the Sui blockchain.

📈 Dune Acquires smlXL and Launches Real-Time Blockchain Data Platform. Dune, a company providing blockchain data, acquired smlXL, a startup backed by Andreessen Horowitz, and launched a new platform called Echo for real-time blockchain data.

🚨 Cybersecurity

🔒 New UKRI-funded network to bolster UK's cyber security research ecosystem. A new network led by Oxford University aims to protect cyber security in the UK and beyond and is supported by a £6 million investment from the UKRI.

📂 ACSC Issues OT Cyber Security Principles for Critical Infrastructure. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) issued OT Cyber Security Principles, calling on critical infrastructure providers to boost their cyber resilience.

🔑 Stockport College Offers Cyber Security Workshop. Stockport College is hosting an interactive cyber security workshop for local businesses on November 27th.

💻 Quantum Computing

🔬 IonQ Expands Quantum Computing Capabilities. IonQ, a quantum computing company, reported increased revenue, formed new partnerships focused on quantum applications, and acquired a quantum networking firm.

🛠️ Skills and Workforce

With reskilling and upskilling playing a key role in closing workforce gaps, HolonIQ is now tracking these impactful initiatives shaping the tech industry. Read on for this week’s insights, and discover more in HolonIQ's latest Skills newsletter.

📊 The UK government has announced an investment of $636.4M to fund over 4,700 postgraduate degrees in science and technology across 45 universities, aiming to address a national shortage of digital and technical skills. Led by the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, the initiative seeks to drive economic growth by producing skilled graduates in high-demand fields like biology and engineering. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasized universities’ role in economic recovery, with this funding set to boost the workforce in technology, clean energy, and sustainable industries.

💻 Black Veterans for Social Justice (BVSJ), a Brooklyn nonprofit, has partnered with Microsoft to offer technology training to over 5,000 veterans. As part of Microsoft’s Nonprofit Tech Acceleration for Black and African American Communities, the initiative aims to equip veterans with digital skills in fields like cybersecurity, AI, and game development. Beginning in December 2024, Microsoft will host bi-weekly virtual sessions, with BVSJ tailoring the curriculum based on veterans' career interests. The program includes a pathway to Microsoft’s Software and Systems Academy, with applications open in early 2025.

🤖 Samsung India certified 3,500 students in 2024 through its Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC), aligned with #SkillIndia and #DigitalIndia initiatives. Focusing on skills in AI, IoT, Big Data, and Coding, SIC expanded from 3,000 students in 2023 and held 12 certification events across multiple states. Participants completed extensive training hours, and top achievers will receive INR 1 Lakh and Samsung products, with select students visiting Samsung’s Delhi NCR facilities. This initiative reflects Samsung’s commitment to building India’s tech talent and supporting future innovators.

HolonIQ has also launched the Green Skills Map, an open-source framework initiated for the purpose of cataloging, evaluating, and contextualizing the different components of the rapidly expanding field of green jobs. This comprehensive taxonomy will serve as a resource for understanding the full spectrum and complexity of green skills required across various sectors, thereby enabling a cohesive approach toward achieving net zero and decarbonizing the global economy. Green Skills Map spans 11 areas, 54 sub-areas, and 243 green skills clusters. A snippet of the map covering four areas has been included above. Explore the full map on greenskills.org.

💰 Tech Deals

💲 L&T Technology Services acquired California-based AI firm Intelliswift for $110M to enhance its software and AI capabilities, targeting retail, fintech, and expanding partnerships with major technology clients.

💵 Upwind, an Israeli cloud security firm is seeking $100M in Series B funding, aiming for a valuation of $850-$900M, to enhance its security solutions and expand its workforce.

💶 GMI Cloud, an AI-native GPU cloud provider, raised $82M in Series A funding, including $15M in equity and $67M in debt, to expand its U.S. data center operations.

💷 Accel a Venture capital firm led a $60M inside round for cloud cybersecurity startup Cyera, just four months after Cyera raised $198M at a $1B valuation.

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