Mobility Threads | Release #6
In Istanbul, Turkey with Burak Cendek on the potential of emerging markets. On the road in Dubai next week!
Burak, Dilara, and I attended the Future of Mobility event in Istanbul, and one thing is clear—emerging markets are punching above their weight in AI innovation. With Deepseek showing that AGI development might not need bottomless pockets, the next wave of AI talent is set to thrive.
Turkey, already a prime nearshoring hub for Europe in both hardware and software, is shaping up to be a powerhouse for AI’s next generation. Oh, and in case I haven’t mentioned it—Istanbul is the greatest city on earth.
Here’s what Burak had to say about emerging markets.
On the Right Track
Fractile AI (Boston, MA) – Secured investment from former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger to advance its low-power, high-performance AI chips. The company focuses on energy-efficient solutions for data centers and edge devices, reflecting the rising demand for sustainable AI infrastructure.
Wholemax (Sunnyvale, CA) – Specializes in building scalable, edge AI hardware solutions to optimize performance for robotics, autonomous vehicles, and IoT applications.
Vizgard (London, UK) – Secured £1.5M in seed funding led by Sure Valley Ventures, with support from Midwich Ignite and Focal. Vizgard develops distributed AI solutions for defense, surveillance, and public safety, offering cutting-edge situational awareness technology.
Proko Park (Rolling Hills Estates, CA) – Joined AI Entrepreneurs at Berkeley (AIEB) accelerator and secured investment from gumi to expand its AI-powered smart parking solutions. The company is focused on reducing congestion and improving urban mobility with cutting-edge automation.
Package.ai (Tel Aviv, Israel) – Raised $14M in Series A funding to modernize retail operations with its AI-driven platform. By integrating customer engagement with last-mile logistics, Package.ai aims to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction in the retail sector.
Figure (Sunnyvale, CA) – Raised $675M at a $2.6B valuation and signed a collaboration agreement with OpenAI to develop next-generation AI models for humanoid robots. Figure is working on advanced robotics solutions for logistics, manufacturing, and beyond.
Enapi (Berlin, Germany) – Raised €7.5M in Seed funding led by Voyager Ventures, with participation from Project A, Seedcamp, and Helloworld VC. Enapi provides a unified API for the EV charging ecosystem, integrating multiple charge point operators and eMobility service providers to streamline industry connectivity.
Side Track
I think everyone saw this meme coming…
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Disclaimer: The views expressed here are my own and do not constitute investment advice, guidance, or recommendations of any kind.