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Onton raises $7.5m to streamline online shopping with neurosymbolic AI

TCN Bureau
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Onton raises $7.5m to streamline online shopping with neurosymbolic AI
  • Seeks to deepen its knowledge graph and data pipelines, and introduce a customisable search engine that adapts to each user.
  • Long term, the company aims to become a global decision-making tool for any product category and market.

Onton, a California-based AI shopping startup, has raised $7.5 million in seed funding led by Footwork with participation from Liquid2, Parable Ventures, 43, and others, bringing total funding to about $10 million.

The company said it will use the capital to expand its product, scale hiring, and grow internationally amid rising demand for trustworthy, AI-driven search.

Onton aims to shorten what it calls a “79-day” average purchase cycle by replacing keyword-based e-commerce search with a neurosymbolic AI system that aggregates and reasons over product data. The platform allows users to search with natural language, images, or both; consolidates web sources into unified product listings; and offers creative tools—Imagine and Surfaces—to generate shoppable versions of user-defined styles.

“We are building the future of decision making online,” said Zach Hudson, Onton’s CEO and co-founder. “People deserve a way to shop that feels intelligent, transparent, and effortless.”

Widespread shopping friction

The company reports conversion rates three times the industry benchmark, with more than 20 per cent of users active weekly. Onton scaled from four employees and over one million monthly active users early in 2025 to a team of ten today, with plans to add five more roles.

Founded after co-founder Alex’s 30-hour search for a mid-century gray couch underscored widespread shopping friction, Onton’s early development included winning Pioneer and acceptance into On Deck Fellowship 5. Hudson previously built Rcmmd and studied trust in online reviews.

The funding comes as e-commerce grapples with unstructured data, SEO-saturated listings, and the spread of autogenerated content, while brands tighten into walled gardens and legacy recommendation sources fade. Consumers are increasingly adopting AI-first interfaces and expect assistants that deliver relevance and verification rather than filterable lists.

Users say Onton helps validate product uniqueness, trims research time, and compresses multi-month decisions into minutes. Power users conduct over 100 searches and generations per month, the company said.

Onton plans to expand beyond home decor and furniture into apparel and electronics, deepen its knowledge graph and data pipelines, and introduce a customisable search engine that adapts to each user. Long term, the company aims to become a global decision-making tool for any product category and market.

CISA updates security guidance amid growing spyware and phishing tactics

Mohammed Fahad
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CISA updates security guidance amid growing spyware and phishing tactics
  • Agency warns that device hardening alone is not a defence against hackers exploiting human psychology through social engineering tactics.
  • Clarifies that encrypted apps offer improved security but must be used alongside new risk-mitigation practices.

Amid a surge in advanced spyware and social engineering attacks, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released updated security guidance for iPhone and Android users, calling for stronger measures to protect against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats targeting messaging apps and mobile devices .

Last year, CISA and the FBI urged Americans to use encrypted messaging services like Signal or WhatsApp, stepping away from standard SMS. Now, as hackers target these very platforms with spyware campaigns, CISA has clarified that encrypted apps offer improved security but must be used alongside new risk-mitigation practices.

The agency warns that device hardening alone is not a defence against hackers exploiting human psychology through social engineering tactics.

Four new app security practices
CISA’s revised guidance includes:

  1. Beware of social engineering: Hackers may impersonate contacts or group admins and trick users into dangerous actions—such as scanning fake QR codes. Always confirm group invitations and stay alert for suspicious requests.
  2. Be suspicious of unexpected security alerts: Ignore and verify messages—even within apps—that ask for authentication codes, as attackers increasingly use fake alerts to compromise accounts.
  3. Enable message expiration: Use disappearing messages to reduce long-term data exposure, subject to workplace data retention policies and laws.
  4. Audit linked devices: Routinely check which devices are connected to your messaging apps, removing any that are not recognized .

Device-specific protection: iPhone & Android

For iPhones:

  • Enable lockdown mode: Restricts device features to minimise vulnerabilities.
  • Disable SMS fallback in iMessage: Ensures communications remain end-to-end encrypted.
  • Use iCloud private relay or encrypted DNS providers: Mask IP addresses and protect DNS queries.
  • Restrict app permissions: Limit access to personal data and device features.
  • Choose the latest hardware: Opt for the newest iPhone models with advanced security.

For Android devices:

  • Select secure models: Prioritise devices with strong update commitments and hardware security.
  • Configure Google messages for end-to-end encryption: Use RCS only when encrypted.
  • Secure browsing and safe browsing protections: Ensure HTTPS connections and enable Enhanced Protection in Chrome.
  • Keep play protect on: Regularly check app scans to guard against malicious apps.
  • Limit app permissions: Revoke unnecessary app access.

General security best practices for all users

  • Use end-to-end encrypted apps for sensitive communication.
  • Adopt phishing-resistant authentication: Prefer hardware security keys (FIDO standard) over SMS-based codes. Enroll critical accounts in Google Advanced Protection Program if possible.
  • Utilise password managers: Choose industry-recognized options with breach alerting, and upgrade weak or repeated passwords.
  • Set a carrier-level PIN: To thwart SIM-swapping attacks.
  • Keep devices and apps updated: Enable automatic software updates.
  • Avoid personal VPNs: Especially free services, as they add risk rather than reduce it.

CISA emphasises that while the guidance is especially crucial for those in high-risk fields—government, defence, and politics—it applies to all mobile users given the widespread and rapidly evolving nature of cyberattacks.

Implementing these combined best practices, according to CISA, offers strong protection against both nation-state and financially motivated hackers.

HP to cut up to 6,000 jobs globally by 2028 amid AI push

Ana Mary Joseph
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HP to cut up to 6,000 jobs globally by 2028 amid AI push
  • Layoffs to primarily impact teams involved in product development, internal operations, and customer service.
  • HP plans aggressive cost-saving actions including qualifying lower-cost suppliers and adjusting memory configurations.

HP announced plans to slash 4,000 to 6,000 jobs worldwide by fiscal 2028 as part of a strategy to streamline operations and accelerate artificial intelligence adoption across product development and customer support. The announcement, made Tuesday, sent HP shares down 5.5 per cent in after-hours trading.

The Palo Alto-based technology giant said the layoffs would primarily impact teams involved in product development, internal operations, and customer service.

Strong demand for AI-enabled PCs

“We expect this initiative will create $1 billion in gross run rate savings over three years,” CEO Enrique Lores said during a media call. The planned reductions follow an additional 1,000 to 2,000 layoffs announced in February, part of a broader restructuring program.

HP is leaning into surging demand for AI-enabled PCs, which made up more than 30 per cent of its latest quarterly shipments. Still, the company faces mounting cost pressure from global memory chip price hikes, exacerbated by data centre demand for AI infrastructure.

To offset future chip cost pressures, HP plans aggressive cost-saving actions including qualifying lower-cost suppliers and adjusting memory configurations.

HP’s latest restructuring underscores the dual challenge many global tech manufacturers face: capturing opportunities in AI while navigating the realities of rising component costs and fierce competition.

Apple, Google told to crack down on government-agency spoofing in Singapore

Naushad K. Cherrayil
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Apple, Google told to crack down on government-agency spoofing in Singapore
  • Under the new order, Apple and Google must block accounts and group chats from using or spoofing government agency names—including “gov.sg”—or otherwise filter such messages from their platforms.

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs has directed technology giants Apple and Google to implement measures preventing the impersonation of government agencies on their messaging platforms, as part of a crackdown on rising scam activity.

The order, issued under the Online Criminal Harms Act, follows reports of scams on Apple’s iMessage and Google Messages that masqueraded as reputable entities such as local postal service SingPost.

Authorities noted that while Singapore government agencies are registered with a local SMS registry—ensuring only official messages bear the “gov.sg” signature—this safeguard is not currently extended to iMessage or Google Messages.

“Members of the public may assume that messages they receive from accounts claiming to be from ‘gov.sg’ on iMessage or Google Messages are legitimate because messages sent through these services appear alongside and are not easily distinguishable from SMSes,” police said in a statement.

Digital safety

Under the new order, Apple and Google must block accounts and group chats from using or spoofing government agency names—including “gov.sg”—or otherwise filter such messages from their platforms.

Both companies have agreed to comply and are working on technical updates. The Home Affairs Ministry is urging members of the public to update their mobile applications to benefit from enhanced anti-scam protections.

This move follows a September warning to Meta Platforms, where Singapore authorities threatened regulatory fines if the company failed to introduce enhanced authentication measures—such as facial recognition—on Facebook to deter impersonation scams targeting government office holders and agencies.

The latest measures reflect Singapore’s increasingly assertive enforcement of digital safety amid a surge in online scams targeting citizens and key institutions.

Google and Accel launch $20m AI startup fund in India

Mohammed Fahad
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Google and Accel launch $20m AI startup fund in India
  • US tech giants are ramping up investments in India, now recognised as a strategic growth market with nearly a billion internet users.
  • AI Futures Fund firmly believes that founders in India will play a leading role in defining the next era of global technology.

Alphabet’s Google and leading venture capital firm Accel have announced a landmark partnership to fund at least ten early-stage Indian artificial intelligence (AI) startups, marking Google’s first dedicated funding tie-up of this kind, according to senior executives from both companies.

Under the new initiative, the Google AI Futures Fund and Accel will jointly invest up to $2 million in each selected startup, aiming to accelerate India’s emerging AI ecosystem.

The fund’s launch comes amid a surge of US tech giants—including Microsoft, Amazon, and OpenAI—ramping up investments in India, now recognised as a strategic growth market with nearly a billion internet users.

Major commitment to local AI innovation

The partnership follows Google’s October announcement of a $15 billion investment over five years to build a major AI data centre in Andhra Pradesh, its largest-ever commitment to India. The AI Futures Fund, established six months ago, has already invested in over 30 ventures—including Indian webtoon player Toonsutra and US legal-tech firm Harvey.

Additionally, Google’s collaboration with Reliance Jio will provide 505 million Indian users with free access to its Gemini AI platform.

Jonathan Silber, co-founder and director of the AI Futures Fund, emphasised India’s pivotal role in shaping global technology’s next chapter. “We firmly believe that founders in India will play a leading role in defining the next era of global technology. That’s why we’re focusing on investing early, especially in markets like India—so we can help build the next generation of AI leaders,” Silber said.

India’s AI market is projected to reach $17 billion by 2027, according to data from Nasscom and consulting firm BCG.

Globally, total AI spending is expected to approach $1.5 trillion in 2025, crossing $2 trillion in 2026, research firm Gartner projects.

India steps up cyber defence with new innovation challenge

Naushad K. Cherrayil
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India steps up cyber defence with new innovation challenge
  • CSIC 1.0 sets a precedent for grassroots innovation and national collaboration, targeting students and researchers with real-world cyber threats.

In a significant push to bolster India’s cyber security ecosystem, the government has unveiled the first-ever Cyber Security Innovation Challenge (CSIC) 1.0, targeting students and researchers with real-world cyber threats.

The initiative aims to foster cyber security as an attractive career path while accelerating the development of indigenous, product-oriented solutions.

The CSIC 1.0 is part of the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) project under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The challenge is designed to produce skilled professionals and stimulate innovation in addressing India’s evolving cyber security needs.

Collaborative approach

S. Krishnan, IT Secretary, outlined a two-pronged national strategy: expanding public awareness of emerging digital threats and simultaneously strengthening India’s technological capabilities.

“Cyber security demands a whole-of-nation approach,” Krishnan said, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on cohesive national action. He added that CSIC 1.0 is geared to meet both immediate and long-term challenges.

The initiative was launched amid strong collaboration between MeitY, CERT-In, the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), AICTE, C-DAC, the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), as well as academic and industry representatives.

Krishnan underscored the goal of nurturing innovative solutions well beyond the minimum viable product (MVP) stage, paving the way for partnerships with startups and industry for scalable market deployment.

Structure designed for impact

Vinayak Godse, CEO of DSCI, provided details on CSIC 1.0’s five-stage structure and its set of domain-specific problem statements, crafted through months of joint work between DSCI, C-DAC, and ISEA. Godse noted, “This first-of-its-kind initiative empowers students and researchers to innovate early, fostering entrepreneurial mindsets.”

Professor V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, noted that the innovation challenge demonstrates India’s deepening grasp of cyber threats and the readiness to develop transformative homegrown solutions. The challenge features ten focused problem statements directly aligned with India’s most pressing cyber security requirements.

Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General of CERT-In, highlighted the ISEA’s leading role in pushing Indian cyber research from reactive defense to proactive innovation. “The challenge creates a critical bridge connecting R&D, academia, and industry, envisioning academic innovations as real-world, market-ready products,” Dr. Bahl stated.

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