Travel writer Shivya Nath’s new book; VC inflow this week

Hello,

The AI story is shifting from bigger and newer to cheaper and smarter. 

With companies moving from the experimental phase to actual implementation, the focus is no longer on the biggest or the best model, but on the best fit for a specific task at the right price. This has led to a new kind of opportunity in the AI space, one that prioritises control, cost and compute. 

In other news, Meta has pulled down a new feature that let people create AI-generated or altered images using content from public user accounts on Instagram. The feature was part of Muse Image, an AI image generation tool released on Tuesday. Following outcry over privacy concerns, the company has now discontinued the feature. 

Still on AI, here’s a look at jobs that are relatively safe and less susceptible to the threats of AI, and how to best prepare yourself for a career in the new world order. 

ICYMI: Spaceflights take a toll on various parts of the human body, including muscles and bones. But the impact of zero-gravity on the human brain is not well known. Find out what happens to an astronaut’s brain in space. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Travel writer Shivya Nath’s new book
• VC inflow this week 

Here’s your trivia for today: Founded in 1911, which company was first known as the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation?

Books

Travel writer Shivya Nath’s new book

In her book Rootless and Restless, storyteller, author, and social entrepreneur Shivya Nath traces her journeys to some of the world’s most remote places while reflecting on how those experiences reshaped her understanding of home, freedom, and herself.

In an interview with HerStory, she discusses the evolving definitions of adventure and meaningful travel, choosing an unconventional path, and embracing a slower life in the mountains.

Rootless and Restless: 

• Shivya Nath’s new book revisits some of her most extraordinary adventures—from fleeing the morality police in Iran and spending over a month on one of the world’s most remote islands, 700 kilometres off the coast of Chile, to motorbiking with two complete strangers through off-the-grid villages in Myanmar that don’t even appear on Google Maps. 
• “With roots nowhere, I can grow them everywhere! That kind of freedom allows me to find a sense of belonging wherever in the world I am, from the mountains of my home state Uttarakhand to the Peruvian Andes,” says Nath. 
• “Home to me has long been a feeling, rather than a place. It’s a deep conversation with a complete stranger, a long solitary walk in nature, a writing desk that compels me to show up every day, a creative vegan meal in a cosy café. It’s that familiar feeling of pushing my comfort zone, butterflies in my stomach, in search of a new adventure,” she says. 

Funding roundup 

VC inflow remains flat 

Indian startups raised just $107 million in the second week of July, marking the second straight week of muted funding activity. While investors continue to back sectors such as deeptech and AI, the absence of large-ticket deals has kept overall venture inflows subdued.

Key takeaways:

• July has remained subdued so far for the Indian startup ecosystem as venture capital showed largely flattish growth on a weekly basis, primarily due to the absence of any large-value deals.
• June, in contrast, was a strong month for startup fundraising, with total capital raised crossing the $1 billion mark, largely driven by CRED’s $900-million funding round. However, that momentum has failed to carry into July, resulting in a relatively muted funding environment.
• The largest funding round this week was Adage Automation's $24 million raise. There were virtually no large-ticket deals during the week, reflecting the challenges Indian startups continue to face in raising capital.

News & updates

• Trade secrets theft: Apple has sued OpenAI and two former employees over alleged misappropriation of its trade secrets to ​benefit the ChatGPT-owner’s entry into consumer hardware. 
• Warner Bros deal: Oregon has dropped a motion to delay the Paramount-Warner Bros deal. The Oregon attorney general's office said that it has withdrawn its court motion to delay Paramount’s proposed $110-billion ​acquisition of Warner Bros.

Founded in 1911, which company was first known as the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation?

Answer: IBM

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