EVENT

Time to Build

This week, Microsoft Build delivered 48 continuous hours of developer conference content across 604 virtual sessions. Truly a conference for the coder, by the coder. 

Microsoft announced updates for its browser, collaboration tools, and other software apps, but that’s not why I’ve gathered you here today. We’re here for the emerging tech. 

AR

The company said it has seen “strong adoption” of the $3,500 HoloLens 2 headset among manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and education clients in 10 existing markets. HoloLens 2 is coming to Microsoft’s online storefront in July, and to 15 new markets in Q4 2020. 

• Since Microsoft doesn’t break out HoloLens sales numbers, we’ll have to assume “strong adoption” is higher than zero but lower than Office. 

HoloLens 2 users will get new mixed reality toys: Microsoft’s shipping software updates that improve hand tracking, voice commands, and more. Microsoft has also taken a page from Apple, announcing a HoloLens 2 dongle that adds 5G support. (For more on 5G and mixed reality, .)

Long term, the company will continue developing cloud rendering tools that take the processing heavy lifting off the headset and will help make it more affordable.  

AI

Microsoft says it’s built the world’s fifth most powerful supercomputer. While we wait on verification, more details: It’s a 285,000-processor rig for machine learning applications on the Azure cloud computing service. The supercomputer was made for OpenAI, the computing-hungry AI lab Microsoft plugged with $1 billion last year. 

In non-mega computer news, CEO Satya Nadella mentioned that the company  acquired Softomotive, a developer of robotic process automation tools. And Microsoft said it’s created a framework for “responsible” machine learning. 

Bottom line: All of these announcements are brought to you by Azure, Microsoft’s nimbostratus division. Under Nadella’s leadership, the company has invested heavily in Azure, and it will continue doing so. 

+ While we’re here: Last week, Microsoft President Brad Smith said the company “was on the wrong side of history” with open source software. Once upon a time, the litigious Seattle company did not use open source.

VC

Fundraising During COVID-19, Ed. 6

Very huge: ByteDance is the Chinese tech conglomerate behind TikTok and other consumer AI apps. The “startup” has a private market valuation between $110 billion and $140 billion, based on recent secondary sales, Bloomberg reports. 

• On Monday, ByteDance hired former Disney exec Kevin Mayer to become its COO and to lead TikTok. TikTok topped an estimated 2 billion downloads a few weeks ago.

Facial recognition: CloudWalk and SenseTime are two of the four “AI Dragons of China.” A couple weeks ago, CloudWalk (also known as Megvii) raised $250 million to become the fourth most well-funded facial recognition company in China. SenseTime is considering raising $1 billion, the WSJ reported earlier this month. 

• Bottom line: Biometrics are booming in China. 

Protein: Startup Nautilus Biotechnology announced a $76 million Series B yesterday. Nautilus is developing tech for proteomics analysis and quantification. Proteomics = the study of protein. 

Star Wars: Xwing raised $10 million in Series A financing. The SF-based startup, focused on autonomy in aviation, will presumably use the new funds to recruit Luke Skywalker.

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Sizing Up the Next Generation

Shot: Investment is flooding into 5G. 

• China is finalizing a fiscal package that includes $1.4 trillion to help its bid for global tech supremacy. The six-year plan focuses on funding and building out 5G networks. 
• Just this week, Samsung said it will invest billions into a South Korean manufacturing plant that will produce 5G chips. 

Chaser: We created a guide to unpack all the 5G hubbub beyond the headlines. The Brew’s Guide to 5G examines the origins of the technology, its impact across 14 industries, and why businesses and countries are upping their investment in next-gen networks. 

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+ If you’re not convinced, an early testimonial: "Damnit Duffy...I'm embarrassed to admit I was originally mad at you for a 'lame' surprise edition because it wound up being refreshing, visually appeasing, and important for my job/life/family/interests/purchase habits/blah blah blah.”

BITS & BYTES

Stat: 19% of U.S. consumers have tried a VR headset, according to a recent ARtillery poll. 

Quote: “The term ‘Evolution’ is not likely to alert consumers to the fact that the service is not 5G.”—National Advertising Review Board, an ad watchdog, told AT&T to stop the misleading “5G Evolution” campaign. AT&T will comply. To read about actual 5G, check out our guide below. 

Read: The Brew’s Guide to 5G.

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WHAT ELSE IS BREWING

• Apple and Google released the initial protocol for their COVID-19 exposure notification (contact tracing) tools. So far, the two have provided APIs to North Dakota, Alabama, South Carolina, and 22 countries. . 
• Apple tweaked Face ID to make it easier to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask (not by recognizing your face, but by letting you enter your password). 
• Alibaba will invest $1.4 billion in building an AI and IoT ecosystem around its Tmall Genie smart speaker product line. 
• The FAA approved Garmin Autoland’s Piper M600 aircraft. In November, I covered the flight system, which can land a plane without a pilot during emergencies.
• Facebook unveiled a “universal product recognition model” that uses AI to identify items for sale on its marketplace.

TRIVIA

In keeping with this week’s theme, Emerging Tech Brew has developed a quiz to test your knowledge of next-gen networks, the mobile industry, and everything in between. 

Take the quiz to see if you can go 5/5G.

TECH THINGAMABOBS

For trendspotters: Exploding Topics scours the internet for top trends in tech, design, startups, and more...then sends what’s poppin’ in a free weekly email to 36,000+ investors, entrepreneurs, and journalists. .

For remote evangelists: Shopify, which will WFH until 2021, is now “digital by default...office centricity is over,” CEO Tobi Lutke tweeted yesterday. Coinbase will become a remote-first company after COVID-19, CEO Brian Armstrong wrote Wednesday. Spotify told employees they can work remotely for the rest of 2020, Variety reported yesterday…

...and as of today, Facebook is making most job openings remote-friendly. Mark Zuckerberg estimates that over the next five to 10 years, up to half of FB’s workforce could shift remote. 

For cyborgs: Researchers say they’ve created a proof-of-concept for a bionic eye with faster reaction times and the same sensitivity as human eyeballs.