In 2024, AI venture capital hit an all-time high, with $110B invested in AI-first companies, and AI investment rose 62% year over year, according to Dealroom data shared at the AI Action Summit in Paris. The event showcased major innovations and announcements, including Mistral AI’s new data centre and France’s commitment to boosting AI infrastructure, followed by the World AI Cannes Festival (WAICF) – which we attended.
Our team at Tech Funding News, after visiting WAICF, can confirm that humanoid robots are emerging as a robust force alongside agentic AI and AI model development. In fact, the humanoid robot market is projected to grow exponentially, potentially reaching $40 billion by 2035 — 20 times its current size. Stay tuned for more insights from WAICF and the broader AI landscape.
Oversonic takes centre stage (quite literally)
From the opening ceremony to the final moments of the conference, Italian Oversonic robots dominated discussions—even overshadowing Tesla’s Optimus. In an interview with TFN, Leonardo Anceschi, Oversonic’s Chief Delivery Officer, explained: “We have developed two different robots—one for the industrial sector and one for healthcare. Our industrial robot is already deployed in factories for pick-and-place and quality control tasks. Though still a prototype pending medical certification, the healthcare robot can interact with patients, conduct memory tests, and evaluate movements.”
Oversonic robots distinguish themselves with wheels for enhanced safety and efficiency, 24-hour operation capability (three times more efficient than humans), human-like reach, and safety certification for collaborative operation. Anceschi noted: “The wheels make the robots more efficient and safe, allowing them to maintain their position without posing a danger to people. Plus, the robots can reach from ground level up to 2.2 meters in height, similar to humans.”
As Anceschi explains, “Humanoid robots are already practical solutions for specific tasks, unlike general-purpose robots such as the Tesla bot, which may be available in 10 years.” The company also exclusively revealed to TFN its plans to raise a double-digit amount by year-end, though the figure remains undisclosed.
Agentic AI: a buzzword or a real deal?
Beyond humanoid robots, agentic AI is rapidly gaining traction. A notable player in this space is Giskard AI, which provides a testing tool for enhancing chatbot security and quality. The company distinguishes itself with a comprehensive approach to agent security, backed by a patent for continuous red teaming of LLM agents.
Alex Combessie, co-founder & co-CEO of Giskard AI, told TFN: “Giskard AI has raised $8 million, including a $3 million grant from the French government, and is expanding its client base. We collaborate with major clients like Google and BNP Paribas. I believe AI agents will be a significant trend in the industry, similar to the impact of the cloud and mobile revolutions.”
Through precise guidance, Lakmoos demonstrates the practical application of AI systems in market research. Kamila Zahradnickova, CEO of Lakmoos (and one of the top 5 women in AI), shared with TFN: “It’s part of agentic AI. For us, this is the easy part. The agentic component came naturally — we were already doing it for system validation before we even knew the term ‘agentic AI,’ which we only heard about in November.”
Currently raising its seed round, Lakmoos has developed an AI agent to guide market research and improve question formulation. Kamila observed that Europe’s understanding of AI has matured, moving beyond basic ChatGPT explanations to discussions of advanced applications.
AI and data – the next synergy of 2025?
While AI data modelling dominated industry trends in 2024, 2025 promises to push boundaries further. Jean Philippe Vert, CEO of Bioptimus (which builds “ChatGPT for biology”), told TFN: “We aim to develop models that integrate various data sources like histopathology images, genomics, and clinical data that can predict patient responses to treatments and perturbations, potentially leading to new biomarkers and digital twins for simulating biological systems. Bioptimus’ long-term goal is to apply technology to disrupt industries like agriculture, biotechnology, and cosmetics, not just healthcare.”
Aindo, an Italian startup founded in 2018 to promote AI adoption and address data access challenges — particularly GDPR compliance — has advanced the data approach. Daniele Panfilo, founder and CEO of Aindo, shared with us: “We developed generative models to create synthetic data, which is GDPR compliant and valuable for AI training, analytics, and software testing. We are the first and only European company to have granted European privacy certification for synthetic healthcare data.”
The market response has been remarkable. Aindo secured €100,000 from a European data incubation program and has raised €10 million, building a team of 30. They’ve recently partnered with Novartis and Italian hospitals to facilitate safe data exchange.
Focoos, another innovative Italian startup spun off from the Polytechnic University of Turin in 2022, is transforming data applications. Antonio Tavera, CEO and co-founder of Focoos, told TFN: “We have developed a web platform for developers to create and deploy computer vision models optimised for low-power edge devices. The platform, launching in March, offers free and enterprise versions. It boasts four times cheaper models and ten times faster in image processing, reducing AI energy consumption and carbon emissions.”
Having secured multiple investments totalling millions to develop and market the platform, Focoos plans to announce a new funding round this week. Their three-year plan includes growing from 11 to 20 employees and expanding into France, Germany, the UK, and the US.
According to Dealroom data, AI now represents a third of global venture capital — more than double its share from two years ago. The year 2025 promises further innovation, with humanoid robots, agentic AI, and advanced data integration leading the charge. These evolving technologies will continue profoundly transforming industries, workplaces, and daily life.
