Funding

• DPR AS (House of Representatives) mengadopsi resolusi anggaran yang telah disetujui Senat pada 29 April 2026, yang memfasilitasi pendanaan miliaran dolar bagi Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) dan Customs and Border Protection (CBP). • Partai Republik menggunakan prosedur penghindaran filibuster untuk memajukan cetak biru anggaran tersebut, yang dikritik oleh politisi Demokrat seperti Anggota Kongres Doris Matsui karena memprioritaskan penegakan hukum di atas kebutuhan lainnya. • Langkah ini mendukung kebijakan imigrasi pemerintahan Trump di tengah perdebatan keamanan perbatasan yang sedang berlangsung dan tekanan pemilihan paruh waktu.

• Startup paytech lintas batas Latitude yang berbasis di AS keluar dari fase stealth minggu ini dengan pendanaan seed senilai $8 juta yang dipimpin oleh NEA untuk mengatasi transfer uang bisnis yang lambat dan mahal. • Pendanaan tersebut mendukung misi Latitude untuk menyederhanakan pembayaran internasional, memposisikannya sebagai penantang di ruang fintech di tengah meningkatnya permintaan untuk transfer B2B yang efisien. • Peluncuran ini bertepatan dengan lonjakan fintech pada April 2026, menyoroti kepercayaan investor pada inovasi paytech meskipun ada ketidakpastian ekonomi akibat harga energi dan kebijakan Fed.

• Seorang Demokrat Connecticut yang ambisus secara politik meninggalkan negosiasi bipartisan mengenai pendanaan pemerintah di tengah tekanan partai agar dilibatkan. • Aksi walkout ini meningkatkan ketegangan terkait prioritas anggaran federal dan pemotongan pengeluaran. • Hal ini dapat menunda rancangan undang-undang pendanaan yang krusial bagi tenggat waktu fiskal mendatang.

• Skye AI, a home screen app for iPhone powered by artificial intelligence, raised $3.58 million in pre-seed funding while still in private testing phase. • The funding supports development of the app, which aims to enhance iPhone user experience through AI-driven features accessible directly from the home screen. • This investment highlights growing investor interest in mobile AI applications amid competition in the smartphone ecosystem.

• SkyfireAI Inc., a US-based autonomous drone startup, raised $11 million in new funding to advance dual-use technology. • The investment targets AI autonomy for public safety, defense, and commercial drone applications. • This funding accelerates development amid rising demand for intelligent unmanned systems in critical sectors.

• Months after restoring federal family planning funding, Missouri's only Title X grantee program now confronts fresh challenges from U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. • The program provides essential reproductive health services amid ongoing political debates over federal support for family planning initiatives. • This development underscores persistent tensions in U.S. public health policy regarding access to contraception and reproductive care funding.

• A leading AI startup focused on enterprise AI solutions secured $150 million in Series B funding on April 25, 2026. • The round was led by Lightspeed Ventures and SoftBank, signaling strong investor confidence in scalable AI technologies for businesses. • This funding underscores accelerating growth in the US enterprise AI sector amid rising demand for efficient AI deployment tools.

• Toronto-based Cohere Inc. and Germany's Aleph Alpha GmbH announced plans to merge, supported by a $600 million structured financing commitment from Schwarz Group. • Cohere, which has raised $1.6 billion since 2019 from Nvidia and others, offers multiple AI models; the Series E deal expects additional investors and closure later in 2026. • The merger combines expertise in enterprise AI, potentially accelerating development amid US-China tech tensions and boosting competitive edge for Western AI firms.