Listen to today’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silk-logic-small-business-daily/id1841930957
Small Business Daily Podcast 12/18/2025
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories: a sweep of AI-driven breakthroughs, security shifts, and funding news that signal where digital operations and customer engagement are headed next.
Skana Robotics helps fleets of underwater robots communicate with each other
By Rebecca Szkutak — December 17, 2025
Skana Robotics unveiled an AI-driven capability for its SeaSphere fleet management software that enables long-distance, underwater communication and coordinated decision-making across autonomous vessels—without surfacing. The team leaned on more explainable, mathematically driven AI (rather than cutting-edge LLMs) to boost predictability and control, with an eye toward defense, infrastructure security, and large-scale, multi-vessel operations. The startup is targeting European government buyers now and aims for a commercial release in 2026.
Docker makes its entire catalog of security-hardened container images free for everyone
By Mike Wheatley — December 17, 2025
Docker open-sourced 1,000+ Hardened Images under Apache 2.0, giving developers and platform teams enterprise-grade, security-minimized bases for faster, safer software delivery. Alongside the free catalog, Docker launched DHI Enterprise and Extended Lifecycle Support for SLA-backed patching, compliance, and customization—positioning security as a built-in foundation amid accelerating AI-assisted development. The move both answers rising supply chain threats and counters new competition in secure images.
Kochi-based startup Digital Worker Services introduce co-worker desktop tool
By BL Kochi Bureau — December 17, 2025
Digital Worker Services launched “klapp,” a desktop AI co-worker for the memmoo BPO platform that watches on-screen tasks and turns them into automated, portable workflows using computer vision and OCR. Teams can spin up multiple co-workers with one click for jobs such as invoice capture and back-office digitization, aiming to free humans for more creative work. The startup reports early investment and a $2.5 million valuation to drive product development.
Customer engagement service MoEngage raised $180M in a follow-on Series F, split into a $57M primary and $123M secondary round, weeks after raising $100M
By Not specified — December 17, 2025
MoEngage secured a follow-on $180 million Series F—$57 million primary and $123 million secondary—just weeks after a $100 million raise, underscoring strong investor conviction in Indian SaaS. The company will use the capital to accelerate growth, enhance its personalization and messaging products, and expand globally. The rounds highlight sustained momentum in customer engagement platforms as brands prioritize data-driven retention and lifetime value.
Starseed expands patent portfolio for AI PR platform Pulitzer AI to five
By PLATUM — December 17, 2025
Starseed added two Korean patents that let Pulitzer AI generate articles adapted to local language and culture and optimize content for specific platforms and channels. Combined with earlier IP for personalization and media style emulation, the stack aims to deliver press materials that match outlet tone and platform norms, beyond simple translation. The company serves clients from startups to public institutions and continues to build technical moats in global PR automation.
Chatbot visibility startup geoSurge launches to help brands get noticed by ChatGPT
By Mike Wheatley — December 17, 2025
geoSurge debuted with a new discipline—”corpus engineering”—to help brands understand how they’re encoded in LLMs and proactively improve their visibility in chatbot answers. With AI chat usage surging and model updates reshuffling results, the company offers content strategies, technical optimization, and tactics like “memory shaping” and “freshness cycles” to reduce volatility. The goal: prevent brands from disappearing overnight as models evolve and generative engines displace traditional search.
UMT powers Taiwan’s role in the rise of orbital data centers
By Chong Jing, Taipei; Elaine Chen, DIGITIMES Asia — December 17, 2025
With Starcloud launching a satellite equipped with Nvidia’s H100 and completing the first successful in-orbit AI training, the concept of orbital data centers is moving from theory to early proof points. Taiwan-based UMT is highlighted as a key enabler in this emerging space-compute supply chain. The development hints at future workloads shifting closer to where space data is generated, with new hardware and infrastructure opportunities ahead.
Taken together, these stories show AI’s expanding footprint—from seabed robotics and secure software foundations to PR automation, chatbot-era visibility, and even space-based compute. For small businesses, the message is clear: bake security into your stack, experiment with AI-powered workflow tools, and ensure your brand is discoverable in LLMs—not just search. Keep an eye on the capital flowing into engagement and automation platforms; today’s investments often become tomorrow’s competitive advantages.
