Tech Trends: Jan 30 (5 stories)
Friday, 30 Jan 2026 Daily Technology GLOBAL
Here is your Daily summary for Technology across the world for Fri 30th January 2026
Upwind has secured $250 million in a Series B funding round, achieving a valuation of $1.5 billion, to enhance its runtime cloud security solutions. This investment, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, underscores the growing demand for robust cloud security as businesses increasingly migrate to digital environments.
In robotics, German startup RobCo has raised $100 million to advance its manufacturing robots, backed by notable investors including the Agnelli family's Exor NV. This funding reflects a significant push towards automation in manufacturing, which could reshape production efficiency.
Meanwhile, Amazon's discovery of child sexual abuse material in its AI training data raises serious concerns about data sourcing and child safety. Although the content was removed, the lack of transparency may impede law enforcement efforts, highlighting the ethical challenges in AI development.
In other news, Elon Musk's SpaceX is reportedly in talks to merge with xAI, potentially integrating advanced AI capabilities with space technology. Additionally, Apple has acquired Israeli startup Q.ai, which specializes in audio enhancement technologies, further intensifying the competition in the AI sector.
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Upwind raises $250M at $1.5B valuation to continue building ‘runtime’ cloud security
TechCrunch 29 Jan 2026, 12:35pmThe $250 million Series B was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Salesforce Ventures and Picture Capital.
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Lightspeed Backs Robotics Startup in $100 Million Round
Bloomberg Technology 29 Jan 2026, 12:30pmRobCo, a German startup that makes robots for use in manufacturing, has raised $100 million in financing from investors, including the investment arms of the Agnelli family’s Exor NV and a billionaire Toyota dealer.
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Amazon Discovered Child Sex Abuse Content in AI Training Data
Bloomberg Technology 29 Jan 2026, 8:44pmAmazon discovered child sexual abuse material in its AI data. The content was removed before training the models, but child safety officials say the tech giant won't disclose where it came from, potentially hindering law enforcement investigations. Bloomberg’s Riley Griffin joins Ed Ludlow and Caroline Hyde on “Bloomberg Tech.” (Source: Bloomberg)
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Elon Musk’s SpaceX and xAI in talks to merge, report says
TechCrunch 29 Jan 2026, 7:30pmThis merger would bring the Grok chatbot, Starlink satellites, and SpaceX rockets together under one corporation.
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Apple buys Israeli startup Q.ai as the AI race heats up
TechCrunch 29 Jan 2026, 6:58pmQ.ai is an Israeli startup specializing in imaging and machine learning, particularly technologies that enable devices to interpret whispered speech and enhance audio in noisy environments.