Today's Entrepreneurship Pulse
Cognition secures over $1 billion in funding, hits $25 billion pre‑money valuation
AI coding startup Cognition announced a financing round that raised more than $1 billion, valuing the company at $25 billion before money. The round was led by Lux Capital and General Catalyst and included Founders Fund, 8VC, Ribbit Capital, Atreides and Layer Global.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Birchal raises $800K in down round valuing company at $5M
C8Rtech Launches as Standalone Airline-Catering Technology Company
C8Rtech has launched as an independent airline‑catering technology firm after spinning out of LSG Group in Frankfurt. The company brings 25 years of industry expertise and two integrated platforms—Catering Suite and Inflight Suite—to digitize shop‑floor operations and airline‑caterer collaboration. Its mobile‑first, real‑time solutions aim to streamline meal loading, forecasting and production while enabling data‑driven decision making. C8Rtech will debut its portfolio at the WTCE Expo in Hamburg, signaling a push toward greater digital integration in airline catering.
Congrats to Willob and UlyssesInc_—Maybe Fund Atlantis Hunt
Congrats @Willob and @UlyssesInc_! Hope you use some of this money to finally find Atlantis. https://t.co/Lui5edcikk
Founders Might Still Pitch Even After Data Sale
do you think founders would still pitch me, if like… i sold our call data to ai labs 👉👈
Whoopi Goldberg Launches WhoopInk Imprint with Blackstone to Champion Diverse Voices
Whoopi Goldberg has unveiled WhoopInk, a new publishing imprint created with Blackstone Publishing, to spotlight new and established writers from under‑represented backgrounds. The move adds Goldberg to a growing roster of celebrities entering the book business and signals a broader...
Civic‑Tech Nonprofits Deploy $10 Million Fund to Diminish State Vendor Lock‑In
The Center for Civic Futures and the Recoding America Fund announced a $10 million funding round to help U.S. states overhaul Medicaid, SNAP and other benefits platforms, aiming to curb dependence on entrenched government‑tech contractors. Applications open for nonprofits, early‑stage firms...
Slash Secures $100M Series C, Hits $1.4B Unicorn Valuation
Slash announced a $100 million Series C funding round that values the company at $1.4 billion, officially making it a unicorn. The round was led by Ribbit Capital with participation from Goodwater Capital, Khosla Ventures, NEA and Y Combinator, bringing total capital...
Adam Weitsman: From Scrap Yards to Industry Leader
Adam Weitsman transformed a modest family yard in Owego, New York, into Upstate Shredding, now one of the East Coast’s largest privately held scrap‑metal processors. After a risky $10 million loan left the new plant idle during a market collapse, he faced...
Starting to Show
The author, a former full‑time woodworker turned entrepreneur, entered the No Coast Furniture Show in Cincinnati, building two black‑cherry Bebb chairs in just two weeks. The show, sponsored by the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP, runs from April 17 to May 3 and...
Funding the Future of European Biotech
In a BioSpace Insights “Denatured” podcast, host Jennifer C. Smith‑Parker talks with Edoardo Negroni of AurorA‑TT and Naveed Siddiqi of Novo Holdings about Europe’s world‑class biotech science and the venture ecosystem needed to commercialize it. The guests argue that Europe’s research...
Get Time Back: One Email, £10/Month Solution
🛑🛑🛑Wait....🛑🛑🛑 SMGB x TAE has given me my TIME back. Running a pub, raising a one year old (who thinks sleep is for wimps), it doesn't leave much time for building online. Founders price £10/month (Goes up soon 👀👀👀) I sent ONE email...
Know Your Worth: Early Startup Equity Guidelines
How much equity you should ask for at an early startup? #tech #womenintech #founder #startup
CenterSeat Elevates Founding Engineer Saurav Mishra to CTO to Accelerate AI‑Security Platform
CenterSeat announced the promotion of founding engineer Saurav Mishra to chief technology officer. Mishra will now steer technology strategy, product architecture, and engineering as the Austin‑based startup expands its AI‑driven compliance platform. The move underscores CenterSeat’s focus on scaling its...
Context Switching Costs More Than Software—AI OS Solves It
The most expensive “tool” in a solo business isn’t software. It’s context switching. Every switch from “write a post” → “check Stripe” → “update launch board” costs real money in dropped threads and half-finished work. That’s the quiet tax that AI OS tools...
Banks Prefer Big Deals Over Small Entrepreneurs, No Capital Needed
banks won't fund: – your restaurant – your clothing brand – your agency banks funded: – $200M radiology platform – $2.4M waste deal – $2.4M trucking deal all zero personal capital know the list
Caterpillar Acquires Monarch Tractor Assets After CEO’s Software Pivot Fails
Caterpillar completed the purchase of Monarch Tractor’s assets after the California startup’s attempt to pivot to a software‑licensing model fell apart. The deal, announced in April, comes with no disclosed price but follows a series of layoffs, lawsuits and the...
Huntress CEO Kyle Hanslovan Turns Teen Hacking Into $3 B Cyber Firm
Kyle Hanslovan, the former teen hacker turned Air Force cyber operative, co‑founded Huntress and scaled it to a $3 billion valuation with over 700 staff in five countries. His story underscores how non‑traditional experience and relentless perseverance can fuel a multibillion‑dollar...
Pocket FM Claims EBITDA Profitability, Crosses $400 Mn ARR
Pocket FM announced that its annualised revenue rate (ARR) hit $430 million in March 2026 and is projected to reach $450 million by April, doubling year‑over‑year from $198 million in March 2025. The company also reported near‑5% EBITDA margin and free‑cash‑flow positivity, attributing...
Sennos Scoops Up $20M
Sennos, a Durham‑based AI‑driven sensing and automation firm for fermentation and fluidics, announced a $20 million raise in its second funding round this year, pushing total capital raised above $50 million. The round was led by TomEnterprise, the Stockholm investment firm founded...
Joyful Health Scores $17M Series A Financing
Joyful Health, an AI-driven financial infrastructure startup for healthcare revenue operations, announced a $17 million Series A financing round led by CRV. The round brings the company’s total capital raised to $22 million, with existing seed backers XYZ Venture Capital, Designer Fund, Inflect...
Worki Raises $2.75 Million in Pre Seed Funding
Worki, a healthcare‑technology startup, announced a $2.75 million pre‑seed round aimed at easing the administrative burden of workforce operations in modern medicine. The capital will support the development of AI‑powered tools for scheduling, compliance, and analytics across clinical staff. In the...
Worki Raises $2.75 Million in Pre Seed Funding
In this episode of Speaking of RegTech, host Chris Russell highlights Worki's recent $2.75 million pre‑seed round led by Redesign Health and Healthliant Ventures. Worki’s WorkEase platform connects existing HR systems like Workday, Oracle, and ServiceNow with AI‑driven tools that create...
Slash, a Ramp Competitor Founded by Teenagers, Raises $100M at $1.4B Valuation
Slash Financial announced a $100 million Series C round that lifts its valuation to $1.4 billion. The fintech, founded by 19‑year‑old Victor Cardenas and Kevin Bai, now 24, offers business‑banking, corporate cards, transfers and crypto services. It reports $300 million in annualized revenue and...
$10B Bank Team Advisors Break Out to Form RIA Prairie View
Three senior advisors from The First National Bank’s $10 billion wealth team have launched Prairie View Wealth Partners, a fee‑only registered investment advisor based in Sioux Falls. The founders—Adam Cox, Kyle Cipperley and Paula Bindert—aim to reach $250 million in assets under...
Dream Big, Iterate Small: Turn Mistakes Into Magic
My mantra across my 30+ year career: Dream big, iterate small. That has served me very well and has stood the test of time. Adjacent to this idea is something else I believe in, but haven't written about in quite...
IEEE Entrepreneurship Connects Hardware Startups With Investors
IEEE Entrepreneurship has launched a series of Hard Tech Venture Summits in 2024 to connect hardware‑focused startups with investors, service providers, and mentors. The two‑day events, held in locations such as Menlo Park, Boston, and Toronto, combine pitch competitions, round‑table...
From Refugee to Licensed LA Contractor: New Construction Firm
Update on the Ukrainian refugee family we helped get situated in LA: As you may recall, the husband, Oleh, had run a successful construction business in Ukraine before coming here. But he was a business guy who had never really worked...
Cohere’s Aidan Gomez Chooses Sovereign AI Over Easy Wins
"We're not looking for the easiest path, we're looking for the right path." NEW: Aidan Gomez is trying to build a different kind of AI company at $6.8B-valued Cohere. On The Upstarts Podcast, Gomez talks about his journey from small-town Ontario to...
Why the Quietest Person in the Room Might Build the Best Startup
The article argues that startups should look beyond charismatic founders and tap the quiet, analytical talent already on their teams. It cites research showing employees are interrupted 275 times a day and highlights how this fragmentation hampers deep thinking. Practical...
Consistent Practice Separates Successful Founders From Others
I’ve raised millions and spent years building companies....This one practice consistently separates successful founders from the rest👇
Execution Beats Idea: Focus on Demand, Distribution, Consistency
You don’t need a great idea to build a successful company. What actually mattered (from my experience building and selling 2 companies): -doubling down on what worked -picking something with clear demand -building distribution early -creating consistently Most people overthink the idea and underinvest in everything...
Jayco-AlUla Founder Gerry Ryan Says 2027 Will Likely Be His Last Season
Jayco‑AlUla, Australia’s only WorldTour cycling squad, is actively seeking fresh investment as founder Gerry Ryan signals his likely departure after the 2027 season. Ryan, who launched the team in 2012, announced on the Stanley Street Social podcast that the next 18...
SBQuantum Secures $4M USD Seed Round, Names New CEO and Expands to the US
Sherbrooke‑based quantum sensor maker SBQuantum closed an oversubscribed $4 million USD seed round led by Quantonation and Quantacet, marking its first private investment. The company appointed Eric Giroux as its new CEO to accelerate commercial growth, leveraging his defense‑sector background. SBQuantum also launched...
Thursday April 16, 2026 — Field Note
AI startup Luminai announced a $38 million Series B round to expand its intelligence platform across health‑system operations. The funding, led by PHTI, backs a partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, which serves roughly 15 million patients annually, focusing initially on referral‑management workflows. Luminai...
Sage Haven Launches AI-Moderated Chat App for Kids
Sage Haven, a public‑benefit startup founded by sisters Kate Doerksen and Anne Pizzuti, has launched an AI‑moderated messaging and voice‑calling app for children after a beta phase and a $3 million pre‑seed round. The app assigns each child a dedicated phone...
You Already Know This. So Why Isn't It Happening?
The post argues that AI has made rapid, low‑cost experimentation possible, but most enterprises still punish provisional decisions. Sense & Respond Learning demonstrated the speed advantage by re‑positioning its curriculum in two days using Claude AI. The author stresses that...
Deal Sourcing Wins: Shaq’s Ring Investment Story
Shaq story investing in Ring before Amazon bought it for $1B is very entertaining. He wanted a security camera. One firm tried milking him for $80k (“no…beat it”). So, he went to Best Buy, saw Ring camera and bought it. Loved the...
AI Friendships: EigenHQ Tackles Loneliness Through Tech
When I first met @paulscherer I was struck by his intellect, values, and vision for how technology can help bring people together in a time of extreme hyper-personalization. I've long believed one of the most important consumer opportunities in AI would...
Want to Build a Startup that Gets Acquired? This Founder Shares 5 Proven Tips
Fintech veteran Jem Walters co‑founded the money‑saving app Snoop in 2019 and sold it to banking group Vanquis in July 2023. Drawing on a 23‑year career at Virgin Money, Walters outlines five proven tactics for founders who aim for an...
Celebrating Milestones: Early‑Stage Investing’s Thrilling Journey
early stage investing is a rollercoaster important to celebrate milestones with founders and teams, it’s such an incredible feeling when things fall into place crucible portfolio is growing up 🥹 https://t.co/38zqyk2vCa
AI Agents Will Render Brand and Marketing Obsolete
Just had @a16z GP @illscience on the pod, he has a wild take: brand and marketing will soon have 'zero value' because AI agents will make purchasing decisions based on perfect product information. https://t.co/ifIqVjtYik
Instawork Launches Robotics Lab, Shifts Gig Platform to AI Data Provider
Instawork unveiled the Instawork Robotics Lab and a certification program that has already credentialed more than 20,000 gig workers, positioning the company as a major supplier of real‑world training data for robots. The move tackles the industry’s “100,000‑year” data gap...
From Nighttime Dreams to Daytime Apps
So we’re basically at the point here I spend my nights dreaming about apps I want to build. And my days building them. Anyone else?
From Minivan to AI Infrastructure: Securing $4B Deal
I just pivoted my minivan to AI infrastructure, and someone put a term sheet under my windshield wiper for $4B...
Revenue Stalls Even as Customers Grow, Churn Matches Upgrades
Our revenue at Senja has plateaued We're up 40% in the last 365 days But month on month growth is basically 0 As our customer number increased, our churn and upgrades have met (about 10 a day) Now what? #buildinpublic https://t.co/FY16xbozbp
Simple Closure Launches Asset Hub to Sell Legacy Data
a company called @simple_closure that helps startups wind down is launching "asset hub", which is a marketplace to sell all the old slack/email data apparently they are working on hardening the PII removal tech for this
Pressure-Free Pitch: Set Expectations, Embrace ‘No’, Guide Next Steps
Founders: The agenda script that removes pressure: 'I'll ask questions about how you handle [X]. If there's fit, I'll show you a quick overview. Then we can discuss next steps - or part as friends. Sound good?' Sets expectations. Makes 'no' acceptable. Frames toward...
Slash Raises $100M Series C, Hits $1.4B Valuation
🚨 JUST IN: @slashapp raised $100M Series C at $1.4B to build a Ramp competitor $250M ARR. 60 employees. Valuation quadrupled since May. The headline is the round. The story is everything else 🧵 https://t.co/SzLfFk3ZuB
Bootstrappers Meet Up in Vancouver for a Few Weeks
Who's in Vancouver? I'm going to spend a few weeks in this beautiful city Any bootstrappers around and want to hang out?
Expo Hires Ex-Meta React Lead, Raises $45M for AI Agents
So, @expo the open-source React Native platform, has hired Meta's former React lead @sethwebster, raised $45M, and launched Expo Agent as it leans into AI coding agents. Read my interview with Seth here: https://t.co/1yPgGfe91V Tip @Techmeme
Creator Coins Use Bonding Curves to Bootstrap BitClout
"I raised over 4,000 BTC for BitClout, and to bootstrap, we created creator coins so every profile could have a coin associated with it and every coin would go up or down as more people bought or sold. It was...