
Ares Interactive, a San Francisco‑based game developer and publisher founded in 2024, announced a $70 million Series A round. The financing was led by venture firm General Catalyst, with participation from founder and executive chairman Niccolo de Masi. The capital will be deployed to broaden the company’s operational footprint and accelerate its development pipeline. President Mike (last name undisclosed) said the raise positions Ares to scale its portfolio of interactive titles quickly.
to those worrying about the hyper concentration in VC: consider that public markets are more concentrated than they’ve been in ~ever. this isn’t a VC story, it’s an everything story. …which means: - the consensus is consensusing more than it’s ever consensed -...

French health‑tech startup MyC has closed a €10 million funding round led by Hi Inov, with participation from IXO, Elaia and OSS Ventures. The company offers a cloud‑based platform that centralises occupational health, first‑line medical care and regulatory reporting for complex, multi‑site...

Organizations run invisible markets that decide who gets resources, visibility, and advancement. Professor Judd Kessler proposes redesigning these hidden rules using the Three Es—Efficiency, Equity, and Ease—to create transparent, merit‑based systems. Real‑world pilots such as Wharton’s Course Match, the National Resident...

Synthpop, a Cambridge, MA‑based developer of agentic AI for healthcare operations, announced a $15 million Series A round. The financing was led by Ansa Capital and included Defy.vc, Peterson Ventures, Storm Ventures, and Bruce Broussard. In addition, Marco DeMeireles, co‑founder and managing...

AccurEdit, a Chinese biotech startup, closed a $75 million Series B round to accelerate its CRISPR‑based gene‑editing therapies. The funding, led by Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia China, will finance IND‑enabling studies and scale GMP manufacturing. Early preclinical data show over 90 percent editing...

Christy Tanner has been appointed chief executive of New York Public Radio, taking the helm on February 4, 2026. Tanner arrives from a distinguished career at CBS News, the Associated Press, and as former head of TV Guide Digital, where...

Edinburgh Investment Trust is targeting firms with deep economic moats to deliver superior total return versus the FTSE All‑Share, focusing on three UK‑listed companies. Rightmove dominates UK property portals with an 85% share of time spent and is investing heavily...

The All Things Product podcast episode with Teresa Torres and Petra Wille examines why modern hiring processes are failing. They highlight how AI‑driven application overload, endless interview loops, and groupthink among stakeholders sabotage good hiring decisions. The hosts propose treating...

Gold has surged 65 % in 2025 and added 7.6 % through early 2026, prompting advisers to revisit its role in retirement savings. With bonds and equities becoming more correlated amid persistent inflation, gold’s low correlation offers a diversification buffer for pension...
Aya Data secured a $900,000 seed round led by 54Collective, bringing its total financing to $1.15 million. The funding will accelerate AyaGrow, an AI‑driven precision‑agriculture platform, and AyaSpeech, a speech‑to‑speech system for African languages. Founded in 2021, the company already supplies...
Many founders view an IPO as the ultimate goal, but going public doesn’t always deliver what founders actually want: true liquidity and diversified financial risk. In this video, I talk through why M&A is often the more practical and rewarding...

Berlin‑based enclaive closed a €4.1 million seed round led by Join Capital and the Amadeus APEX Technology Fund to accelerate its Multi‑Cloud Platform (eMCP). The funding will boost sales, marketing, product functionality and international expansion. eMCP lets organisations run workloads in...

The episode explores a new Longview Research Partners analysis that challenges the traditional view of bond interest and REIT dividends as portfolio positives, showing that forced investment income can erode over 1% of after‑tax wealth for high‑net‑worth investors. The hosts...

Orion Security, a New York‑based AI‑driven contextual data protection firm, announced a $32 million Series A round. The financing was led by Norwest and included strategic participation from IBM alongside existing backers such as PICO Venture Partners and Lama Partners. The new...

Pasito, a New York‑based AI‑native workspace for group health and life insurers, closed a $21 million Series A round. Insight Partners led the financing, with participation from Y Combinator and insurance‑focused MTech Capital. The capital will fund product scaling, talent acquisition, and go‑to‑market...

2018 I attempted, pitched. Put it to the side. 2019 I came back to it, pitched, sent decks. 2021 I got really sick, had to start from scratch and completely forgot. 2024 I got a summer contract that reminded me of the...

Ecovia Bio, a Livonia, Michigan biotech firm that produces biopolymer ingredients, closed a Series B financing round led by Pointe Angels. The amount raised was not disclosed, but the capital will be used to expand manufacturing capacity at its Livonia facility....

City AM’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee, comprising nine independent economists, voted 7‑2 to keep the Bank of England’s base rate at 3.75%, citing persistent inflation and mixed business‑survey signals. Inflation for the year to December remains at 3.4%, above the...

Derapi, a San Francisco‑based software firm developing connective infrastructure for the distributed energy ecosystem, announced a $7 million seed financing round. The round was led by Earthshot Ventures and featured participation from Tuesday Capital, Susquehanna Sustainable Investments, WYVC, Breakthrough Venture Capital,...

The Electric Vehicle Innovation Ontario (EVIO) program launched in December with a $2.5 million federal grant to embed 37 graduate researchers in 20 Ontario EV and mobility firms over three years. Led by the University of Toronto and seven partner universities,...

Peak XV Partners, a leading India‑Southeast Asia venture firm, announced the departure of three senior partners—Ashish Agrawal, Ishaan Mittal and Tejeshwi Sharma—after an internal disagreement. The trio plans to launch a new VC fund, while Peak XV promoted Abhishek Mohan...

Minister James Lawless launched a new suite of Further Education and Training (FET) micro‑qualifications in Artificial Intelligence, developed with Microsoft Ireland under SOLAS’s Skills to Advance initiative. The programmes deliver 50‑hour, subsidised courses covering machine learning basics, ethical AI, data...

Markus Kritzler has been promoted from chief revenue officer to chief executive officer of Carbon Upcycling, the Calgary‑based firm that converts industrial byproducts and CO₂ into supplementary cementitious materials. Kritzler joins the role after a brief but impactful tenure that...

On January 1, 2026 the United States enforced foreign‑entity‑of‑concern (FEOC) restrictions and a 25% Section 301 tariff on Chinese‑origin battery energy storage systems (BESS). The new rules have shifted procurement from a price‑only focus to a comprehensive risk‑management approach that evaluates supply‑chain...
in less than 12h i got 3 inbound pitches for ai-first materials companies tis the season, again?

Scotiabank’s Global Head of FICC, Stephanie Larivière, said heightened U.S. dollar strength and tariff‑driven trade uncertainty have spurred a surge in demand for structured foreign‑exchange hedges. Clients are increasingly looking beyond the dollar, favoring non‑dollar crosses such as the Mexican peso,...

RapidFort Inc. announced a $42 million Series A round to accelerate its continuous remediation platform for software supply chain security. The funding, led by Blue Cloud Ventures and Forgepoint Capital, will expand go‑to‑market efforts, enhance automated container hardening, and deepen adoption in...

Toronto‑based OpenSesame, an a16z Speedrun alum, has rebranded as General Magic to specialize in agentic AI texting agents for insurers. The startup secured a large, undisclosed insurance client and claims its platform can reduce call volumes by 30% and save...

Kasada, a New York cybersecurity startup, raised $20 million in a funding round led by EQT and backed by existing investors including Ten Eleven Ventures and Main Sequence Ventures. The capital will fund product scaling, cloud infrastructure expansion, and entry into...

AD Ports Group has signed a Heads of Terms with the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Transport to explore developing a multipurpose terminal at Matadi Port, the country’s primary riverine gateway. The agreement outlines a framework for enhancing operational...

In 2025 Hong Kong’s insurance bond market surged, with issuances reaching roughly HK$30 billion – a 45% year‑on‑year increase. The spike follows recent revisions to the Hong Kong Insurance Authority’s capital adequacy framework, which reward capital‑efficient financing. Insurers are also embracing...

In this 39‑minute episode, Kevin Moore recounts his 15‑year journey from civil engineer to first‑time VC fund manager, highlighting why there’s never a perfect moment to launch a fund and how sales skills dominate a GP’s role. He demystifies LP...

AI startup Airrived announced a $6.1 million seed round led by Cannage Capital, with participation from Plug and Play Ventures and other investors. The company introduced Agentic OS, an operating layer that makes agentic AI a native capability for enterprise workflows, allowing...

The European Parliament voted 334‑324 to refer the EU‑Mercosur trade deal to the EU Court of Justice before granting final approval. The agreement, signed on Jan 17, would eliminate 91% of tariffs for a market of 700 million people, but lawmakers demand...

HSBC has finalized the buyout of Hang Seng Bank, marking Hong Kong's largest privatization and the biggest financial services acquisition in the market. The transaction delists Hang Seng, aiming to merge digital banking capabilities while preserving distinct brand identities. HSBC...

Corporate leaders are increasingly turning to “organiser” firms that house communities of freelance C‑suite talent, replacing traditional employer models. Global VUCA conditions and senior executives’ desire for purpose and flexibility are fueling the shift toward fractional leadership. These organiser firms...

Saudi Arabia has removed the Qualified Foreign Investor (QFI) framework, permitting any international investor to trade directly on the Tadawul exchange as of February 1. The reform ends the $500 million asset threshold that previously limited foreign participation to large institutions. Foreign...

Canadian Finance Minister Mark Carney used his Davos platform to warn that the post‑war rules‑based order is unraveling as great powers weaponize trade tools. He cited tariffs, financial infrastructure and supply‑chain vulnerabilities as new levers of coercion, threatening institutions like...

Veremark, a London‑based workplace‑trust platform, secured $26 million in Series B funding led by Gresham House Ventures, with existing backers and a debt facility from Salica Partners. The round follows Veremark’s acquisition of Agenda Screening Services, expanding its checks to over 180...

Hong Kong‑based fintech Wonder has closed a $12 million venture‑debt facility with HSBC Innovation Banking. The financing is earmarked for scaling its payment platform across the Asia‑Pacific region. Wonder plans to use the capital to broaden its product suite, accelerate hiring,...

Artificial Labs, a London‑based digital broking and underwriting platform for specialty and commercial insurance, secured $45 million in Series B financing. The round was led by CommerzVentures with participation from Move Capital Fund I and existing backers. The capital will fund a...

UK‑based startup Lateral has closed a £2.5 million seed round led by Augmentum, with participation from Triple Point and TinyVC. The funding will launch its inaugural Lateral Health Plan, a combined private‑health cover, care‑navigation service and preventive‑benefit package aimed at the...

London‑based Refute, an AI‑driven counter‑disinformation startup, closed a £5 million seed round led by Amadeus Capital Partners, with participation from Playfair, Episode 1, Osney Capital and the National Security Strategic Investment Fund. The funding will accelerate development of its platform that detects...

Linklaters has elevated long‑time partner William Liu to the role of Asia chair, coinciding with the firm’s 50‑year anniversary in the region. Liu, previously the regional managing partner, will now steer the firm’s Asia‑Pacific strategy and client development. The promotion...

The episode examines the collapse of Xeinadin's £1 bn auction, highlighting it as a warning sign for mid‑tier UK accountancy firms that have pursued aggressive buy‑and‑build strategies. Host Nikita Alexander explains that despite Xeinadin’s impressive scale—130 offices and 2,500 staff—potential buyers...

The episode examines the current geopolitical interregnum—a transitional period between the fading Pax Americana and an as‑yet undefined new world order. It highlights how U.S. actions in Venezuela and threats to Greenland have destabilized NATO, prompting speculation about a future...

Citi forecasts that Asia‑Pacific capital markets will maintain strong momentum into 2026, driven by robust M&A activity, heightened equity capital market (ECM) listings, and sustained debt capital market (DCM) issuance. The bank cites a multi‑year recovery, resilient corporate earnings, and...

American Samoa hosts Pago Pago, the United States' sole deep‑water port in the South Pacific, a legacy of a 125‑year‑old naval agreement. The island now faces heightened Chinese activity, including illegal fishing fleets labeled a "maritime militia" and growing narcotics...

CIQ announced the CIQ Startup Program, giving early‑stage, VC‑backed startups six months of free access to its high‑performance AI infrastructure and up to an 80% discount for the following two years. The offering includes Rocky Linux AI with pre‑integrated frameworks,...