
September 11, 2024
Partnership with INTER-PSY to run a prospective clinical trial on early-diagnosis of autism.
BlinkLab Limited (ASX:BB1) (“BlinkLab” or the “Company”), an innovative digital healthcare company developing smartphone-based AI powered sensory assessments to aid in the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental conditions including autism and ADHD, is pleased to announce a research and clinical partnership with the INTER-PSY (“Agreement”) in the Netherlands (https://interpsy.interpsygroep.nl/).
Highlights
- Prospective clinical data in young children with autism will optimise BlinkLab’s experimental and AI algorithms.
- Partnership will accelerate BlinkLab’s path to US and European regulatory approval for autism and clinical adoption.
- Partnership will support adoption of BlinkLab as a diagnostic tool within the autism diagnostic community in Europe.
- As part of the larger SCANNER consortium in Europe, this study will also specifically address a need for accelerated autism diagnosis in females.
- Commencement of FDA 510(k) registration trial on track for later this year.
As part of the Agreement, INTER-PSY will run a prospective study on the ability of the BlinkLab app to aid in diagnosis of autism in children between 2-6 years of age that are referred to INTER-PSY. By analysing the behavioural and physiological responses collected via the app, BlinkLab will aim to identify autism characteristics, potentially offering patients a more rapid, accessible and objective assessment method.
Through this partnership, INTER-PSY will use BlinkLab’s technology to evaluate whether the technology can enhance their diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in the clinic. This partnership between BlinkLab and INTER-PSY demonstrates the potential of an AI mobile health platform to improve and accelerate mental health diagnostics.
INTER-PSY Study and Preparations for FDA 510(k) Regulatory Trial
The INTER-PSY study, which mirrors the design of the upcoming FDA regulatory trial, will be conducted as a single-site, prospective, double-blind, within-subject comparison study (pre- registered). Data gathered from this collaboration will be pivotal in refining the final experimental parameters and optimising machine learning algorithms for BlinkLab’s 510(k) FDA registrational study, specifically targeting diagnostic applications. INTER-PSY is a large autism expertise centre in the Netherlands, offering diagnostics, guidance, and treatment for young children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly with psychological and psychiatric complaints.
Els Blijd-Hogewys, INTER-PSY, commented:
“INTER-PSY is committed to supporting young children with autism in an efficient and effective manner. Our goal is to implement a ‘no waiting time policy’ between diagnosis and the start of therapy, working collaboratively with clients to help them take control of their lives and minimise the impact of autism on daily tasks. Integrating objective measurements can help in the diagnostic process, offering significant benefits to children, their families, and our providers. We believe that BlinkLab's innovative AI platform presents a promising solution for sensory assessments in autism, delivering a short, pleasant and child-friendly test experience. Research will be conducted at INTER-PSY's Expertise Team for Young Children (<6 years). In the future, the instrument could also be valuable for adults with autism.
Unfortunately, the waiting lists for autism assessment for adults in the Netherlands are often as long as 2 to 3 years. Such an instrument may help accelerate this process.”
Mr. Brian Leedman, Chairman BlinkLab, commented:
“Australia has comparable wait times for diagnosis of autism as experienced in Europe and the US. Our BlinkLab technology has the potential to significantly reduce wait times through early diagnosis resulting in treatment at a formative age where early intervention can lead to better outcomes for children and their caregivers.”
Dr. Henk-Jan Boele, CEO BlinkLab, commented:
“Our collaboration with INTER-PSY is one of the final steps in the prospective validation of BlinkLab’s platform before we commence our FDA registration trial later this year. I’m deeply appreciative of INTER-PSY’s partnership on this critical journey. As part of the large SCANNER consortium in Europe, this study with INTER-PSY will also specifically address autism diagnosis in females. Our BlinkLab team is in the final phase of fine-tuning our AI models and algorithms to ensure they meet the highest standards of accuracy, safety, and efficiency. We remain fully committed to executing our strategy and delivering long-term value to all our stakeholders.”
About the SCANNER Consortium
The SCANNER Consortium in Europe, of which BlinkLab is a member, was recently awarded with a 5.3M Euros grant from the Dutch Research Council. The mission of this consortium is to investigate sex differences in autism at a gene, brain and behaviour level. Autism is diagnosed four times more often in men than in women (Autism Spectrum Disorder, APA, 2013). However, little is known about the biological mechanisms behind this disparity, or to what extent this overrepresentation in males is due to bias in the medical research that is also present during the diagnostic process.
Historically, female participants have often been excluded from medical studies, resulting in data being collected primarily from men and generalised to women (Merone et al., 2022).
Similar biases are present in basic research, where men are overrepresented due to the lack of the estrus cycle, resulting in a large gap in our basic biological and clinical knowledge.
This translates into real-life disadvantages for women with neurodivergent conditions, as doctors often ignore the behaviours presented by women. This means that women are less likely to be referred for diagnostic tests and receive timely support, with long-lasting negative consequences for their quality of life. It is therefore crucial to involve women at all levels of research.
Dr. Aleksandra Badura, Lead Investigator SCANNER, commented:
“Within SCANNER we aim to understand how genetic, neurophysiological and behavioural sex differences contribute to autistic traits, and distinguish these biological factors from possible diagnostic bias. Our long-term goal is to improve the diagnostic process for autism and other neurodivergent disorders by taking sex differences into account at all levels of research and diagnosis.”
In addition to INTER-PSY, BlinkLab collaborates in the SCANNER Consortium with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; Karakter - Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Radboud University; Medical Center, Radboud University; Universiteit Utrecht; HAS green academy; Erasmus MC; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience; Nivel – Netherlands Institute for Health Services Research; University of Twente; Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V. (Philips MR); Nederlandse Vereniging voor Autisme; Arivis, Noldus Information Technology; Sophia Foundation; WOMEN Inc.; Female Autism Network of the Netherlands; Netherlands Autism Register; Generation R; National association of general practice mental health professionals; Alliantie Gender & Gezondheid; National network autism in young children; National network of child and adolescent psychiatry; Special Olympics Netherlands.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Blinklab Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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25 September 2024
BlinkLab Limited
Investor Insight
BlinkLab’s transformative AI-based healthcare technology is at the forefront of innovations in the global medical field that are quickly gaining traction among keen investors.
Overview
BlinkLab (ASX:BB1) offers a smartphone-based diagnostic platform that leverages computer vision, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). A company started by neuroscientists at Princeton University, Blinklab has developed its novel technology over several years, providing an app-enabled, smartphone-based diagnostic tool for evaluating children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD.
The app turns a smartphone into a diagnostic tool that helps to conduct remote and rapid tests that can assist in diagnosing neurodevelopmental conditions. BlinkLab’s smartphone app provides a screening tool that can help with diagnoses much earlier than the age that children are typically assessed at present (approximately 5-6 years old). It is also a remote (i.e., accessible) and inexpensive means of beginning the assessment process, which can typically be very costly and take up to multiple years currently.
BlinkLab’s smartphone app facilitates early diagnosis, reduces costs, and improves accuracy.
BlinkLab’s smartphone-based technology, which uses AI and machine learning (ML), makes it attractive to investors. Like other industries, AI is becoming very popular in the healthcare sector. According to Statista, the AI healthcare market is expected to proliferate from $11 billion in 2021 to $187 billion in 2030. The increasing use of AI is driven by advanced ML algorithms, access to data, and use of 5G technology. AI and ML technologies can evaluate and analyze enormous volumes of data faster than humans.
Artificial intelligence, and particularly machine learning, has the potential to serve as the great equaliser for many behavioural healthcare concerns like autism. According to recent data, 97 percent of adults in the United States own a cellular device, and nine in ten own a smartphone. A 2022 Global State of Digital report by We Are Social shows 66.9 percent, or about 5.34 billion, of the world’s population are mobile users. As these percentages continue to rise and internet-powered devices become ubiquitous, access to digital health services can become democratised on a global scale. While autism spectrum disorder (ASD) services are currently restricted to relatively privileged populations, digital solutions powered by emerging data, science, and methodologies can make access to autism therapy more accessible.
Large players are investing in this segment to tap into the vast potential of these new technologies. One such example was Pfizer’s acquisition of ResApp. In October 2022, Pfizer acquired Queensland University startup ResApp Health for $179 million. ResApp developed a smartphone technology to detect respiratory diseases using cough analysis accurately.
Furthermore, big tech companies such as Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet are also now venturing into the AI healthcare market.
Company Highlights
- Australia-based BlinkLab (ASX:BB1) is focused on transforming mental healthcare through an AI-enabled smartphone application, a breakthrough technology developed with Princeton University.
- The company’s innovative approach leverages the power of smartphones, AI and machine learning to deliver screening tests specifically designed for children as young as 18 months old. This marks a significant advancement, considering traditional diagnoses typically occur around five years of age, often missing the crucial early window for effective intervention.
- Once approved by regulators, this cutting-edge digital technology is poised to capture the imagination of both investors and major pharmaceutical companies, eager to embrace transformative solutions in healthcare.
- BlinkLab is led by an experienced management team and leading experts in the field of machine learning, autism and brain development, bridging the most advanced technological innovations with groundbreaking scientific research. The company is chaired by Brian Leedman, an experienced biotechnology entrepreneur and founder of ResApp Health, a digital diagnostic company recently acquired by Pfizer.
Key Technology and Applications
Neurobehavioral assays of brain function can reveal fundamental mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric conditions, but typically require centrally located equipment in a laboratory test facility. Consequently, these tests are often unpleasant for participants, as they often require instruments attached to their face and cannot be used at scale in daily clinical practice, particularly with paediatric patients.
BlinkLab has developed a smartphone-based software platform, known as ‘BlinkLab Test’, to perform neurobehavioural testing that is free from facial instruments or other fixed location equipment.
This AI-based platform is designed to be used at home or in similarly comfortable environments, either independently or with the assistance of a caregiver, while following instructions from the smartphone application. The tests include, but are not limited to, eyeblink conditioning (EBC), which is a form of sensory-motor associative learning, prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response (PPI), which measures the ability to filter out irrelevant information through sensorimotor gating, startle habituation, which measures the ability for the intrinsic damping of repetitive stimuli and sensory adaptation, and habituation of the eye blink response, which serve as biomarkers for neurological and psychiatric disorders.
The BlinkLab Test App combines a smartphone’s ability to deliver stimuli and acquire data using computer vision with a secure cloud-based portal for data storage and analysis. In the tests, each audio and/or visual stimulus is presented with millisecond-precise control over parameters such as timing, amplitude and frequency. To maintain participant attention, an entertaining movie of choice is shown with normalised audio levels. Participants’ responses are measured by the smartphone’s camera and microphone, and are processed in real time using state-of-the art computer vision techniques. Response data is then fully anonymised, and transferred securely to the analysis portal. There, BlinkLab’s in-house AI/ML algorithms then perform clustering and statistical analysis to identify the prediction value of the experiment in the particular data set.
BlinkLab Test was initially developed as a prescription diagnostic aid to healthcare professionals (HCP) considering the diagnosis of ASD in patients 18 months through 72 months of age that are at risk for developmental delay. In collaboration with Princeton University in the United States and Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands, the company has conducted several trials using BlinkLab Test as an early assessment tool for autism. Autism represents a global challenge, with 1 in 36 children in the U.S. having autism, up from the previous rate of 1 in 44. With no early tests currently available to detect the condition, many children are diagnosed with the condition as late as the age of five.
Blinklab’s mobile app can aid in early detection, facilitating diagnoses as early as two years of age and resulting in earlier personalised interventions and monitoring. The testing process is also far more comfortable than traditional means of diagnoses, as the child can watch their favourite movie or cartoon on the phone, and the app will record their reactions, providing key information on the functioning of the brain.
BlinkLab will be subject to regulatory oversight as a medical device and must clear clinical studies. Previous clinical trials completed by Blinklab have shown impressive indicators of success, achieving sensitivity levels of 85 percent and specificity levels of 84 percent. The company notes that these trials are very similar to those that are required by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval and have shown much higher levels of accuracy compared to currently approved products.
In order for the BlinkLab Test technology to be used as a clinical aid in the diagnosis of ASD, BlinkLab will need to complete a pivotal registrational study, and subsequently apply for FDA registration and reimbursement for the tests. The registrational study intends to recruit up to 500 subjects. Enrolment for this study is expected to begin in 2024, with study completion expected by mid-2025. The potential to participate in a disruptive and scalable AI-powered technology close to regulatory approval should attract attention from big medical technology companies.
Research and clinical studies
BlinkLab engages and partners with research and medical institutions across the globe to further test and develop its technology.
In May 2024, BlinkLab initiated a clinical study in partnership with US-based Turning Pointe Autism Foundation to enroll up to one hundred children previously diagnosed with autism and one hundred children without an autism diagnosis. The data obtained during this collaboration will be used to finalise the data collection and processing algorithms and AI/ML models ahead of the FDA registrational study.
The company is also participating in a clinical study of patients with spinocerebellar ataxias, conducted by Columbia University, New York, to study the effect of aerobic physical exercise on neuroplasticity in adults with spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA).
To further improve and accelerate the diagnostic evaluation of ADHD, BlinkLab forged a major research and clinical partnership with Mental Care Group (MCG) in The Netherlands, the fifth largest outpatient mental health care provider in Europe.
To validate BlinkLab’s platform for the assessment of functional neurological disorder (FND), the company has partnered with Bates College in Maine for a clinical study that aims to characterise the behavioural time course of Pavlovian eyeblink conditioning and acoustic startle habituation. It will validate the BlinkLab smartphone test for use as a remote neurobehavioral testing and diagnostic tool for FND.
At Erasmus University Medical Center, BlinkLab’s smartphone-based remote assessment, including eyeblink conditioning and prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex, is being used, among other tools, in a clinical study to set-up an overarching at-home testing lab, named the Digital Dementia Lab, to identify, develop and test a variety of digital biomarkers
measuring clinically relevant behaviour for improving early accurate diagnosis of dementia.
BlinkLab is also working with Monash University in Australia to evaluate BlinkLab as a medical device for monitoring the therapeutic effects of ketamine on cognitive processes whereby sensory information is converted into decision making. Results from this study can help facilitate cognitive behavioural therapy outcomes in patients with psychiatric conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
BlinkLab also recently signed a partnership for more clinical trialling with INTER-PSY, a large centre in the Netherlands that specialises in autism, offering assistance with diagnostics and treatments. This study also mirrors the study design of the Company’s developing FDA regulatory trial, which will be needed for future approval of BlinkLab Test as an approved diagnostic tool in the United States.
Management Team
BlinkLab is led by an experienced management team and directors with a proven track record in building companies and vast knowledge in digital healthcare, computer vision, AI and machine learning. The company’s chairman, Brian Leedman, is an experienced biotechnology entrepreneur and founder of ResApp Health, a digital diagnostic company for respiratory conditions, which was recently acquired by Pfizer for $179 million before reaching FDA approval for their main diagnostic product.
Dr. Henk-Jan Boele – Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Henk-Jan Boele is an assistant professor of neuroscience at the Medical Center of Erasmus University and a researcher at Princeton University. He obtained his PhD from Erasmus University in 2014. Boele has always been pushing scientific and methodological boundaries, and received numerous government and industry grants in the field of neuroscience.
Peter Boele – Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Peter Boele holds a bachelor’s degree in history and philosophy from Leiden University. He has over 20 years of experience in software development and has worked with Erasmus University, Leaseweb, Kaboom Informatics and Insocial.
Dr. Anton Uvarov – Founder and Chief Operational Officer
Anton Uvarov holds a Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business. He has rich experience in bio-technology investments with a particular focus on neuroscience and has successfully led several IPOs. He started his career as a biotechnology analyst with Citigroup, US.
Dr. Bas Koekkoek – Founder and Chief Scientific Officer
Bas Koekkoek is an assistant professor at Erasmus Medical Center. Koekkoek has been working at the Department of Neuroscience mainly in the role of rapid prototype of new technology and techniques for neuroscience. He has numerous publications in the area of brain development including Nature and Science journals.
Professor Sam Wang – Founder and Chair of Advisory Board
Sam Wang holds a PhD from Stanford University. He is a professor of neuroscience at Princeton University, has published over 100 articles on the brain in leading scientific journals and has received numerous awards. He gives public lectures on a regular basis and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the Fox News Channel.
Professor Chris de Zeeuw – Founder and Scientific Advisor
Chris de Zeeuw is chairman of the Department of Neuroscience at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam and vice-director at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience in Amsterdam. De Zeeuw has received over 100 grants, including the Pioneer Award from ZonMw and the ERC advanced grant. In 2006, he received the Beatrix Award for Brain Research from Her Majesty the Queen; in 2014, he became an elected member of the Dutch Academy of Arts & Science; and in 2018, he received the international Casella Prize for Physiology.
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NVIDIA Rallies After Strong Q1, AI Demand Outshines China Export Hit
NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA) shares rose over 5 percent to hit US$142.50 on Thursday (May 29), extending a powerful rally that reflects Wall Street’s optimism in the chipmaker’s long-term trajectory
The company's positive performance came despite a bruising blow from US export restrictions to China.
The semiconductor giant, seen by many industry experts as the backbone of the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom, reported better-than-expected financial results for its first fiscal quarter of 2026 on Wednesday (May 28), allaying fears that geopolitical tensions and tighter trade controls could derail its momentum.
In the face of a projected US$8 billion revenue hit from the export ban on China and a US$4.5 billion writedown on unsold inventory, investors appeared to focus on NVIDIA's dominant position in the fast-expanding AI market.
“There is one chip in the world fueling the AI Revolution and it's Nvidia,” wrote Dan Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush Securities. “That narrative is clear from these results and the positive commentary from Jensen.”
NVIDIA posted quarterly revenues of US$44.1 billion, beating consensus analyst estimates of US$43.3 billion. That's also a staggering 69 percent increase from the US$26 billion reported in the same quarter last year.
The company’s flagship data center division, which supplies AI chips to major clients like Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), reported US$39.1 billion in sales.
Although that's a slight miss from Wall Street’s US$39.2 billion forecast, it's still up from US$22.5 billion last year.
“Our breakthrough Blackwell NVL72 AI supercomputer — a ‘thinking machine’ designed for reasoning — is now in full-scale production across system makers and cloud service providers,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA.
“Global demand for NVIDIA’s AI infrastructure is incredibly strong. AI inference token generation has surged tenfold in just one year, and as AI agents become mainstream, the demand for AI computing will accelerate.”
Earlier this month, Huang traveled with US President Donald Trump to the Middle East, where the company reportedly secured orders for hundreds of thousands of chips from Saudi Arabia.
Yet NVIDIA's latest results also expose the mounting risks the firm faces as global trade policy tightens.
In recent months, Washington has sharply escalated restrictions on semiconductor exports to China, targeting chips like NVIDIA's H20 — a China-specific product designed to comply with US rules. The US Department of Commerce has banned shipments of these chips to Chinese firms, citing concerns about potential military applications.
The move forced NVIDIA to write off US$4.5 billion in H20 inventory, and the company estimates a US$2.5 billion revenue loss in the current quarter as a result. Huang placed the broader impact of the China restrictions at US$15 billion.
“The US$50 billion China market is effectively closed to US industry,” he said in an interview. “We are exploring limited ways to compete, but Hopper is no longer an option. China's AI moves on with or without US chips.”
While NVIDIA has previously indicated that it could redesign chips to meet evolving US export rules, Huang has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Washington’s policy direction. Speaking to reporters after NVIDIA's earnings call, he described the restrictions as a “failure” that will ultimately hurt American companies more than Chinese rivals.
The pressure on NVIDIA intensified further this week, as the Financial Times reported that Trump has instructed US suppliers of chip-design software to halt sales to Chinese firms.
Nonetheless, NVIDIA's strong earnings, coupled with a federal court ruling blocking some of Trump’s proposed tariffs, have reassured investors. AI-driven demand appears robust enough to offset near-term geopolitical volatility.
For now, the markets have spoken — and they’re betting big on NVIDIA's future.
“Countries around the world are recognizing AI as essential infrastructure — just like electricity and the internet — and NVIDIA stands at the center of this profound transformation,” Huang emphasized post-earnings.
NVIDIA's share price spike this week put it on track for its highest close since January, and triggered a broader rally across the semiconductor sector.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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Tech 5: OpenAI Restructures, Apple Pursues AI Search, Constellation Shares Jump
This week proved pivotal for the tech and energy sectors as market dynamics and the regulatory landscape shifted.
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) made waves by signaling a foray into artificial intelligence (AI) search and challenging app store regulations, while OpenAI underwent a major restructuring amid legal battles with Elon Musk.
Meanwhile, legislation targeting AI chip tracking gained momentum, and the nuclear energy sector saw increased activity with Ontario Power Generation's new reactor project and potential White House actions.
Earnings reports from major players like Palantir (NASDAQ:PLTR), AMD (NASDAQ:AMD), Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:ARM) and Super Micro Computer (NASDAQ:SMCI) painted a complex picture of growth and challenges in a turbulent economic environment.
The interplay of innovation, regulation and market forces played out against a backdrop of trade developments between the US and the UK, with optimism regarding forthcoming negotiations with China boosting sentiment toward the end of the week.
Read on to dive deeper into this week's top stories.
1. Apple's App Store appeal, AI search plans and chip news
Apple is formally contesting last week’s judicial ruling mandating a reduction in its App Store commission.
The company filed an appeal against the order that would compel it to lower the existing 27 percent fee imposed on businesses offering links within their apps to external payment processing alternatives.
In related news, Apple executive Eddy Cue revealed during federal court testimony that the tech giant is investigating the development of its own AI-powered search engine for the Safari web browser. The news had an immediate impact on Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) shares, resulting in a 9 percent decline on Wednesday (May 7) afternoon.
In other news, Apple is reportedly making advances in its in-house silicon development.
The company is designing new proprietary chips intended to serve as the main central processing units for a range of future Apple products. These include anticipated devices such as smart glasses, more powerful iterations of its Mac computer line and specialized AI servers.
Combined with this week’s macroeconomic and geopolitical developments, Apple’s share price experienced turbulence, ultimately closing 2.25 percent below Monday’s (May 5) opening price on Friday (May 9).
2. OpenAI announces restructuring, acquisition and leadership changes
In a notable week for AI giant OpenAI, CEO Sam Altman shared a reorganization strategy on Monday, announcing that its operational arm will transition into a new public benefit corporation, with its non-profit arm acting as the primary shareholder. The decision follows talks with civic leaders and state attorneys general.
A person familiar with the matter told Business Insider that the new plan will let the company receive the full US$30 billion investment from SoftBank (TSE:9984). Meanwhile, sources told Bloomberg on Monday that Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and OpenAI are still in negotiations regarding a restructuring plan. A later report from the Information reveals that OpenAI plans to slash its 20 percent revenue-sharing agreement with Microsoft to 10 percent by 2030.
Regarding the ongoing legal dispute between Sam Altman and Tesla (NADAQ:TSLA) CEO Musk, who alleges that the company has strayed from its founding mission, Musk’s attorney, Marc Toberoff, told Reuters on Monday that the team intends to proceed with the lawsuit. Toberoff also called the restructuring a “cosmetic” move that turns charitable assets into private wealth, adding that “the founding mission remains betrayed.”
In other news, OpenAI made its largest acquisition to date this week, agreeing to buy AI-assisted coding tool Windsurf for about US$3 billion, and named ex-Instacart (NASDAQ:CART) CEO Fidji Simo as its new head of applications.
According to reports, Simo will manage operations and report directly to Sam Altman, who will retain his title as CEO. Altman will shift his focus to research, safety efforts and advancing artificial general intelligence.
3. AI chip regulatory developments
US Representative Bill Foster is preparing to introduce legislation aimed at tracking the location of AI chips, such as those produced by NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), after they are sold.
The proposed bill, first reported by Reuters on Monday, would task US regulators with developing rules to monitor these chips, ensuring they remain in authorized locations under export control licenses.
It would also seek to prevent unlicensed chips from being activated outside of authorized locations.
In other chip-related news, NVIDIA shares rose following news that the Trump administration plans to eliminate the so-called “AI diffusion rule.” However, a spokesperson from the US Department of Commerce clarified upcoming plans in a statement to CNBC’s Kif Leswing on Wednesday, commenting:
“The Biden AI rule is overly complex, overly bureaucratic, and would stymie American innovation. We will be replacing it with a much simpler rule that unleashes American innovation and ensures American AI dominance.”
The announcement highlights the Trump administration's intention to keep some guardrails in place to protect US interests, despite pushback from tech industry executives.
At a Congressional hearing on Thursday (May 8), OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasized the importance of maintaining US leadership in AI development. He cautioned against overregulation, warning that poorly designed rules could hinder America’s competitive edge, particularly against China.
4. Palantir, AMD, Arm and Super Micro share results
Palantir’s Q1 revenue rose 39 percent year-on-year to US$884 million, driven by demand for its data analytics software in the US. The company expects demand to continue, forecasting Q2 revenue between US$934 million and US$938 million. Palantir’s share price fell by 8 percent after hours as investors anticipated even stronger results. The company posted a loss of 5.6 percent for the week after a volatile week for tech stocks, as overvaluation concerns persist.
Advanced Micro Devices' Q1 earnings report shows quarterly revenue of US$7.4 billion, an annual increase of 36 percent, with adjusted earnings per share of US$0.96. Despite an initial 7 percent stock surge following a positive quarterly report, AMD shares fell following the company's announcement of a projected US$1.5 billion revenue decrease this year, attributed to US government limitations on the sale of AI chips to China.
Palantir, Super Micro, AMD and Arm performance, May 6 to 9, 2025.
Chart via Google Finance.
For Q4 2024, Arm Holdings reported quarterly revenue of more than US$1 billion for the first time in its history, but forecast revenue and profit for Q1 2025 below Wall Street estimates, resulting in a 4 percent slump on Thursday morning
Super Micro Computer’s net sales increased from US$3,85 billion in Q3 2024 to US$4.6 billion, while the company's earnings per share fell year-on-year from US$0.66 to US$0.17.
The company lowered its full-year revenue guidance from US$23.5 billion to US$25 billion, down to US$21.8 billion to US$22.6 billion, with trade war-induced uncertainty and increasing competition cited as obstacles to growth. The company’s share price opened over 5 percent lower the next day and fell by over 3 percent this week.
5. Constellation shares jump, White House plans reactor push
Shares of Constellation Energy (NASDAQ:CEG) rose nearly 10 percent in two days ahead of the Tuesday (May 6) release of its Q1 earnings report, which revealed revenue that exceeded expectations by over 20 percent.
Later, during an earnings call, CEO Joe Dominguez said the company was close to inking multiple long-term deals to provide nuclear power to meet surging energy demands, further bolstering investors’ optimistic outlook.
In another significant development within the nuclear energy sector, Ontario Power Generation said it has secured the necessary approvals to commence construction on the first of four small modular reactors (SMR) designed by GE Verona (NYSE:GEV), which will be located at the company’s Darlington site near Toronto.
The Darlington project is anticipated to be the first deployment of this particular SMR technology within a G7 nation.
Separately, Axios reported on Tuesday that sources familiar with the matter say the White House is in the final stages of preparing executive actions intended to accelerate the deployment of nuclear reactors. These plans, reportedly under consideration for several weeks, could be officially announced imminently.
On Friday, NPR said its reporters have seen a draft of such an order. According to the report, the order instructs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to send new reactor safety guidelines to the White House for review and possible amendments. The draft also calls for a reduction of NRC’s staff and a “wholesale revision of its regulation” in coordination with the administration and the Department of Government Efficiency.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Technology for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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RemSense Technologies: Enabling Industrial Digital Transformations
RemSense Technologies Limited (ASX:REM) is an Australian technology company driving digital transformation in asset-intensive industries through advanced asset visualisation and drone services. Founded in 2006 as a developer of drone systems for the defence and industrial sectors, RemSense expanded into professional drone services in 2012.
In 2019, the company broadened its focus to include high-resolution 3D asset capture and visualisation, leading to the creation of its flagship platform, virtualplant. This evolution reflects broader trends in digital transformation across sectors such as energy, resources, infrastructure, and utilities. RemSense was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2021.
RemSense is strongly positioned to capitalise on the accelerating adoption of digital twin technologies, particularly across the mining, oil and gas, manufacturing, utilities, defence, marine, and aerospace sectors. As these industries increasingly turn to digital solutions to enhance safety, reduce costs, and optimise asset management, demand for RemSense’s innovative offerings continues to grow.
Company Highlights
- Profitable Growth: Delivered $3.12 million in revenue in H1 FY25 – a 178 percent increase year-over-year
- Tier-1 Client Base: Trusted by major global operators including Chevron, Newmont and Woodside Energy for digital twin and drone technology services.
- Flagship Platform – virtualplant: A scalable, cutting edge digital twin solution providing real-time operational insights for industrial facilities and infrastructure.
- Strong legacy drone operations: RPAS Services features CASA-certified pilots and a fleet of custom-engineered drones supporting multiple industrial applications.
- Serving Critical Industries: Solutions deployed across energy, resources, utilities and infrastructure sectors undergoing rapid digital transformation.
This RemSense Technologies profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
Click here to connect with RemSense Technologies (ASX:REM) to receive an Investor Presentation
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RemSense Technologies
Investor Insight
With its flagship platform, virtualplant, already in commercial use across high-value industrial assets, and a growing global footprint through strategic partnerships, RemSense offers investors a unique opportunity to back a scalable, revenue-generating business at the forefront of digital transformation in the resource and infrastructure sectors.
Overview
RemSense Technologies Limited (ASX:REM) is an Australian technology company enabling digital transformation across resource-heavy industries through advanced asset visualisation and drone services. Originally established in 2006 as a developer of drone systems for the defence and industrial sectors, the company expanded into professional drone services in 2012.
In 2019, RemSense made a strategic expansion into high-resolution 3D asset capture and visualisation, culminating in the development of its flagship product, virtualplant. This strategic shift aligns with macro trends in digital transformation, particularly in asset-heavy industries like energy, resources, infrastructure and utilities. The company was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2021.
RemSense is ideally positioned to leverage the growing adoption of digital twin technologies, particularly across mining, oil & gas, manufacturing, utilities, defence, marine and aerospace industries. These sectors are increasingly embracing digital tools to improve safety, reduce costs, and manage assets more efficiently, creating strong and expanding demand for RemSense’s solutions.
In the first half of FY25, RemSense reported $3.12 million in revenue, representing a 178 percent increase over the same period in FY24. The company also recorded its first-ever net profit of $796,892 and achieved positive operational cashflow of $365,539 – a turning point that demonstrates both commercial traction and disciplined financial execution.
Strategic partnerships with Chevron, Newmont Mining and Woodside Energy highlight RemSense’s growing reputation among Tier-1 clients and its ability to scale internationally. These engagements are not pilot programs, but are real, revenue-generating contracts that reinforce RemSense’s value proposition.
Company Highlights
- Profitable Growth: Delivered $3.12 million in revenue in H1 FY25 – a 178 percent increase year-over-year
- Tier-1 Client Base: Trusted by major global operators including Chevron, Newmont and Woodside Energy for digital twin and drone technology services.
- Flagship Platform – virtualplant: A scalable, cutting edge digital twin solution providing real-time operational insights for industrial facilities and infrastructure.
- Strong legacy drone operations: RPAS Services features CASA-certified pilots and a fleet of custom-engineered drones supporting multiple industrial applications.
- Serving Critical Industries: Solutions deployed across energy, resources, utilities and infrastructure sectors undergoing rapid digital transformation.
Key Products and Services
Virtual Plant
Virtualplant is RemSense’s flagship digital platform. It’s a high-resolution 3D asset visualisation solution that allows users to explore and interact with industrial facilities remotely, as if on site. By combining drone-based photogrammetry, terrestrial LiDAR, and 360-degree imaging, virtualplant creates immersive, detailed, interactive models of infrastructure such as gas plants, processing facilities and offshore vessels.
The platform supports a wide range of critical functions including remote inspection, maintenance planning, training, safety management, and compliance documentation. It reduces the need for site travel, improves asset visibility, and helps clients identify and address risks before they become costly failures.
Virtualplant is already deployed in high-value applications. In October 2023, Woodside Energy engaged RemSense to create a visual twin of one of its floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels. In 2024, Chevron signed a series of global services agreement with RemSense to use the platform for photogrammetry scanning at gas plants in South Asia, Northwest Australia and USA, with a total contract value of more than AU$800,000. These projects reflect the platform’s global relevance and enterprise-grade capabilities.
Additional features enhance the platform’s utility:
- vTag uses AI to automatically identify and tag equipment based on nameplate data, linking it to asset registers in systems like SAP and IBM Maximo.
- vDetect automatically identifies physical defects such as corrosion, helping prioritise maintenance.
- vConnect enables real-time integration with external monitoring and data platforms, creating a unified interface for visual and operational intelligence.
These capabilities make virtualplant more than a visualisation tool, as it becomes a central intelligence layer in clients’ asset ecosystems.
RPAS (Drone) Services
RemSense has a strong legacy in drone operations, with CASA-certified pilots and a fleet of custom-engineered drones equipped with high-end imaging and sensing tools. These drone services support asset inspections, geophysical and vegetation surveys, water sampling, environmental monitoring, traffic studies, and building condition assessments.
Drone data is often the first step in creating virtualplant models. This seamless integration of field data acquisition and platform-based analysis ensures RemSense delivers a complete, end-to-end digital solution for industrial clients.
Management Team
Ross Taylor – Non-executive Chairman
Ross Taylor chartered accountant with a global finance background having worked in London, Australia, New York and Tokyo. He has held senior roles at Deutsche Bank, Bankers Trust and Barclays Capital. His experience in international capital markets brings strong governance and financial oversight to RemSense’s board.
Warren Cook – Managing Director & CEO
With over 25 years of experience in technology development and commercialisation, Warren Cook has led projects in mining, energy and environmental sectors across more than a dozen countries, including Australia, US, Brazil, Canada, France, Indonesia, South Africa and the UK. He was the CEO of acQuire Technology Solutions, delivering information management software solutions for the resources industry.
John Clegg – Non-executive Director
John Clegg has been a chartered accountant since 1965 and has supported more than 50 companies through IPOs, restructures, and strategic growth initiatives. Following his 16-year tenure at Arthur Young & Co (now Ernst & Young), he shifted focus to startup ventures, offering directorship and consulting services. As a seasoned investor, director, consultant and mentor to senior executives, Clegg has left a significant mark on numerous ventures.Keep reading...Show less
09 April
ASX AI Stocks: 5 Biggest Companies in 2025
Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve and advance rapidly, becoming increasingly integrated in the automation of everyday life and a focal point of growth in the technology sector.
According to a September 2023 report from IDC on worldwide AI spending, Australia, along with Korea and India, is leading the Asia-Pacific region in spending on AI solutions; the three countries are also leading when it comes to AI adoption in the area. Spending in the region, excluding Japan and China, is expected to reach US$28.2 billion by 2027.
Although the AI market is relatively small in Australia, it’s growing. To help investors understand the options available, the Investing News Network used TradingView's stock screener to find the top AI stocks on ASX by market cap. All ASX AI stocks data was current as of April 7, 2025. companies whose businesses are focused mainly on AI were considered.
1. NEXTDC (ASX:NXT)
Market cap: AU$6.82 billion
Share price: AU$10.00
NEXTDC is Australia’s leading data centre operator, with 17 functioning centres and at least 12 more in various stages of development throughout Oceania. The company has also forged several business and academic partnerships to enhance Australia's digital infrastructure, including a collaboration with La Trobe Business School’s Research Centre for Data Analytics and Cognition to research theoretical and practical applications of AI across a range of industries.
In August 2024, NEXTDC obtained NVIDIA's (NASDAQ:NVDA) DGX-Ready Data Centre Program certification, enabling it to optimize NVIDIA's AI platforms and power advanced AI data centres in Australia.
The company was also the recipient of the Pacific Telecommunications Council's Outstanding Data Centre Company award for 2025.
In March 2025, NEXTDC's Sydney location upgraded its AXON platform — a system that connects different cloud services and data centers — to offer super-fast 100 gigabits per second connections, which will help businesses use AI technology more effectively by providing the necessary high-speed and reliable links to their data and partners.
2. Megaport (ASX:MPI)
Market cap: AU$1.47 billion
Share price: AU$8.66
Megaport is a software-defined network service provider that allows enterprise customers to connect between data centres. The company offers a marketplace where customers can find and connect with various service providers within the Megaport ecosystem.
The firm's customer base includes cloud service providers like Amazon's (NASDAQ:AMZN) Amazon Web Services and Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) Microsoft Azure. Megaport's service also allows customers to link their own equipment across different sites and connect to internet exchange points.
Its Megaport Virtual Edge allows the deployment of virtual network devices like routers and firewalls without needing physical hardware in a data centre.
3. NUIX (ASX:NXL)
Market cap: AU$896.29 million
Share price: AU$2.55
Nuix specializes in investigative analytics and intelligence software, with tools to help organizations analyze and understand copious amounts of data using AI. Nuix's Natural Language Processing capabilities allow it to read unstructured formats, including emails and social media posts. Its machine learning algorithms include advanced abilities like semantic search and risk scoring to identify patterns and connections within the data.
Nuix can handle extremely large data sets, and its software is designed to operate at a forensic level, ensuring that data is collected and analyzed in a way that is legally sound and defensible in court. This gives Nuix a significant market share within the law enforcement and legal communities.
4. BrainChip (ASX:BRN)
Market cap: AU$380.77 million
Share price: AU$0.18
BrainChip is the company behind Akida, a revolutionary digital neuromorphic chip that’s built with a spiking neural network, a type of artificial network that mimics the way messages are passed between neurons in the human brain.
Because the AI is inside the chip, the chip can learn on its own and is not reliant on the cloud or other networks. According to the company, this makes it much more secure and reduces latency.
In June 2024, the company released a white paper for its newly developed technology, TENNs-PLEIADES, an efficient AI processor that can perform complex tasks like decision-making, object recognition and data analysis. BrainChip's lowest-power version of the chip, called Akida Pico, was released on October 1 of that year.
Unlike Akida, this chip is designed for spatiotemporal classification and detection using event-based data, making it particularly well-suited for low-latency applications such as self-driving cars.
BrainChip showcased its advancements in event-based vision at Embedded World 2025 and announced a partnership with Information System Laboratories focused on AI-based radar research solutions based on Akida.
5. Weebit Nano (ASX:WBT)
Market cap: AU$333.61 million
Share price: AU$1.46
While Weebit Nano isn't directly developing AI applications or algorithms, its core technology, Resistive Random-Access Memory (ReRAM), is positioned to be a crucial enabler for the future of AI, particularly in the realm of edge AI and neuromorphic computing. ReRAM's low-power operation and potential for high-density make it a promising memory technology for building neuromorphic chips.
Weebit Nano's target markets are heavily driven by AI, such as autonomous vehicles, robotics and advanced Internet of Things devices. As of March 2025, the company is collaborating with companies like Embedded AI Systems to demonstrate the advantage of ReRAM in ultra-low-power applications.
FAQs for investing in AI
What is artificial intelligence?
AI is defined as human intelligence exhibited by machines. The development of graphics processing units with faster and more powerful chips has supported the emergence of AI technologies.
Where is AI used?
AI has been heralded as a technology of the fourth industrial revolution, with heavy investment from industries including transportation, manufacturing, education and agriculture. Some of the sectors that will likely see the fastest AI investment growth in the coming years are healthcare, pharmaceutical research, retail, industrial automation, finance and intelligent process automation.
How to invest in AI stocks?
Investors looking to capitalise on AI's growth potential have a number of entry points when it comes to stocks. It's key for each person to practise due diligence and speak to their broker to determine the most suitable investments.
The companies listed above have a strong focus on AI, but investing in companies that are using AI as part of a larger business model is one way to gain indirect exposure to the sector. Examples of stocks like this on the ASX include Block (ASX:SQ2), WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC), Seek (ASX:SEK) and Xero (ASX:XRO).
For a more diversified approach, the Betashares Global Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF (ASX:RBTZ) invests in companies involved in the development of AI applications all across the globe. Investing in an exchange-traded fund is a low-cost way to benefit from a sector without directly buying individual stocks.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2020.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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