🎯Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Updated 2h agoWhat's happening: AI fuels a 17% surge in 2025 venture fundraising despite fewer deals
Venture fundraising jumped to $119.5 billion in 2025, up 16.9% from the prior year, while the total number of rounds fell 41% to 4,859, marking a six‑year low. Capital concentrated in larger, AI‑focused rounds, with AI startups capturing 58% of Series D cash, and median valuations rose across all stages.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OpenAI raises $110B in corporate funding
News•Jan 20, 2026
The European Commission Launches EU Inc., The Long-Awaited ‘28th Regime’ for Startups
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced at Davos the creation of "EU Inc.", a pan‑European legal form for startups dubbed the 28th regime. Backed by over 22,000 founders and investors, the proposal includes a single digital registry, harmonised investment documents and a Europe‑wide stock‑option framework, aiming to enable company registration in any member state within 48 hours. The initiative seeks to remove cross‑border administrative hurdles and make Europe as attractive for scaling startups as the US or China. Implementation still requires member‑state opt‑in, leaving the ultimate impact uncertain.
By Tech.eu
Social•Jan 20, 2026
AI Powers the Next Evolution of Data Stacks
After a decade of success, the modern data stack has entered consolidation. What comes next? The postmodern data stack is AI. The modern data stack created more than $100 billion in market cap with a simple promise : move the data via...
By Tomasz Tunguz
News•Jan 20, 2026
XBuild Raises $19M to Launch AI-Powered Residential Roofing Contract Estimation Product
XBuild announced a $19 million Series A round led by N47, with participation from Rackhouse Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz, to develop an AI‑driven residential roofing estimation platform. The system, dubbed Roofing Proposals, analyzes photos, measurements and regional pricing to generate instant, code‑compliant...
By SiliconANGLE
Social•Jan 20, 2026
Visible, Honest CEOs Accelerate Startup Growth
What I see CEOs at struggling start-ups do: - Go dark - Hide - Lash out - Tweet about lots of things non-work - Invest time on tiny expenses - Argue internally What should do: - Be Present - Be Honest - Be the Rock - Be Realistic/Optimistic You just plain grow...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Jan 20, 2026
Fintech Secures 11% Venture Funding, Second to AI
Fintech is quietly back in the spotlight. It now captures 11% of global venture funding, second only to AI. Rounds are getting larger, and investors are focusing less on hype and more on business models that actually scale. The signal matters. As...
By Spiros Margaris
News•Jan 20, 2026
Suraj Rajwani: Building Global Technology Companies by Standing Beside Founders
Suraj Rajwani, founder and managing partner of DoubleRock Capital, has built a reputation for a hands‑on, founder‑centric venture approach that goes beyond capital provision. Managing roughly $100‑150 million, the firm has backed 21 early‑stage technology companies across cybersecurity, health‑tech, SaaS and...
By TechBullion
News•Jan 20, 2026
Indian Vibe-Coding Startup Emergent Triples Valuation to $300M with $70M Fundraise
Emergent, an Indian AI "vibe‑coding" startup, closed a $70 million Series B round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Khosla Ventures, lifting its post‑money valuation to $300 million. The company now reports $50 million in annual recurring revenue and over 5 million users in more...
By TechCrunch AI
Social•Jan 20, 2026
Most Marketplaces Charge Sellers, Many Double Fees
How much do the top marketplace businesses take per transaction? Some charge more than you’d think… “Take rate” is a function of: Purchase frequency × ticket size × platform labor intensity The more work you do, the more juice you get. Three takeaways from the...
By CJ Gustafson
News•Jan 20, 2026
Workplace Finance Provider Stream Raises $90 Million
Stream, the workplace‑finance platform formerly known as Wagestream, closed a $90 million Series D round, raising its total capital to $228 million. The funding, led by Sofina and backed by existing investors, will fuel the company’s push into pensions and accelerate its U.S....
By Finextra
News•Jan 20, 2026
French Accounting Software Platform Pennylane Raises $200M
French fintech Pennylane secured $200 million in a Series E round led by TCV, with participation from Blackstone Growth, Sequoia, DST Global and Alphabet’s Capital G. The financing values the accounting platform at roughly $4.25 billion, though the figure remains unverified. Pennylane, founded in...
By Tech.eu
News•Jan 20, 2026
From Science to Scale: Building Biotech Companies via Milestone Leadership
Leadership quality now rivals scientific innovation as a key driver of venture‑capital success in biotech. A new "milestone leadership" framework proposes using dynamic scorecards to match executive competencies with each development stage, from pre‑clinical discovery to commercial launch. Companies that...
By Labiotech.eu
News•Jan 20, 2026
Stilla Emerges From Stealth with $5M to Address Collaboration Challenges in AI-Driven Companies
Stilla, a Stockholm‑based startup, announced its emergence from stealth with a $5 million pre‑seed round led by General Catalyst. The company offers an infrastructure layer that connects core workplace tools—Slack, Linear, GitHub, Notion—to create a shared, real‑time context for both humans...
By Tech.eu
News•Jan 20, 2026
Evvolve & Partners Formalizes ‘Evvolve Circle’ to Address Fragmentation in Private Market Co-Investment
Evvolve & Partners has launched the Evvolve Circle, an invitation‑only consortium for family offices and ultra‑high‑net‑worth investors. The group offers a confidential framework for proprietary deal exchange, shared due diligence, and direct co‑investment alongside venture and credit institutions. Its multi‑pillar...
By TechBullion
Social•Jan 20, 2026
Beyond Sand Hill: Diverse Investors Fund Hardware Startups
Sand Hill has done a great job selling their capital. But if you don’t fit a certain “archetype” (either in demographics, category, or geography) and strike out on Sand Hill, then there’s plenty of other investors elsewhere. For example: look...
By Elizabeth Yin
Social•Jan 20, 2026
Canada Rocket Secures $6.2M Seed to Build Indigenous Launchers
Canada Rocket Company emerged from stealth last week with the announcement of a $6.2M CDN ($4.5M) seed funding round—and with plans to create sovereign light- and medium-lift launch capabilities for the Great White North. https://t.co/jNyfibjct6
By Payload
Podcast•Jan 19, 2026•41 min
#51 Zach Resnick, Founder & CEO of Ascend
In this episode, host interviews Zach Resnick, founder and CEO of Ascend, a membership service that automates 90% of travel decisions and cuts business/first‑class fares by roughly 35%. Resnick shares how he opened 300 credit cards, leveraged miles and points...
By Playing With Unicorns
Social•Jan 20, 2026
Turn
if Indiana can go from losingest team in NCAA history to undefeated and CFP champion in two years, you can get to 3x DPI on the late stage SaaS portfolio you invested at 97x ARR in 2021
By Turner Novak
Social•Jan 19, 2026
Six Essential Steps to Close an M&A Deal
What are the basic phases of a process (M&A or capital raise)? 1. Pre-marketing Complete the marketing materials (information packet and buyer list) and get your house in order. 2. Marketing Reach out to buyers, execute NDAs, and share marketing materials. 3. First-round bids Receive Indications...
By Michael Lyon
Blog•Jan 19, 2026
Illegitimi Non Carborundum: Don’t Let Investors Control Your Meeting
Founders, especially women and underrepresented entrepreneurs, are disproportionately asked downside‑focused questions by investors, while their white male peers receive more upside‑oriented inquiries. This bias can steer pitch conversations away from a company’s growth potential. The article advises founders to pre‑write...
By This Is Going To Be BIG
Social•Jan 19, 2026
Overfunded Rivals Overpaying CAC Eventually Burn Out
It’s scary when a startup competitor becomes well-funded. But what I’ve noticed is that while they may be able to overpay on customer acquisition in the near term, it catches up to them. If you can weather the storm for...
By Elizabeth Yin
News•Jan 19, 2026
This Week in SaaS - Jan 13 - 19, 2026
This week’s SaaS landscape saw a wave of large VC rounds, with AI‑focused platforms like Parloa and Deepgram raising $350 M and $130 M respectively, while supply‑chain and sustainability players also secured sizable funding. Major M&A activity included CrowdStrike’s $740 M acquisition of...
By SaasRise
Social•Jan 19, 2026
Building Reliable AI Requires a New Empirical Playbook
I had a wide ranging chat with Eléonore about Intercom, Fin, and a variety of topics * Why did we need to drop everything and run to AI immediately, and do so regardless of the cost. * Building reliable AI...
By Des Traynor
Social•Jan 19, 2026
Find Investor Followers on X, DM, Get Funded
Introducing Fast Round. We built a tool to help founders fundraise. How it works: • Enter your X username • See which investors follow you • Send a DM • Get $$$ But seriously, I hope it's useful. If you want to give the beta a try, the...
By Ryan Hoover
News•Jan 19, 2026
Looking Ahead to 2026: What’s Next for Startup Battlefield 200
TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 will return in 2026, selecting 200 early‑stage startups for a high‑visibility launch at Disrupt in San Francisco. The program offers free exhibit space, masterclasses, investor access, and a chance to win a $100,000 equity‑free prize and the Disrupt...
By TechCrunch Venture Feed
Blog•Jan 19, 2026
CIS News
Recent weeks have seen a flurry of activity in the surgical robotics sector, highlighted by multiple regulatory clearances, sizable funding rounds, and strategic leadership moves. CMR Surgical secured a CE mark for its Versius platform in pediatric procedures, while Distalmotion...
By SurgRob
Social•Jan 19, 2026
Buyers Ready to Pay for Real
A good business in a bad market often sells for nothing. A great business in a strong market can sell for something that actually changes your life. That’s where we are right now. > Strategic buyers are buying tech to move faster. >...
By Andrew Gazdecki
News•Jan 19, 2026
Only Two Days Left to Secure Super Early Bird Tickets for the Tech.eu Summit London 2026
The Tech.eu Summit London 2026, scheduled for 21–22 April at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre, is offering Super Early Bird tickets for just £375 + VAT. These discounted tickets expire on 21 January 2026, after which the price rises to £400 + VAT. Group rates...
By Tech.eu
News•Jan 19, 2026
Everything You Need To Know Before Launching a Crypto Token
Launching a crypto token requires careful alignment of purpose, technology, legal compliance, and community engagement. Developers must first articulate a clear utility, choose a blockchain that balances speed, cost, and developer support, and secure smart‑contract audits. Regulatory considerations vary globally,...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 19, 2026
Fanvue Raises $22M in Series A Funding
Fanvue, the London‑based AI‑powered creator monetization platform, announced a $22 million Series A round. The financing was led by Inner Circle with participation from Moonbug founder René Rechtman. The capital will fund global expansion, product development, and scaling of its AI tools...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 19, 2026
ZBXCX Moves Forward With European Expansion in 2026
ZBXCX Digital Asset Exchange announced a 2026 expansion into Europe, targeting the region’s mature financial infrastructure and growing digital‑asset participation. The plan includes localized marketing, multilingual platform interfaces, and regional customer‑support services. Technology upgrades will enhance system stability, liquidity integration,...
By FinSMEs
Social•Jan 19, 2026
Six Threats Force SaaS to Deliver Smiling AI
“Can your team ship AI features that make you truly smile? If you don’t smile — your customers won’t either” Traditional enterprise software and SaaS is under assault. The leaders are all still growing, but in many cases slower than ever....
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Jan 19, 2026
Dominate AI-Driven GTM at SaaStrAnnual 2026
AI is changing every GTM role. You can run from it. You can argue with it. Or ... you can learn to dominate the new world at SaaStrAnnual.com 2026. Join us.
By Jason Lemkin
News•Jan 18, 2026
Sequoia Seeks Part in Anthropic’s $25 Billion Funding Round
Sequoia Capital is poised to join a multibillion‑dollar financing round for Anthropic, the AI startup that recently unveiled its agentic "Cowork" feature for Claude. The round, led by Singapore’s sovereign fund GIC and Coatue, aims to raise at least $25 billion...
By PYMNTS
Social•Jan 19, 2026
B2B Shifts to 70% AI, Old GTM Obsolete
The best B2B companies are now running with 30% humans and 70% AI agents. Or even higher. The old GTM playbook is dead. At SaaStr AI 2026, we're going deep on what the new playbook actually is. And what really...
By Jason Lemkin
News•Jan 18, 2026
Stop Calling It 'The AI Bubble': It's Actually Multiple Bubbles, Each with a Different Expiration Date
The AI boom consists of three distinct layers—wrapper companies, foundation‑model providers, and infrastructure—each with its own risk profile and timeline. Wrapper startups that merely repackage APIs are expected to implode first, as large platforms absorb their functionality and margins evaporate....
By VentureBeat
Social•Jan 18, 2026
Late AI Adoption Sparks 100% Growth for Veteran SaaS
Just got an investor update from a 10+ year old vertical SaaS company I invested in a looong time ago. Founders never quit, know space cold, but man it’s been a grind. And they are far, far from “AI Native”. However … They...
By Jason Lemkin
News•Jan 18, 2026
How YC-Backed Bucket Robotics Survived Its First CES
Bucket Robotics, a Y Combinator Spring 2024 graduate, made its CES debut after founder Matt Puchalski drove 12 hours to Las Vegas to avoid flight delays. The startup showcased a vision‑based surface‑inspection system that generates simulated defects from CAD files,...
By TechCrunch Robotics
Social•Jan 18, 2026
AI B2B Landscape Shifts: Lawsuits, Billion‑Dollar Valuations, and Market Moves
📰 Top AI+B2B News - Sun, Jan 18 https://t.co/MWFHfEuzpm Top Stories: 1. Musk Seeks Up to $134 Billion Damages From OpenAI, Microsoft 2. ClickHouse Lands $15 Billion Valuation in AI Database Race 3. Figma (FIG) Is Down 13.2% After AI Deal With OpenAI Top SaaStr...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Jan 18, 2026
I’m Unable to Create a Headline without Knowing the Content of the Link. Could You Provide a Brief Summary of...
🧠♻️ https://lnkd.in/gGt8wQmK
By Hunter Walk
News•Jan 17, 2026
Crypto Trading Platform with CZ as Advisor Sees Sudden $2 Billion Volume Surge on 'Airdrop' Hype
Genius Terminal, a crypto trading platform backed by YZi Labs and advised by Binance co‑founder CZ, has experienced a massive surge in activity ahead of a rumored token airdrop. Weekly trading volume exploded from roughly $85 million to more than $2 billion,...
By CoinDesk
Social•Jan 18, 2026
Series B Startup Naming Contest Tests VC Knowledge
VC autism contest: Who can name the most startups that have raised a Series B. If you get a single one wrong, you’re eliminated at that number. Whoever gets the highest wins.
By Turner Novak
Social•Jan 18, 2026
Founders Must Overcome Sunk‑Cost Bias to See Real Customer Love
Even without a lot of data points, often founders truly know whether customers love their product or not. But it’s easy to delude oneself. Mostly because of sunk costs. But if you’re really honest with yourself, you know your answer.
By Elizabeth Yin
News•Jan 17, 2026
Bain & Company, 7 VCs, Announce AI Partnership
Bain & Company has teamed up with seven top venture‑capital firms—Bain Capital Ventures, Battery Ventures, ICONIQ, Insight Partners, Lightspeed, Menlo Ventures and NEA—to create a dedicated AI pipeline through its Venture Ecosystem. The VCs collectively manage roughly $190 billion in assets...
By Crowdfund Insider
Social•Jan 18, 2026
Public Software Stocks Tank, Private AI Startups Soar
Strange World Indeed, 2026 January edition: - The worst time in our history to be invested in public software stocks - The best time in our history to be invested in private hot (AI fueled) startup stocks
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Jan 17, 2026
VC Expectations Escalate: From $1B to $100B Targets
10 years ago, VC was optimized around $1B+ outcomes, for the most part. 5 years ago, VC was optimized around $10B+ outcomes. Today, VC is optimized around $100B+ outcomes. It’s exciting and bold and startups in the Age of AI...
By Jason Lemkin
News•Jan 17, 2026
Digital Asset Firm Meld Closes $7M Round
Meld announced the close of a $7 million strategic funding round led by Lightspeed Faction, with participation from F‑Prime, Yolo Investments, and Scytale Digital. The capital will accelerate Meld’s go‑to‑market push, expand the Meld Network, and deepen its customer‑success capabilities. Meld’s platform...
By Crowdfund Insider
Social•Jan 17, 2026
Never Sell: Growth Compounds, Starting over Is Hard
If the company was going well, a lot of founders I know who sold their companies later regretted it. Because success compounds, they lost out on the revenue compounding over the next several years. AND, when you start a new...
By Elizabeth Yin
Social•Jan 17, 2026
Hidden Stripe Fees Lurk Beyond Dashboards
I wonder how much of Stripe’s margin comes from junk fees that aren’t on any of the pretty dashboards, only the CSV that takes 24 hours to generate.
By Benedict Evans
News•Jan 17, 2026
Guest Post: Three GTM Challenges Killing Vertical AI Startups in 2026—And Why Market Shaping GTM Solves All of Them
Vertical AI startups face a paradox in 2026: funding exploded 85% to $211 billion while enterprise IT budgets barely grow 2% and consolidate vendors. Traditional SaaS GTM tactics—outbound blasts, demo‑first pitches, and volume‑driven pipelines—no longer win because buyers pick a preliminary...
By The AI Insider