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One Individual And Two Legal Entities From Cyprus In New US Sanctions

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

June 13, 2024

Another individual, holder of the Cypriot nationality and two companies registered in Cyprus are included in the list of new sanctions imposed by the US against Russia on Wednesday.

The US Treasury Department announced new sanctions on more than 300 individuals and entities to degrade Russia’s capability to pursue its war of aggression against Ukraine.

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In OFAC’s updated list, Bulat Akhatovich Yanborisov, a Russian who also holds Cyprus citizenship, is included. According to a US Treasury Department press release, Russia-based Silk Way Rally Association holds an annual off-road rally race that the U.S.-designated Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) uses as a front for intelligence operations.

The GRU has given awards to Bulat Akhatovich Yanborisov, the head of Silk Way, for his work. Bulat appears to use his properties in Europe as transit points for GRU officers. Bulat, who is Silk Way’s CEO and general director, alongside his son Amir Bulatovich Yanborisov, uses Silk Way’s logistical infrastructure to procure anti-UAV and radioelectronic warfare equipment for use on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Moreover, the Cyprus-registered companies Picotin Holdings Ltd and Sentimare Enterprises Ltd were also added to the list of sanctions. According to the US Department of State, the two companies are linked to Vladimir Olegovich Potanin, one of the wealthiest oligarchs in Russia, who formerly served as a Deputy Prime Minister for the Russian Federation.

Potanin has been on the sanctions list since December 2022. The Department is designating four Liechtenstein-based foundations, Paloma Foundation, Spero Foundation, Natwin Foundation, and Cafar Foundation, as well as two Cyprus-based entities, Sentimare Enterprises Ltd and Picotin Holdings Ltd and one UAE-based entity, Sentimare Me Ltd, connected to the scheme.

Given that Potanin was previously the ultimate beneficial owner of Sentimare Enterprises Ltd and his minor children’s current equal ownership of the four foundations, the US Department of State believes that Potanin retains control of the four foundations and thus the control of Sentimare Enterprises Ltd, that is controlled by the four foundations.

Moreover, it notes that Sentimare Me Ltd and Picotin Holdings Ltd are being designated for being owned or controlled by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Sentimare Enterprises Ltd, since they are both wholly owned by Sentimare Enterprises Ltd.

AI Startup InsureVision Secures $2.7M To Predict Car Crashes Before They Happen

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

March 12, 2025

Imagine a world where your car doesn’t just react to accidents—it predicts them before they unfold. That’s the bold vision behind InsureVision, a London-based AI startup that just closed a $2.7 million seed round to turn predictive crash prevention into reality.

Why This Matters

Backing from State Farm Ventures, Rethink Ventures, and Twin Path Ventures signals serious industry confidence. State Farm, one of the world’s largest insurers, rarely bets on early-stage startups, making its participation a major endorsement of InsureVision’s tech.

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The Tech: AI That “Sees” Like A Human

Founded in 2023, InsureVision has built an AI system designed to process real-time video from standard car cameras—an approach they call “enviromatics.” Unlike conventional GPS-based trackers that assess risk through raw data points like speed and braking, InsureVision’s AI interprets the full driving environment.

Here’s the difference:

Traditional systems might flag sudden braking as reckless.
InsureVision’s AI understands that a pile-up ahead is the real risk and recognises defensive driving rather than penalising it.

Who’s Buying In?

The advanced car safety tech market is projected to grow from $21 billion today to $40 billion by 2030, and InsureVision wants a sizable cut. Its AI could reshape risk assessment for:

Insurance companies offering personalised pricing based on actual driving behaviour.
Fleet operators (think Uber, logistics firms) seeking real-time risk monitoring.
Automakers integrating AI-driven safety features to comply with evolving regulations.

Next Steps

Trials with major U.S. insurers are underway, with Japan next in line for expansion. Results from these pilots are expected by mid-2025.

“We’ve built a vision transformer—an AI that learns from what it sees, not just mechanical data like speed or acceleration,” says CEO Mark Miller. “This brings real-world context into risk assessment, making it a fundamentally more human approach.”

For investors and industry insiders, the bet is clear: If InsureVision delivers, it won’t just improve road safety—it could redefine the economics of auto insurance.