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  • 3 min read
  • ElevenLabs welcomes BlackRock, Wellington, NVIDIA, and Jamie Foxx in its Series D funding round.
  • The voice AI startup crossed $500 million in annual recurring revenue during early 2026.
  • Enterprise AI agents now power customer support, sales, and marketing operations for major corporations.
  • Conversational AI platform expansion brings retail investors access through Robinhood Ventures for the first time.

ElevenLabs has announced its new investors after closing a $500 million Series D funding round. The voice AI startup welcomes BlackRock, Wellington, D.E. Shaw, and Schroders as institutional backers. Enterprise giants like NVIDIA and Santander joined the round through their corporate strategic venture arms. Hollywood stars Jamie Foxx, Eva Longoria, and Squid Game creator Hwang Dong-hyuk also added their names. For readers tracking AI investments, this round signals strong confidence in conversational AI platform growth.

Institutional backing reaches a new high

BlackRock and Wellington bring deep capital expertise to a fast-growing voice AI startup ecosystem. The company ended 2025 with $350 million in annual recurring revenue from enterprise clients. By April 2026, ElevenLabs had surpassed $500 million in annual recurring revenue across its product lines. Rob Mazzoni from Wellington Management said voice AI will become foundational for global business communication. His firm sees ElevenLabs leading the category as enterprises adopt human-like AI agents at scale.

Many enterprise clients now back the company financially through their corporate strategic investment arms. NVIDIA, Salesforce, KPN, and Deutsche Telekom rely on the platform for customer interactions daily. ElevenLabs has announced its new investors right after expanding deals with these enterprise customers. Deutsche Telekom uses the platform to power support agents and produce marketing videos for customers. The German telecom giant invested through T.Capital, its strategic investment arm, during the latest round. Karine Peters from T. Capital said voice carries the highest stakes in any customer interaction channel.

Why has ElevenLabs announced its new investors at this moment

You see strong momentum because enterprises now deploy enterprise AI agents across multiple business functions. Customer support, sales, hiring, and marketing operations all benefit from AI voice technology platforms. From my standpoint, this third Series D close shows institutional belief in conversational AI economics. The voice AI startup grew from $350 million ARR to over $500 million in four months. Such rapid growth attracts capital because enterprise contracts produce stable recurring income for the platform.

ElevenLabs has announced its new investors alongside a fresh push into retail and creative communities. Eva Longoria, an actor and producer, joined the round as part of a creative talent group. More than 30 actors, musicians, athletes, and entertainment executives invested for the first time. Longoria said her investment reflects support for a company building tools with creatives in mind. Matthew McConaughey, an existing investor, keeps backing the AI voice technology platform with new capital.

ANOTHER MUST-READ ON ICN.LIVE: China Blocks Meta Manus Acquisition in Major US-China Tech War Move

What comes next for the voice AI startup

Robinhood Ventures opens retail access for everyday users to own a stake in the company. ElevenLabs has announced its new investors at a time when enterprise AI agents shape business communication. Your business benefits when AI sounds natural across phone calls, video content, and chat windows. The platform now serves 530 employees across more than 50 countries around the world. Mati Staniszewski, the co-founder, said systems sounding robotic will not gain widespread customer trust. Funding will support new tools combining image, video, and audio generation for marketing teams. Plans include voice agents handling email, chat, and live calls across many client industries. Your decision to back conversational AI platforms now will pay off as adoption grows. The company builds toward natural human-like communication for every business audience worldwide each day.

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  • AI, AI Tools, Artificial Intelligence, Business, ElevenLabs, Investments

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UAE opens T-Sukuk subscription
  • Retail

T-Sukuk subscription opened this week, giving UAE residents direct access to a sovereign investment. The UAE Ministry of Finance announced the offering on Tuesday with full pricing details. Citizens and residents can now invest in the country’s first government-backed retail sukuk programme. The total issuance size reaches Dh50 million, equal to roughly 13.61 million US dollars. Your window to subscribe runs from June 24 through June 30 across approved digital channels. Each subscriber buys at face value, paying the full par price during the offering window.

This UAE Retail T-Sukuk carries a two-year tenor and a 4.30 percent yearly profit rate. Officials set the Dh1,000 minimum investment so a wide group of people can take part. Profit payments reach investors every six months until the instrument matures in two years. Each certificate equals one unit, and you can buy more in multiples of Dh1,000. No maximum cap applies, though the government can scale back large requests at its discretion.

Why the T-Sukuk subscription matters now

His Excellency Mohamed bin Hadi Al Hussaini serves as Minister of State for Financial Affairs. He said the opening of subscriptions strengthens the readiness of the UAE’s sovereign investment ecosystem. These channels enable investors to access government products efficiently and transparently, Al Hussaini said. The minister linked the programme to broader plans for public participation in local capital markets. Officials at the Central Bank of the UAE worked with the Ministry on this programme.

For everyday savers, this offering brings a low-risk option backed fully by the UAE Government. The instrument follows Islamic Shariah principles, so it suits people seeking a Shariah-compliant investment. From my standpoint, the Dh1,000 entry point removes a real barrier for first-time investors. Banks and market platforms handle the process online, which keeps participation simple and quick.

How to apply for the T-Sukuk subscription

You first obtain a DFM National Investor Number, known as a NIN, where needed. Approved digital channels include the Dubai Financial Market subscription platform, the DFM app, and iVestor. Emirates NBD Bank acts as the Lead Receiving Bank for this first sovereign issuance. Other receiving banks include Emirates Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Ajman Bank, and Mashreq Bank. Submit your application through these channels and complete every required step before the window closes. Keep your investor details ready, since accurate identification connects your holdings to the right account.

A completed T-Sukuk subscription places your allocated units into your account before the listing date. Read the official offering documents and check your eligibility before you commit any money.

Nasdaq Dubai listing and secondary trading

Allocation happens right after the subscription period ends, with issuance planned for July 1. The Nasdaq Dubai listing follows, and trading opens to the public from July 2, 2026. You can sell your holdings in the secondary market through brokers licensed on the exchange. Market makers and liquidity providers support trading activity across the listing on an ongoing basis. The Ministry refunds any excess subscription amounts to investors no later than July 7. For markets, this first issuance tests demand for sovereign products among ordinary UAE investors. Officials plan regular issuances, with future tenors reaching up to seven years over time.

  • 3 min read
Mohamed Salah is Egypt's all-time scorer
  • Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah is Egypt’s all-time scorer in waiting, sitting one goal from the national record. He reached 68 international goals after his strike against New Zealand at the World Cup. One more goal will lift him above Hossam Hassan, the longtime Pharaohs record holder. You can sense how close this historic milestone now sits for the Egyptian captain.

Egypt waited 92 years for its first World Cup victory before this New Zealand match. Salah struck the decisive second goal as the Pharaohs came from behind to win. The 3-1 result pushed Egypt to the top of Group G at the tournament. This crucial win put one foot in the Round of 16 for the Pharaohs. His emotion after the final whistle showed how much these Mohamed Salah Egypt goals mean. “I don’t know how to express it,” Salah said right after the historic win. The Salah New Zealand goal will live long in proud Egyptian football memory now.

Mohamed Salah is Egypt’s all-time scorer once he finds the net again for the Pharaohs. The Hossam Hassan Egypt record has stood for years as a fierce national benchmark. Salah now sits one goal short of matching his own coach and former striker. Hassan once led the Pharaohs’ attack for years before moving into the coaching role. As the Salah Pharaohs record scorer race tightens, every Egypt match now carries real weight.

MOHAMED SALAH IS EGYPT’S ALL-TIME SCORER IN EVERYTHING BUT ONE GOAL

The Egypt World Cup 2026 campaign gives Salah more chances to break the scoring record. His final group game against Iran offers the next clear shot at making history. You will watch a player now chasing both a trophy and a personal milestone. From my standpoint, no Egyptian forward has carried this kind of national hope before. Salah had already broken Mohamed Aboutrika’s mark as Egypt’s leading World Cup qualifying scorer.

Years before this run, Salah ended a 28-year World Cup wait for the Pharaohs. He then scored a late stoppage-time penalty against Congo DR before 80,000 home fans. Cairo Stadium erupted as Salah sent his whole country to the global finals again. More recently, he smashed four goals past Djibouti in a single 2026 qualifying match. His stunning haul broke Aboutrika’s qualifying record and lifted his profile even higher still.

Salah also built global fame with Liverpool in the Premier League and Champions League. His earlier spells in Italy with Roma and Fiorentina shaped his sharp attacking style. You can see the same hunger when he pulls on the red Egyptian shirt. Egypt also ranks among Africa’s best with a record seven Cup of Nations titles. Salah now wants a World Cup run to sit beside those proud continental crowns.

EGYPT WORLD CUP 2026 KEEPS HIS RECORD CHASE ALIVE

Mohamed Salah is Egypt’s all-time scorer in spirit, even before the record fully falls. He has carried the Pharaohs to a second World Cup under his own captaincy. Egypt fans now wait to see if Salah passes the Hossam Hassan Egypt record. Your eyes will stay fixed on the Iran match for one truly defining moment. Mohamed Salah is Egypt’s all-time scorer on the night he finally nets his 69th goal.

  • 3 min read
Getty Images surprising deal with OpenAI
  • Partnership

Getty Images’ surprising deal with OpenAI pushed the company’s stock sharply higher in early Monday trading. Shares of the photo giant jumped more than 120% above Friday’s regular closing price. Early buyers briefly drove the price up over 200% before some gains faded later. The stock settled near $1.35 per share, a strong move for a penny-range name. You might wonder why one licensing announcement moved a quiet stock by this much. The Getty Images OpenAI deal now places its photos inside ChatGPT image search results.

WHY GETTY IMAGES SHARES SOAR ON THE NEWS

Investors saw a clear path toward fresh revenue from a major AI platform partner. The market read this OpenAI ChatGPT partnership as proof of real demand for stock photos. Getty Images’ surprising deal with OpenAI changed sentiment after a long penny-stock trading stretch. When you ask ChatGPT a question now, its reply might show a Getty photo. The image helps illustrate the topic and points users toward the original licensed source. Craig Peters, the chief executive at Getty Images, framed the value of trusted images. He said, “High-quality, licensed visual content makes AI-powered search and discovery more useful and more trustworthy.” His words point to a wider shift in how AI firms handle copyrighted media.

Getty took a hard public line against AI image firms only three years ago. Back in early 2023, the company sued Stability AI over alleged image copyright violations. Users had spotted a twisted Getty watermark inside several Stable Diffusion picture outputs back then. The visible watermark hinted that the model had been trained heavily on Getty’s protected photo library. A court rejected key parts of the claim late last year, weakening Getty’s case. Getty then shifted its strategy and began signing display deals with AI search companies. Back in October 2025, the firm reached a similar display arrangement with Perplexity AI. Both agreements stay displayed only, so neither firm can use the images for training.

WHAT THE GETTY IMAGES OPENAI DEAL MEANS FOR YOU

Getty Images’ surprising deal with OpenAI changes how visual answers now appear inside ChatGPT. You get clearer image credits and a direct link back to the licensed source. The creators behind those photos gain a new way to reach paying business customers. From my standpoint, this approach gives both artists and platforms a fairer shared model. OpenAI keeps building fresh licensing ties as it pushes ChatGPT into search and advertising. Getty Images’ stock now reflects investor hope around steady income from these new partners. Still, the company faces real questions about its long-term revenue and pending business mergers. Regulators have yet to approve its pending 3.7 billion deal to buy Shutterstock.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Watch whether ChatGPT shows clear photo credits right beside each Getty image it displays. The market will track new revenue figures from this OpenAI ChatGPT partnership over time. Analysts remain cautious, with one firm holding a neutral rating on Getty Images stock. Getty Images’ surprising deal with OpenAI shows how fast the photo business is changing. You should follow each update closely, since the next move can shift the price. For now, the licensed visual content market sits at the center of AI growth. Getty Images shares soar today, yet the real test starts over the coming quarters.

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