Good Evening!
You might want to buy a BMW this weekend.
Here are the 7 things you missed today:
1. 🤖 Meta Acquired a Humanoid Robotics AI Startup
Meta’s taking another (robotic) step into its physical AI push. The tech giant has acquired Assured Robot Intelligence, a startup building AI models for robots, as part of an effort to develop humanoid technology. The startup's team, including co-founders Lerrel Pinto and Xiaolong Wang, will join Meta Superintelligence Labs, the company's AI research division, to work with Meta’s Robotics Studio. (Quartz)
2. 🤑 You're Doing the Same Five Things Before Every Sales Call. Why?
LinkedIn. Crunchbase. CRM. Inbox. Last transcript. Fifteen minutes, by hand, every time.
Lightfield is an AI-native CRM that just shipped Skills. Describe any routine in plain English and your CRM learns it.
"Prep me for my call with Acme." Done. "Score every deal in my pipeline." Done. "Research this account the way I would." Done.
2,500+ startups already have.
3. 🧑⚖️ Legal AI Startup Legora Hit $5.6Bn Valuation
Legal AI startup Legora officially has Nvidia’s backing. Well, Nvidia’s corporate VC fund NVentures, at least. The fund has made its first legal AI investment in the Swedish-born tech startup that’s competing with U.S. player Harvey. NVentures also joined Legora’s cap table as part of a $50 million Series D extension just a month after the startup’s $550 million Series D. (TechCrunch)
4. 🧩 You Can’t AI Your Way Out of Bad Planning
With how quickly AI can spit out a draft of copy, teams are skipping content planning entirely and letting a chatbot “figure it out.” Then they’re shocked when the content feels thin, repetitive, or off-brand.
If AI is handling most of your writing, you need humans handling the parts AI can’t do well.
Proofed is the editorial partner that rebuilds the quality you lost when drafting got too easy: the planning, the shaping, the polishing, and the voice-matching.
Your content still needs strategy. Try them free for 30 days →
5. 🇪🇺 E.U.-Made Cars & Trucks Are Getting a Tariff Bump to 25%
If you’re thinking of buying a European car, you might wanna do it soon. Trade deal woes between the U.S. and European Union might be leading to a tariff increase on imported cars and trucks to 25%. Brands that would be hit hardest include Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen with Stellantis’ Alfa Romeo, Fiat, and Maserati vehicles also significantly affected. (Quartz)
6. 👮 California Will Start Ticketing Driverless Cars
Did you know there’s a loophole in California when robotaxis violate traffic laws? Well, no longer. The California Department of Motor Vehicles adopted regulations on April 28 that allow law enforcement to issue traffic citations to autonomous vehicle manufacturers when their driverless cars commit moving violations. (Quartz)
🙇 Tools For CEOs:
💸 Running Meta/Google ads? You’re likely leaving profit on the table. We fix ad effectiveness, scaling structures, & landing pages CVR. $100,000,000+ in tracked revenue. Get a free audit →
😭 Are you an Overwhelmed Founder? Don't let your vision get choked out by the daily grind, with Uh Oh! They'll stand up & fix everything broken with automations & tech issues. Start your risk-free trial here →
😳 400+ B2B brands have replaced cold outreach with this lead gen system - my DFY lead-gen funnel. Clients average 20–120 qualified leads in their first 60 days. $3.5k/mo, no contracts. See if you're a fit here.
7. 💰 Y Combinator Alum Skio Sold For $105M Cash
Subscription payments startup Skio, a 2020 Y Combinator alum, has been acquired by subscription payments competitor Recharge. While the official press release did not disclose the terms of the deal, Skio’s founder Kennan Frost posted on social media that his startup walked with $105 million cash and had only raised $8 million from investors. (TechCrunch)
😮 The Marketing Channel You've Probably Slept On:
Haven't tried newsletter sponsorships yet? You are missing out on a HUGE ROI+ customer acquisition channel. I know because dozens of advertisers keep coming back for more... Run a test campaign with us and see for yourself 👉 Apply now.
🙇 More Helpful Tools For CEOs:
😤 Looking for a marketing agency you can actually trust? Same story I hear every week. That’s why this month I’m making warm introductions to agencies I’ve personally vetted & trust with my own money. Let me help you find the perfect agency 100% free here →
🙏 Want to rank in ChatGPT & Claude? Ranked tracks unlimited prompts + gets you ranked for them. Fully managed starting at $99/mo. No contracts. Start your AEO/SEO free trial here →
📣 Want to get featured in Forbes/WSJ/CNN? Get great placements in top media placements (and niche industry ones) with no up-front investment. Pay on results only! 👉🏼 Get Guaranteed Press Here
AI Resources:
Join hundreds of my readers who have become more proficient in AI with one of HubSpot's easy-to-follow free guides:
Want more leads, clients, customers, or users? Advertise with us here →
😭 Subscribed to too many newsletters? Meco fixed this, now I read all my newsletters in one clean 100% free app! Get to inbox zero here →
(Don’t click here, it’s just a test for our filters, here)
This newsletter may include paid promotions or affiliate links. We may earn compensation if you sign up through them. See our Privacy Policy here.
*Disclaimer: Please read the offering circular and related risks at invest.modemobile.com. This is a paid advertisement for Mode Mobile’s Regulation A+ Offering.
Mode Mobile recently received their ticker reservation with Nasdaq ($MODE), indicating an intent to IPO in the next 24 months. An intent to IPO is no guarantee that an actual IPO will occur.
The Deloitte rankings are based on submitted applications and public company database research, with winners selected based on their fiscal-year revenue growth percentage over a three-year period.