The Gates Foundation announced on Monday it will invest $2.5 billion in women’s health globally by 2030, with Pakistan among the countries set to benefit from work in maternal health, nutrition, contraception, and related areas. Research and development (R&D) in women’s health remains chronically underfunded worldwide, with limited investment in areas like gynaecological and menstrual health, obstetric care, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, and maternal nutrition, the foundation said in a statement. Citing a 2021 McKinsey & Company analysis, it said just one per cent of healthcare R&D targets female-specific conditions beyond cancer. Common issues like preeclampsia, endometriosis, and menopause remain largely overlooked despite affecting hundreds of millions. “Investing in women’s health has a lasting impact across generations. It leads to healthier families, stronger economies, and a more just world,” said Bill Gates, chair of the Gates Foundation. “Yet women’s health continues to be ignored, ...
Switzerland’s fully open LLM merges transparency, sustainability and Web3 utility designed for research, DeFi and AI compliance. ETH Zurich and EPFL’s open-weight LLM offers a transparent alternative to black-box AI built on green compute and set for public release. Large language models (LLMs), which are neural networks that predict the next word in a sentence, are powering today’s generative AI. Most remain closed, usable by the public, yet inaccessible for inspection or improvement. This lack of transparency conflicts with Web3’s principles of openness and permissionless innovation. Read more
Paying rent in Bitcoin is easy, secure and gaining popularity among tenants. Many cities globally now have tech infrastructure to facilitate Bitcoin payments. Remote workers and digital nomads can now pay rent in Bitcoin across major cities and coastal hubs. Blockchain-powered rental platforms and smart contracts simplify lease management, reduce disputes, and enable secure, near-instant settlements. Tenants and landlords can choose direct or indirect Bitcoin payments, with stablecoins, intermediaries or escrow services helping mitigate volatility and compliance risks. Read more
Public markets provide new fundraising avenues for blockchain companies, enabling them to tap into capital from traditional markets. Figure Technology Solutions, a fintech company focused on transforming financial services through blockchain technology, has filed confidentially for an initial public offering (IPO) with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, joining a growing list of crypto-related companies preparing to enter traditional financial markets. Figure Technology submitted a confidential IPO filing with the SEC related to its equity securities offering expected in 2025, the company announced on Monday. The number of shares and the price range have yet to be determined, subject to market conditions and the completion of the SEC’s review process. The IPO filing was made under a new SEC clause that enables confidential filing ahead of a final public offering. Read more