I Thought I Knew My Value as a Founder — Until I Had an Ego Death Starting a New Company
Serial entrepreneur leaves a successful digital‑marketing firm to launch a hemp‑based plastics startup, only to discover his prior expertise is largely irrelevant. Confronted with heavy regulation, supply‑chain complexities, and lengthy permitting processes, he experiences an “ego death” that forces him to adopt a beginner’s mindset. By embracing patience, asking basic questions, and unlearning old habits, he re‑establishes his value through rapid learning. The story illustrates how founders must repeatedly reset their identity when entering unfamiliar, regulated markets.
Ask These Three Questions Before Choosing a Co-Founder or Regret It Later
Choosing the right co‑founder is the single biggest predictor of startup survival, outweighing idea or funding. Research by Noam Wasserman shows roughly 65% of high‑potential failures stem from people problems at the top. Founders typically apply two filters—complementary skills and...
Laverock Therapeutics Awarded £2.2m Through Innovation Grants
Laverock Therapeutics has secured more than £2.2 million (approximately $2.8 million) in two competitive innovation grants to accelerate its programmable gene‑control platform. The first grant will fund scaling of a T‑cell product pipeline focused on solid‑tumour cancers, leveraging patient datasets and intracellular...
Unastella, a South Korean Rocket Startup that Launched From Home, Raises $24M
South Korean rocket startup Unastella raised a $24 million Series B, bringing its total capital to $44 million, and successfully launched its UNA EXPRESS‑I orbital vehicle in May 2025. The company focuses on small‑satellite launch services, employing a kerosene‑liquid‑oxygen engine paired with an electric motor...
Munich-Based Encosa Raises €25 Million to Bring Battery Storage to German SMEs
Munich‑based encosa, a battery‑energy‑storage specialist for commercial and industrial customers, announced a €25 million (≈$27 million) seed round led by Realyze Ventures, with existing investors reinvesting. The funding will fuel expansion of its end‑to‑end solution that handles planning, financing, installation and operation...
KorinMi Raises Rs 10 Crore From Lotus Herbals to Bring Korean Skin Treatment to India
KorinMi, a Gurugram‑based Korean‑beauty clinic, raised Rs 10 crore (≈$1.2 million) from Lotus Herbal’s Innovation Fund. The funding will support opening new clinics in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad and scaling its D2C product line made in Korea for Indian skin. KorinMi already serves...
Antler India Leads $1 Mn Pre-Seed Round in Wealthtech Platform Rovia
Rovia, a Bengaluru‑based wealth platform for equity‑compensation employees, secured a $1 million pre‑seed round led by Antler India, with participation from CDM Capital, AC Ventures, Operators Studio and angels in the US and India. The capital will expand engineering, product, brokerage integrations...
How a Private Facebook Group Helped This Startup Reach $5 Million in Revenue in One Year
Uresta, a Canadian startup with an FDA‑approved bladder support device, launched a private Facebook group of about 11,300 members to let long‑term users answer prospects' questions. The community‑driven forum helped the brand overcome skepticism and accelerated adoption in the U.S.,...
Lune & Wild Raises €2.3 Million to Scale Female-Founded, Chef-Led Baby and Children’s Food Brand
London‑based Lune & Wild, a female‑founded, chef‑led baby and children’s food brand, secured a €2.3 million (≈$2.5 million) Series A round led by Guinness Ventures. The funding will boost production capacity, accelerate retail expansion—including a new Ocado.com listing—and fund key hires. The company,...
ASML Spinout Invisix Raises €20M to See Inside the Chips Optics Can’t
Invisix, an ASML spin‑out from Eindhoven, closed an oversubscribed seed round, raising €20 million (about $22 million). Investors include Hitachi Ventures, imec.xpand, Doosan Investment and a tier‑1 semiconductor manufacturer, likely Samsung. The startup will use the capital to build a soft‑x‑ray metrology...
Exclusive: Roland Garros Star and ATP Chief in £450,000 Tennis Fund Raise
A French performance start‑up, TIVA, secured a £450,000 (≈ $570,000) pre‑seed round to launch grip‑enhancing cosmetics for tennis players. The round includes French Open champion Elina Svitolina and ATP Tour chief Eno Polo, alongside APEX fund, former Adidas vice‑president Alberto Uncini Manganelli...
Simple Energy Raises Rs 250 Cr in Debt and Equity Round Ahead of IPO Plans
Simple Energy, the Bengaluru‑based electric two‑wheelers maker, secured a Rs 250 crore ($30 million) debt‑equity round led by the family office of Thyrocare founder Arokiaswamy Velumani, with additional debt from HDFC Bank and other NBFCs. The capital will fund a rapid scale‑up of production...
Singapore-Vietnam Collaboration Targets Climate-Tech Scale-Up as VIFC-HCMC Opens Doors to Global Capital
A three‑way pact between Vietnam’s International Financial Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Touchstone Partners and Singapore’s Temasek Foundation was signed on 29 May to turn climate‑tech pilots into funded, scalable businesses. The agreement launches Net Zero Challenge 2026 as a full‑stack pipeline that...
Everyone Is Celebrating AI Coding Tools for Writing Five Times More Code — Almost Nobody Is Asking What Happens to...
AI coding assistants are now generating up to five times more code, exposing a hidden bottleneck in continuous integration and delivery pipelines that were built for human‑paced development. Helsinki‑based Avrea, founded by Hannu Valtonen and Juha Valvanne, announced a $4.7 million...
A Teen Golfer Noticed a Problem the Entire Golf Industry Missed
Teen golfer Kate Korngold realized at age 14 that teenage girls had no performance golf apparel, a gap the industry ignored. After three years of waiting for major brands to act, she launched Featherie, a high‑performance line designed by a golfer...
How a Nigerian Startup Became an Fintech Unicorn
Moniepoint, founded in 2015 as TeamApt, pivoted to agency‑banking in 2018 and now powers Nigeria’s payments ecosystem. The fintech processes about $22 billion in transactions each month, handling over 1 billion payments and more than 80% of the country’s POS volume. It...
Behind Awfis’ Premiumisation Bid To Capture The GCC Boom
Awfis, the first new‑age coworking firm to list in India, posted a Q4 FY26 profit of ₹23.2 Cr (≈$2.8 M) and a 20% revenue jump to ₹410.1 Cr (≈$49 M). The surge is driven by rising demand from global capability centres (GCCs) that are...
How One Founder’s Bet on ‘the Old School Web’ Is Paying Off
Former Meta engineer Craig Campbell rejected AI funding to launch Past Maps, a niche website that overlays historic USGS maps on modern maps. By optimizing for organic Google search, the site grew from about 20,000 monthly users to over 300,000...
Parloa Turns Its $350 Million War Chest Into a Partnership Web Spanning SAP, Microsoft, and OpenAI
Parloa, the Berlin‑based AI agent management platform, closed a $350 million Series D round that lifted its valuation to $3 billion. The funding fuels a slate of strategic alliances with SAP, Microsoft, OpenAI, Five9 and Epic, positioning Parloa as the management layer for...
They Used to Work for Wall Street Banks — Now They Charge Those Same Firms $25,000 a Day to Teach...
Two former Wall Street technologists, Felipe Sinisterra and Dave Wang, launched Wall Street Prompt in July 2025 to teach financial firms how to embed generative AI into daily workflows. Leveraging their stints at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, SoftBank and Facebook,...
“I Didn’t See It Becoming a Business”: Day 1 to 1000 of Startbutton Africa
Mallick Bolakale turned a personal eBay loss into Startbutton Africa, a merchant‑of‑record platform that removes payment, tax and compliance hurdles for firms expanding into Africa. Launched in July 2023, the startup now operates in 15 markets and helps businesses collect...
Vitrify Raises $1M Round From SVN and Plug and Play
Vitrify, a Brazilian capital‑markets data startup, closed a $1 million pre‑seed round led by SVN and Plug and Play. The funding follows an earlier angel round and will be used to hire AI specialists, expand cloud infrastructure, and broaden data coverage....
AI Can Change the World—If We Change Who It’s Built For
In Q1 2026 investors poured $300 billion into 6,000 AI startups, yet less than 10% of that capital targets social and environmental challenges. The article highlights founders like Temie Giwa‑Tubosun of LifeBank, the FLAIR language‑preservation project, and Amini’s SMS‑based farming platform as...
Space Force’s Commercial Gatekeeper Offers a Playbook for Startups Seeking Defense Business
The U.S. Space Force is actively courting defense‑space startups, urging them to frame their technology as a capability that solves a clear warfighter problem. At the State of the Space Industrial Base conference, Col. Tim Trimailo emphasized storytelling, transparency about...
Aizy Acquires Dutch Performance Marketing Software Company Uptmz Following €2 Million Raise
Aizy, the Dutch AI‑powered performance marketing platform, has acquired fellow Dutch firm Uptmz, creating a single ecosystem that combines software, AI optimisation, and specialist support for Google, Microsoft and Meta ads. The deal follows Aizy’s €2 million ($2.2 million) funding round in...
How 2 Founders Turned Clean Beauty Standards Into a Pet Care Brand
Lil Luv Dog, founded by Cara Santana Leto and Stephanie Suganami, is applying clean‑beauty standards to the pet‑care market with the launch of its first pet wipe. The company targets a $13 billion grooming category that has long lacked substantiated natural...
Lush Co-Founder Mark Constantine's Turbulent Life Uncovered Further in Dear John Book Update
An updated edition of Mark Constantine’s biography "Dear John" has been released, adding three new chapters to the 336‑page volume. Authored by Jeff Osment, the book charts Constantine’s evolution from homemade remedies to becoming The Body Shop’s largest supplier and...
Navigating The DPI Crunch And Startup Funding
Venture capital deployment surged to roughly $300 billion in Q1 2026, with AI firms grabbing 80% of the pie. Four companies—OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI and Anduril—absorbed $188 billion, about two‑thirds of total funding. Meanwhile, LPs have been in net‑negative cash flow since 2022, forcing...
Dublin’s AI TaxTech Startup Fonoa Raises €94.4 Million Series C and Buys PwC’s Tax Platform
Dublin‑based AI tax‑tech firm Fonoa announced a €94.4 million ($110 million) Series C round and the acquisition of PwC’s Indirect Tax Edge platform. The funding, led by Headline with participation from Eurazeo, Forestay Capital and existing backers, will fuel integration of Edge’s compliance...
How Blue Tyga Built the Sunscreen Jacket Category Before Anyone Else Could
Blue Tyga, a bootstrapped DTC techwear brand founded in 2023, introduced India’s first UPF 50+ sunscreen jacket that blocks 98% of UV rays using its proprietary SunGuard fabric. The lightweight, breathable designs—Standard, Pro, Ice and AIR—target commuters, bikers and outdoor workers,...
MokN Raises €12.9 Million to Combat Credential Theft as GV Makes Its First Investment in a French Startup
French cyber‑security startup MokN announced a $15 million Series A round led by GV, marking the venture firm’s first investment in a French company. The funding will accelerate development of its "phish‑back" platform, expand operations in the United States and the United...
Exclusive: Renee Cosmetics Clocks Rs 440 Cr Revenue in FY26; Cuts Losses by 45%
Renee Cosmetics posted FY26 revenue of ₹440 crore (≈$53 million), a 37% year‑on‑year increase driven by offline retail, quick‑commerce channels and new color‑cosmetics and skincare launches. The company cut its EBITDA loss to ₹36 crore (≈$4.3 million), a 45% reduction from the prior year,...
May 2026: Top Five Fintech Funding Rounds of the Month
May 2026 saw a wave of sizable fintech financings, highlighted by Kalshi’s $1 billion Series F, Mercury’s $200 million Series D at a $5.2 billion valuation, and Farther’s $150 million Series D that pushed it into unicorn territory. UK‑based Paymentology secured $175 million to broaden its product suite...
South Yorkshire Mayor Backs Female Tech Founders
The South Yorkshire Mayor’s office has launched "The FoundHERy," an eight‑week intensive programme aimed at accelerating female tech founders across the region. Backed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, DSIT funding, and the British Business Bank, the pilot targets...
Stop Telling European Founders to Move to the US
European founders are increasingly told to relocate to the United States, yet a new State of European Tech 2025 report shows 85 % want to stay, citing deep engineering talent and quality of life. Successful companies such as Wolt, Iceye, IQM and...
Survey Finds Failure Doesn’t Scare Founders, and Most Say They Would Try Again
A Wilbur Labs survey of 200 founders shows that more than 80% would start another company after a failure, indicating resilience despite a 4‑in‑5 first‑year survival rate. The study found 81% of startups pivoted, with 57% making major pivots and...
Drone Start-Up Stark Set for €2.5bn Valuation in New Fundraising
Drone start‑up Stark announced a new fundraising round that lifts its post‑money valuation to roughly €2.5 billion. The round, backed by leading European venture capital firms, adds €200 million to the company’s capital base. Stark’s platform combines AI‑driven navigation with lightweight airframes...
Mistral AI Launches Vibe, Expands Into Industrial AI and Announces Data Center Push to Challenge OpenAI
Mistral AI announced a major push into industrial AI, a new 10 MW inference data center south of Paris, and the rebranding of its consumer assistant to Vibe, an enterprise‑focused agent platform. The French startup now employs 1,000 people and aims...
Everlane Co-Founder, Shocked by Shein Acquisition, Wants a Redo
Everlane is being sold to fast‑fashion giant Shein, a move that shocked co‑founder Michael Preysman, who built the brand on radical transparency. The sale follows private‑equity firm L Catterton exiting its majority stake, raising concerns about brand integrity. Preysman, who left...
Observable Space Raises $90M Series A
Observable Space, formed by the merger of PlaneWave Instruments and OurSky, closed a $90 million Series A round led by Lux Capital. The funding will expand laser‑communication ground stations, ground‑based sensing, and in‑space optical payload production, including new manufacturing capacity in Detroit....
Saris Raises $28.8-million USD Series A to Automate Banks’ Back Offices
Saris AI, a Montreal‑San Francisco startup, closed a $28.8 million USD Series A led by 8VC, with participation from Audacious Ventures, Homebrew, Btech Consortium and Service Ventures. The funding will accelerate its AI‑agent platform that automates back‑office functions for banks and credit unions,...
CEO Interview: Weeknd
Weeknd positions itself as a TikTok‑style marketplace that helps local event hosts monetize their gatherings by pairing them with consumer packaged goods (CPG) sponsors. The platform addresses a gap left by services like Meetup and Luma, which lack mechanisms for...
Perceptic Raises £9m to Boost AI Drug Discovery
Perceptic announced a $12 million seed round, led by Accel, Air Street Capital and Elder Gull, to develop a unified AI platform for the entire drug lifecycle. The system aims to integrate asset scouting, scientific evaluation and clinical data into a...
How to Build Businesses Faster and Better with AI
Artificial intelligence is becoming the operating system of venture building, allowing companies to create billion‑dollar businesses with tiny teams and less capital. McKinsey’s 2025 survey shows 43% of leaders are intensifying venture‑building focus, while 61% of corporate ventures now generate...
Exclusive: Anveshan Raises Rs 121 Cr From Vertex Ventures, IFC, Titan Capital, Aman Gupta, and Others
Indian D2C food brand Anveshan secured a Rs 121 crore ($12.7 million) Series B round, led by Vertex Ventures with participation from IFC, Titan Capital, Wipro Enterprises and angel investors such as boAt co‑founders and Swiggy’s Sri Harsha Majety. The...
Orbital Industries Raises $50M Series B for AI-Designed Data-Centre Hardware
Orbital Industries, the London‑San Francisco AI‑materials startup formerly known as Orbital Materials, closed a $50 million Series B round led by Plural with participation from Nvidia NVentures, Radical Ventures, Compound and Fly Ventures. The capital will be used to commercialise its PFAS‑free dielectric...
London’s Orbital Industries Bags €43 Million to Build Industrial Hardware From the Atoms Up
London‑based Orbital Industries announced a €43 million ($50 million) Series B round led by Plural to scale its AI‑driven industrial hardware platform. The funding will accelerate development of its Orb simulation engine, a dielectric cooling fluid, and modular data‑centre units aimed at overcoming...
How Two Olive Oil Aficionados Conceived and Built The Good Oil Club
Ben and Leanne Koutoukidis sold their 30‑year underground infrastructure firm and, after a year‑long sabbatical in Europe, launched The Good Oil Club in 2025. The venture uses a subscription model to deliver premium extra‑virgin olive oil, paired with tasting notes...
Geordie Raises $30M to Help Enterprises Securely Adopt Agentic AI at Scale
Geordie AI announced a $30 million Series A round led by Balderton, bringing its total financing to $36.5 million. The capital will fund expanded engineering, go‑to‑market efforts, and a larger U.S. presence. Geordie's purpose‑built platform gives enterprises real‑time visibility, security and governance over...
Lithuania’s Kopa.ai Raises €2 Million to Scale Its Agentic AI Co-Pilot for E-Commerce Teams
Lithuanian AI startup Kopa.ai announced a €2 million (≈$2.2 million) seed round led by XTX Ventures and Practica Capital. The Vilnius‑based platform, which bills itself as an operating system for e‑commerce teams, already serves more than 2,000 merchants and posted €2 million in...