CCTV and other kinds of security cameras have a strong Big Brother vibe, but for many of us that may be because we don't really understand or know how the footage they pick up ever gets used. Today, a startup called Spot AI that's built a system to help answer that question at least in part -- it provides a cloud-based analytics system that "reads" that footage to get insights about not just security, but also safety and operational activity -- is announcing $40 million in funding to grow. Scale Venture Partners is leading the round, with past backers Redpoint Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, and new investors StepStone Group and Modern Venture Partners also investing. This brings the total raised by Spot AI to $62 million. Spot AI, appropriately for a security camera company, existed in stealth for years before it came out into the public in 2021: at that point it had already raised $22 million.

PUNE: Observe.ai, an artificial intelligence powered voice customer service firm said it had raised $26 million in Series A financing, led by Scale Venture Partners, with participation from Nexus Venture Partners, Steadview Capital, 01 Advisors, and Emergent Ventures. The funding will be used to expand its teams in the United States and India, and accelerate product development. Further, Andy Vitus, partner at Scale, will be joining Observe.AI's board. This brings the company's total funding to $34 million, having earlier raised $8 million from Nexus Venture Partners. "Legacy speech analytics systems are simply not meeting the needs of the world's top brands," said Swapnil Jain, CEO, Observe.AI.

Observe.AI, the leader in AI-powered agent enablement for voice customer service, today announced a $26 million Series A financing led by Scale Venture Partners, with participation from Nexus Venture Partners, Steadview Capital, 01 Advisors, and Emergent Ventures. This funding allows Observe.AI to expand its US-India team globally and accelerate product development. In conjunction with the funding, Andy Vitus, partner at Scale, will be joining Observe.AI's board. This brings the company's total funding to $34 million. "Legacy speech analytics systems are simply not meeting the needs of the world's top brands," said Swapnil Jain, CEO and co-founder of Observe.AI.

Locus Robotics Corp., whose robots help workers fulfill e-commerce orders, raised $25 million in a funding round led by Scale Venture Partners that the company plans to use to develop new products and expand into new markets. The Wilmington, Mass.-based company makes software and autonomous mobile robots that sync up with warehouse management systems to help workers handle orders more efficiently by taking the fastest routes through aisles to fill orders more quickly. The robots resemble motorized stools with shelving and touchscreens. They operate in groups and use sensors to navigate through warehouses as workers pick items and move on. Locus, whose customers include Deutsche Post AG's DHL Supply Chain, says its technology can double the number of items that workers pick per hour.