XtremeSignPost, RapidCanvas, QNX: RFID News Roundup

Published: January 16, 2025

XtremeSignPost Announces Strategic Partnerships to use NFC System

XtremeSignPost, has announced a strategic alliance with Grammy winner Patti Austin, Over My Shoulder Foundation, and Rujunko Pugh  to share hidden voices using a patented near-field communication (NFC) system.

The process allows and encourages consumers to design, dream, and share personal experiences from NFC-infused art and clothing. The method is an integrated system for consumer-based advertising that was developed from XtremeSignPost’s patent to promote and distribute multimedia content using RFID tags.

The program forms global, personal, and social connections through the sharing of consumer and artistic experiences to promote RFID clothing, music, and mentoring. Unique virtual footprints and soundprints, called swagmarks, are associated with memories from the past and dreams for the future.

XtremeSignPost uses RFID technology to integrate and share consumer experiences with personalized products. XtremeSignPost’s mobile RFID system has broad applications in agriculture, genetics, and medicine. It can be used to collect and store information on the epidemiology of infectious diseases in plants, animals, and humans.

“I can’t wait to leave a video message on an NFC-infused hat. I hope that the public participates in our global interactive art project and shares their hidden voice on the Internet of Experiences,” stated Dr. Monto Kumagai, CEO and President of XtremeSignPost, Inc.

RapidCanvas Raises $16 Million

RapidCanvas recently completed a $16 million funding round for its AI agents that automate up to 75 percent of complex tasks traditionally performed by data scientists and engineers. These agents, powered by Large Language Models (LLMs), can process vast amounts of information, identify patterns, and make decisions, effectively replicating many human skills.

The Series A funding round was led by Peak XV, with additional participation from Titanium Ventures and existing investors Accel and Valley Capital Partners. This brings RapidCanvas’s total funding to over $23.5M since its inception in 2021.

RapidCanvas co-founders Rahul Pangam and Uttam Phalnikar previously built Simility, an AI-powered risk management platform acquired by PayPal. Their technology was later integrated into PayPal’s global fraud detection operations. The duo’s deep expertise in AI implementation and its real-world impact drives their vision mission to make AI accessible and effective for businesses of all sizes. The duo has also assembled a seasoned leadership team that has been part of multiple successful startup exits – including 5 IPOs.

The company’s ‘Service-as-Software’ model is promoted marking a new era in automation. RapidCanvas directly links software costs to business outcomes. Its AI agents autonomously handle complex tasks, reducing the need for technical talent and delivering faster, more scalable results. This shift from indirect efficiency gains to tangible business results represents a fundamental change in how companies use software.

BlackBerry Renames IOT Business to QNX

BlackBerry has changed the name of its Internet of Things business, now known as QNX.

“Relaunching the QNX brand is an important step in BlackBerry’s broader strategy to increase our visibility and fortify our leadership within the automotive and embedded industries, with a view to better positioning us  for sustained growth and success,” said John J. Giamatteo, CEO at BlackBerry. “The values that QNX stands for have always been a cornerstone for our customers and this brand relaunch honors that strong history while setting the stage for the division to fire on all cylinders and drive smarter, safer, and faster innovation through precision-engineered performance.”

It says feedback from customers, partners and employees encouraged it to make the switch. The QNX name dates back to the 1980s when two University of Waterloo graduates founded Quantum Software Systems Ltd. and created the QNX operating system. It was acquired in 2010 by BlackBerry, which has since used the QNX name to offer technology solutions to the automotive, medical and robotics industries.

Related stories: