Latest news with #Felt
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This startup just raised $15 million to create custom maps with AI for monitoring wildfire and flood risks
California startup Felt has raised $15 million to develop its AI-driven geospatial mapping platform. Users can create custom maps and dashboards with AI by instructing it with prompts. Felt's platform has been adopted by insurers, emergency responders, and energy companies. California-based startup Felt has secured $15 million for its platform that lets customers build custom geospatial maps with generative AI. The startup, launched in 2021, has designed a software tool that turns users' location data points into a map visualization tailored to their business or individual needs, such as monitoring assets for maintenance or project planning. "Cities and businesses rely on maps to run their business," Felt cofounder and CEO, Sam Hashemi, told Business Insider. Traditionally, businesses have used geographic information systems, which combine maps and data points — like how many cars use a certain road — to help them make decisions. "We're building a modern version of this business mapping software," said Hashemi. Felt has pivoted to an AI-first platform where users type in a few natural language prompts to generate any application they need, such as maps, charts, and dashboards. The startup has a wide range of use cases and customers, from NGOs to insurers and emergency responders. "There are so many industries, from agriculture to construction to decarbonization, that use our platform," Hashemi said. Over half of its customers are in the energy and climate sector, he added, pointing to the likes of sustainable cement company Brimstone, which is using Felt to help build a more sustainable concrete analysis tool. Felt's dashboards can also track metrics like deforestation, air quality, and flood risk. The startup's tech has been used to monitor and detect wildfires, a crisis that has alarmed insurers and utility companies and encouraged them to adopt more high-tech mitigation solutions. Northern Arizona State University has used Felt to build a fire-prevention tool, which can help foresters monitor tree health and mitigate forest fires. The startup makes money by charging an annual subscription fee, which varies depending on the customer's tier. There is also a free-for-use model for individuals. Smaller teams are charged a team rate, and larger enterprises can access Felt's in-house team and expertise. Despite Felt's close work with climate-adjacent sectors, an industry that's been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration's anti-ESG rhetoric, Hashemi found the fundraising process pretty smooth. The funding round, shared exclusively with BI, was led by climate and energy investment fund Energize Capital, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures and Footwork VC. Previously, the startup raised $15 million in Series A funding, plus a $4.5 million seed when it launched. "If you spent any time with maps, and thinking about how your physical information can be digitized, it's very complex," said Juan Muldoon, partner at Energize Capital. "They make this process much simpler. That's what drew us to them," He added that "in the energy transition, every provider, even if it's a utility, is leveraging geospatial data in their business," making it a viable tool for the industry. With the fresh funding, the Felt team plans to double down on its AI platform and expand its team. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
15-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
This startup just raised $15 million to create custom maps with AI for monitoring wildfire and flood risks
California-based startup Felt has secured $15 million for its platform that lets customers build custom geospatial maps with generative AI. The startup, launched in 2021, has designed a software tool that turns users' location data points into a map visualization tailored to their business or individual needs, such as monitoring assets for maintenance or project planning. "Cities and businesses rely on maps to run their business," Felt cofounder and CEO, Sam Hashemi, told Business Insider. Traditionally, businesses have used geographic information systems, which combine maps and data points — like how many cars use a certain road — to help them make decisions. "We're building a modern version of this business mapping software," said Hashemi. Felt has pivoted to an AI-first platform where users type in a few natural language prompts to generate any application they need, such as maps, charts, and dashboards. The startup has a wide range of use cases and customers, from NGOs to insurers and emergency responders. "There are so many industries, from agriculture to construction to decarbonization, that use our platform," Hashemi said. Over half of its customers are in the energy and climate sector, he added, pointing to the likes of sustainable cement company Brimstone, which is using Felt to help build a more sustainable concrete analysis tool. Felt's dashboards can also track metrics like deforestation, air quality, and flood risk. The startup's tech has been used to monitor and detect wildfires, a crisis that has alarmed insurers and utility companies and encouraged them to adopt more high-tech mitigation solutions. Northern Arizona State University has used Felt to build a fire-prevention tool, which can help foresters monitor tree health and mitigate forest fires. The startup makes money by charging an annual subscription fee, which varies depending on the customer's tier. There is also a free-for-use model for individuals. Smaller teams are charged a team rate, and larger enterprises can access Felt's in-house team and expertise. Despite Felt's close work with climate-adjacent sectors, an industry that's been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration's anti-ESG rhetoric, Hashemi found the fundraising process pretty smooth. The funding round, shared exclusively with BI, was led by climate and energy investment fund Energize Capital, with participation from Bain Capital Ventures and Footwork VC. Previously, the startup raised $15 million in Series A funding, plus a $4.5 million seed when it launched. "If you spent any time with maps, and thinking about how your physical information can be digitized, it's very complex," said Juan Muldoon, partner at Energize Capital. "They make this process much simpler. That's what drew us to them," He added that "in the energy transition, every provider, even if it's a utility, is leveraging geospatial data in their business," making it a viable tool for the industry. With the fresh funding, the Felt team plans to double down on its AI platform and expand its team.
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Street-Level Superstar: A Year With Lawrence by Will Hodgkinson audiobook review – indie pop's ultimate underdog
When the music journalist Will Hodgkinson proposed writing a book on Lawrence, ex-frontman of the post-punk band Felt and latterly of Go-Kart Mozart (recently re-christened Mozart Estate), he was told there would be conditions. Lawrence – who goes by his first name only – said he couldn't speak to any old bandmates. Furthermore, there could be no anecdotes or use of the word 'just'. Asked what is wrong with 'just', Lawrence tells him: 'I just don't like it.' A simultaneously entertaining and melancholic account of an overlooked musician, Street-Level Superstar depicts the sixtysomething Lawrence as a pallid eccentric who passes his time walking around London, who lives on liquorice and milky tea and is fearful of cheese – 'We know that in nature if something smells, it is dangerous to eat.' We learn that Lawrence hasn't had a girlfriend for years. Reflecting on sex, he says: 'I was a two-minute wonder. They're not missing much.' Yet there is a reason why Hodgkinson, who is also our narrator, chose to spend time trudging the streets with this oddball figure. It's because he is convinced of Lawrence's musical genius – as is Lawrence himself – even if the rest of the world appears immune. And while Hodgkinson can't resist mining his intractability for laughs, his book is underpinned by empathy and a laudable lack of judgment. Most music biographies follow familiar trajectories of failure followed by triumph and redemption. But this is a rare tale of a promising career undermined by bad luck, self-sabotage and the fruitless quest for a hit. The audiobook also includes a wonderfully warm Q&A between author and subject, where Lawrence reflects on his fantasy as a youth that he was living in the film of his life. Available via Nine Eight Books, 10hr 44 min Romantic ComedyCurtis Sittenfeld, Penguin Audio, 9hr 5minSally, a divorced comedy writer practised in skewering celebrities, catches the eye of a pop star who is known for only dating models. Read by Kristen Sieh. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion The Dry SeasonMelissa Febos, Canongate, 9hr 59minThe Girlhood author reads her memoir in which she swears off relationships and documents a year of sexual abstinence.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Yahoo
Owner ‘heartbroken' after crash causes extensive damage to NE Portland gym
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A local gym is in shambles after a driver crashed through a stretch of Northeast Portland early Sunday morning, police said. At 3:45 a.m., officers responded to reports of a crash at Northeast 14th Avenue and East Burnside. Man shot in jaw in NE Portland Plaid Pantry parking lot Arriving at the scene, police said they found a Chevy Cobalt had damaged multiple businesses, including Whole Body Fitness, a personal training gym. Further, officials said they had to extricate the driver from the car and take him to a hospital. Tiffany Felt, the owner of Whole Body Fitness, told KOIN 6 News she was in complete shock after seeing the destruction for the first time, 'I'm feeling a little numb right now,' she said. Pieces of the car were scattered around the gym, including a part of the trunk behind a desk, a muffler by the weights and motor oil splattered across the walls and ceiling. 'Here this is a place that people come to sort of check out and work and improve themselves,' Felt said. 'All of that is, you know, compromised at the moment.' Driver dies after crash throws him from vehicle in Forest Grove Mason Biggers, who lives near the area, also heard the crash. 'When I looked out, there was a car halfway sticking in the building,' he recalled. 'I was glad it was super late in the evening and it wasn't through the day. I know that this Whole Body Fitness has people in there working out at any time.' Felt now faces a lot of work to get her business back up and running. 'I love this place. It's fun. We've been having a good time, growing it and building it,' she said. 'I'm a little heartbroken. Honestly. Truly.' Police say the driver, a 23-year-old man, is expected to survive. He has also not been charged at this time. They add they are investigating to determine if alcohol and speed were factors in the crash. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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First Post
31-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
History Today: When the whistleblower behind the Watergate scandal exposed himself. Who was 'Deep Throat'?
On May 31, 2005, W Mark Felt, the former Associate Director of the US intelligence agency FBI, revealed himself as the secret source named 'Deep Throat' that exposed the Watergate scandal in the US. The official secretly cooperated with Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to expose the scandal that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974 read more More than 30 years after the Watergate scandal rocked the United States, W Mark Felt, once the Associate Director of the US intelligence agency FBI, publicly revealed in 2005 that he had been the mysterious source known as 'Deep Throat.' AP May 31 is remembered as a turning point in American political history, especially for those who remember the political storm that was Watergate. In 2005, more than three decades after the Watergate scandal shook the foundations of the White House and led to President Richard Nixon's resignation, the secret source behind the exposé known only as 'Deep Throat' finally revealed his identity. Meanwhile, back in 1962, Adolf Eichmann, a key architect of Adolf Hitler's Holocaust, was executed in Israel following his conviction for crimes against humanity. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. Here's a look at what made headlines on May 31. When former FBI Assistant Director revealed himself as 'Deep Throat' More than 30 years after the Watergate scandal rocked the United States, W Mark Felt, once the Associate Director of the US intelligence agency FBI , publicly revealed in 2005 that he had been the mysterious source known as 'Deep Throat.' It was Felt's secret cooperation with Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein that played a vital role in exposing the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to President Richard Nixon 's resignation in 1974. The Watergate scandal eventually led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974. AP Although there had long been speculation about his identity, Felt had always denied any involvement. 'I never leaked information to Woodward and Bernstein or to anyone else,' he wrote in his 1979 memoir. Even as late as 1999, just six years before his confession, a then 91-year-old Felt told reporters, 'It would be contrary to my responsibility as a loyal employee of the FBI to leak information.' Felt's motivation to leak secret info was rooted in his frustration. After the death of longtime FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, Felt had hoped to be named as Hoover's successor. But Nixon passed him over, and tensions escalated as the White House attempted to interfere with the FBI's Watergate investigation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When Bob Woodward reached out to Felt for help, the veteran FBI official agreed, but only under strict conditions. Felt wouldn't be quoted, not even anonymously. He refused to offer any new information and only confirmed what the reporters already knew. And above all, his identity had to remain under wraps. Woodward and Bernstein only contacted him for matters they deemed absolutely essential. Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward at work in 1973. AP At first, they spoke over the phone. But as concerns about tapped lines grew, the pair came up with a system of signals and began meeting secretly in a parking garage in the dead of night. Felt's eventual reveal came via an article in Vanity Fair, much to the surprise of Woodward and Bernstein, who had vowed to protect his identity until his death. He died on December 18, 2008, at the age of 95. When the architect of Holocaust was executed in Israel On this day in 1962, Adolf Eichmann , a high-ranking Nazi official and one of the principal organisers of Adolf Hitler's Holocaust, was executed for his crimes against humanity in Israel. Eichmann played a key role in implementing the so-called 'Final Solution,' the Nazis' plan to systematically exterminate the Jewish population. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He was tasked with coordinating the identification, rounding up, and deportation of millions of Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe to death camps. There, they were either gassed or worked until they died. Eichmann performed his duties with chilling efficiency. Between three to four million Jews died in the extermination camps under his direction, and an additional two million were killed elsewhere. Adolf Eichmann, a high-ranking Nazi official and one of the principal organisers of Adolf Hitler's Holocaust, was executed for his crimes against humanity in Israel. Image courtesy: The National World War II Mueseum After the war, Eichmann was captured by American troops. But he managed to escape custody, moving secretly through Europe and eventually the Middle East. By 1950, he had slipped into Argentina, then known for its relaxed immigration policies and reputation as a haven for former Nazi officials, where he assumed the false identity of Ricardo Klement. In 1957, a German prosecutor passed a tip to Israeli authorities that Eichmann was alive and hiding in Argentina. Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, launched a covert mission. On May 11, they made their move. As Eichmann walked home from a bus stop along Garibaldi Street, Mossad agents snatched him and took him to a safe house. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Nine days later, he was smuggled out of Argentina, heavily sedated and disguised as a crew member of an Israeli airline who had supposedly suffered a head injury. On May 23, Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion went public with the shocking news: Eichmann was in Israeli custody. Argentina protested, demanding his return. But Israel insisted that Eichmann's role as a war criminal gave them every right to put him on trial. The proceedings began on April 11, 1961, in Jerusalem, marking the first time a trial was broadcast on television. Eichmann faced 15 charges, including war crimes, crimes against the Jewish people, and crimes against humanity. He claimed he was merely following orders, but the court didn't buy it. He was executed by hanging near Tel Aviv. His remains were cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea.
