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Startup Wonderful’s platform allows enterprises to create custom AI agents for non-English markets that can interact with customers via a firm’s call center, the support chatbot in its website and email for fielding support requests

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Startup Wonderful which provides AI agents optimized for customer support, has raised $34 million in funding. There are numerous tools on the market that use AI to answer customer support requests. But according to Wonderful, many of those products focus on the English-speaking world, which limits their usefulness in other regions. To address that feature gap, the company has built an AI-powered customer support platform for non-English markets. The company’s platform allows enterprises to create custom AI agents for fielding support requests. Those agents can interact with customers via a firm’s call center, the support chatbot in its website and email. Wonderful says that its AI agents speak naturally and can take into account contextual data about a support ticket when generating responses. Under the hood, the platform uses multiple large language models to process customer requests. Wonderful reportedly plans to equip those models with information about the “peculiarities of each language” that its platform supports. Wonderful provides help desk teams with a centralized interface for managing AI agents. Workers can create new agents, test them for reliability issues before rolling them out to production and then continuously make improvements. A monitoring dashboard makes it possible to track whether AI agents are performing as expected. Wonderful logs the number of customer interactions they process, the percentage of tickets that are resolved successfully and related metrics. Companies can use this data to compare their AI agents against the performance of human help desk teams.

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Algebrik AI and Kinective partner to streamline lending with blended e-signatures, built in for use cases like joint applications, branch-assisted onboarding, or co-signer journeys from application to signature

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Algebrik AI announced a strategic partnership with Kinective, to integrate Algebrik AI’s intelligent loan origination system with Kinective’s Gateway™ platform providing credit unions and community lenders seamless, real-time connectivity between their LOS, core systems, and e-signature workflows.Algebrik AI and Kinective partner to unify loan origination, and e-signatures.  “Our partnership with Kinective eliminates one of the biggest sources of operational drag—manual workflows and broken integrations,” said Pankaj Jain, Founder and CEO of Algebrik AI. With Kinective’s Gateway™ embedded into Algebrik’s platform: Everything Happens in One Place – Loan officers can initiate, track, and complete document signing within the Algebrik interface—no toggling between systems or manual syncs. Blended E-Signatures, Built In – With Kinective Sign, borrowers can complete signatures remotely via email or embedded interfaces, or in-person using supported tablets and signature pads. The same workflow can flexibly accommodate both channels—ideal for use cases like joint applications, branch-assisted onboarding, or co-signer journeys. Compliance-Ready by Design – Every signed document and system update is captured, logged, and audit-ready within Algebrik’s compliance-first architecture. Faster Closings, Happier Borrowers – By automating every touchpoint—from application to final signature—Algebrik reduces operational bottlenecks and delivers a smooth, guided borrowing journey.

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Instacart’s rewards debit card lets its contract employees get free, automatic payouts of their earnings directly in their Shopper Rewards bank account for free after every batch they complete

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Instacart has launched a rewards debit card for its contract “shopper” employees. The Instacart Shoppers Rewards Card, which debuted July 1 in partnership with workforce payments platform Branch, lets these workers get free, automatic payouts of their earnings. “We’re doubling down on our dedication to shopping excellence by empowering and rewarding shoppers who consistently deliver exceptional service to customers,” Daniel Danker, chief product officer at Instacart, said. “Instacart shoppers are shopping experts, and they balance efficiency, empathy and skill to serve their communities every day. Through the Cart Star refresh and the new Shopper Rewards Card, we’re recognizing and supporting their incredible work, while providing valuable resources to help shoppers thrive both on and off the platform.” The program lets shoppers have their earnings deposited directly in their Shopper Rewards bank account for free after every batch they complete. If these employees choose to use a different bank account, they’ll be charged $1.50 for the Instant Cashout service.  Instacart will roll out the card to its U.S. shoppers in two phases, first in October, and again in April of next year. The card is part of Instacart’s Cart Star program

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Smart glasses are enabling design and CX teams to rapidly prototype customer-facing immersive and context-aware experiences by tapping into open ecosystem for XR devices such as Gemini AI and Android XR and integrating spatial computing

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The advent of smart glasses and advanced voice agents like Gemini and ChatGPT is transforming the way we interact with and serve customers. These devices, which are now widely available, are transforming the way we interact with and serve customers. The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, for example, have sold over 2 million units since their launch in October 2023, demonstrating public readiness for wearables that blend digital capabilities with physical interaction. Platform technology advancements, such as Google’s Android XR, are driving this shift, creating a robust ecosystem for XR devices, including smart glasses. This technology offers more affordable hardware, increased variety, and a familiar Android development environment, making it easier to build and deploy scalable immersive solutions. The broader XR ecosystem continues to evolve, with devices like Meta Quest series and Apple Vision Pro serving as leading prototyping and development tools for spatial computing solutions. Platforms like ShapesXR are emerging as the “Figma” or “Canva” of the spatial computing world, democratizing the creation process and empowering design and CX teams to rapidly prototype customer-facing immersive experiences. The global smart glasses market is projected to reach $8.26 billion by 2030, signaling a significant opportunity for businesses to gain a competitive edge through enhanced customer experiences.

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IDnow and Keyless partnership delivers continuous trust throughout the digital identity lifecycle by matching biometric MFA captured for authentication against the biometric identity and digital signature captured during signup

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IDnow and Keyless have entered a strategic partnership to deliver continuous trust throughout the digital identity lifecycle. The IDnow Keyless partnership focuses on seamless, secure authentication. This collaboration integrates IDnow’s robust range of identity verification and digital signature solutions with Keyless’ biometric multi-factor authentication technology. Organizations can now enroll customers with IDnow and authenticate them with Keyless, introducing the concept of ‘Continuous Trust.’ When a high-risk action occurs – like changing personal details or recovering an account – the biometric Keyless captures for authentication is matched against the biometric IDnow captured during signup.  The IDnow Keyless partnership integrates biometric and identity verification to reduce fraud and improve user experience. Keyless delivers multi-factor authentication in under 300 milliseconds by checking both the user’s face and their device was the one used during enrollment. It combines this with a unique cryptographic approach that transforms all biometric data into a non-PII format, guaranteeing user privacy. By layering privacy-first authentication from Keyless with IDnow’s flexible verification capabilities, organizations gain a future-ready solution that evolves with new threats, user behaviors, and regulatory demands. This IDnow Keyless partnership is particularly significant for industries where security and compliance are paramount, such as banking, fintech, and healthcare. By integrating technologies, IDnow and Keyless offer a scalable, intelligent trust framework that not only meets current regulatory standards but is also adaptable to future challenges.

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People judge your status by how you pay- consumer using a mobile payment app was rated as higher status when paying for an economy hotel; but when the hotel was described as a luxury property, the consumer paying in cash received a slight status edge

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A new study from Cornell University has revealed that consumers using mobile payments are perceived as having higher status than those using traditional methods such as credit cards or cash. The research also uncovers a shift in how the use of cash is viewed in social perception. Even as mobile apps become more common, the research shows that users of mobile payment methods are still misperceived as early adopters. Early adopters have historically been associated with affluence, and this mistaken belief leads observers to perceive mobile payment users as wealthier than cash users, granting them higher status in everyday transactions. However, the research also shows that this status signal is context dependent. In another study, participants evaluated a consumer paying for a hotel stay with either cash or a mobile app. The consumer using a mobile payment app was rated as higher status when paying for an economy hotel. But when the hotel was described as a luxury property, the consumer paying in cash received a slight status edge. According to the research, when the purchase itself (such as a luxury hotel stay) already conveys wealth, the mode of payment becomes less critical. In fact, using cash in such contexts may even enhance the perception of discretionary wealth. The overarching takeaway from this research is that in a world where every interaction — no matter how trivial — can serve as a status signal, something as mundane as the method of payment carries social weight. Mobile payments are not just reshaping how transactions happen; they are also transforming how individuals are perceived.

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Penske Logistics taps Snowflake AI to develop AI-based program that flags drivers at risk of quitting based on work patterns, route history and behavioral signals

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Penske Logistics has leveraged Snowflake Inc.’s evolving artificial intelligence capabilities through a strategic partnership that’s reshaping the supply chain landscape. “We have onboard telematics devices inside our fleet that are generating millions of data points, including things like hard braking, following too closely, fuel consumption and so on,” said Vishwa Ram, vice president of data science and analytics at Penske Logistics. “Getting all of that data in one place and adding it up with other sets of data that we have that are contextual is a huge challenge for us.” “We’re accustomed now to disruption being normal, and as a result, organizations see just how important it is to invest in that visibility element so they can see the disruption as it’s coming, or at least be able to react in real time when it does happen,” he said. For Penske, this means leveraging predictive analytics to foresee supplier delays and reroute resources before bottlenecks occur. Additionally, the company applies AI in workforce retention. With drivers making up over half of its workforce, driver satisfaction is key. Penske developed an AI-based program that flags drivers at risk of quitting based on work patterns, route history and behavioral signals. Armed with these insights, frontline managers proactively engage with drivers, often adjusting schedules or simply checking in, according to Ram.

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Curve Pay’s Apple Pay alternative operates on Thales’ D1 platform, a cloud-based system that allows users to digitize their payment cards within a mobile wallet, providing real-time processing and smooth integration with existing financial systems

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Curve has announced an expanded partnership with Thales, to strengthen security for mobile payments. This collaboration follows the launch of Curve Pay on iOS, marking a new phase in mobile payment convenience. The partnership enables Curve users on both iOS and Android to make contactless payments in stores directly through the Curve app, using NFC technology. This move  aims to transform everyday spending by offering a seamless and secure payment experience. Curve Pay operates on Thales’ D1 platform, a cloud-based system available across Europe on iOS and Android. The platform allows users to digitize their payment cards within a mobile wallet, providing real-time processing and smooth integration with existing financial systems to ensure secure and flexible payments. Shachar Bialick, Founder and CEO of Curve, said, “By combining our technology with Thales’ secure platform, we’re not only protecting transactions but also empowering customers to take charge of their finances.”

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Contify’s agentic AI delivers trusted, decision-ready market and competitor insights by continuously analyzing unstructured updates from millions of verified external and internal sources and connecting information through Knowledge Graph

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 AI-native Market and Competitive Intelligence (M&CI) platform Contify, launched Athena, its proprietary Agentic AI insights engine. Athena eliminates manual M&CI work and delivers trusted, decision-ready market and competitor insights, with enterprise-grade accuracy. It enables organizations to make faster, more confident decisions and compete with greater agility. Unlike generic AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity, which often hallucinate, respond from unverified web content, and even fabricate sources, making them unsuitable for enterprise use, Athena is built on a foundation of data integrity coupled with strict AI-usage guardrails. It continuously analyzes unstructured updates from millions of verified external and internal sources. It synthesizes what matters and connects information through a proprietary Knowledge Graph, which stores the organization’s context, to produce reliable insights. Mohit Bhakuni, CEO of Contify says “Intelligence professionals are often stretched thin, grappling with overwhelming data, frequent stakeholder requests, and generic AI assistant limitations. Athena transforms this by automating grunt work and providing rich, verified insights. It frees them to focus on strategic priorities and become trusted advisors their organizations rely on.”

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Arctera.io’s backup and storage solution combines data management, cyber resiliency and data compliance and is designed to monitor customers’ data environments for potential security breaches by tracking deterministic AI, that changes over time

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Arctera.io is going full steam ahead on data and artificial intelligence management. Arctera offers three backup and storage options that originated from Veritas Technologies LLC, covering data management, cyber resiliency and data compliance. All three areas are under a microscope in the era of AI adoption. Arctera focuses on data management that meets regulatory requirements and remains secure against ongoing threats from cyberattackers. AI presents a particular challenge to data resilience and recovery because it’s constantly changing, according to  Matt Waxman, chief product officer at Arctera.io. “We have built IT around the notion that software is deterministic,” he explained. “The notion that [this] is static, that the software that you’re acquiring is going to be the same software at least for quite a long period of time. That’s not the case with AI. So what you bring in terms of a model is self-learning, and it’s going to adjust over time.” For this reason, it’s crucial to have multiple ways to back up your data and multiple ways to keep track of it. While Waxman advises against “AI whitewashing,” or applying AI to problems indiscriminately, Arctera has successfully implemented use cases for AI related to data compliance and monitoring. Arctera attempts to kill two birds with one stone by employing its data compliance software to monitor customers’ data environments for potential security breaches. The next step is governing the growing host of AI agents, according to Waxman.

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