Business & Tech News: Buzzed Startup Raised $23.5M in Funding

Technology

Back to the office? Amazon workers on opposite sides of the quarrel

According to Business Insider, multiple Amazon employees have recently joined a newly developed Slack channel to support the company’s new policy of returning to the physical office. 

The new Slack channel developed to support Amazon’s Return to Office policy strives to explore the advantages of RTO on a broader scale.

This move comes after a larger group of employees formed an independent Slack channel to disagree with the Return to Office (RTO) policy. However, as of February 27, the RTO support channel had a membership of around 750 people, which pales compared to the opposing channel’s membership of over 28,000 individuals.

According to the channel’s comments, one of the employees stated that the Return to Office policy should not be applied uniformly and should consider individual preferences. He suggests that people who prefer working in the office should work towards creating a better office environment instead of forcing other people to work alongside them.

While another employee highlighted that in the pre-pandemic period, Amazon’s stock price had risen significantly by approximately 92%, and there was no remote work. Compared to when most people have been working from home, the stock price has only increased by a mere 6%. The comment suggests that the current work arrangement may have affected the company’s limited stock price growth.

Currently, the number of people who want to work remotely significantly exceeds the number of people who support RTO. What is your stance and your company’s policy on this matter?

Learning to embrace ChatGPT: How a high-income freelance writer uses the AI tool to streamline work

Tony Dong, a thriving Canadian financial writer, has revealed that he uses ChatGPT to enhance his productivity and save time while working. With an average workweek of 30 hours in 2022, he earned a whopping 149,000 Canadian dollars, equivalent to approximately 110,000 USA dollars at the 2022 exchange rate.

In his opinion, which he shared with Business Insider, ChatGPT can’t write articles from scratch, as AI produces too broad and vague text. However, Tony Dong recommends using ChatGPT in other ways that can help you write those articles and save much of your time.

One way in which ChatGPT can be useful is by creating article headlines and organizing the structure of the article. This is particularly beneficial when writing about unfamiliar topics. For instance, if the writer is not familiar with Apple as a company, he can ask ChatGPT to provide 5 interesting facts. However, journalists need to fact-check any information provided by ChatGPT as it may not be entirely accurate. Another way in which ChatGPT can assist in writing is through data analysis.

“For example, if I wanted to look at Microsoft’s earnings statement, I could copy the report and ask it to give me the highlights or what a stock analyst and investor are most interested in,” – says Tony Dong to Business Insider.

Tony Dong’s main point is that there is no need to fear ChatGPT and that using it strategically can greatly simplify your work. By providing specific and precise instructions, you can leverage ChatGPT’s capabilities to your advantage and optimize your workflow. Have you already implemented ChatGPT in your business?

Robotics&AI

New humanoid robot from Figure revealed in first images

Figure, a startup that is currently in stealth mode, is working on developing a versatile, bipedal robot with the aim of piloting it in 2024 as part of its ongoing pursuit to create the ultimate humanoid robot.

The startup, which has received $100 million in funding from its co-founder Brett Adcock, is dedicating significant resources towards the development of a versatile humanoid robot that walks on two legs.

This week, Figure reveals the world’s first pictures of a robot. The company has finished building the first version of the robot (known as the alpha build) in December and is currently conducting tests on it at its Sunnyvale offices. The images of the robot (Figure 01) released by the company seem to be computer-generated and resemble the renders that Tesla shared during their announcement of their own robot.

One of the assets of the new company is its team of 40 highly qualified people with exceptional backgrounds.

“The team is ex-Boston Dynamics, Tesla, Apple SPG, IHMC, Cruise [and Alphabet X]. Collectively we align on building a better future for humanity through the intersection of AI and robotics,” –Adcock says to TechCrunch.

According to Adcock’s team, they are leading the way in the development of electromechanical humanoids and believe they have surpassed any previous advancements in this area. Currently, they are focused on creating their second-generation humanoid robot that will be equipped with all the necessary features for commercial use.

Startups

Attio’s innovative CRM solution backed by $23.5M funding

Attio is a CRM platform that merges a high-performing data structure with the collaborative features commonly found in no-code software. This morning company reported about the successful raising of $23.5 million in a Series A funding round, with Redpoint Ventures as the lead investor, and the continued participation of Balderton Capital and Point Nine.

Attio currently boasts over 2,000 customers spread across 100 countries. Founded in 2019, the company has achieved rapid growth, with annual recurring revenue surpassing $1 million in December 2022, as reported by Sharp.

So far, Attio, with a staff of 25 people, has received a total of $31.2 million in funding.

Attio doesn´t stop on its current achievements and is planning to introduce a real-time reporting functionality enabling users to customize, analyze, and visualize customer data. Additionally, the company is developing expanded workflow automation and other capabilities.