Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Updated 3h ago
RegTech sector sees record $3B Q1 funding surge
The RegTech industry raised close to $3 billion globally in Q1 2026, with $2 billion coming from the United States across 103 deals. AI‑focused security firms secured over $1 billion, highlighted by Cyera’s $400 million Series F that valued the company at $9 billion.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Beeline Medicines raises $300M Series A
Fermtech Secures £2.5m Backing to Scale Production of Cocoa Made From Crop Waste
Oxford‑based biotech start‑up Fermtech announced a £2.5 million seed investment to accelerate its sustainable cocoa powder made from crop waste. The funding will be used to scale manufacturing facilities and expand market reach as climate‑driven supply constraints push chocolate prices higher. Fermtech’s waste‑derived cocoa aims to replace conventional cocoa, lowering deforestation pressure and offering a lower‑carbon alternative. The round underscores growing investor appetite for circular‑economy food innovations.
Most Active And Highest-Spending Startup Investors Diverged In Q1
Q1 2026 saw venture funding surge to record levels, driven by massive AI‑focused rounds. While D.E. Shaw and MGX co‑led the two largest financings for OpenAI and Anthropic, they were not the most prolific dealmakers. Andreessen Horowitz topped post‑seed deal...
Handhold Raises €3M to Replace Fragmented Software Buying Journeys with AI Account Managers
Handhold secured €3 million (≈$3.3 million) seed funding led by Entourage Capital, joined by Inovia Capital, e2vc and prominent angels. The startup’s AI‑agent platform assigns virtual account managers to qualify leads, run demos, onboard users and handle renewals, aiming to replace fragmented...
Mappedin Secures $24.5 Million Series B to Scale City‑Wide Indoor Mapping
Kitchener‑Waterloo‑based Mappedin announced a $24.5 million Series B on April 7, 2026, led by Edison Partners and Betatron Venture Group. The funding, which closed in December 2025, is earmarked for city‑scale indoor mapping and deeper integration with safety and public‑venue platforms. The...
Madica Backs Three Startups, Launches Fundraising Guide for First-Time Founders
Madica, a pre‑seed programme for African startups, announced a $600,000 investment across three new companies—Kilimo Fresh, Hakimu, and Biovana—each receiving up to $200,000 and entry into an 18‑month mentorship and network program. The investments target Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria, extending...
Patlytics Secures $40 Million Series B to Accelerate AI‑Driven Patent Law Platform
Patlytics announced a $40 million Series B financing round led by SignalFire, with participation from N47, Liquid2 Ventures and legal‑industry investors. The funding will fuel the startup’s AI‑driven platform that automates the entire patent lifecycle for more than 40% of the...
Hermeus Secures $350 Million Led by Khosla, Reaches $1 Billion Valuation
Defense startup Hermeus closed a $350 million financing round—$200 million in equity led by Khosla Ventures and $150 million in debt—valuing the company at $1 billion. The capital will fund two new supersonic jets, expand manufacturing, and deepen ties with the U.S. Department of...
Jeito Capital Raises Record US$1.2bn to Bankroll European Biopharma’s Next Generation
Jeito Capital closed its second biopharma fund, Jeito II, at a record $1.2 bn (about €1 bn), making it the largest raise for an independent European biotech‑focused PE firm. The fund will back 15‑20 clinical‑stage companies, allocating roughly $162 m per position across obesity,...
Funding Dips, but Fundamentals Hold: European Tech Raises €7.5B in March
European tech funding in March 2026 slipped slightly, with 292 deals raising €7.5 bn (~$8.1 bn), down 1.4% in deal count and 3.8% in capital from February. The month saw 13 companies each attract over €100 m (~$108 m), while 26 deals kept terms undisclosed....
Exited Founder Podcast | Andrew Kirpalani: From Bar Napkin to Acquisition — Exiting WorkHound
In this episode, co‑founder and CTO Andrew Kirpalani recounts how a $20K accelerator deal sparked the creation of WorkHound, a mobile‑first employee engagement platform for truck drivers. He explains how his varied startup engineering background informed the product’s design and...
US RegTech Investments Recovered in 2025 Driven by a 61% Surge in Deals Under $100m
US RegTech funding rebounded in 2025, posting a 17% year‑over‑year increase to $5.9 billion across 294 deals. Deal activity under $100 million surged 61%, reaching $3.4 billion, while large transactions above $100 million continued to shrink. Vanta secured a marquee $150 million Series D at a...
Narwhal Labs Secures £20m for Its Autonomous Comms Platform
Bristol‑based AI scale‑up Narwhal Labs has closed a £20 million (~$25.6 million) funding round as it launches DeepBlue OS, an autonomous communications platform that replaces human agents with AI across voice, SMS, email and WhatsApp. The utility‑priced solution offers zero setup fees,...
Africa's Startup Surge Hits $705m as Investment Momentum Builds
African startups raised $705 million in Q1 2026 across 59 deals in 14 countries, a 26.5% year‑over‑year increase. Egypt led with $190 million, followed by South Africa ($157 million), Kenya ($94 million), Nigeria ($78 million) and Morocco ($48 million). Fintech attracted $221 million, energy $141 million and logistics $149 million,...
What Happened when Scale Met the Farm Reality
Between 2020 and 2022, over $750 million poured into South Asian agritech startups promising digital scale for millions of smallholder farmers. By 2025, funding dried up as high customer‑acquisition costs, low farmer spending power, and fragmented markets proved unsustainable for direct‑to‑farmer...
European VC Jeito Gets $1.2B to Help Private Biotechs Control Their 'Destiny'
Jeito Capital, a Paris‑based venture firm, closed its second fund at $1.2 billion (over €1 billion, roughly $1.08 billion). The capital will be deployed to a dozen or so European drug‑development startups seeking to advance pre‑clinical and early‑stage clinical programs. By providing sizable,...
Customer Interaction Platform Angoor AI Raises Pre-Seed Round Led by Venturizer
Angoor AI, an AI‑native customer interaction platform founded in 2023, closed a pre‑seed round of roughly $240,000 (Rs 2 crore) led by Venturizer, with several angel investors joining. The funding will fuel the build‑out of its enterprise sales team, expand product and...
Mexico's Banco Plata: $550M Revenue, 200% YoY Growth
Banco Plata (@bancoplatamx) is Mexico's answer to Nubank. They are crushing it and no one is talking about them. - $550+ million annualized revenue growing >200% YoY - 4 year old company - core product is a credit card (same place Nubank...
Future Equity, Present Value: The Law and Economics of SAFEs
The Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) was introduced by Y Combinator in 2013 to replace convertible notes, stripping away debt features while preserving the ability to convert into preferred stock later. SAFEs quickly became the standard for seed‑stage financing...
KreditBee Enters Unicorn Club with $280 Mn Series E Round
KreditBee secured $280 million in a Series E round, lifting its post‑money valuation to $1.5 billion and making it the first FY27 unicorn in India. The round was led by Motilal Oswal Alternates, Hornbill Capital and MUFG‑backed Dragon Funds, with participation from WhiteOak,...
Zsystems Brings Total Funding to $2.7 Million with Latest Seed Round
ZSystems, a Morocco‑based B2B2C marketplace, closed a $1.65 million seed round led by Azur Innovation Management, with participation from MNF Ventures, Witamax and new international investor Harambeans Prosperity Fund. The raise lifts total funding to $2.7 million after a $1.05 million pre‑seed round....
ManiacVC Built as Fully AI‑Native Investment Firm
this is why i chose to build @maniacvc to be AI native from the ground up. all of maniac is AI native from outbound sourcing, analyst work, inbound handling, investment memos, and everything in between.
EV Mobility Startup Trev Mobility Raises Angel Round to Expand Across Delhi NCR
Trev Mobility, an app‑first premium EV ride‑hailing service, secured an angel round of roughly $440,000 (Rs 3.65 crore) from its user base, adding to a prior Rs 20 lakh seed grant. The funding will fuel fleet expansion beyond its current 100 electric vehicles across...
Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says 'AI Shift' Opens Opportunities to Invest in Startups
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the AI boom is opening new opportunities for Alphabet to invest in high‑growth startups. The company’s early bet on SpaceX now values at roughly $100 billion, while recent commitments to Anthropic, Stripe and Waymo total billions...
★ OpenAI Announces $122 Billion Additional ‘Committed Capital’, and Announces Their ‘Superapp’ Plan for the Future
OpenAI announced a new funding round that brings its committed capital to $122 billion, pushing its post‑money valuation to $852 billion. The company unveiled a “superapp” vision that would merge ChatGPT, Codex, browsing and agentic capabilities into a single user experience. At...
AI Startups Raised $221 Billion in Q1 as Venture Funding Shows No Slowdown
North American AI startups attracted a record $221 billion in Q1 2026, roughly six times the previous quarter’s total. A handful of mega‑rounds drove most of the growth, with OpenAI raising $122 billion, Anthropic $30 billion, xAI $20 billion and Waymo $16 billion. Early‑stage activity...
Natter Scoops Up $23M
Natter, an AI‑native conversation‑intelligence platform, announced a $23 million funding round led by Renegade Partners. The capital will fund global expansion and accelerate product development for its real‑time video‑chat analytics. Natter’s technology captures thousands of simultaneous 1:1 video conversations, turning raw...
What’s Familiar in Health Tech’s Q1 Funding Totals
Health‑tech funding surged in Q1, highlighted by Whoop’s $575 million Series G round that lifted its valuation into the multibillion‑dollar range. Smaller but notable deals included OpenEvidence, eMed, Talkiatry and Alphabet’s Verily, each securing tens of millions to expand data, telehealth, AI‑driven...
Amazon's $8B Bet Yields 7x Return in Two Years
AMZN invested $8 billion in Anthropic late 2023. That stake is now valued at $60.6 billion, roughly 3x their quarterly net income and a 7x return in just two years.
Digital Health Funding Sees $1 Billion Boost Since Q1 2025
Funding for digital health startups surged to $4 billion in Q1 2026 across 110 deals, a $1 billion increase from the same period a year earlier. The average deal size climbed to $36.7 million, the highest since Q4 2021. Twelve mega‑deals accounted for 59% of...
Industry Overview: Female Founders
The venture‑capital ecosystem still allocates only about 2% of its dollars to female‑founder startups, a share that has barely moved despite growing attention. Recent data show female‑led exits have risen to 24% in 2024 and IPO participation jumped seven‑fold, yet...
Aria Networks Secures $125M to Launch AI-Native Infrastructure for Data Centers
Aria Networks announced a $125 million Series A round to fund its AI‑native networking infrastructure for data centers. Backed by Sutter Hill Ventures, Atreides Management, Valor Equity Partners and Eclipse Ventures, the startup aims to deliver hardware‑agnostic networking that works...
Anthropic Hits $10B Revenue Faster Than Rivals
Anthropic added $10b in revenue in the last month alone, twice Databricks’ annual run rate. Crossing $10b is a milestone few software companies ever reach: ServiceNow took 20 years, Shopify took 18, Palo Alto Networks took 19, & Anthropic crossed that...
Zappos Beat Amazon with Kiva Robots Before Acquisition
Zappos was beating Amazon on cost per order. Amazon couldn't figure out how. Turns out @Alfred_Lin's team was running Kiva robots before Amazon even believed they'd work. Amazon later bought Kiva for $775M. Alfred went from operating automation at Zappos to funding...
Inside the Army’s FUZE Model for Rapid Tech Deployment
The U.S. Army launched the FUZE innovation engine last fall to accelerate the discovery, development, and fielding of emerging technologies. FUZE consolidates previously fragmented Army innovation efforts and overlays them with a venture‑capital‑style investment model. By making multiple small, calculated...
Most AI Startups Should Bootstrap, Keep Full Ownership
The vast majority of ai startups I meet (outside of capital intensive areas like foundational models, semis, defense) would be better off bootstrapping in the long run. Best time ever to own 100 pct.
North America VC Record: 87% AI Funding in Q1
A $252.6B quarter. 💥 North America funding shattered records in Q1, with 87% going to AI. $221B was poured into companies like @OpenAI and @Anthropic. Fewer deals. More capital into winners. Big implications for what comes next. 👀 https://t.co/X325jhmfm2 https://t.co/PTXFUrjfKJ
Anthropic Plans $1B Venture with Major PE Firms to Sell and Deploy AI Tools Across Their Portfolio Companies
Anthropic is negotiating a $200 million investment as part of a broader $1 billion fundraising round with private‑equity giants General Atlantic, Blackstone and Hellman & Friedman. The capital will launch a new consulting arm that embeds the Claude AI suite into the...
Ghodsi Warns 2024 Is Terrible Year for IPOs
Ali Ghodsi says this is a terrible year to go public … bad news for SpaceX and maybe OpenAI/Anthropic
Join Zoom Office Hours for A16z Speedrun Applications
hosting zoom office hours this week for a16z speedrun you'll be able to apply to a16z speedrun in just a few weeks, so so come AMA. first come, first served drop a comment + like and I'll DM you a calendly link...
Variance Bags $21.5m to Power AI Compliance Agents
Variance, a developer of agentic AI tools for risk and compliance, secured a $21.5 million Series A round led by Ten Eleven Ventures. The funding will accelerate its platform that automates KYC, KYB, AML, transaction monitoring and fraud detection for financial institutions...
True Founders Experience Investor Ghosting After Signed Docs
You’re not a real founder until an investor ghosts you after signing docs and tells you they’re ready to wire.
Fermtech Raises £2.5m for ‘Pioneering’ Sustainable Cocoa Alternative
Fermtech, a UK‑based food‑tech startup, announced a £2.5 million funding round to accelerate its fermentation‑derived cocoa alternative. The capital, sourced from impact‑focused investors, will fund scale‑up, regulatory approvals, and pilot manufacturing. The company claims its product mimics cocoa’s flavor and texture...
OpenAI and Spotify Leaders Back London-Based AI Agent Security Startup in $13M Seed Round
London‑based Trent AI emerged from stealth with a $13 million seed round led by LocalGlobe and Cambridge Innovation Capital, joined by executives from OpenAI, Spotify, Databricks and AWS. The startup offers the first multi‑agent security platform that continuously scans, assesses risk...
Beacon Biosignals Upsizes Series B to More than $97 Million
Beacon Biosignals announced that its Series B financing round has been upsized to more than $97 million, well above the originally targeted amount. The round attracted both existing backers and new venture‑capital partners, underscoring confidence in the company’s AI‑driven health‑monitoring platform....
Alpha Lives in the Tails
Everywhere Ventures argues that the biggest venture returns come from betting on non‑consensus, tail‑end opportunities where price is far below intrinsic value. The firm cites 100x exits such as Pair Eyewear, Yassir, Umbra, and Starcloud as proof that disciplined conviction...
HexemBio Raises $10.4M Seed for Stem Cell Rejuvenation
HexemBio announced a $10.4 million seed round, led by Draper Associates with participation from SOSV, Seraphim and other investors. The biotech is developing a Synthetic Human Yolk Sac that temporarily houses a patient’s blood stem cells to rejuvenate their function before...
Golden Analytics Debuts with $7M Seed Funding From NEA and Madrona to Build AI-Native Business Intelligence
Golden Analytics emerged from stealth with an AI‑native business intelligence platform that promises to turn raw data into shareable dashboards in as few as two clicks. The startup secured a $7 million seed round led by NEA and Madrona, with participation...
PLD Space Secures €30M Debt, Aims First Orbital Flight
Spanish launcher startup @PLD_Space secures EUR 30M ($34.6M) venture debt facility from @EIB, bringing total funding to $438M. PLD is targeting 1st orbital flight this year from Europe's @EuropeSpacePort. @esa @defis_eu @aee_gob. https://t.co/gp12v7W6YI https://t.co/vKQAUHfGZS
The AlleyWatch March 2026 New York Venture Capital Funding Report
New York City’s startup ecosystem posted a record‑strong March 2026, raising $3.94 billion across 97 deals – a 293.6% year‑over‑year jump and 55.6% month‑over‑month increase. Late‑stage financing drove the surge, with eight mega‑rounds (>$100 million) accounting for more than half of total...
Fintech Investors Are Sharpening Criteria for Backing AI Ventures : Analysis
Fintech investors are tightening their standards for AI‑driven ventures, moving beyond the earlier hype‑driven frenzy. Capital continues to flow, with global fintech funding hitting $42.8 billion in 2025 and AI‑focused deals rising to $16.8 billion. Investors now favor applications that deliver clear...
