World model maker Odyssey nabs .45B valuation backed by Amazon and other big names

World model maker Odyssey nabs $1.45B valuation backed by Amazon and other big names

Odyssey, a world model AI startup founded by self-driving vehicle pioneers CEO Oliver Cameron and CTO Jeff Hawke, has raised a $310 million Series B round at a $1.45B valuation led by Natural Capital, with Amazon, AMD Ventures, GV, and others participating. World models are the next big thing in AI beyond text- and chat-based large language models. They gather…

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Decart’s new world model can simulate hours of photorealistic driving — with some caveats

Decart’s new world model can simulate hours of photorealistic driving — with some caveats

AI startup Decart on Wednesday unveiled Oasis 3, its latest interactive world model that can generate photorealistic driving environments in real time, TechCrunch has exclusively learned. The model is currently available via API.  The startup is initially targeting autonomous vehicle companies that need to simulate rare driving scenarios at scale, and plans to expand into…

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In 2026, AI will move from hype to pragmatism

In 2026, AI will move from hype to pragmatism

If 2025 was the year AI got a vibe check, 2026 will be the year the tech gets practical. The focus is already shifting away from building ever-larger language models and toward the harder work of making AI usable. In practice, that involves deploying smaller models where they fit, embedding intelligence into physical devices, and…

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