Clay Raises $115M, Google & Anthropic Adopt Platform

Key Takeaways

• Clay raised $115 million in a Series D round, doubling its valuation to $7.1 billion.
• Wellington Management led the investment, joined by Sequoia Capital, A16Z Perennial, and CapitalG.
• Clay projects annualized revenue of $200 million this quarter and $240 million by fiscal year-end.
• Google and Anthropic are among the major clients using Clay for outreach and research.
• Ugreen introduced the HomeAgent HA100 with a neural processing unit capable of 26 trillion AI operations per second.
• John Deere launched JD, an AI assistant that uses field data to advise farmers on planting and harvesting.
• AMD and Intel stocks surged while Salesforce and ServiceNow fell due to AI competition concerns.
• Florida officials are pushing for stricter AI laws, including criminal liability for AI-generated illegal content.
• Google open-sourced Mantis, a toolkit allowing AI agents to find and fix software vulnerabilities.
• Experts advise CEOs to master AI technology, communicate clearly with teams, and reorganize company structures.

Clay Raises $115 Million and Doubles Valuation to $7.1 Billion

Clay, a New York startup that makes AI tools for sales and marketing, announced it raised $115 million in new funding. This investment led by Wellington Management pushes the company's value to $7.1 billion, which is more than double its previous valuation. Other investors in this round include Sequoia Capital, A16Z Perennial, DST Global, and CapitalG. Clay is changing its product to become a self-learning engine that acts as an autonomous agent for sales teams. The company expects its annualized revenue to reach $200 million this quarter and $240 million by the end of the fiscal year.

Investors Back Clay as AI Sales Agents Reach New Valuation

Clay raised $115 million in a Series D round that values the company at $7.1 billion. Founded in 2017, Clay builds software that automates sales and marketing tasks using AI agents. This high valuation shows investors are willing to pay a premium for AI tools that show real adoption and results. The new price tag may set a benchmark for other late-stage AI companies, requiring them to show strong revenue to earn similar valuations. Clay has already landed major customers like Google and Anthropic who use its tools for outreach and research.

Clay Secures $115 Million Funding with Major Tech Investors

Clay, a New York-based AI startup, raised $115 million to support its growth in B2B sales and marketing. The round was led by Wellington Management and included participation from Sequoia Capital, a16z Perennial, DST Global, and Alphabet's CapitalG. Clay is focusing on developing autonomous AI agents that help automate corporate growth plans and identify new customers. Founder Karim Amin stated that the company posted a profit for a short period while keeping cash burn low. Major clients like Anthropic, Airbnb, and DoorDash are already using Clay's tools for specific business tasks.

Ugreen Launches HomeAgent to Store Data and AI Locally

Ugreen introduced the HomeAgent HA100, a device that combines network storage, security camera recording, and AI processing in one unit. The entry-level model features four drive bays and a neural processing unit capable of 26 trillion AI operations per second. It allows users to store personal data and security footage locally instead of relying on expensive cloud services. The device supports Matter compatibility and includes a voice assistant named Uliya that functions like a local smart speaker. Prices start at $1,799 for the standard model, with early bird discounts available for reservations.

John Deere Rolls Out JD AI Assistant for Farmers

John Deere is launching a new conversational AI assistant named JD to help farmers make better business decisions. This tool works like ChatGPT or Claude but uses years of data from a farmer's own fields to provide quick answers. It can advise on the best times to plant or harvest crops and assist with other agricultural tasks. The company hopes this technology will attract more farmers to its smart equipment by offering better data insights. The assistant is designed to integrate directly with the data farmers already collect from their operations.

New GRACE AI System Improves Business Conversations

Researchers created a new system called GRACE to help AI handle goal-oriented conversations better. This architecture uses a Business Goal Compiler to turn business intent into clear objectives and questions. The system updates answers only using evidence provided by the visitor and selects follow-up questions carefully. Testing showed GRACE achieved high accuracy in real estate and professional cleaning scenarios with over 100 conversation turns.

AI Infrastructure Stocks Rise While Software Shares Drop

Stocks for AI infrastructure companies surged while major software firms fell on Tuesday. Companies like CoreWeave, AMD, and Intel gained ground as investors focused on computing chips and optical networking. In contrast, Salesforce and ServiceNow dropped about 4 percent and 5 percent respectively due to concerns about AI competition. Analysts are watching to see if this trend continues on Wednesday as investors become more selective about which AI companies to support.

Florida Leaders Cite Researcher Warnings to Push AI Rules

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier are using new warnings to support their push for stricter AI laws. Former Anthropic researcher Jason Coxon claimed that unchecked AI models could destroy the world in just a few years. Uthmeier stated that companies must be held criminally responsible if their chatbots commit illegal acts like creating child sexual abuse material. These concerns have encouraged federal lawmakers and state officials to act quickly to regulate artificial intelligence technology.

Google Releases Mantis Toolkit for AI Security Testing

Google has open-sourced Mantis, a toolkit that allows AI coding agents to find and fix software vulnerabilities. The system uses a series of modular skills to research threats, reproduce bugs in a safe sandbox, and apply patches automatically. It includes commands like /mantis-reproduce and /mantis-patch to verify fixes and assign risk scores from 1 to 10. This tool is designed for local use and helps reduce false positives compared to standard AI code scanning methods.

Experts Give CEOs Three Steps to Master AI Strategy

Leaders are advised to take three specific actions to succeed in the new AI-driven business environment. First, CEOs should become experts in AI technology by taking courses or hiring consultants to understand its capabilities and limits. Second, they must communicate clearly with their teams to provide training and set expectations for working with AI tools. Finally, companies need to rethink their organizational charts to create new roles and adapt to changing job functions.

Sources

• Clay, an A.I. Sales Tool Provider, Raises $115 Million
• Clay’s Valuation Doubled As Investors Back AI Sales Agents
• Clay raises $115 million for B2B sales and marketing AI, valuation more than doubles in a year
• I tried putting my data, security camera, and AI inside one device at home
• Meet Deere’s JD, an AI Assistant Aimed at Helping Farmers—and Its Sales
• An Auditable Symbolic-RAG-Generative AI Architecture for Goal-Oriented Conversation Orchestration
• AI infrastructure stocks surged while software fell. Does the rotation continue Wednesday?
• Florida Republicans’ AI fears buoyed by Anthropic researcher bombshell
• Google Open-Sources Mantis: A Modular Skills Toolkit That Lets Coding Agents Find, Reproduce and Patch Vulnerabilities
• Axios C-Suite: 3 must-dos for CEOs on AI