News In Brief

Welcome to our ‘News In Brief’ column in which we digest all the news releases for you in no more than five paragraphs.
Below are snippets of all the media releases we received from Dec 16 till the end of the week.
This article updates throughout the week.

Witness to War Hotline Anniversary

Sydney, Dec 20: The Witness to War hotline, run by STARTTS, marks one year of aiding Australians impacted by overseas conflicts.
Since December 2023, it has fielded over 860 calls, supporting more than 800 individuals from diverse backgrounds in eight languages.
CEO Jorge Aroche highlighted its importance amid escalating global conflicts and emphasized its availability during the holidays, excluding public holidays.
The service offers support at 1800 845 198.

CreateAI Launches New Era

San Diego, Dec 19: TuSimple Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS: TSPH) has rebranded as CreateAI, signaling a strategic shift toward animation and video game content development powered by proprietary AI technologies.
The company unveiled its first generative AI model, “Ruyi,” on Hugging Face, emphasizing frame consistency and motion fluency.
CreateAI also announced a “AAA” Open-World RPG based on Louis Cha’s Heroes of Jin Yong IP, integrating characters and narratives from all his works, with a preview event in Guangzhou drawing significant fan interest.
Collaborating with anime designer Shōji Kawamori, the company is also developing projects based on The Three-Body Problem.
CEO Cheng Lu highlighted CreateAI’s integrated strategy at the intersection of generative AI and digital entertainment, positioning it for long-term growth.
The company’s latest business plan showcases its commercialization pathways and competitive edge in the industry.

8seats Secures $2M Funding

Sydney, Dec 18: Australian messaging startup 8seats has raised A$2 million in seed funding from investors including Black Nova, former Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci, and tech entrepreneurs Mike Priddis and Greg Miller.
The funds will fuel its platform scaling and go-to-market strategy ahead of its 2025 public launch.
8seats bridges the gap between office-based and deskless employees with a patent-pending interface combining workplace communication tools with the ease of consumer apps.
The platform enhances productivity and protects privacy by eliminating the use of personal messaging apps for work.
Since its beta launch, 8seats has processed 300,000+ messages and aims to save businesses significant productivity time annually.
Early investors are targeting the untapped market of 12 million deskless workers in Australia and billions globally.
The startup plans international expansion to the US, UK, and Europe, supported by AWS and Google programs, with new partnerships to be announced soon.
Founded in 2021 by Iain McDonald, 8seats’ leadership team includes veterans from high-growth tech firms like Prezzee and SafetyCulture.

DigitalX Raises $15.4M

Perth, Dec 18: DigitalX Limited (ASX:DCC, OTCQB:DGGXF) has secured $15.4 million in funding through a private placement and rights issue.
The placement raised $10.3 million with 219,148,936 shares issued at $0.047 each, while a rights issue aims to secure an additional $5.09 million from existing shareholders.
DigitalX has appointed blockchain expert Tony Guoga as a strategic advisor to drive growth in digital asset staking and investment.
Guoga invested $4.7 million in the placement, with a 12-month voluntary escrow on his shares, and will receive 25 million options pending shareholder approval.
The company expects to receive 41 Bitcoin valued at approximately $7 million from Mt Gox administrators in 2025, bolstering its digital assets.
With increasing demand for its spot Bitcoin ETF and record revenues from its Sellmyshares business, DigitalX aims to maximize returns from its expertise in digital assets.

Trend Micro Warns of Deepfake Risks

Sydney, Dec 17: Trend Micro has released its 2025 cybersecurity predictions, highlighting the rise of hyper-personalised, AI-driven attacks leveraging deepfake-powered malicious “digital twins.”
These digital replicas, created using leaked personal data, could mimic victims for fraud, scams, and influence operations.
Other threats include AI agent hijacking, unintended information leaks, and advanced ransomware tactics bypassing detection tools. The report also warns of vulnerabilities in APIs, container systems, and widely adopted platforms.
Trend Micro recommends adopting a risk-based approach to cybersecurity, leveraging AI for threat intelligence, and strengthening defences against AI abuse to address the evolving attack landscape.

Freshlybaked Expands Global Team

Singapore, Dec 17: Freshlybaked, the borderless hiring platform under GRIT Search, has announced three strategic hires to enhance its AI-powered global talent solution. These appointments support platform development, market entry, and partner integration amid a growing global talent crisis, with 87 per cent of companies facing skill gaps.
Launched in 2024, Freshlybaked enables compliant hiring in over 150 countries through integrations with Employer of Record (EOR) platforms like Deel. The platform connects businesses with over three million skilled professionals across APAC and Europe, offering real-time candidate matching and flexible team scaling.
The new hires include Alvin De Jesus as Commercial Director, Cian O’Neill as Strategic Advisor, and Jude Parveselli as Head of Communications & Partnerships. Their expertise will drive Freshlybaked’s expansion across key APAC and EMEA markets.

Airwallex Launches Impact Program

Singapore, Dec 17: Airwallex has unveiled “Airwallex Impact,” a global social impact program backed by a one per cent equity commitment valued at over US$56 million.
The initiative includes donations of employee time, profits, and products to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
The program builds on Airwallex’s previous philanthropic efforts, such as scholarships and financial aid, and will expand through partnerships, mentorships, and discounted products for nonprofits.
The Airwallex for Startups program, launched in 2023, continues to support over 2,000 startups across Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
From 2025, Airwallex employees will dedicate three days annually to community service, further amplifying the company’s commitment to corporate philanthropy and ecosystem gro

$1M to Save Amphibians

Melbourne, Dec 16: The Colossal Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Colossal BioSciences, has made its first $1 million donation as part of a $3 million commitment to combat chytridiomycosis, a deadly fungal disease responsible for the extinction of at least 90 amphibian species and declines in over 500 others.
The funding supports groundbreaking research by the Pask & Frankenberg Lab at the University of Melbourne, focusing on genetic strategies to confer immunity in threatened amphibian species.
Using the invasive cane toad as a model, researchers aim to protect species like the great spotted tree frog and corroboree frog.
Amphibians play a critical role in ecosystems, acting as pest controllers, bioindicators, and contributors to food chains.
The project builds on Colossal’s advances in gene-editing technologies, reinforcing its commitment to biodiversity conservation.