Deep learning startup Skymind bags 3M to help companies build better AIs

Artificial intelligence startups are emerging as a magnet for venture capital investment. Today, it was the San Francisco-based Skymind Inc. that took the spotlight after raising 3 million in funding from Chinese web giant Tencent Holdings Ltd., Y Combinator and three other early-stage backers. The group joins an already impressive list of investors that includes Lookout Security Inc. Deepmind will use the capital to spread the word about its open-source Deeplearning4j framework, which promises to speed up the development of artificial intelligence applications. The project distinguishes itself from the numerous free alternatives out there by providing a number of value-added features specifically geared towards the requirements of large enterprises.