Listen to today’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/silk-logic-small-business-daily/id1841930957
Small Business Daily Podcast 01/17/2026
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories:
Warehouse automation startup Mytra snags $120M in funding
Mytra raised $120 million to speed deployments of its AI-orchestrated, high-density storage and retrieval system that replaces aisles with a modular grid and low-profile robots. The company says it boosts throughput and storage while cutting labor and safety risks in an industry with major staffing gaps and wasted floor space. Fortune 500 traction and rapid hiring underscore demand for a full-stack rethink of warehouse infrastructure.
Helping companies with physical operations around the world run more intelligently
Samsara’s platform turns real-world operations data into safety and efficiency gains, with customers like Home Depot and Maxim Crane reporting large reductions in claims and maintenance costs. Processing 20 trillion data points annually, it layers AI for routing, maintenance, coaching, and a chat interface for quick ops queries. New efforts target weather-related risk and sustainability, from fuel optimization to EV transitions.
NexusFocus F1: Viltrox brings AI AF to manual lenses
Viltrox’s NexusFocus F1 adapter adds AI-driven autofocus, iris, and zoom to manual PL-mount cinema lenses on Sony E-mount cameras, using Sony’s phase-detect AF and app-assisted calibration. Already overfunded on Kickstarter, it targets solo shooters and small crews who want cinema glass with modern AF, with early-bird kits around $808 (MSRP ~$1,099) through February 13. Current constraints include Sony-only support and no third-party/manual control, with features on the roadmap.
Anthropic taps former Microsoft India MD to lead Bengaluru expansion
Anthropic appointed Irina Ghose to lead its India push as it opens a Bengaluru office, leaning into a market that’s now its second-largest user base for Claude. With pricing pressure and telecom distribution deals shaping adoption, the company aims to convert heavy usage into enterprise revenue across sectors and public institutions. Hiring across go-to-market roles and senior-level outreach underscore a deep commitment to the region.
Irish startup Equal1 receives $60M to start deploying its scalable quantum computing tech
Equal1 raised $60 million to deploy Bell-1, a silicon spin-based quantum processor designed to fit standard data center racks. Built with conventional semiconductor processes and MRI-grade cryogenic cooling, the approach promises better scalability and lower costs than many alternatives, with deployments planned at European HPC centers like ESA’s Phi-Lab. The company is targeting ever-larger on-chip qubit counts on the path to practical quantum advantage.
AI journalism startup Symbolic.ai signs deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp
News Corp will roll out Symbolic.ai’s platform at Dow Jones Newswires, moving AI from pilot projects to production newsroom workflows. Founded by Devin Wenig and Jon Stokes, Symbolic.ai claims major productivity gains for research, fact-checking, newsletters, and SEO, complementing News Corp’s broader AI licensing strategy. It’s a sign that media organizations are standardizing AI tools to boost output while safeguarding editorial quality.
OpenAI joins seed round of brain-computer interface startup Merge Labs
OpenAI is participating in Merge Labs’ seed round and plans to collaborate on scientific foundation models to accelerate brain–computer interface R&D. Cofounded by Sam Altman and leading researchers, Merge is exploring novel, potentially less-invasive approaches that contrast with Neuralink’s implanted chips. The move signals OpenAI’s growing interest in hardware and human augmentation alongside its core software efforts.
Anthropic appoints Irina Ghose as India MD
Anthropic confirmed Ghose’s appointment and said its Bengaluru HQ opens in February, with plans to partner across conglomerates, healthcare, education, and startups. Emphasizing trusted, enterprise-grade AI and multilingual reach, the company is aligning to India’s status as a top market and will participate in the government’s India AI Impact Summit. Rival expansions by OpenAI and Perplexity highlight the intensifying race to localize and scale AI services.
