Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Clip secures $500M to accelerate consumer wallet rollout
Mexican fintech Clip raised $500 million, pushing its valuation above $2.5 billion. The new capital will fund the rollout of a consumer‑focused wallet and broaden its financial‑services platform. Investors were not disclosed and the round remains under review.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Francisco Partners raises $18B for new tech funds
HR Tech 2026 Q1 Funding Review
The HR‑tech sector entered a subdued Q1 2026 after a record‑breaking finish to 2025. While the number of deals stayed roughly flat, total capital deployed dropped noticeably, reflecting tighter investor appetites. Large late‑stage rounds slowed, but early‑stage activity held steady. The slowdown signals a shift from growth‑fueled financing to a more selective, consolidation‑focused environment.
LiveEO Secures €28 Million to Accelerate Push Into Defence Applications
German Earth‑observation firm LiveEO closed a €28 million ($30.5 million) funding round, with Helantic as the only new backer. The capital will expand its AI‑driven analytics suite and speed development of dual‑use defence and security products, aiming at Germany’s $38.2 billion space‑defence budget....
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, All Your M&A Questions Will Be Answered
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will host a Builders Stage panel that treats mergers and acquisitions as an early‑stage growth lever, especially for AI‑focused startups. The discussion features Aklil Ibssa of Coinbase, who has overseen more than 14 deals, Lindsey Mignano, a...
Deepseek Nears $45 Billion Valuation as China's State Chip Fund Leads Round
Deepseek, a Chinese artificial‑intelligence lab, is on the brink of a funding round that could lift its valuation to roughly $45 billion, up from $20 billion just weeks earlier. The round is being spearheaded by the state‑backed China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment...
PropTech Firms Rally with AI Tools to Curb $10 B Rental and Mortgage Fraud Surge
PropTech companies are rolling out AI‑driven verification platforms as rental and mortgage fraud spikes, with Vero securing $810,000 to expand its real‑time screening suite. The effort targets a $10 billion loss for U.S. consumers in 2023 and a $275 million hit to...
EleQtron Secures $62 Million Series A, Backed by Retail Giant Schwarz Digits
eleQtron announced a €57 million ($62 million) Series A round led by Schwarz Digits, the tech arm of Europe’s largest retailer. The funding, one of the biggest in European quantum computing, will expand production, cloud access, and its proprietary MAGIC trapped‑ion platform,...
Zyg Secures $60M Series A at $500M Valuation, Pushing Agentic AI in E‑Commerce
Zyg, the agentic AI platform for direct‑to‑consumer sellers, raised $60 million in a Series A led by Accel, bringing its post‑money valuation to $500 million. The round, which also included Bessemer Venture Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners, follows a $58 million seed round and...
Astrada Secures $3.8 Million Seed Round to Power Autonomous Finance Data Layer
Astrada announced the close of a $3.8 million seed round led by Bain Capital Ventures, QED Investors and Nyca Partners, with strategic stakes from Mastercard and Visa. The funding will accelerate its real‑time API that already processes $750 million in card spend...
Fintech Funding Tumbles in New Quarterly Figures
UK fintechs raised $741 million in Q1 2026, a 43% drop from Q4 2025 and 17% lower than the same period last year. Late‑stage financing collapsed 62%, while early‑stage capital surged 35% to $276 million. The quarter’s headline deals were 9fin Technologies’ $165 million Series C...
OpenTrade Secures $17M in Strategic Funding to Scale Its Stablecoin Yield Infrastructure
OpenTrade announced a $17 million strategic funding round led by Mercury Fund and Notion Capital, bringing its total capital to over $30 million. The fintech‑focused stablecoin yield infrastructure platform now supports $200 million in total value locked and processed $250 million in transactions in...
Power Law Holds Even for Billion‑Dollar Venture Funds
Power law still holds at scale - just at a completely different magnitude. David Clark is an LP who would know, and in the latest episode of Origins, he brought the math to back it up. This is what I...
Astranis Raises $450M+, Including $300M Series E
Astranis announced a $300 million Series E round co‑led by Snowpoint Ventures and Franklin Templeton, lifting its valuation to roughly $2.8 billion. The round also attracted Andreessen Horowitz, BlackRock, Baillie Gifford and Fidelity, and was complemented by a $155 million delayed‑draw credit facility from...
Scout Space Closes $18M Series A
Scout Space announced an $18 million Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners, aimed at scaling its satellite‑sensor business. The funding will finance a 2,600‑sq‑ft manufacturing plant in Northern Virginia and nearly double the workforce to over 50 employees within 18...
Black Designers Shift From Visibility to Ownership, Securing Equity in Fashion
Black designers are turning runway presence into equity stakes, confronting an industry where just 1% of venture capital reaches Black founders. With 64% of New York fashion students identifying as BIPOC, the gap between influence and ownership is narrowing as...
Top Global Fintech & AI Startup Funding Rounds: April 2026
Ekko unveiled its Nature Footprint Tool, a fintech solution designed to channel $1 billion into environmental projects by 2030. The platform quantifies carbon footprints for corporations and retail investors, enabling transparent funding of climate initiatives. In parallel, the GSMA reported that...
Namibia-Based Firm to Back Early-Stage Southern African Startups with $10 Million Fund
Bellatrix Investment Managers, a Namibia‑based alternative asset firm, has launched the Ndjaba Seed Fund – a $10 million venture capital vehicle aimed at early‑stage startups across Southern Africa. The fund will back 35‑50 companies over a ten‑year horizon, focusing on fintech,...
LiveEO Raises €28m to Take Its Civil-Infrastructure Satellite Stack Into European Defence
LiveEO, the Berlin‑based Earth‑observation firm, announced a €28 million (≈$30 million) first‑close funding round, adding defence‑focused venture fund Helantic and the European Innovation Council to its existing deep‑tech backers. The capital follows a €25 million (≈$27 million) Series B raised for climate‑risk and civil‑infrastructure services....
Scout Space Raises $18M To Expand Space Domain Awareness Systems
Scout Space announced a $18 million Series A round led by Washington Harbour Partners to scale its space‑domain‑awareness platform. The capital will fund a new 2,600‑square‑foot manufacturing hub in Northern Virginia and accelerate production of its modular optical sensors and edge‑computing software....
CellCentric Raises $220M to Get Multiple Myeloma Pill to Market
CellCentric, a 22‑year‑old transatlantic biotech, closed a $220 million Series D round to accelerate development of its oral multiple myeloma drug. The capital will fund the completion of Phase III trials, scale manufacturing, and prepare regulatory filings. The therapy is designed for patients...
Signadori Bio Raises €11M to Advance Tumour Platform
Signadori Bio announced an €11 million ($11.9 million) seed extension to fund its in‑vivo monocyte engineering platform for solid tumours. The Series A round, led by Taiho Ventures with Sofinnova and Invivo Partners, will support lead candidate nomination, platform refinement, and team expansion...
Subquadratic Raises $29 Million to Unveil 12‑Million‑Token AI Context Windows
Subquadratic announced a $29 million seed round to launch SubQ, a generative AI model capable of processing up to 12 million tokens in a single context window. The company claims the architecture delivers 50‑fold speed and cost improvements over frontier models, reshaping...
QuantWare Secures $178 Million Series B to Build Industrial‑Scale Quantum Processors
Dutch quantum‑hardware startup QuantWare raised €152 million ($178 million) in a Series B round led by Intel Capital, with participation from In‑Q‑Tel, ETF Partners and existing backers. The money will fund KiloFab, the world’s first dedicated open‑architecture quantum fab, and accelerate the VIO‑40K...
Deviation Capital Spins Out From Two Sigma, Launches with About $2bn of AUM
Deviation Capital has launched as an independent early‑stage venture firm after spinning out of Two Sigma Ventures. The new entity starts with roughly $2 billion in assets under management, sourced from former Two Sigma partners and external investors. Its mandate remains...
Apollo Global Management Closes $6.5 B Hybrid Value Fund III
Apollo Global Management announced the final close of Apollo Hybrid Value Fund III, securing roughly $6.5 billion in commitments. The fund, which targets structured equity and convertible securities, reflects robust demand for flexible capital amid market uncertainty.
InstaSwitch Secures $4.7M Seed Round to Launch Business‑Bank Account Activation Platform
InstaSwitch raised $4.7 million in seed funding led by Chicago Ventures and unveiled an account‑activation infrastructure for business banks. The platform promises to convert dormant opened accounts into primary relationships, addressing a $‑billion revenue leak in the U.S. small‑business banking market.
Gender Bias in Venture Capital Means Identical Business Cases Are Evaluated and Funded Differently
Researchers Ana Barjasic and Dario Krpan experimentally showed that identical business cases receive different treatment depending on the founder's gender. In a sample of over 200 European early‑stage investors, men‑led ventures were chosen for financial backing 56% of the time,...
Pacific Hybreed Closes $1 Million Round to Scale Hybrid Oyster Seed Production
Pacific Hybreed, a Hawaiʻi‑based aquaculture biotech firm, closed a $1 million funding round led by Hawaiʻi Angels and Blue Startups. The capital will fund expansion of its commercial‑scale hatchery to meet rising demand for its hybrid oyster and clam seed. The...
Trillium Raises $13 Million for Demonstration Plant for Bio-Based Acrylonitrile
Trillium Renewable Chemicals announced the completion of its $13 million Series B financing, led by HS Hyosung Advanced Materials, to fund Project Falcon—the world’s first demonstration plant for 100 % bio‑based acrylonitrile. The plant, built at Ineos Nitriles’ Green Lake facility, is slated for...
Cytospire Therapeutics Secures £61m to Advance Cancer Treatment
Cytospire Therapeutics, a UK biotech, closed a £61 million (≈$77 million) Series A round to accelerate its multispecific engager antibody platform. The capital will fund the development of its lead candidate, CYT X300, aimed at EGFR‑positive solid tumours such as colorectal, head‑and‑neck and non‑small‑cell...
Antwerp Startup Maurice & Nora Raises €1M to Address Rising Care Demand
Antwerp‑based social‑impact startup Maurice & Nora secured €1 million (about $1.09 million) in a funding round led by Coformaco and a roster of angel investors. The capital will fund commercial expansion, AI‑driven matching technology, and team growth as the platform scales its...
JobsUPI Raises Pre-Seed Round From IIMA Ventures and Others
JobsUPI, a multilingual Voice‑AI employment platform, closed a $250 K pre‑seed round led by IIMA Ventures with participation from several angel investors. The funding will fuel product enhancements, broader distribution and geographic expansion beyond its North‑India base. Co‑founders Shrey Bansal and...
April 2026: Total Amount Hits a 13-Month Low
In April 2026 African startups secured $110 million across 32 deals, the lowest monthly total since March 2025 and far below the 12‑month average of $275 million. Deal activity rebounded from March’s 22 deals but remains well under the 46‑deal monthly norm. Equity...
Peter Sarlin’s QuTwo Reaches $380M Valuation in Angel Round
Finnish AI lab QuTwo, founded by ex‑AMD Silo AI chief Peter Sarlin, closed a €25 million ($29 million) angel round, lifting its post‑money valuation to €325 million (about $380 million). The company’s flagship QuTwo OS orchestrates workloads across classical, quantum and hybrid hardware, positioning it as...
Silo Founder Raises €25m for 'Palantir of Quantum Computing'
Helsinki‑based AI startup Qutwo announced a €25 m (~$27 m) angel round, valuing the company at €325 m (~$354 m) post‑money. Backed by a roster of high‑profile angels—including Yuri Milner, Xavier Niel and Thomas Wolf—the firm has already hired 50 experts and secured €20 m (~$22 m) in contracted...
Direct Protein Reading Platform Ends Proteomics Blind Spot
🐠 Everything we know about biology has been built on an incomplete picture. DNA tells us what a cell might do. Proteins tell us what it’s actually doing. Pumpkinseed announced their $20M Series A today (led by Future Ventures and NfX)...
VCs Demand AI-Native Startups While Staying Barely AI-Enabled
VC's are urgently pushing their portfolio companies to become AI native (as opposed to AI enabled). But they themselves are only trying to be AI enabled, and barely so at that.
How to Choose a 409A Valuation Provider: What Founders Need to Know
Startups need a defensible 409A valuation to set option exercise prices and avoid a 20% penalty tax. The article explains what a valuation provider does, how to differentiate strong firms from low‑quality services, and which questions founders should ask before...
Corvera Secures $3.8M Seed Funding to Accelerate AI‑Driven Supply‑Chain Platform
London‑based AI supply‑chain specialist Corvera closed a £3 million ($3.8 million) seed round led by 6 Degrees Capital, bringing total capital to £4.5 million ($5.7 million). The funding will fund platform scaling, hiring and customer acquisition, positioning the startup to reshape CPG ecommerce logistics.
AI Grocery Startup Vori Secures $22 Million Series B to Aid Independent Stores
Vori, the San Francisco AI grocery platform, closed a $22 million Series B round led by Cherryrock Capital. The funding will expand its AI‑driven operating system for the 75% of U.S. food retailers that sit outside the Walmart‑Amazon orbit.
SpaceX IPO Could Redefine Early‑Investor Liquidity Under Nasdaq Fast‑Entry Rule
Nasdaq’s new 15‑day fast‑entry rule for large‑cap listings could dramatically affect the exit calculus for SpaceX’s early backers. Analysts warn that a small float, retail demand and forced buying by index funds may inflate the stock before lock‑up periods expire,...
ElevenLabs Adds High-Profile Investors After Annualized Revenue Tops $500M
ElevenLabs announced a new funding round that brought in dozens of high‑profile investors, including Nvidia NVentures, BlackRock and entertainment figures like Jamie Foxx. The company’s Series D extension follows a $500 million raise that valued the AI voice startup at $11 billion. ElevenLabs reported...
Lime Health Secures $1M in Funding for Emilia
Lime Health, a Quebec‑based B Corp, closed a CAD$1 million financing round (≈ $740,000 USD) backed by private investors, Desjardins’ Startup in Residence program, and the Business Development Bank of Canada. The capital will accelerate commercialization of Emilia, an AI‑driven mobile app that...
Banza Secures $1 Million Pre‑Seed to Build Personal AI Twins
Banza, an Indian AI startup, raised $1 million in a pre‑seed round led by Campus Fund, with participation from Avalanche and angel investors. The funding will accelerate development of its personal AI “Twin,” a cross‑platform assistant that learns a user’s preferences...
US VC Funding Value Jumps Over 200% in Q1 2026, Mega‑Deals Lead Surge
U.S. venture‑capital funding value surged more than 200% in the first quarter of 2026, even as the number of deals rose only 5%. The jump was powered by a handful of AI‑focused mega‑rounds, underscoring a shift toward late‑stage capital concentration.
Endowments Boost Private Market Allocation by 22.4%
Over the past 20 years, large endowments have upped their VC/PE/PC allocation by 22.4 percentage points Mainly at the expense of public equity and fixed income... via @neubergerberman https://t.co/hR6yaFPBn7
Altara Raises $7M to Accelerate Scientific and Industrial Breakthroughs with Agentic AI
Altara announced a $7 million seed round led by Greylock, with participation from Neo, BoxGroup, Liquid 2 Ventures and angels such as Jeff Dean. The San Francisco startup builds AI agents that ingest fragmented scientific data—from wafer maps to sensor logs—and deliver actionable insights in...
Founders Fund Closes Record $6 B Fourth Fund, Boosting Defense Tech Bets
Founders Fund announced the close of a $6 billion fourth fund, its biggest to date, with a $624 million commitment to Anduril. The raise positions the firm as a dominant backer in the defense‑tech space and adds pressure to an already crowded...
LakeFusion Secures $7.5M Seed Funding to Launch Databricks‑Native MDM Platform
LakeFusion announced a $7.5 million seed round led by Silverton Partners, with participation from Carbide Ventures, to accelerate its AI‑driven master data management (MDM) solution built natively on Databricks. The funding targets product expansion and enterprise sales as companies seek trustworthy,...
China's Returnee Startup Surge Fuels New VC Opportunities
A wave of Chinese returnees is launching startups across the country, spurred by high‑quality development policies and a massive talent pool. Since 2012, 5.63 million overseas‑educated Chinese have come back, feeding a surge in venture‑backed ventures in AI, agriculture and manufacturing.
Netomi Raises $110 Million Series C to Accelerate AI‑driven CX Platform
San Francisco‑based Netomi announced a $110 million Series C round led by Accenture Ventures. The capital will fund the scaling of its agentic AI customer‑experience platform and deepen strategic alliances, underscoring rising demand for AI‑enabled CX solutions in regulated, high‑volume markets.