Private Social AI, Banking Software Bets, and Retail Humanoids | UpNext AI – July 23, 2026
Today on UpNext AI: a social app makes a fresh bet on private, AI-assisted networks instead of feeds and ads; ServiceNow puts money behind AI banking software in India; and a new robotics paper looks at how to make humanoids work more reliably in actual stores, not just demos.
Covered in this episode:
- Yope raises $12.3 million for a private social network built around small groups, no algorithms, and no ads
- ServiceNow invests $40 million in BusinessNext at a $700 million valuation to expand AI-powered banking software globally
- New research on closing the "lab-to-store" gap for retail…
The skinny
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