Latest news with #Hashemi
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.
Fast Company
27-06-2025
- Fast Company
This AI-powered social app aims to end loneliness—by ‘engineering chance'
'An opportunity to choose chance.' That's what social platform startup 222 claims to offer its members. It isn't a dating app—there's no swiping, and, more notably, there's no actual choosing of who you might be meeting. Instead, an AI-driven algorithm does it for you. 'We wanted people to be out and meeting each other. It was [based] on this whole idea of the death of third places, and that people aren't just running into each other anymore,' says 222 cofounder and chief operations officer Danial Hashemi. 'There's no more chance encounters, so the whole [algorithm] has always been about engineering chance.' A backyard origin story In 2021, twenty-something-year-old friends Keyan Kazemian, Arman Roshannai, and Hashemi came up with the idea for 222 as part of an independent 'research project.' They created a personality questionnaire and asked friends and strangers to complete it. Participants were grouped based on their answers, then invited to Kazemian's backyard for wine and food. Afterward, the trio would assess how well everyone got along. 'It convinced us of two things: one, it is possible to solve the social isolation problem by using machine learning and AI, and two, that even at its [initial] stage, with just us randomly assigning people, they enjoyed it so much,' Hashemi says. Social isolation isn't a new problem in our increasingly digitized lives, but it remains a persistent one. Despite access to every niche thought, community, or subreddit imaginable, society is, statistically, lonelier than ever. According to a 2023 report from the Department of Health and Human Services, we are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. Between 2003 and 2020, time spent alone increased by 24 hours per month nationwide. Over the same period, time spent engaging with others dropped by 10 hours per month. In 2018, only 16% of Americans felt connected to their communities. So, can AI truly be the cure to social isolation? Hashemi thinks it can—through 222, which he believes can 'deepen relationships' and 'connect people' to their cities. How it works The name 222 comes from the street address in Los Angeles where the idea was first developed. The platform is accessible via both app and website. There are no profile photo uploads, and the experience begins with what feels like the final boss of personality quizzes. With prompts ranging from favorite movies to political views to 'how likely would you be to do cocaine?', the algorithm gathers input through a labyrinth of questions. These span categories like identity, interests, and media, shaping each user's 'curation profile.' Eventually, users receive curated invite cards to activities like 'dinner and a comedy club' or 'pickleball and lunch,' matched to their algorithmic personality type. To accept—and to help fund the app alongside its investor backing—users can pay a per-event curation fee of $22.22, subscribe monthly for the same price, or choose a discounted three-month or annual plan. 'We're not trying to be some novel experience that someone tries one time and then doesn't come back,' Hashemi says. 'We're trying to build the lasting product that people build their social infrastructure on top of.' After each group event, users can give feedback on whether they'd like to hang out or date specific individuals. This helps fine-tune the algorithm and increases the 'retainment factor,' according to Hashemi—either deepening existing connections or making space for new ones. 'It just feels like we're more divided than ever and there's more echo chambers than ever,' Hashemi says. 'All of these social media platforms are only showing you what you love and aren't challenging you.' Originally launched in L.A., 222 has since expanded to New York City, San Francisco, and most recently, Chicago. To date, 222 has raised $3.6 million in seed and angel investments from the likes of General Catalyst, Y Combinator, Upfront Ventures, and the 1517 Fund. On July 2, the platform will become available internationally for the first time, launching in Toronto, with London and D.C. to follow later in the month.
Business Mayor
12-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
5G internet will be available in Iran's metropolises by March
Sattar Hashemi said on Sunday that the government will hold auctions in the coming days for radio frequencies needed to expand Iran's 5G network, PressTV reported. 'We hope we can roll out the fifth generation of mobile (internet) in the country in the current year with a focus on metropolises,' Hashemi told reporters on the sidelines of an annual book fair in Tehran. He also said that Iran had reached an agreement with South Korean authorities to have the 5G option enabled in Samsung phones imported from the East Asian country. Hashemi later wrote on his X account that expanding the 5G network in Iran has been one of the main priorities of the country's telecoms ministry. He said that the 5G network will allow Iranian users to enjoy download speeds of up to 500 megabits per second (mbps). '… we will get to know the real meaning of online services, gaming, and movie streaming,' said the minister. The speed of mobile internet in Iran reached an average of 37.36 mbps in May last year, according to data from the international speed monitoring websites. The same data showed that Iran had moved up three places to 73rd in the global ranking of countries with regard to mobile internet speed in May. Figures released by Iran's Communications Regulatory Authority in August also showed that the number of 5G mast sites in the country had increased to a total of 1,313 in late March 2024. MP/ READ SOURCE
Hamilton Spectator
03-05-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
A space to call their own
After a year-long renovation, the much-loved Gallery Gachet is re-opening with a renewed focus on accessibility, community and resilience. The overhaul reimagines the exhibition space to better showcase artists' work, while expanding the gallery's role as a creative hub. There is improved ventilation, an expanded bathroom, and enhanced heating and cooling so that the space can become a place of refuge during extreme weather. With these changes, Gallery Gachet is reaffirming its commitment to fostering an inclusive, artist-centred environment for the Downtown Eastside. At first inspection, it's not easy to spot Gallery Gachet at 9 W. Hastings St. — safeguarded by a green steel grid gate. You could easily pass by without ever knowing it's a gallery. But Gallery Gachet has long been a vital space for marginalized artists, providing a platform to showcase their work and build community. Its mission is to support those who have experienced the mental health system, substance use, or social and political marginalization through art programs that centre creativity as a tool for survival, human rights and cultural participation. Every Monday, the gallery hosts art drop-ins, fostering a supportive and thriving environment where community members can connect and create. Founded as a cooperative in 1992 and a non-profit society in 1993, Gallery Gachet takes its name from Dr. Paul Gachet — Vincent van Gogh's doctor in his final years. A supporter of struggling artists, Gachet not only treated Van Gogh after his release from the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in France, but also advocated for him, encouraging his artistic pursuits as a form of healing. The gallery follows this spirit by providing a haven for artists with lived experience in the mental health system, many of whom identify as psychiatrized survivors. Originally located in Strathcona, Gallery Gachet relocated to the Downtown Eastside in 2000, where it has become deeply embedded in the neighbourhood. The gallery has expanded its programming beyond member-driven exhibitions to offer art that embraces community activism and social justice themes. Sol Hashemi, artist and co-founder of the Veronica Project Space in Seattle, Wash., currently holds the position of communications director at Gallery Gachet. When Megaphone asked Hashemi why it was important to have a gallery like Gachet, he responded, 'Throughout its history, Gachet has been an important space for marginalized people to come together through art.' Hashemi said that the gallery's commitment to supporting marginalized artists and communities is 'deeply rooted in its mandate and values,' recognizing the unique contributions of artists who are often overlooked by the art world, including those who are self-taught, disabled or who simply 'operate differently than the artistic mainstream.' For Hashemi, the most memorable show at Gachet to date was Dion Smith-Dokkie's This Will Be the First of a Thousand Worlds We Give Life To, a 2023 exhibition featuring stretched acrylic skin paintings and works exploring themes of mapping. Smith-Dokkie's work delves into neo-colonialism, highlighting gestures that assert Indigenous autonomy in the face of continuing settler colonial dispossession. The Gallery is a unique niche in the art community and its future looks colourful and bright. They will be holding a reception on May 8th, 6–8pm, 2025, in conjunction with the upcoming exhibition, An Injury on the Diasporic Imagination. Visit the gallery's website for details and exhibitions: . Jathinder Sandhu is a Surrey resident and a published poet, writer and member of The Shift peer newsroom. She won writing contests in high school, studied poetry post-secondary and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in communications. Jathinder also plays bass guitar.
