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EntrepreneurshipNewsNewo, Which Offers AI Voice and Text Agents that Act as Always-On Front Desks for SMBs, Raised a $25M Series A, Bringing Its Total Funding to $32M (Duncan Riley/SiliconANGLE)
Newo, Which Offers AI Voice and Text Agents that Act as Always-On Front Desks for SMBs, Raised a $25M Series A, Bringing Its Total Funding to $32M (Duncan Riley/SiliconANGLE)
EntrepreneurshipAIVenture Capital

Newo, Which Offers AI Voice and Text Agents that Act as Always-On Front Desks for SMBs, Raised a $25M Series A, Bringing Its Total Funding to $32M (Duncan Riley/SiliconANGLE)

•February 10, 2026
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Techmeme
Techmeme•Feb 10, 2026

Companies Mentioned

xAI

xAI

Apple

Apple

AAPL

Alphabet

Alphabet

GOOGL

SpaceX

SpaceX

Anthropic

Anthropic

Microsoft

Microsoft

MSFT

Why It Matters

The infusion of capital enables Newo to broaden its AI front‑desk offering, giving cost‑sensitive SMBs access to enterprise‑grade automation. This move accelerates competitive pressure on traditional contact‑center providers and highlights the shift toward AI‑driven customer engagement.

Key Takeaways

  • •Newo secured $25M Series A from undisclosed investors
  • •Funding brings total capital to $32M for growth
  • •AI agents provide 24/7 voice and text support for SMBs
  • •Market targets cost‑conscious small businesses needing front‑desk automation
  • •Series A will accelerate product rollout and hiring

Pulse Analysis

Small and medium‑size enterprises have long struggled with the high cost of maintaining a live front‑desk operation. By leveraging natural‑language processing and voice synthesis, AI agents can answer calls, route inquiries, and handle chat interactions without human intervention. Newo’s platform integrates with existing phone systems and messaging apps, delivering a seamless experience that mirrors a human receptionist while keeping operating expenses low. As SMBs increasingly prioritize digital transformation, solutions that combine voice and text capabilities are becoming essential tools for customer acquisition and retention.

The $25 million Series A injection reflects a broader wave of venture capital flowing into niche AI startups that address specific workflow bottlenecks. Investors see Newo’s technology as a scalable service that can be licensed across thousands of businesses, generating recurring revenue and network effects. Compared with larger contact‑center vendors, Newo can iterate quickly, add multilingual support, and embed analytics that help owners monitor call volume and satisfaction metrics. This funding round also positions the company to expand its engineering team, pursue strategic partnerships, and accelerate go‑to‑market initiatives in North America and Europe.

Looking ahead, the success of AI front‑desk agents will hinge on regulatory compliance, data privacy, and the ability to handle complex, emotionally charged interactions. Newo’s roadmap includes advanced sentiment analysis and integration with CRM platforms, which could differentiate it from generic chatbot providers. If the startup can maintain high accuracy and low latency, it may set a new standard for automated customer service in the SMB segment, prompting incumbents to adopt similar AI layers or acquire emerging players. Ultimately, the capital raise signals that the market expects AI to become a core component of everyday business operations, prompting further investment and innovation.

Newo, which offers AI voice and text agents that act as always-on front desks for SMBs, raised a $25M Series A, bringing its total funding to $32M (Duncan Riley/SiliconANGLE)

Techmeme: Newo, which offers AI voice and text agents that act as always-on front desks for SMBs, raised a $25M Series A, bringing its total funding to $32M (Duncan Riley/SiliconANGLE)

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February 10, 2026, 1:50 PM

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Top News

| Juro Osawa / [The Information]: |

| --- |

[xAI co-founder Tony Wu says he “resigned”, following co-founder Igor Babuschkin's exit in August 2025; Wu was in charge of reasoning and reported to Elon Musk] — Tony Wu, one of xAI's cofounders, said he has resigned from Elon Musk's AI company.

More: [Gizmodo], [CNBC], [Implicator.ai], [Bloomberg], [Wall Street Journal], [Business Insider], and [WinBuzzer]

X: [@yuhu_ai_], [@alexia], [@hadas_gold], [@aiandcloudtech], [@umbisam], [@ns123abc], [@theo_wayt], [@alvaromysterio], [@llmjunky], [@yuchenj_uw], [@ricburton], [@scobleizer], [@urvicodes], [@thedaviddosu], [@trace_cohen], [@factorydoge69], [@daniel_mac8], [@graceihle], [@teortaxestex], [@seconds_0], and [@himanshustwts]. Forums: [r/singularity]

More:

Bruce Gil / [Gizmodo]: [Elon Musk's xAI Can't Stop Bleeding Cofounders]

Ashley Capoot / [CNBC]: [Elon Musk's xAI loses co-founder Tony Wu in latest senior departure]

Marcus Schuler / [Implicator.ai]: [xAI Cofounder Tony Wu Resigns Days After $1.25 Trillion SpaceX Merger]

Carmen Arroyo / [Bloomberg]: [Tony Wu Becomes Latest xAI Co-Founder to Leave Musk's Startup]

Becky Peterson / [Wall Street Journal]: [Top Tesla Executive Leaves Carmaker]

[Business Insider]: [Elon Musk's xAI loses another cofounder]

Markus Kasanmascheff / [WinBuzzer]: [xAI Loses Fourth Cofounder as Tony Wu Resigns from Musk's AI Startup]

X:

[@yuhu_ai_]: [I resigned from xAI today. This company - and the family we became - will stay with me forever. I will deeply miss the people, the warrooms, and all those battles we have fought together. It's time for my next chapter. It is an era with full possibilities: a small team armed]

Alexia Bonatsos / [@alexia]: [They're dropping like AI company co-founders.]

Hadas Gold / [@hadas_gold]: [Another xAI cofounder leaves the company. (caveat of there's lots of movement among AI execs)]

[@aiandcloudtech]: [Anthropic is still the only AI company that has managed to retain 100% of their cofounders.]

[@umbisam]: [Wow. YTW is a xAI co-founder. My guess: team didn't like the X merge first & SpaceX acquisition later.]

Nik / [@ns123abc]: [Sir, our FOURTH co-founder has left xAI.." [image]]

Theo Wayt / [@theo_wayt]: [Another xAI co-founder is out Leading up to the SpaceX merger last week, Elon Musk had grown frustrated with delays to new Grok models, we've reported. https://www.theinformation.com/ ... [image]]

Alvaro Mysterio / [@alvaromysterio]: [Why is top talent leaving @xai ? @elonmusk [image]]

[@llmjunky]: [xAI seems like it's completely cooked. I don't know how you can recover at this point. Grok 4.2 is going to be dead before it arrives. Kinda sad.]

Yuchen Jin / [@yuchenj_uw]: [xAI co-founder left xAI. I believe this makes it the 4th co-founder to leave. Also Greg Yang is sick. Still wish xAI can build top models.]

Richard Burton / [@ricburton]: [Private secondaries markets have totally changed the way talent moves in Silicon Valley Now if you pick the right company you can be set for life in 2-3 years Vesting agreements will have to change [image]]

Robert Scoble / [@scobleizer]: [When leadership goes it usually means the boss isn't happy with their progress. Not good though.]

Urvashi Jain / [@urvicodes]: [After @SpaceX merger, most of the co-founders are quitting @xai , this isn't looking Good. Something is fishy 🤔 [image]]

David Dosu / [@thedaviddosu]: [This keeps being truer and truer. [image]]

Trace Cohen / [@trace_cohen]: [$100M seed round coming soon...]

[@factorydoge69]: [they banned him for speaking the truth @styngdn [image]]

Dan McAteer / [@daniel_mac8]: [He really didn't like the idea of going to the Moon before Mars, did he?]

Grace Kay / [@graceihle]: [Tony Wu is the fourth cofounder to leave xAI in the past year. He led the reasoning org and began reporting to Elon Musk last year. XAI underwent a reorg a few weeks ago and cofounder Guodong Zhang took over some of Wu's responsibilities, insiders said.]

[@teortaxestex]: [Many people are leaving labs with tons of resources (while legends from pre-AI software are joining the labs). What is most remarkable to me is that the first group seems confident they'll build new companies outside. Anthropic folks are skeptical about that.]

[@seconds_0]: [This is now a full leadership turnover at xAI]

Himanshu / [@himanshustwts]: [this isn't looking good [image]]

Forums:

[r/singularity]: [One of the cofounders of xAI leaves the company]

| Ashley Carman / [Bloomberg]: |

| --- |

[Spotify reports Q4 revenue up 13% YoY to €4.5B, Premium users up 10% YoY to 290M, MAUs up 11% YoY to 751M, and a €701M operating income, above €639.1M est.] — Shares of Spotify Technology SA jumped the most in nearly eight years after the Swedish music streaming giant added …

More: [Spotify], [Thurrott], [Yahoo Finance], [Benzinga], [Fast Company], [Engadget], [Forbes], [Proactive], [TechCrunch], [CNBC], [The Independent], [The Hollywood Reporter], [Digital Music News], [Wall Street Journal], [Variety], [Investor's Business Daily], [The Wrap], [iPhone in Canada], [Business Wire], [Billboard], and [Sherwood News]

X: [@xpangler], [@spotifynews], [@eldsjal], and [@sutnio]

[See also Mediagazer]

More:

[Spotify]: [Spotify Reports Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings]

Paul Thurrott / [Thurrott]: [Spotify Has Over 750 Million Users]

Aaron McDade / [Yahoo Finance]: [Spotify Just Reported Its Best Quarter of User Growth Ever. The Stock Is Surging]

Anusuya Lahiri / [Benzinga]: [Why Your ‘Wrapped’ Obsession Just Made Spotify Investors Very Rich]

Michael Grothaus / [Fast Company]: [Spotify executives just revealed why you couldn't stop talking about Wrapped: ‘We turned up the dial’]

Sarah Fielding / [Engadget]: [Spotify now has more than 750 million monthly users]

Ty Roush / [Forbes]: [Spotify Rallies 19%—Pacing Best Day Ever—After Record User Growth]

Emily Jarvie / [Proactive]: [Spotify stock pops on strong fourth quarter earnings report]

Ivan Mehta / [TechCrunch]: [Spotify hits a record 751M monthly users thanks to Wrapped, new free features]

Samantha Subin / [CNBC]: [Spotify pops 15% on strong user growth, earnings beat]

Henry Saker-Clark / [The Independent]: [Spotify adds 38 million more users with help from Wrapped promotion]

Caitlin Huston / [The Hollywood Reporter]: [Spotify Adds Record 38 Million Monthly Active Users]

Dylan Smith / [Digital Music News]: [Spotify Posts Double-Digit Q4 2025 Subscriber and Operating Income Growth — Global MAUs Top 750 Million]

Katherine Sayre / [Wall Street Journal]: [Spotify Keeps Adding Subscribers as Features Expand]

Todd Spangler / [Variety]: [Spotify Adds Record Monthly Users and Hits 290 Million Paid Subscribers in Q4, New Co-CEO Says 2026 Will Be ‘Year of Raising Ambition’]

Patrick Seitz / [Investor's Business Daily]: [Spotify Stock Jumps On Improved Profitability, User Growth]

Lucas Manfredi / [The Wrap]: [Spotify Hits 290 Million Premium Subscribers in Q4]

Steve Vegvari / [iPhone in Canada]: [Spotify Hits 751 Million Monthly Active Users]

[Business Wire]: [Spotify Technology S.A. Releases Results for Fourth Quarter 2025]

Elizabeth Dilts Marshall / [Billboard]: [Spotify Revenue Tops $5 Billion on 10% Jump in Subscribers]

Max Knoblauch / [Sherwood News]: [Spotify soars as Q4 monthly average user growth and gross margins set records]

X:

Todd Spangler / [@xpangler]: [In an interview, Spotify's co-CEOs wouldn't specify what the “Year of Raising Ambition” means in terms of product road map, but Gustav Söderström said AI represents “an enormous opportunity” for Spotify “to become something more for our consumers” https://variety.com/...]

[@spotifynews]: [We closed out Q4 2025 with strong user growth and continued momentum. From our biggest Wrapped ever, to Prompted Playlist, and expanding audiobooks to new markets, we're focused on delivering value for users, artists, creators and authors. [image]]

Daniel Ek / [@eldsjal]: [Q4 2025 was my final quarter as CEO of Spotify, and it was a strong one. Continued momentum, new records, and a lot of progress across the company. I'm grateful to the teams globally who made it possible and looking forward to seeing Spotify's next chapter with Alex and Gustav as]

[@sutnio]: [Spotify is an absolute cash machine now. Gross margins at record 33.1% (up 83 bps YoY), Ad-Supported exploding, OpEx down 10%, and €834M free cash flow in Q4 alone. Margins keep improving. 🤑 $SPOT [image]]

[See also Mediagazer]

| Upmanyu Trivedi / [Bloomberg]: |

| --- |

[The UK CMA says Apple and Google committed to making app store changes to ensure fairness to developers and consumers, and asks market players for their views] — Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google committed to making app stores changes to ensure fairness to developers and consumers …

More: [GOV.UK], [Computerworld], [BBC], [Reuters], [Kuwait Times], [Mobile World Live], [Financial Times], [Mashable], [Engadget], [Courthouse News Service], [iThinkDifferent], [The Register], [ComputerWeekly.com], [Android Headlines], [UKTN], [The Mac Observer], [MacRumors], [9to5Mac], [AppleInsider], [Telecompaper], and [MacTech.com]. X: [@cmagovuk]

More:

[GOV.UK]: [CMA secures commitments from Apple and Google to improve fairness in app store processes and enhance iOS interoperability]

Jonny Evans / [Computerworld]: [Apple, Google agree to app store changes in the UK]

Liv McMahon / [BBC]: [Apple and Google agree to change app stores after ‘effective duopoly’ claim]

[Reuters]: [Apple and Google agree app store changes to appease UK regulator]

[Kuwait Times]: [Apple, Google agree app store changes to appease UK regulator]

Michael Carroll / [Mobile World Live]: [Apple, Google agree UK app store changes]

[Financial Times]: [UK watchdog stops short of imposing EU-style rules on Apple and Google]

Matt Binder / [Mashable]: [Apple, Google agree to ‘improve fairness’ on app stores]

Steve Dent / [Engadget]: [UK takes ‘light touch’ approach to regulating Apple and Google's app stores]

[Courthouse News Service]: [Apple, Google offer app store changes under new UK rules]

Asma Hussain / [iThinkDifferent]: [UK CMA pushes Apple and Google to change App Store rules]

Carly Page / [The Register]: [Apple, Google agree to loosen grip on UK app stores]

Brian McKenna / [ComputerWeekly.com]: [Apple and Google pledge to improve app fairness]

Kristijan Lucic / [Android Headlines]: [Apple and Google Commit to Fairer App Store Practices in the UK]

Oscar Hornstein / [UKTN]: [Apple and Google commit to app store changes following CMA probe]

Rajat Saini / [The Mac Observer]: [Apple and Google Agree to Fairer App Store Rules after UK CMA Review]

Tim Hardwick / [MacRumors]: [Apple, Google Commit to Fairer App Store Practices in UK]

Ben Lovejoy / [9to5Mac]: [Apple makes four promises to developers about fairer treatment]

William Gallagher / [AppleInsider]: [UK gets Apple and Google to agree to easy App Store changes]

[Telecompaper]: [Apple, Google agree UK app store changes after CMA intervention]

Dennis Sellers / [MacTech.com]: [UK's CMA secures commitments from Apple and Google]

X:

[@cmagovuk]: [We're seeking views on a package of commitments from Apple and Google which aim to deliver certainty, transparency and fairness for thousands of businesses in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/... [image]]

| Jess Weatherbed / [The Verge]: |

| --- |

[Microsoft is automatically replacing Secure Boot certificates for older PCs before they start to expire later in 2026; Secure Boot was first introduced in 2011] — Devices that don't receive new Secure Boot certificates may miss out on future security updates.

More: [Windows Blog], [Thurrott], [Cybersecurity Dive], [Ars Technica], [BleepingComputer], [PCMag], [ZDNET], [XDA Developers], [Windows Central], [Engadget], and [Neowin]. Bluesky: [@tomwarren.co.uk]

More:

Nuno Costa / [Windows Blog]: [Refreshing the root of trust: industry collaboration on Secure Boot certificate updates]

Laurent Giret / [Thurrott]: [Microsoft to Roll Out New Secure Boot Certificates to Keep Old Windows PCs Secure]

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