From UN Women highlighting AI’s growing gender and racial bias, to JustAI’s $17 million Series A raise,YourStorybrings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors As global leaders prepare to meet at the United Nations Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance and the AI for Good Global Summit in July, UN Women has warned that AI systems continue to reinforce gender and racial bias against women. UN Women is United Nations' entity dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women globally. JustAI, a San Francisco-based AI-native marketing platform, has raised more than $17 million in Series A funding led by Base10, an early-stage venture firm focused on automation. The round also saw participation from startup accelerator Y Combinator and global VC firm Peak XV Partners. It also drew strategic backers from across growth, product, and enterprise software, including leaders from Anthropic and Chime, HubSpot’s CTO, and the founders of Eppo and Vapi. SaffronStays has raised $3.5 million in a funding round led by Infinity Ventures, with participation from family offices. The round comprised both fresh capital and a partial secondary sale by existing investor Sixth Sense Ventures. The funds will be used to expand the company's presence across leisure destinations, develop technology and product, enhance guest experiences, and grow its portfolio of managed holiday homes. The company reported strong growth in recent years, with inventory increasing by 70% in northern India, 90% in southern India and 200% in Goa. SaffronStays has remained profitable for four consecutive years while expanding its focus on premium and experiential hospitality offerings, says the company. IKIN Global, a B2B IoT smart-security company focused on supply chain logistics, has raised $2 million in a pre-Series A2 funding round led by Unicorn India Ventures, Callapina Capital and AWE Funds. The capital will support expansion into the United States, Europe and West Asia, development of a security platform for India's oil and gas sector, and scaling of manufacturing and operations. Founded in 2012, the company provides smart locks and bolt seals that enable real-time tamper detection, geo-fencing, and audit trails to secure cargo movement. Over the past year, IKIN has expanded deployments from 2,500 to 10,000 trucks and recorded more than 5 million lock-unlock cycles. LiLLBUD, an early learning startup focused on children aged 0-3 years, has raised Rs 6 crore in a seed funding round led by Zeropearl VC, with participation from angel investors including Shadowfax CEO Abhishek Bansal and CRED founder Kunal Shah. The funding will support the launch of 100 new products for children aged 18-36 months, expand quick-commerce distribution, and strengthen supply-chain capabilities. Founded in 2025, LiLLBUD develops BIS-certified, Montessori-inspired toys and learning products designed to support cognitive, sensory and motor development. The company curre
