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Good morning ☀️, leader of the next generation.
Sometimes we give technology too much credit or too much blame.
The truth is, it’s a tool. How we use it is what matters.
Used with purpose, it helps us see more clearly, build faster, and express ourselves in new ways.
It’s not about chasing trends. It’s about creating something real.
⚡ WHAT'S AT STAKE TODAY ⚡
- 🍋💰 Lemon Slice nabs $10.5M from YC and Matrix to build out its digital avatar tech
- 🛒🤖 Amazon's AI assistant Alexa+ now works with Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp
- ⚖️📚 John Carreyrou and other authors bring new lawsuit against six major AI companies
- 🚀📈 Google started the year behind in the AI race. It ended 2025 on top.
- 🏭🔬 NIST Launches Centers for AI in Manufacturing and Critical Infrastructure
- 📊💎 Nebius, Nvidia Lead The Best AI Stocks To Hold
- 💼✅ 3 ways anyone can start using AI at work today - safely
- 🛍️💲 Why Instacart Backtracked on an AI-Pricing Experiment
- ✨💰 Marissa Mayer's new startup Dazzle raises $8M led by Forerunner's Kirsten Green
Lemon Slice raises $10.5M for interactive digital avatar technology
Lemon Slice nabs $10.5M from YC and Matrix to build out its digital avatar tech
Digital avatar startup Lemon Slice has secured $10.5 million in seed funding to transform how AI agents interact with users by adding a video layer to traditionally text-based chatbots. The company aims to solve what many see as the "uncanny valley" problem plaguing current avatar technology.
Founded in 2024 by Lina Colucci, Sidney Primas, and Andrew Weitz, Lemon Slice has developed a 20-billion-parameter diffusion model called Lemon Slice-2 that creates digital avatars from a single image. The model can generate both human and non-human characters that livestream at 20 frames per second using just one GPU.
"In the early days of GenAI, my co-founders started to play around with different video models, and it became obvious to us that video was going to be interactive," co-founder Lina Colucci explained. The team believes that adding visual elements to AI interactions will make them more engaging and natural.
The technology works by layering digital avatars on top of knowledge bases, allowing them to serve various roles including customer service representatives, homework tutors, and mental health support agents. Companies can integrate these avatars into their websites using a simple API or embeddable widget that requires just one line of code.
What sets Lemon Slice apart from existing solutions is its focus on overcoming the limitations that have hindered avatar adoption. "The existing avatar solutions I've seen to date add negative value to the product," Colucci noted. "They are creepy, and they are stiff. The thing that has prevented avatars from really taking off is that they haven't been good enough."
The startup's approach uses a general-purpose diffusion model—the same type used by advanced video generators like Sora—rather than specialized solutions limited to specific scenarios. This flexibility allows for customizable backgrounds, styling, and character appearances that can be modified at any point during interactions.
Matrix Partners led the funding round, joined by Y Combinator, Dropbox CTO Arash Ferdowsi, Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, and The Chainsmokers. The investment will support hiring engineering and go-to-market staff while covering the substantial compute costs required for model training.
Ilya Sukhar from Matrix Partners praised the team's technical expertise, noting their track record of "shipping ML products, not just demos and research." He believes Lemon Slice's generalized scaling approach using data and compute will provide advantages over competitors focused on specific verticals.
Y Combinator's Jared Friedman highlighted the fundamental machine learning approach as a key differentiator. "Lemon Slice is, I believe, the only company taking the fundamental ML approach that can eventually overcome the uncanny valley," he said, emphasizing that their end-to-end diffusion transformer model has no ceiling on quality improvements.
The company has implemented safeguards against unauthorized face or voice cloning and uses large language models for content moderation. While Lemon Slice won't name specific clients, they report usage across education, language learning, e-commerce, and corporate training sectors.
Despite facing competition from established players like D-ID, HeyGen, Synthesia, and others, Lemon Slice's eight-person team is betting that their technical approach will prove superior. The startup uses ElevenLabs technology for avatar voice generation and plans to expand capabilities as they scale their operations with the new funding.
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Amazon expands Alexa+ with four major service integrations
Amazon's AI assistant Alexa+ now works with Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp
Amazon announced four new integrations for its AI assistant Alexa+, adding Angi, Expedia, Square, and Yelp starting in 2026. These additions enable users to book hotels, get home service quotes, and schedule appointments through natural language conversations.
The service joins existing partnerships with Fodor, OpenTable, Suno, Ticketmaster, Thumbtack, and Uber. Similar to ChatGPT's app integrations, Amazon aims to make online services more accessible through voice commands. Early data shows strong engagement with home service providers like Thumbtack and Vagaro, though widespread adoption remains uncertain.
🎙️ NEW EPISODE DROP:
Inventing the Future with Pablos Holman
I sat down with Pablos Holman — hacker, inventor, futurist, and founder of Deep Future — for one of the most mind-expanding conversations I’ve ever had.
We talked about using AI to solve real problems, what most entrepreneurs get completely wrong, and how Pablos has spent his career inventing the tools of tomorrow — from laser-powered mosquito killers to nuclear reactors powered by waste.
If you care about the future, technology, or building what others say is impossible — this episode is for you.
⚡ Trends for the Future
Marissa Mayer's new startup Dazzle raises $8M led by Forerunner's Kirsten Green
Former Yahoo CEO launches AI assistant startup after shuttering Sunshine.
Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is diving into the generative AI revolution with her new startup Dazzle, which focuses on building next-generation AI personal assistants. After six years of running the unsuccessful photo-sharing and contact-management startup Sunshine, Mayer has shuttered that company to launch this new venture.
Dazzle has secured an $8 million seed round at a $35 million valuation, led by Forerunner Ventures' Kirsten Green. The round included participation from notable investors like Kleiner Perkins, Greycroft, Offline Ventures, Slow Ventures, and Bling Capital. Green's involvement is particularly significant given her track record of identifying successful consumer brands like Warby Parker, Chime, and Dollar Shave Club.
The investment comes at a time when consumer-facing AI is finally ready for its breakthrough moment, according to Green, who previously noted that while enterprise AI dominated early in this tech cycle, consumer AI has been a "late bloomer."
Mayer's previous venture, Sunshine, originally launched in 2018 as Lumi Labs, struggled significantly despite raising $20 million from investors. The company faced criticism for privacy concerns around its contact management app and failed to gain traction with its various offerings, including event management tools and an AI-powered photo-sharing feature called "Shine."
Reflecting on Sunshine's failure, Mayer acknowledged the problems were too "mundane" and not large enough in scope. When Sunshine was dissolved, its investors received 10% equity in Dazzle as compensation.
The Sunshine team began prototyping Dazzle last summer, quickly realizing the new project had much greater potential for impact. While Mayer hasn't revealed specific details about Dazzle's functionality, she emphasized her aspiration to build a product with the transformative impact of her previous work at Google and Yahoo.
Dazzle is expected to emerge from stealth mode early next year, marking Mayer's latest attempt to create a company that fundamentally changes how people interact with technology.
⚡ You’re Smart. Strategic. Intentional. So Let’s Be Real:
Where Are You Holding Back— On Purpose?
Every smart operator has something they’re intentionally avoiding.
Not because they’re lazy — but because it’s risky, unknown, or just... a bit *uncomfortable*.
So what’s that thing for you?
That one decision, move, or experiment you know would push you forward — but you’ve been choosing not to do it.
Tell us — and we’ll share a tactical POV or tool to help you rethink it.
No fluff. Just momentum.
AI will be humanity's most transformative tool, helping us achieve breakthroughs faster and create a world where innovation serves everyone's wellbeing and prosperity.
Nathan Blecharczyk is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb who served as the company's CTO and built the technical infrastructure that enables millions of hosts and guests to connect worldwide. As a software engineer and entrepreneur, he has been instrumental in creating the sharing economy and continues to advocate for technology that fosters trust between strangers while creating economic opportunities in communities around the globe.
🎬 How to Use AI Agents to Build High-Converting Video Ads
Build once. Scale everywhere. In just minutes.
What if: Instead of spending weeks scripting, editing, and testing ads… you could build 10 variations of a high-converting video in 15 minutes — with agents handling the voiceover, visuals, call-to-action, and even the hook testing?
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Why This Changes Everything for Founders 🧠
- 🎥 Fast-Track Ad Creation: From idea to launch-ready video in under an hour — no team needed.
- 🔁 Test Like a Pro: Run A/B tests on 10 hooks, CTAs, or visuals — while you sleep.
- 💰 Better ROAS, Less Guessing: Let agents learn what your audience *actually* responds to.
- 📦 Works for Any Product: Digital or physical — agents adapt to your niche & brand voice.
📅 Join the Live Session w code Supercharged
We’ll walk you step-by-step through building your own ad-generating agent — no code needed.
👉 Click here to save your seat for the webinar
You’ll leave with a working prototype, free templates, and 5x more speed in your next ad campaign.
🎁 Bonus for Attendees:
- ✅ AI Agent Template for Ad Generation
- ✅ "Top 10 Hooks That Convert" Prompt Pack
- ✅ Entry to win a Free AI Strategy Audit
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The Supercharged is aiming to be the world's #1 AI business magazine and is on a mission to empower 1,000,000 entrepreneurs worldwide by 2025, guiding them through the transition into the AI-driven creative age. We're dedicated to breaking down complex technologies, sharing actionable insights, and fostering a community that thrives on innovation, to become the ultimate resource for businesses navigating the AI revolution.
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