Latest news with #Boor
Mint
24-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
You've heard of LLMs. Prosus is building its own LCM for commercial smarts.
Dutch technology investment firm Prosus NV is building its own 'large commerce model" to help its portfolio companies do business better, according to a top company executive. 'We're showing our large commerce model how users are traversing our portfolio companies' applications," said Paul van der Boor, vice president of AI at Prosus. He explained it as taking the various touchpoints of a user's journey through an app—from opening the app to raising complaints to getting queries answered—and using all of them to create a model that contains 'commercial intelligence". 'When you have a model like that, that is created on a subset of users' interactions with an app, there are other group companies that can use that model to understand how to better help that customer," said Boor. 'We're trying to learn commercial intelligence based on all the interactions we can piece together. So when a new interaction comes in, we can predict what happens there." Prosus has already begun testing this model with iFood, the Brazilian food delivery startup that was earlier led by Prosus's new chief executive officer Fabricio Bloisi, and OLX, a classified advertising company. Boor expects lessons learnt from implementing the commercial intelligence model in Latin America and Europe will help Prosus' group companies. 'We've already done a couple of tests where we know it expands outside of food. The idea is that, at least today, in iFood, one model exists that can help with a whole range of tasks for their constituents," Boor said. Also read | Prosus to take PE style bets, India one of three focus areas AI in Prosus's portfolio companies Prosus sees the current version of its large commerce model (LCM) as akin to OpenAI's ChatGPT-2, which was released in 2019. 'We know we have a path to get to the GPT-4 level, so we're taking it step by step," Boor said. Going forward, the investment firm expects that both existing and new companies in its portfolio to have an AI-first approach. The shift comes alongside a more focused attitude towards investing as well since Bloisi took charge as CEO of Prosus 10 months ago. Prosus-backed Swiggy Ltd, for example, uses various AI models from the minute a user opens the app as the Bengaluru-headquartered company seeks to make its food-delivery and quick-commerce experience highly personalised—such as preferred foods, restaurants, and delivery time. 'We will encourage those use cases across our whole group of companies. We know it works because of iFood in Brazil, we've seen it in Poland, and we encourage it here in India and the other way around," Boor said. Also read | After lip-smacking Swiggy IPO, Prosus prepares for its next hit Beyond artificial intelligence Alongside its deeper investments in AI, Prosus expects a few other technology aspects to play a big role in its investment decisions. 'Agentic systems that can reason, that can do multiple tasks, and shop with or for you is a big thing. Our thesis is that agents will work for you to help you find what you need," said Boor. 'Second is that we expect all of the user interfaces to change as a result of multi-modality." Multi-modality allows people to use an app through text, voice and even pictures. Prosus expects voice to emerge as a big factor in user experience. Bengaluru-based e-commerce firm Meesho, for example, deploys several AI agents across the customer service workflow, including a voice bot for customer service that currently serves users in Hindi and English. 'We've already seen that in Brazil. It's similar to India because people there are naturally inclined to use AI. It offers a huge opportunity as one of the big factors and how to change the form factor of technology using AI," said Boor. Prosus's notable AI investments this year include participating in a $13.5 million funding round in Luzia, a Spanish AI-based personal assistant app, earlier this month; a $7.25 million seed check to another Latin American personal assistant app called Zapia; and leading a $54 million Series-B funding in Taktile, a decision automation platform. Prosus also closed its $1.7 billion acquisition of Despegar, a Latin American AI-first travel agency, this year. In India, the Dutch firm pumped in nearly $30 million into ride-hailing platform Rapido in February. Last year, Prosus invested $100 million in Mumbai-based Vastu Housing Finance Corp. Ltd and acquired a 10.65% stake for $80 million in supply chain financing startup Mintifi. Also read | Groww to acquire Prosus-backed Fisdom for around $150 million
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Construction company and four men charged with manslaughter over mother's falling bricks death in east London
A developer and four individuals have been charged with manslaughter over the death of a woman killed by falling bricks from an east London building site. Michaela Boor was on her way to her son Kieran's nursery on March 27, 2018 when the pallet of bricks fell five storeys from a Higgins Home building development on Burdett Road in Bethnal Green. Ms Boor was found lying among the rubble at around 9.30am, she was resuscitated at the scene by paramedics, but died in hospital two days later. Her family made the painful decision to turn off her life support the day after her birthday. On Monday, the Crown Prosecution Service announced that criminal charges are now being brought, after a seven-year investigation. The construction company and four workers on the site have been charged. 'Following a review of the evidence from the Metropolitan Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), we have authorised criminal charges against a company and four individuals in relation to the death of 30-year-old Michaela Boor in 2018', said Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS's Special Crime Division. 'Ms Boor died after being struck by falling bricks as she walked on the pavement past a building site on the corner of Burdett Road in Bow, east London, on 27 March 2018. 'Higgins Homes PLC has been charged with corporate manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offence, while Thomas Anstis, 68, Stephen Coulson, 68, Dawood Mann, 59, and Alexander McInnes 32, have each been charged with a single count of gross negligence manslaughter and offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. 'The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are now active and that they have the right to a fair trial. 'It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.' The defendants are due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on June 16. The Metropolitan Police said McInnes, of Islington, was a crane operator on the day of the incident, Maan, of Ashford Kent, was the crane supervisor, Coulson, of Hemel Hempstead, was 'responsible for compiling the lifting plan for the site', and Anstis, of Banstead, was the site manager and temporary works coordinator. Ms Boor's mother Alaina Selby spoke out in 2022 about delays in the investigation, seeking 'closure'. 'We can't move on and for me, each year is getting worse,' she told The Standard. 'Kieran is eight now and he starts to notice things. He says 'why can't we walk past the building, nanny?'… I always tell him to cross the road.'
Time of India
21-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Climate-resilient urban forest offers hope amid ‘gaps' in heat action plan
Bathinda: Amid the backdrop of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting an increase in the number of heatwave days between April and June, a recent report has raised alarm about the shortcomings of India's heat action plans. "Is India ready for a warming world? How heat resilience measures are being implemented for 11% of India's urban population in some of its most at-risk cities," released by think tank Sustainable Futures Collaborative, involving experts from Harvard University, King's College London, and other global institutions, has highlighted a critical oversight: the lack of green infrastructure — urban forests, green corridors, and public green spaces—capable of providing natural cooling and climate resilience. However, an unexpected solution has emerged in one of the driest corners of the country — Bikaner, Rajasthan. Shyam Sunder Jyani, associate professor, Government Dungar College in Bikaner, has not only created a forest but has also cultivated a model of climate resilience. Jyani began transforming 16 acres of barren institutional land into a thriving green space in 2013. Without any financial support from the college or govt, he invested his personal salary into the project, which has since blossomed into a flourishing urban forest with more than 3,000 trees across 90 species. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like At What Age Can You Retire With £250,000? Fisher Investments UK Learn More Undo One notable feature of the forest is its section dedicated to native desert grasses, including Sewan (Lasiurus sindicus), Dhaman (Cenchrus ciliaris), and Boor (Cymbopogon martini). These plants are essential for restoring the local ecology, supporting biodiversity, and stabilising the environment in an area prone to extreme temperatures and limited rainfall. The forest is now home to foxes, desert hares, lizards, reptiles, and a variety of birds. A standout initiative within this green space is the public nursery named after Dev Jasnath, a medieval eco-spiritual leader. The nursery, which distributes thousands of saplings free of charge every year, has become a hub for community engagement. In 2023 alone, over 21,000 saplings were distributed to local students, villages, and the Indian Army. Many of these saplings were sent to remote areas like Barmer in western Rajasthan, contributing to wider ecological restoration efforts. The impact of Jyani's work has not gone unnoticed. The Nature Positive Universities Network—a global initiative led by the University of Oxford and the UN Environment Programme—has recognised the institutional forest as a model of climate resilience. Last year, Jyani was celebrated as a Staff Champion under this initiative, underscoring the global significance of his work in shaping sustainable solutions for the future. MSID:: 120486215 413 |
