Today's Entrepreneurship Pulse
Didit secures $6M seed to build AI-native identity infrastructure
Didit announced a $6M seed round, bringing its total capital to $7.5M. The round was backed by Y Combinator, Pioneer Fund and other investors. The startup’s AI‑native programmable identity platform now serves over 1,500 B2B customers via a single API.
Also developing:
By the numbers: abcoffee raises $7.35M pre‑Series B
Maro of the Minds: Kenzie Butera Davis with Jenny Fielding
In this episode, founder Kenzie Butera Davis discusses Morrow, a platform that provides early‑intervention mental‑health screening and risk detection for K‑12 students. She traces her journey from nonprofit work and accelerator experience to launching Morrow, highlighting a pivotal win at the ASU GSV pitch competition that secured pre‑seed funding. Davis explains the challenges of scaling mental‑health screening in schools—regulatory hurdles, parental trust, and data privacy—and how Morrow builds credibility through transparent communication and district partnerships. Today, Morrow serves over 70,000 students across 60+ schools and is expanding its infrastructure to connect schools, families, and health systems.
AI Aggregators Evolve Into Dominant Platforms, History Shows
Most people are building AI features. A few are building AI companies. Almost nobody is thinking about AI aggregators. Most Founders are asking: "Which model should I build on?" But the smart ones are asking a different question: "How do...
Act Now: Build Early, Stop Overthinking, Use AI
Advice I needed at 22: • Build earlier • Stop overthinking • Pick one path • Use AI, don’t fear it • Show your work You don’t need more time. You need more action.
NODWIN Lines Up $100 Mn Pre-IPO Round For Its Next Act
NODWIN Gaming is raising a $100 million pre‑IPO round to pivot from pure esports into a broader youth‑media business. The capital will fund IP expansion and new monetisation layers rather than aggressive geographic growth, as the firm already operates in over...
Eric Ries: Incorruptible, and the Case for Long-Term Governance Reform
In this episode, Eric Ries discusses the pervasive problem of short‑termism in corporate governance, which he calls “financial gravity,” and introduces his new book *Incorruptible* that proposes integrity‑focused reforms. He explains how his experience building the Long‑Term Stock Exchange (LTSE)...
The Leadership Bias That Quietly Breaks Teams
The piece advises climate‑tech CEOs to treat vendor financing as a short‑term bridge, not a permanent funding source, warning that over‑reliance on supplier credit can jeopardize critical component supply. It highlights the danger of the fundamental attribution error, urging leaders...
True CEOs Build Businesses That Run Without Them
The happiest founders I know have a business that runs without them. If you're answering basic questions or fixing mistakes that shouldn't have happened… You’re an operator, not a CEO.
LLC, Sole Proprietorship, or Something Else: Deciding What You Actually Need
Choosing the right business entity is a nuanced decision that hinges on liability exposure, revenue expectations, ownership structure, and future financing plans. A sole proprietorship requires no filing but offers no personal asset protection, while an LLC delivers liability shielding...
Brickken Secures €3M to Expand Tokenisation Infrastructure
Barcelona‑based Brickken, a tokenisation infrastructure provider for financial institutions, closed a €3 million (≈$3.3 million) pre‑Series A round. The round attracted strategic European investors, including Dedagroup founder Marco Podini and venture firm GRX. Brickken’s platform enables banks, asset managers and issuers to tokenise equity,...
Finnish Startup Test of Things Lands €1.2 Million Pre-Seed to Automate Connected Device Security
Finnish cybersecurity startup Test of Things secured €1.2 million (about $1.3 million) in a pre‑seed round led by Vendep Capital, with participation from Business Finland and several angel investors. The company is developing an AI‑driven platform that automates security testing and regulatory...
Tamannaah Bhatia Wants to Build India’s Answer to Cartier
Actress Tamannaah Bhatia has launched Tamannaah Fine Jewellery, positioning it as India’s answer to Cartier. The brand builds on her father’s fifteen‑year jewellery business, giving it in‑house manufacturing and design control. It targets modern, urban consumers who want contemporary pieces...
Is University Losing Its Edge? ELVTR Bets on Live, Industry-Led Learning
ELVTR, a spin‑out of the LABA Group, runs a live, instructor‑led platform that bridges traditional online courses and on‑the‑job training. It now offers more than 100 short, intensive programs across AI, product, design, data and creative fields, and has taught...
Inside Khetika’s Bet To Build A ₹2,000 Cr Staples Brand
Khetika, a Mumbai‑based D2C food startup, is targeting a ₹2,000 Cr (≈ $241 million) clean‑label staples brand by rebuilding the supply chain around single‑origin sourcing, stone‑grinding, and preservative‑free packaging. The company reported FY25 revenue of ₹247 Cr (≈ $30 million) and projects ₹350 Cr (≈ $42 million) by fiscal‑end,...
IdeaForge and IIT Bombay Sign MoU to Launch ‘Who Are the Next Idiots?’ Programme to Identify Emerging Deep-Tech Founders
IdeaForge Technology Ltd. and IIT Bombay have signed an MoU to launch the six‑month deep‑tech entrepreneurship programme “Who Are the Next Idiots?”. The initiative, open from 28 February to 30 April 2026, targets undergraduate, postgraduate and early‑stage founders working on robotics, energy systems,...
Growth without Drift: How Akur8 Protects Its Culture as It Scales
Akur8, the actuarial‑platform provider, expanded its global footprint in 2025, adding a new Madrid office and deepening presence across North America and Europe. Chief Talent Officer Delphine Marsh says the company’s biggest achievement was preserving its core culture while scaling....
Citykart Appoints Rohit Goyal as CFO
Citykart, the Indian value‑fashion retailer targeting tier‑II, III and IV cities, announced the appointment of Rohit Goyal as chief financial officer. Goyal brings over 20 years of finance leadership from GlobalBees, OYO Hotels, Rivigo, Bharti Airtel, PepsiCo and LG Electronics. The hire...
Communiqué 111: Anthill Studios Is Building a Live Entertainment Engine with Immersia
Anthill Studios has launched Immersia, a live‑immersive entertainment engine that blends participatory African storytelling with high‑production values. Its debut show, The Forest of Talking Drums, sold 4,634 tickets, earning about ₦75 million ($54 k) and netting ₦25 million profit. Building on that success,...
Why Your Favorite Workouts Likely Have California Roots (and What Makes Them Succeed)
Pickleball equipment maker CRBN Pickleball, founded in Costa Mesa in 2021, posted $20 million revenue in 2025, more than double its 2024 earnings. The company now employs 20 people and ranks #26 on Inc.’s 2026 Pacific list. California’s year‑round climate has...
These Rocky Mountain Startups Are Giving Outdoor Tech an Upgrade
Post‑pandemic outdoor activity surged, driving an 8% rise in Rocky Mountain park visits between 2019 and 2023. This demand has spurred fast‑growing startups like Dark Energy, which leverages military‑grade solar‑plus‑storage batteries. The company posted nearly $4 million in 2024 revenue and...
Move Over, Silicon Valley: Meet the Surprising Southwest Companies Reinventing the Classroom
The Southwest is emerging as a hotbed for education technology, driven by Texas' massive and growing student population—projected at 5.9 million elementary and secondary students in 2026—and a wave of public‑private partnerships. Texas recently approved $8.5 billion in new education funding plus...
Emerald AI and Nvidia Aim to Offer the Fast Pass for Data Center Grid Connects, Partnering with Power Producers and...
Emerald AI, founded by former renewable developer Varun Sivaram, offers software that makes AI data centers flexible‑load, allowing them to reduce power use during grid peaks and accelerate interconnection approvals. Nvidia’s venture arm NVentures led a $25 million round that brings...
Semarion Raises $3.8M to Scale Cell Assay Technology
Semarion, a Cambridge spin‑out, secured $3.8 million (≈£2.9 million) in a Series A round led by Parkwalk to scale its SemaCyte cell‑based screening platform. The funding follows a $2.89 million seed round in 2022 and will be used to expand manufacturing, field support,...
Savanna Fibre Sparks Price War in Kenya’s Stagnant Broadband Market
Kenyan ISP Savanna Fibre, launched in 2024, has introduced a 100 Mbps broadband plan priced at KES 2,000 (≈$15), undercutting Safaricom’s comparable offering by about 80%. The company also offers a 1 Gbps tier for $77, roughly half the price of Safaricom and...
Female Entrepreneurs Are Struggling to Scale Despite Ambition
New research by Small Business Britain and Starling Bank surveyed over 1,000 UK female founders, finding that 82% aim to grow their businesses within the next year and 53% have already seen revenue gains. Yet 51% do not plan to...
"You're Better than This": Why Young Men Are Quitting Porn in Droves
Quittr, a porn‑addiction recovery app launched in August 2024, claims nearly two million downloads and rapid subscriber growth during December‑February. Founder Alex Slater, a 20‑year‑old entrepreneur, markets the tool to young men seeking self‑improvement, leveraging influencers across religious and fitness...
On the Journey with 9fin From Day One to Their $1.3 Billion Valuation.
9fin announced a $170 million Series C round that lifts its valuation to $1.3 billion, bringing total capital raised since its 2017 launch to over $250 million. The AI‑native platform tackles the decades‑old data fragmentation in debt capital markets by centralising documents, emails and...
Welligama Debuts 'Breathe to Unlock' App to Curb Compulsive Social Media Use
Welligama released its Breathe to Unlock app, requiring users to complete a three‑breath mindfulness exercise before accessing Instagram, TikTok, X and other distractors. The tool, unveiled today, targets compulsive scrolling and seeks to replace blunt blockers with intentional breathing pauses.
Make Content Core, Not a Side Task
If founders keep treating content like a side task, they’ll keep getting side-task results. The real leverage starts when content becomes part of product growth infrastructure.
Should Wasabi Technologies Make the Move From Direct Sales to a Channel Strategy?
Wasabi Technologies, a fast‑growing cloud storage startup, has built its revenue engine on a pure direct‑sales model. Founder David, a serial entrepreneur with a music‑tech background, now faces a go‑to‑market dilemma: whether to preserve the simplicity of direct relationships or...
Allbirds Sells for $39 Million, a Fraction of Its $348 Million IPO Raise
Allbirds will sell all assets and intellectual property to American Exchange Group for $39 million, a price far below the $348 million it raised in its 2021 IPO. The deal, pending shareholder approval, sparked a 32‑36% jump in the stock and highlights...
Starcloud Raises $170 M Series A, Hits $1.1 B Valuation to Build Solar‑powered Space Data Centers
Starcloud announced a $170 million Series A led by Benchmark and EQT Ventures, valuing the Redmond‑based orbital compute startup at $1.1 billion. The funding will finance next‑generation satellites and a planned 88,000‑satellite constellation, positioning the company at the forefront of venture capital...
Consistency Beats Metrics: Show up Daily and Build
Founder to founder. I don't care about your follower count. I don't care about your revenue. I care that you show up every day and build. If that's you, let's connect. What are you working on right now?
What You Have Is More Than You Think: A Lesson From Marcus Aurelius and a $1,000 Loan
Dave Tate, co‑founder of elitefts, reflects on a Marcus Aurelius lesson that shaped his business. Starting in 1998 with a $1,000 loan and a simple Q&A forum, elitefts grew into a 27‑year‑old power‑lifting brand. Tate emphasizes that gratitude for existing resources—knowledge,...
FastCasual Opens Nominations for 2026 'Perfect Pitch'
FastCasual has opened nominations for its 12th‑annual Perfect Pitch competition, inviting emerging fast‑casual brands to pitch for a national spotlight. Entrants have until June 8, 2026 to apply, and the live showdown will run Oct. 4‑6 at the Fast Casual Executive Summit in...
Rebuilding a $100M Hospitality Brand: Pinky Cole, Slutty Vegan CEO, on Failure and Franchising
In this episode, Pinky Cole, founder and CEO of the $100 million Slutty Vegan brand, recounts her journey from a two‑bedroom Atlanta apartment to a national vegan empire, detailing how she leveraged bold branding, TV‑style storytelling, and social media to attract...
Wasbar Launches a Franchise Scheme in Belgium and the Netherlands
Wasbar, a Belgian hospitality concept, is launching its first franchise location in Antwerp’s historic Melkmarkt district. The franchise will be operated by 25‑year‑old entrepreneurs Florjan Bex and Jonathan Habex, who have already worked within the brand. Owner Top Brands is...
Eloelo Burns Rs 59 Cr on Ads to Generate Rs 69 Cr Revenue in FY25
Eloelo, an Indian social‑entertainment platform, posted FY25 revenue of about Rs 69.5 crore (~$8.4 million), driven entirely by in‑app purchases and a modest Rs 6.3 crore (~$0.8 million) non‑operating income. Advertising and promotions were the biggest expense, rising 46% to Rs 59 crore (~$7.1 million), while creator payouts jumped...
Enkei Raises a Pre-Seed Round to Scale a Material Made From Construction Waste that Replaces Marble and Concrete
Enkei, a Stockholm startup, closed a pre‑seed round at a €3 million (~$3.3 million) valuation to commercialise ReCeramix™, a surface material made from over 90 % recovered construction and ceramic waste. The composite can replace concrete, marble and terrazzo while cutting cement use...
Chip Maker Fractile in Talks to Raise $200m at Unicorn Valuation, Reports Say
London‑based AI chip maker Fractile is courting $200 million in new capital at a $1 billion unicorn valuation. The round is being led by Accel and early backer Oxford Science Enterprises, with interest from other investors. Fractile, founded in 2022, develops AI...
Venture Studio AXL Appoints Fellows From Nvidia, NASA, Samsung
Toronto‑based venture studio AXL has recruited nine senior scientists, all University of Toronto professors, as its inaugural Faculty Fellows. The cohort includes former leaders from Nvidia, NASA, Samsung, Intel, and Adobe, bringing deep AI expertise to the studio’s portfolio. Fellows...
Wealthtech Startup Bachatt Raises $12 Mn in Series A Led by Accel
Bachatt, an AI‑driven savings and wealth platform focused on India’s self‑employed, closed a $12 million Series A round led by Accel, with Lightspeed and Info Edge Ventures also participating. The funding follows a $4 million seed raise last year and will be used...
Databricks to Invest over £600m to Expand UK Presence
Databricks announced a $850 million (£644 million) investment in the United Kingdom over the next three years. The plan includes a new 137,000‑square‑foot headquarters in London’s Fitzrovia, which will quadruple the company’s physical footprint. The London office will support a workforce that...
Founders Need Systems, Not More Content Ideas
For the last couple of months, I’ve been rethinking something important: I don’t think most founders have a content problem. I think they have a systems problem. They don’t need more random ideas. They need better ways to turn signals into decisions, and decisions...
Saying No Is the Entrepreneur’s Greatest Skill
Found out (the hard way) that the most important words in entrepreneurship are “No. No. No.”
Beiersdorf to Boost Its Innovation Agenda With New, 100 Million-Euro Venture Capital Fund
Beiersdorf has launched a second‑generation Skin Care Innovation Fund with a €100 million ($109 million) commitment, doubling the size of its 2020 venture capital vehicle. The fund will back early‑ to growth‑stage startups worldwide in skin‑care, life sciences, sustainability, AI‑enabled technologies and...
Jessica's Life Story Forged the Traits Behind YC Success
This interview with Jessica goes the deepest of any interview she's done into her life story, and how it gave her the unique combination of qualities that made Y Combinator work.
Big Funding Elevates Established InsurTech Startups to Leadership
InsurTech leaders are emerging ! → https://t.co/Mi6qREt2U8 This reflects the largest rounds announced recently, which happened to come from startups on the market for a while. https://t.co/WSCHzLUKG4
Standing Ovation Raises €30M to Scale Precision Fermentation Dairy Proteins Globally
Standing Ovation, a French precision‑fermentation startup, closed a €30 million Series B round (≈$32.5 million) led by the France 2030‑backed Ecotechnologies 2 fund and Crédit Mutuel Innovation, with participation from Danone Ventures, Bel Group and other investors. The financing includes €25 million in equity (≈$27 million) and...
Wysemarket Lets African Users Forecast Real-World Outcomes, Bringing Prediction Markets to a New Generation of Digital Participants.
Wysemarket has launched Africa’s first dedicated prediction‑market platform, letting users trade outcomes on economics, politics, sports and entertainment. The mobile‑first service offers low‑latency access across varied network conditions and settles results instantly. By rewarding accurate forecasts, the platform turns collective...
Starlink to Appeal Namibia Licence Rejection
Starlink will appeal Namibia's telecom regulator decision that rejected its licence and spectrum access because the company is fully foreign‑owned, violating the country's 51% local‑ownership rule. Nigeria's communications authority has mandated that telcos compensate customers with airtime credits when service...