Today's Angel Investing Pulse
AI transforms early‑stage investment due diligence
Early‑stage venture firms are turning to AI to cut through massive data flows, using algorithms that parse thousands of startup submissions and link revenue trends, retention metrics, hiring activity, and market signals. The technology speeds up screening, sharpens market‑size estimates, and structures due‑diligence workflows for faster deal sourcing.
Serenity Power Announces $1 Million Pre-Seed Investment
Serenity Power, a Canadian cleantech startup developing solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), closed a CAD 1.16 million (~US$0.86 million) pre‑seed round led by Avatar Ventures. The oversubscribed raise builds on earlier CAD 900 k (~US$0.66 million) of non‑dilutive grants and will fund the first commercial prototype, systems engineering, and field pilots in Italy and Alberta. Serenity also plans to hire a CTO and research assistants while targeting a US$5 million seed round in early 2027. Investor confidence signals sustained appetite for low‑emission power solutions despite a cautious climate‑tech funding climate.
From First Angel to $4B Spinout: Boomi’s Evolution
Boomi was my first Angel investment. We were their customer at Half dot com in 2000 and used their system to send / receive inventory and orders with sellers. Then eBay signed up. Acquired by Dell in 2010 then spun...
Start Fundraising Early to Build Investor Relationships
Always start your fundraising efforts earlier than you think you need to. Building relationships and momentum takes time, so give yourself ample runway to engage potential investors and perfect your pitch. 🤝
Otto Secures $500K to Launch AI-Powered Chief of Staff for Sales
Otto, the voice‑first CRM startup founded by Omkar Pandharkame, closed a $500,000 seed round led by Backfuture VC, Quadri Ventures, BAG Collective and OneSixOne Ventures after winning SaaStock USA 2026’s Global Pitch Competition. The capital will fund its AI‑driven “self‑driving”...
Qendra Gets €162K to Scale Quantum Computing Systems
Zurich‑based Qendra has secured €162,000 (approximately $178,000) in seed funding from Venture Kick to accelerate its quantum‑control platform. The startup builds on ETH Zurich’s trapped‑ion research, aiming to simplify and synchronize lasers, cameras, and other hardware in quantum experiments. By delivering...
STACKUP: The Stack's Weekly Tech Startups and Funding Wrap
The Stack’s weekly "STACKUP" newsletter curates the most recent startup financing rounds and milestone announcements across the tech ecosystem. This edition highlights over 120 deals that collectively raised roughly $3.2 billion, with a noticeable tilt toward AI‑driven platforms and fintech. Geographic...
Danish Impact VC Announces Second Close of Fund II
Danish impact‑focused venture capital firm announced the second close of its Fund II, adding new capital commitments and moving closer to its fundraising target. The fund targets pre‑seed and seed‑stage technology companies founded by underrepresented entrepreneurs, including women, people of colour...
Austria’s Noreja Closes €1.1 Million Round to Scale AI-Powered Process Intelligence Platform
Austrian startup Noreja closed a €1.1 million (≈$1.2 M) funding round to accelerate growth of its AI‑powered process intelligence platform. The round attracted existing backers and new investors, including advisor Gordana McNamara, who will serve as fractional CCO. Noreja’s solution combines knowledge‑graph technology...
Atech Raises Pre-Seed to Unlock a New Era of Physical AI Builders with the "Lovable for Hardware"
Atech, an AI‑hardware startup, announced a pre‑seed round backed by Nordic Makers, Emblem, Lovable, Sequoia Scout Fund and Andreessen Horowitz Scout Fund. The founders aim to launch a platform that lets users describe a hardware concept in natural language and...
VCs Need Mentorship, Pattern Matching, and One Outlier
if you want to become a VC, here's what I've learned doing it myself: - it doesn't take a lot of skill nor intelligence, but there's tribal knowledge that's hard to assemble into a real sense for which startups to invest...
Teacher's Buddy Secures NZ$2.3 M ($1.4 M) Seed Funding to Tackle Teacher Burnout
Teacher's Buddy, a New Zealand AI platform that automates lesson planning and reporting, closed a NZ$2.3 million ($1.4 million) seed round led by Soul Capital and Giant Leap. The funding will accelerate expansion as the tool already serves over 12,000 teachers in 130...
Remy AI Secures $650K Funding and YC Spot as Founder Shares Startup Journey
Oscar Brisset, 25, left his consulting role at BCG to co‑found Remy AI, an AI‑powered warehouse robotics startup. The company has raised more than $650,000 and landed a $500,000 investment as part of Y Combinator’s Winter 2026 batch, positioning it...
Sillage Raises €1.7 M ($2 M) Pre‑Seed to Power AI‑Driven Sales Signals
Paris‑based AI startup Sillage announced a €1.7 million ($2 million) pre‑seed round backed by Kima Ventures, Angel Invest and Drysdale Ventures. The funding fuels its launch of a real‑time signal engine that delivers buying intent directly into Slack, Salesforce and HubSpot, promising...
Youtility Secures $4.2 M Seed Funding to Power Demographic‑Free Behavioral AI Targeting
Youtility Decision Science announced a $4.2 million seed round led by Silver Falcon Capital, Fyllo and National Media. The funding will accelerate its behavioral AI platform that replaces traditional demographic segments with real‑time decision‑state modeling, a shift that could upend how...
Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) –Big Profits From Small Ventures
The Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) offers investors up to £200,000 ($254,000) a year with 50% income‑tax relief and additional capital‑gains and inheritance‑tax benefits. In the 2023‑24 tax year, 2,290 companies raised £242 million ($307 million) through SEIS, a rise of more...
Early Backers Pay Off as Checks Grow
checks are bigger at @maniacvc now. grateful to the founders who let me in early with smaller ones. flywheel works.
Yale Duo Secures $5.1M Pre‑Seed to Launch AI‑Powered iMessage Social Network
Yale seniors Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow closed a $5.1 million pre‑seed round for Series, an AI‑enabled social network that lives entirely inside iMessage. Backed by Venmo co‑founder Iqram Magdon‑Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman and GPTZero founder Edward Tian, the funding...
Founders Must Distinguish Pilot, Bookings, Revenue Accurately
Here's YC's official advice about being truthful and precise about what is pilot, bookings, revenue and recurring revenue. Founders, particularly first time founders, need to sear this into their brains. Don't mistake one tier for another. Be precise, and always...
Remy AI Founder Oscar Brisset Raises $650K to Disrupt Warehouse Robotics at 25
Oscar Brisset, a 25‑year‑old French‑Australian entrepreneur, quit his consulting job at BCG to launch Remy AI, a warehouse robotics startup. The company has raised more than $650,000, including a $500,000 Y Combinator investment, to bring adaptive AI models to e‑commerce...
Tech Investor Lachy Groom in Talks to Back Pronto; Valuation Set to Double at $200 Million
US tech investor Lachy Groom is negotiating a $15‑20 million investment in Indian instant house‑help platform Pronto, which would lift its valuation to about $200 million, twice its March round. Pronto previously raised $25 million at a $100 million valuation from Epiq Capital, General...
19‑Year‑Old Berkeley Dropout Raises $7.3 M to Launch Africa’s First Super‑App From Lagos
Aubrey Niederhoffer, a 19‑year‑old former UC Berkeley sophomore, secured a $7.3 million seed round to fund Swoop, a Lagos‑based startup aiming to become Africa’s first super‑app. Backed by a mix of Silicon Valley and Africa‑focused investors, Swoop launched its food‑delivery service...
Invest in Proven Canine Cardiac Reversal Biotech
I co-founded @RejuvenateBio & have enjoyed the science from day one. Cardiac disease reversal in dogs. 3 years of safety data. Zero safety signals. They’ve opened a unique opportunity for the biotech community to invest & secure equity at this early...
First‑Time Founders Need Legal Guidance—Watch My Startup Channel
What I hear from first time founders: I don’t know what I don’t know Most founders want to work with me because of my 10+ years of experience working with startups. Well, did you know I have a YouTube channel where I post...
Sillage Secures €1.7 Million Pre‑Seed to Power AI‑Driven Buying‑Signal Platform for Sales Teams
Paris‑based AI startup Sillage announced the launch of its go‑to‑market platform alongside a €1.7 million ($2 million) pre‑seed round backed by Kima Ventures, Angel Invest and Drysdale Ventures. The tool surfaces real‑time buying signals to help enterprise sales reps prioritize accounts and...
Ex‑Google Engineers Raise $4.5M Seed for AI Marketing Startup Pomo
Joe Cheuk and Praneet Dutta, former Google cloud and machine‑learning leads, announced a $4.5 million seed round for their new AI‑powered marketing startup Pomo. The funding backs a six‑person team that aims to shift campaign optimization from periodic analysis to continuous,...
QumulusAI Secures $45m in Convertible Notes for AI Cloud Expansion
AI cloud provider QumulusAI secured a $45 million convertible note facility from ATW Partners, adding to its earlier $500 million blockchain‑backed financing. The capital will fund the purchase of GPUs and expansion of data‑center infrastructure, supporting a plan to deploy over 21,000...
This Kenyan Startup Wants to Rebuild Enterprise Software Around AI Agents
Kenyan AI startup Lua secured $5.8 million (≈ KES 748 million) seed funding to launch a platform that lets enterprises build autonomous AI agents capable of executing entire business processes. The agents operate through familiar channels such as Slack, WhatsApp and email, handling multi‑step...
Iridius Raises $8.6M Seed Round to Build Compliance-by-Design AI Platform for Regulated Enterprise Workflows
Iridius announced an $8.6 million seed round led by Chalfen Ventures, with participation from Osage Venture Partners, Accenture Ventures, and Rock Yard Ventures. The startup is building a compliance‑by‑design AI platform that embeds regulatory rules directly into enterprise workflows, turning compliance...
GobbleCube’s Co-Founders Dilutes over 70% Stake Post Series A
GobbleCube, an AI‑driven brand analytics startup, closed a $15 million Series A led by Susquehanna Venture Capital, bringing its post‑money valuation to roughly $68 million—four times its seed round level. The round issued 37,735 preference shares at ₹35,776 each, with existing backers Info...
Schematic Secures $6.5M and Debuts Stripe App to Enable Real‑Time SaaS Pricing
Schematic announced a $6.5 million financing round, pushing its total capital to more than $12 million, and will unveil a Stripe‑integrated app that enforces pricing and entitlement rules at runtime. The move targets SaaS firms struggling with AI‑driven, usage‑based billing models.
Cloneable Secures $4.6M Seed Round
Cloneable, an AI automation startup focused on infrastructure operations, announced a $4.6 million seed round. The round was led by Congruent Ventures with participation from First In, Overline, St. Elmo Venture Capital, and Bull City Venture Partners. In the same announcement, Cloneable...
Swoop Raises $7.3 Million Seed for African Super App, Food Delivery First
Swoop, an Eswatini‑origin food‑delivery startup, secured a $7.3 million seed round to fund its first expansion outside the country, targeting Nigeria’s burgeoning market. The round was led by Silicon Valley investors such as Long Journey, Variant, Soma Capital and Zero Knowledge...
Backed by Redesign Health, Gravity Rail Launches with $2.75M to Provide No-Code AI Operating System for Healthcare
Gravity Rail, backed by Redesign Health, launched with a $2.75 million seed round. The no‑code AI operating system lets healthcare teams build, certify, and run AI engagement workflows across voice, SMS, email and web without programming. Early adopters reported a 30%...
Spectrum Security Raises $19m in Seed Funding Round
Spectrum Security emerged from stealth after raising $19 million in a seed round led by TechOperators, with participation from WhiteRabbit Ventures, Skinos Ventures, and Alumni Ventures. The funding will boost engineering and go‑to‑market efforts to meet rising enterprise demand for faster...
AngelList USVC: Invest in Startups From $500
AngelList launched USVC, a regulated venture fund that lets U.S. investors participate with as little as $500, removing the traditional accreditation barrier. The fund’s portfolio is weighted toward AI and tech leaders such as OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Vercel. USVC...
Berlin-Based VREY Raises €3.3M to Unlock Shared-Roof Solar
Berlin‑based climatetech startup VREY closed a €3.3 million seed round (about $3.6 million) led by Rubio Impact Ventures, with HTGF and Kopa Ventures participating. The funding will fuel expansion of its EnergyOS platform that lets property owners install solar on shared roofs...
Gravity Rail Raises $2.75M From Redesign Health for AI Patient Communication
Gravity Rail, an AI‑driven platform that automates patient calls, texts and follow‑up workflows, announced a $2.75 million seed round led by Redesign Health. The funding will accelerate product development and expand its go‑to‑market team. Gravity Rail’s technology aims to streamline enrollment,...
AI Startup Pomo Raises $4.5 Million Seed Round to Speed Up Product Build
Pomo, the AI‑focused venture founded by former Google colleagues Praneet Dutta and Joe Cheuk, announced a $4.5 million seed round. The funding will back a team of fewer than ten people as they develop a platform that helps marketers make faster...
Investors Bet €3.2M on the Second-Hand EV Market
Dutch startup Eccasion, founded by the creators of Swapfiets, secured €3.2 million (about $3.5 million) in a funding round led by Playfair VC and Rethink Ventures. The capital will fund team expansion and technology upgrades as the company targets selling more than...
Deep Algorithm Raises Rs 16 Cr in Pre-Series A Led by Unicorn India Ventures
Deep Algorithm, an AI‑driven cybersecurity startup founded in 2021, secured ₹16 crore (approximately $1.9 million) in a pre‑Series A round led by Unicorn India Ventures, with participation from SB Investment (UAE) and individual angels. The capital will fund international market entry, accelerate product...
Investors Fund Proof, Not Pitches—Show Real Customer Data
Investors don't fund ideas. They fund evidence. Customers who paid real money. Problems you describe better than the people experiencing them. Early data from real transactions. The best pitches aren't inspiring — they're reassuring. Build evidence before you build a pitch deck.
ViewsML Closes Funding Round to Accelerate Commercialization of AI-Driven Virtual Biomarker Staining Platform
ViewsML announced an oversubscribed $4.9 million seed round led by Wittington Ventures, with new investors Mayo Clinic and Continuum Health Ventures joining repeat backers. The capital will fast‑track commercialization of its AI‑driven virtual biomarker staining platform, which extracts per‑cell biomarker insights...
Balderton Welcomes Serial Entrepreneur Phil Chambers as Partner
Balderton Capital announced that serial entrepreneur Phil Chambers has joined as a Partner, focusing on early‑stage investments across Europe. Chambers brings more than two decades of experience as a founder, operator and angel investor, most recently serving as CEO of...
LightFury Games Raises $11 Mn in Pre-Series A Round
LightFury Games, a Bengaluru‑based AAA game‑tech studio, closed a $11 million pre‑Series A round, led by Blume Ventures, V3 Ventures, MIXI and Times Internet, with Indian cricket stars such as MS Dhoni and Jasprit Bumrah participating. The capital, roughly Rs 103 crore, builds on an $8.5 million...
Limited 100 Spots: Join Exclusive Deal Access
We are accepting 100 new members to https://t.co/6leeScCHo6 in Q2 I’ve been lucky enough to invest in great companies like @zipline @uber @RobinhoodApp and @calm over the years… and now I’m sharing access on a deal by deal basis with...
Zynt Secures $500K Pre‑Seed to Accelerate Signal‑Based B2B Sales Automation
Polish AI startup Zynt announced a $500,000 pre‑seed funding round led by 24Ventures and angel investors. The capital will fund development of its signal‑intelligence platform that tells sales teams when prospects are ready to buy, a shift from volume‑centric outreach...
10x Science: The Founders Who Built the Field Are Now Building the Platform
10x Science is launching an AI‑driven platform that automates molecular characterization of biologic drugs, a step traditionally performed manually by PhD scientists using outdated software. The company’s founders—two Stanford‑trained researchers with Nobel‑linked publications and a veteran YC entrepreneur—bring deep scientific...
Good Metrics? Push Back on Low Valuations
One of our founders successfully negotiated up a lowball valuation offer even though they were a bit hesitant to ask. If your metrics are good, do not be afraid to push back on valuation. VCs will work with founders of...
Investing in Blackstar: Next Category‑Creating Venture
Our newest investment: Blackstar ✴︎ @DanielEdrisian is a product & eng savant. We invested in his last company, Alex, which OpenAI bought. When he called to say he was building something new, we said yes on the call. Blackstar ✴︎ is a...
Keep Your VC Promises or Face Community Memory
Investors who verbally commit to lead the round and then back out - you should be ashamed of yourselves. This is a terrible way to do venture business and this community has a long memory. Do what you said you are...