Country music star Ella Langley has been named American Eagle's "Denim Darling," the brand announced Wednesday, less than a year after facing online backlash for a previous campaign. In other news, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly selected his daughter as his heir, according to South Korea's spy agency. Meanwhile, AI inference startup Modal Labs is in talks to raise a new round at a $2.5 billion valuation, and an all-EV marketplace called Ever secured $31 million in funding. Finally, in Aleppo, Syria, an artists collective is working to bridge war divisions through art.
American Eagle's decision to name Langley as its new face comes after the brand's July 2023 launch of "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans" sparked controversy. Some critics argued the wordplay carried racially charged implications, according to Fox News.
Kim Ju Ae, believed to be 13 years old, has been increasingly visible at high-profile events with her father, including a visit to Beijing in September, her first known trip abroad, according to the BBC. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) cited her prominent public presence at official events as a factor in its assessment and will continue to monitor her involvement in North Korean affairs.
In the tech sector, Ever, an AI-native, full-stack auto retail business for electric vehicles, secured a $31 million Series A funding round led by Eclipse, with Ibex Investors, Lifeline Ventures, and JIMCO as co-investors, according to TechCrunch. The company aims to scale its platform, which already has thousands of customers buying and selling used EVs.
Modal Labs, a startup specializing in AI inference infrastructure, is in early discussions with venture capitalists about a new funding round at a valuation of approximately $2.5 billion, according to TechCrunch. If the deal closes at these terms, it would more than double the company's valuation from its $1.1 billion Series B round announced less than five months ago. General Catalyst is reportedly in talks to lead the round. Modal Labs' annualized revenue run rate (ARR) is approximately $50 million, sources said. However, Modal Labs co-founder and CEO Erik Bernhardsson denied that his company was actively fundraising, characterizing his recent interactions with VCs as general conversations.
In Aleppo, Syria, an artists collective is using workshops, concerts, and film screenings to rebuild trust and bridge divisions in a city marked by years of war, according to Al Jazeera. The collective brings together Syrians from different religious and political backgrounds in a shared creative space.
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