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Jabali Raises $5M to Build a Generative AI-Powered Game Engine of the Future

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Led by game industry veterans from Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, and leading AI researchers, the company is committed to revolutionizing game development

SAN FRANCISCO and RALEIGH, N.C., March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Jabali, an AI company advancing game engines and empowering visionary game designers and developers, announced that it has raised a $5 million seed round led by BITKRAFT Ventures with participation from Sapphire Sport, Sony Innovation Fund, Canonical Ventures, and angels from Amazon, Google AI, Open AI, and Pinterest. The investment will be used to expand the Jabali team, refine proprietary models, and accelerate the product launch.

Jabali’s founding team is composed of gaming executives from Amazon, Meta, Zynga and Microsoft along with leading AI researchers with extensive publications in prominent journals such as AAAI and IEEE. Combined the team has over 50 years of gaming experience and the games technology and games built by this team has been used by thousands of game developers and played by a billion players. Jabali is committed to transforming the processes and tools used to create games – removing major roadblocks like excessive coding or complicated workflows – into something that anyone with a creative vision can use. 

The company’s generative AI-powered game engine will let users create new types of games and interactive experiences without needing extensive game development knowledge. Jabali is creating a purpose-built, closed-loop feedback workflow and technology for video games and interactive experiences, utilizing the advances in multimodal generative AI.

“At Jabali, we believe that AI is the next chapter of innovation in video games. We need a revolutionary engine, built from the ground up incorporating advancements in generative AI. Our engine revisits what a game engine can do, enabling more people to make games and new experiences,” shared Jabali Founder and CEO, Vatsal Bhardwaj. Vatsal also added that Jabali is interested in partnering with visionary game makers who want to revolutionize the way games are created and exploring new game mechanics using AI.

“Today’s engines were built 25 years ago and we see an opportunity with Jabali to democratize game creation and drive innovation in today’s growing $200B+ gaming industry,” added Scott Rupp, Partner at BITKRAFT Ventures. “With Vatsal’s experience in building games and games technology at Meta, Amazon and Zynga and Dr. Arnav Jhala’s extensive expertise in AI and video games research at NC State University and UC Santa Cruz, Jabali is poised to fundamentally change how developers make games and how gamers play them.” 

“Game engines are a critical driver to the expansion of creative capability and reach. Jabali is addressing fundamental shifts in game development requiring multi-modal generative AI technology to be built from the core of the game engine. This approach will not only supercharge game studios but also enhance game development and foster a new generation of game creators,” said Joseph Tou, Managing Director – U.S., Sony Ventures. “AI is disruptive across almost all sectors and Jabali’s commitment, experience, and purpose-built application positions it as a leader in shaping the future of game creation.”

The company is hiring. For more information regarding Jabali and the company’s open roles, please visit the Careers page

About Jabali 
Jabali’s mission is to democratize creation and bring innovation to video games. Jabali is building an AI-native engine to empower visionaries, game designers and developers. Jabali will offer a comprehensive, easy-to-use, engine to create games and interactive experiences. Learn more at www.jabali.ai 

About BITKRAFT Ventures

BITKRAFT Ventures is a leading global investment platform for gaming and Web3 according to research from InvestGame and Drake Star Partners. Founded by industry pioneer Jens Hilgers, BITKRAFT serves a worldwide network that spans many of the industry’s forward-thinking startups and founders—including former executives from the likes of Activision Blizzard, Riot Games, Epic Games, Google, and Apple who are working to build and operate the virtual worlds and economies of the future. BITKRAFT operates four venture funds with a total of over $830M in assets under management and has over 100 companies in its global portfolio as of August 2022.

BITKRAFT’s experienced international team works closely with exceptional entrepreneurs to create significant value through early candid partnerships, unique domain experience, entrepreneurial history, and a global ecosystem of strategic partners. Find out more about how BITKRAFT and its portfolio companies are pushing the boundaries of Synthetic Reality® by visiting https://www.bitkraft.vc/vision.

About Sapphire 
Sapphire Sport is the first-of-its-kind ~$300M AUM venture strategy that brings together the capital and industry experience of premier global sporting, media and lifestyle brands, including City Football Group, adidas, AEG, MSG, Sinclair, Arctos, Bank of Montreal and principal owners and investors from franchises in all major U.S. sports leagues. Sapphire Sport primarily invests in Seed, Series A and B-stage technology companies (both B2B2C and B2C) that are powering the next generation of consumer behavior across media, digital commerce, gaming, health and human performance, culture and community. Sapphire Sport is currently investing out of its $181M second fund, announced in January 2023

About Sony Ventures Corporation   
Sony Ventures Corporation manages the Sony Innovation Fund (SIF), which invests in all stages of emerging technology companies as well as in startups solving global environmental challenges. SIF engages with pioneering startups to help fuel the development of disruptive technologies, launch new businesses, and contribute to the environment while seeking return on investment. Sony Ventures Corporation is headquartered in Japan. Learn more at www.sonyinnovationfund.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jabali-raises-5m-to-build-a-generative-ai-powered-game-engine-of-the-future-302082177.html

SOURCE Jabali

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BASX Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony for New State-of-the-Art Weld Shop

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REDMOND, Ore., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — BASX (“BASX” or the “Company”), a leader in the manufacturing of high-efficiency data center cooling solutions, cleanroom systems, and custom HVAC systems, is proud to announce the official ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly completed 36,000-square-foot weld shop. The Redmond Chamber of Commerce performed the ribbon cutting on September 18th, 2024, at BASX headquarters.

The weld shop will create significant job opportunities in the Central Oregon region, with the capacity to fill an additional 30 welding positions. Positions range from entry-level to experienced roles, with professional opportunities in various growing departments within the Company.

“This new facility is a major investment not just in our company, but in the future of Central Oregon,” said Dave Benson, AAON VP and BASX President. “We can now deliver even higher levels of quality and efficiency while providing more job opportunities for the community. We’re proud to support local manufacturing growth and look forward to seeing the impact this expansion will have on both BASX and the region.”

The new shop marks a major expansion in the Company’s production capabilities, introducing state-of-the-art welding technology within a climate-controlled environment. Equipped with advanced air filtration systems, including an AAON make-up air unit and multiple air scrubbers, the shop ensures exceptional air quality for its workers. The space also features two 5-ton overhead cranes and six ½-ton cantilever jib cranes, allowing for efficient movement of materials across the facility.

A key highlight of the facility is its cutting-edge tube laser, capable of precision cutting and profiling round and square tubes, as well as C-channel and I-beam profiles up to 27 feet in length. Additionally, a 75-foot-long dual-zone robotic welding cell is scheduled to be installed and operational in early 2025, enabling the welding of large subassemblies up to 10 tons.

The shop’s innovative capabilities will support the Company’s growth and solidify its position for ongoing expansion. In addition to the 30 new welding jobs, BASX is actively hiring across various departments to support its continued success. To learn more about available positions and apply, visit the BASX careers page at www.basxsolutions.com/careers.

About BASX
Founded in 2014 in Central Oregon, BASX is an industry leader in the manufacturing of high-efficiency data center cooling solutions, cleanroom systems, custom HVAC systems, and modular solutions. Acquired by AAON in 2021, BASX continues to focus on quality, innovation, and state-of-the-art technology. The Company is proud to display the Made-in-America emblem on all its products. For more information, please visit www.basx.com.

Contact Information
Christina Lattanzio
Marketing Manager
(918) 508-9272
Email: Marketing@basx.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/basx-hosts-ribbon-cutting-ceremony-for-new-state-of-the-art-weld-shop-302253745.html

SOURCE AAON

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NASA Sets Coverage for Astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Crewmates Return

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Nikolai Chub and Oleg Kononenko, will depart from the International Space Station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft, and return to Earth.

Dyson, Chub, and Kononenko will undock from the orbiting laboratory’s Prichal module at 4:37 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 23, heading for a parachute-assisted landing at 8 a.m. (5 p.m. Kazakhstan time) on the steppe of Kazakhstan, southeast of the town of Dzhezkazgan.

NASA’s live coverage of return and related activities will stream on NASA+ and the agency’s website. Learn how to stream NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.

A change of command ceremony also will stream on NASA platforms at 10:15 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 22. Kononenko will hand over station command to NASA astronaut Suni Williams for Expedition 72, which begins at the time of undocking.

Spanning 184 days in space, Dyson’s mission includes covering 2,944 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 78 million miles. The Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft launched March 23, and arrived at the station March 25, with Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus. Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya were aboard the station for 12 days before returning home with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara on April 6.

Kononenko and Chub, who launched with O’Hara to the station on the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft last September, will return after 374 days in space and a trip of 158.6 million miles, spanning 5,984 orbits.

Dyson spent her fourth spaceflight aboard the station as an Expedition 70 and 71 flight engineer, and departs with Kononenko, completing his fifth flight into space and accruing an all-time record 1,111 days in orbit, and Chub, who completed his first spaceflight.

After returning to Earth, the three crew members will fly on a helicopter from the landing site to the recovery staging city of Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Dyson will board a NASA plane and return to Houston, while Kononenko and Chub will depart for a training base in Star City, Russia.

NASA’s coverage is as follows (all times Eastern and subject to change based on real-time operations):

Sunday, Sept. 22
10:15 a.m. – Expedition 71/72 change of command ceremony begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

Monday, Sept. 23
12:45 a.m. – Hatch closing coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

1:05 a.m. – Hatch closing

4 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

4:37 a.m. – Undocking

6:45 a.m. – Coverage begins for deorbit burn, entry, and landing on NASA+ and the agency’s website.

7:05 a.m. – Deorbit burn

8 a.m. – Landing

For more than two decades, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge, and making research breakthroughs that are not possible on Earth. The station is a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight and to expand commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit. As commercial companies focus on providing human space transportation services and destinations as part of a robust low Earth orbit economy, NASA is focusing more resources on deep space missions to the Moon as part of Artemis in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

Learn more about International Space Station research and operations at:

https://www.nasa.gov/station

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SOURCE NASA

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Global claims guidance leader EvolutionIQ joins as CALI’s inaugural Life Partner

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NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — US-based EvolutionIQ, a global leader in claims guidance technology, has signed on as the Council of Australian Life Insurers (CALI)’s first Life Partner as part of its corporate partner program.

The CALI Partner Program is designed to foster collaboration and create a connected ecosystem of industry experts.

CALI Life Partners share the industry’s mission to make life insurance accessible, understandable and trusted. They are companies that support Australian life insurers to help Australians and their families have peace of mind about their future so they can live in the most healthy, confident and secure way.

“We are pleased to welcome EvolutionIQ as CALI’s inaugural Life Partner. The CALI Partner Program plays an important role in connecting our members to the latest innovators, like EvolutionIQ, that can move their businesses forward,” said CALI CEO Christine Cupitt.

“We want to work closely with each of our partners to strengthen and support the life insurance industry to deliver better customer experiences for millions of Australians on their best and worst days.”

Headquartered in New York, EvolutionIQ has expanded significantly since 2019. Its clients include major insurance carriers such as Sun Life, Reliance Matrix and Principal Financial. Their AI-powered software makes insurance claims processes more personalised, fair and cost-effective so that more people can recover faster and return to work.

“We are committed to supporting the Australian life insurance ecosystem and being a CALI Life Partner enables us to specialise our products to meet the dynamic needs of the Australian markets,” said EvolutionIQ’s Co-CEO, Mike Saltzman.

“Our partnership with CALI means we can contribute to and shape customer experiences in Australia, and ultimately help more people return to health and a livelihood sooner.”

About EvolutionIQ
EvolutionIQ pioneered Claims Guidance in 2019. Its explainable AI guides insurance claims professionals to their highest potential impact claims, improving the claimant experience and delivering better claim outcomes to claimants, carriers and their customers. EvolutionIQ serves the group disability, individual disability and workers’ compensation markets worldwide. EvolutionIQ’s AI native products have been adopted by 70% of the top 15 U.S. disability carriers and a growing list of workers’ compensation carriers. The New York-based company employs 185 staff across the United States, Europe and Australia. For more information, visit evolutioniq.com and follow the company on LinkedIn.

About CALI
We support Australians to make informed choices about their future and help them live in a healthy, confident and secure way over their lifetime.

Our members’ products and services give people peace of mind when making important decisions and provide a financial safety net during life’s biggest challenges.

We advocate for national policy settings that expand Australians’ access to the life insurance protection that suits them when they need it most.

CALI represents all life insurers and reinsurers in Australia. The Australian life insurance industry is today a $26.4billion industry, employing thousands of Australians and paying billions of dollars of benefits each year.

To view CALI’s corporate partners visit www.cali.org.au/about-us/#our-partners

For more information, visit www.cali.org.au

Media Contact
Jason Kapler
Vice President of Marketing
EvolutionIQ
(917) 740-5608
Press@evolutioniq.com

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/global-claims-guidance-leader-evolutioniq-joins-as-calis-inaugural-life-partner-302253427.html

SOURCE EvolutionIQ

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