🎯Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Updated 1h agoWhat's happening: Machina Labs lands $124M Series C to build AI‑driven intelligent factory
Machina Labs closed a $124M Series C round led by Woven Capital, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Balerion Space Ventures and the Strategic Development Fund. The funding will finance its first 200,000‑square‑foot Intelligent Factory in the United States, featuring up to 50 RoboCraftsman cells for defense, aerospace and automotive customers.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OpenAI secures $110B corporate funding
News•Jan 14, 2026
Amperon Receives Investment From Samsung Ventures
Amperon, a Houston‑based AI energy‑forecasting firm, secured investment from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, though the amount remains undisclosed. The capital will accelerate Amperon's global expansion and the development of new analytics products for power and utility markets. Founded in 2018, the company already serves clients across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Mexico, delivering demand, renewable generation and price forecasts. The partnership signals confidence in AI‑driven grid solutions.
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Caldera Therapeutics Launches with $112.5M in Total Capital
Caldera Therapeutics, a Cambridge‑based clinical‑stage biotech, announced its launch with $112.5 million in total capital. The financing comprises a $75 million Series A led by Atlas Venture, LAV and venBio, and a $37.5 million Series A‑1 round headed by Omega Funds with new backers Wellington...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Teledyne Acquires DD-Scientific
Teledyne Technologies announced the acquisition of UK‑based DD‑Scientific, a developer of high‑performance gas sensors. The purchase price was not disclosed. DD‑Scientific’s portfolio includes toxic‑gas detection, medical‑grade, and trace‑gas sensors for environmental compliance. The deal expands Teledyne’s instrumentation offerings into precision...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Skild AI Raises Close to $1.4 Billion in Funding at Over $14 Billion Valuation
Skild AI, a Pittsburgh‑based robotics AI startup, announced a funding round of close to $1.4 billion that lifts its valuation above $14 billion. The round was spearheaded by SoftBank Group and featured investors such as NVIDIA’s NVentures, Jeff Bezos, Samsung and LG....
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Depthfirst Raises $40M in Series A Funding
San Francisco‑based depthfirst announced a $40 million Series A round led by Accel, with participation from Alt Capital, BoxGroup, Liquid 2 Ventures, Mantis VC, SV Angel and several angels. The funding will accelerate research and development, go‑to‑market initiatives, and hiring across applied research, engineering, product, and...
By FinSMEs
Social•Jan 14, 2026
Build a Minimum Evolvable Product, Not Just MVP
When you're starting out, you don't just need a minimum viable product. You need a minimum evolvable product. In this episode of Main Function, @agupta offers an update to the classic MVP playbook. He’ll outline strategies for getting your first customers,...
By YCombinator
News•Jan 14, 2026
Titl Raises $2.5M in Seed Funding
Titl, a Miami‑based proptech startup that leverages AI and blockchain for property title verification, closed a $2.5 million seed round led by Cofounders Capital and FIT Ventures. The funding will fuel the company’s expansion beyond Florida into Georgia, Maryland, and Connecticut....
By FinSMEs
Social•Jan 14, 2026
Relentless Problem‑Solving Trumps Mere Founder‑Problem Fit
The best founders are relentless problem solvers. They have founder-problem fit; but more importantly, they have an innate desire to just keep solving whatever the next problem is. Founder-problem fit matters. But relentless problem-solving wins.
By Sequoia Capital
News•Jan 14, 2026
Pillr Health Receives Investment From Water Street Healthcare Partners
Pillr Health, a Boca Raton‑based provider of software and tech‑enabled services for health‑care delivery organizations, announced an investment from private‑equity firm Water Street Healthcare Partners. The financial terms were not disclosed, but the capital will fund an expansion of Pillr's...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Novee Emerges Raises $51.5M in Total Funding
Novee, an AI offensive security startup based in Tel Aviv, announced it has raised $51.5 million in total funding from investors including YL Ventures, Canaan Partners, and Oren Zeev. The company, founded in May 2025, offers an AI‑driven penetration‑testing platform that mimics...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Maxfusion Raises Funding
Maxfusion, a Prague‑based platform for automated video ad creation, secured undisclosed funding from Czech Founders VC, angel investor Ory Weihs, and its founders. The capital will fund a proprietary audio‑guided foundation model and accelerate customer acquisition. The service offers bulk...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Meet Caria Raises $1M in Pre-Seed Funding
Meet Caria, a New York‑based AI‑native recruitment software startup, announced a $1 million pre‑seed round led by ANF Investment. The funding will accelerate development of its AI‑driven platform that streamlines job creation, candidate sourcing, interviewing, and evaluation while integrating with existing...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Osapiens Raises US$ 100M in Series C Funding
German enterprise software firm osapiens announced a $100 million Series C round, led by Decarbonization Partners, a BlackRock‑Temasek joint venture. Existing backers Goldman Sachs Alternatives and Armira Growth also participated. The capital will fund accelerated product innovation, expansion into new international markets,...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Tive Raises $20M in Funding
Boston‑based Tive announced a $20 million funding round led by Lightsmith Group, with participation from Sageview Capital, World Innovation Lab, AVP and Supply Chain Ventures. The capital will fund expansion of its operations and further development of its real‑time logistics visibility...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Axol Bioscience Raises $2.8M in Funding
Axol Bioscience, an Edinburgh‑based iPSC provider, secured $2.8 million in a funding round led by BroadOak Capital Partners with participation from the Roslin Foundation. The capital will fund expansion of its U.S. operations and commercial footprint. Axol supplies functional iPSC‑derived cells,...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Vivere Oncotherapies Raises Over $10M in Funding
Vivere Oncotherapies, a Berkeley‑based biotech, announced it has raised more than $10 million in a funding round. Investors include YK Bioventures, Pillar, Berkeley Frontier Fund, Freeflow Ventures, and the National Cancer Institute. The capital will be used to scale operations and...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 14, 2026
Confianza Raises Series Seed 2 Funding
Confianza, a Sarasota‑based data and predictive analytics firm, announced a Series Seed 2 round, though the amount and investors were not disclosed. The capital will fund the expansion of client‑facing teams and accelerate AI/ML analytics and predictive modeling within the insurance...
By FinSMEs
Social•Jan 14, 2026
Founder’s $370B Net Worth, Only $19M Liquid
Typical equity rich, cash poor founder on https://t.co/E5wtQ9xial $370B net worth, but only $19M liquid https://t.co/oF2st2owCX
By Jason Lemkin
News•Jan 13, 2026
Converge Bio Receives $25M Series A Round
Converge Bio, a Boston‑based AI platform for drug discovery, announced a $25 million Series A round, bringing its total capital raised to $30 million. The funding will support scaling of its cloud‑native infrastructure and expansion of its data‑driven target identification tools. The round...
By VC News Daily
Social•Jan 13, 2026
Trustful, Long‑Known Co‑Founders Thrive Without Family Ties
There are a lot of types of co-founder relationships that can work. But the ones I’ve seen w/ the highest success rate are when the co-founders have immense trust from having known each other for a long time AND are...
By Elizabeth Yin
Blog•Jan 13, 2026
Switching Venture Firms Is Not a Job Search
Transitioning between venture capital firms differs fundamentally from a typical job search. Because the senior VC talent pool is small, moves depend on existing relationships and how peers rank you, not on open listings. The article outlines a mental ranking...
By This Is Going To Be BIG
Social•Jan 13, 2026
VCs Inflate Valuations to Secure Next Fund
So at the end of the year I wrote an investment down to $0, my biggest write-off so far. $4m to $0. But my co-investor? He marked up his investment. From about $15m to $30m. How is this possible?...
By Jason Lemkin
News•Jan 13, 2026
Defense Unicorns Closes $136M Series B
Defense Unicorns announced closing a $136 million Series B financing round led by Bain Capital. The funding pushes the San Antonio‑based, veteran‑owned startup past the $1 billion valuation threshold, granting it unicorn status. The company reported a 300 % year‑over‑year increase in adoption of...
By VC News Daily
News•Jan 13, 2026
HPS/PayMedix Scoops Up $33M
HPS/PayMedix announced a $33 million equity and debt financing round to accelerate its PayMedix platform. The round was led by HLM Investment Partners with a $16 million growth equity contribution, alongside Escalate Capital Partners, RVM Enterprises, and existing backer SV Health Investors....
By VC News Daily
Social•Jan 13, 2026
Testing Daily Signals to Boost Operator Decision Speed
For 11 years, I’ve sent a weekly newsletter. Five hundred seventy-two issues built around links people consistently tell me they actually read. That cadence works. I’m keeping it. But frequency isn’t the same thing as usefulness. A lot of operator...
By Hiten Shah
Social•Jan 13, 2026
ElevenLabs Poised to Outvalue Twilio by 2026
ElevenLabs will probably be worth more than Twilio by mid-2026 Really seems like a missed opportunity there
By Jason Lemkin
News•Jan 13, 2026
Proxima Raises $80M in Seed Funding
Proxima, the NYC‑based AI‑native biotech formerly known as VantAI, announced an $80 million seed round led by DCVC with participation from NVentures and other investors. The capital will fund its proximity‑modulating therapeutics platform that expands the druggable target space. Proxima’s approach...
By FinSMEs
Social•Jan 13, 2026
Soft‑skill Platforms Can Generate Six‑figure Profits
People underestimate how profitable “soft skills” businesses can be. Live on @acquiredotcom: A 15-year social skills training platform built on live, coach-led practice. > $561K TTM revenue > $275K TTM profit > 4,400 active members Full listing: https://t.co/woKnEzxZXN https://t.co/Ejax6k1Lqx
By Andrew Gazdecki
Social•Jan 13, 2026
Build Your Audience Before Building the Product
If I were starting a product-company today, I would first start by building an audience that’s relevant to said product before even thinking about the product. Way easier to build and sell if you have close rapport with future potential...
By Elizabeth Yin
News•Jan 13, 2026
Onebrief Raises $200M in Series D Funding; Acquires Battle Road Digital
Onebrief, a Honolulu‑based command‑center operating system provider, secured $220 million in Series D financing at a $2.15 billion valuation. The round was led by Battery Ventures and Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Salesforce Ventures, General Catalyst and Insight Partners. The capital will accelerate...
By FinSMEs
Social•Jan 13, 2026
CEOs in Fintech, SaaS Thrive via Thought Leadership
People often think social posting is most beneficial for consumer products, but being a thought leader as the CEO of a fintech, developer, or SaaS company also pays off big time.
By Elizabeth Yin
News•Jan 13, 2026
Enspire DBS Therapy Raises $10.3M in Series B1 Funding
Enspire DBS Therapy announced a $10.3 million Series B1 round, led by Genesys Capital with participation from Cleveland Clinic and JobsOhio Ventures. The financing brings new board member Jamie Stiff from Genesys Capital. The capital will fund continued enrollment in the multicenter...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
RISA Labs Closes $11.1M Series A Funding Round
RISA Labs, a Palo Alto AI startup, closed an $11.1 million Series A round co‑led by Cencora Ventures and Optum Ventures. The funding will accelerate rollout of its AI operating system, the BOSS Console, across oncology clinics, health systems, specialty pharmacies and...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
Defense Unicorns Raises $136M in Series B Funding at over $1 Billion Valuation
Defense Unicorns secured $136 million in a Series B round, pushing its valuation past $1 billion. The financing, led by Bain Capital and joined by Ansa Capital, Sapphire Ventures, Valor Equity Partners, AVP, Uncorrelated Ventures, and former CIA Director David Petraeus, will fund...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
WitnessAI Raises $58M in Funding
WitnessAI, a Mountain View AI security startup, secured $58 million in a Series A round led by Sound Ventures, Anthropic and SentinelOne, with participation from Qualcomm Ventures, Samsung Ventures and others. The capital will fund a global go‑to‑market push and accelerate product...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
The 33rd Team Closes Eight-Figure Series B Funding
The 33rd Team, a New York‑based football technology firm, announced the close of an eight‑figure Series B round. The round attracted prominent investors such as Liberty Media, FORTA Advisors, and Gary Vaynerchuk. CEO Mike Tannenbaum said the capital will fund geographic...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
OurPetPolicy Raises $8M in Series A Funding
OurPetPolicy, a Boise‑based platform that manages pets and detects emotional support animal (ESA) fraud, announced an $8 million Series A round. The financing was led by RET Ventures with participation from StageDotO and Capital Eleven. The company will use the capital to...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
WithCoverage Raises $42M in Series B Financing
WithCoverage, a New York‑based AI‑enabled risk management platform, secured $42 million in Series B financing. The round was led by Sequoia Capital and Khosla Ventures, with participation from 8VC and Crystal Venture Partners. The capital will fund product expansion and the hiring...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
Superorganism Raises $25M to Back Biodiversity Startups
Superorganism, launched in 2023, closed its inaugural fund with $25.9 million from investors including the Cisco Foundation and Andreessen Horowitz partner Jeff Jordan. The firm will write $250,000‑$500,000 checks for pre‑seed and seed‑stage biodiversity startups and donate 10 % of profits to...
By TechCrunch Fundraising
News•Jan 13, 2026
RxAnte Raises Strategic Growth Funding
RxAnte, a Portland, Maine‑based analytics and software provider for pharmacy care management, secured a strategic growth investment led by Primus Capital with continued backing from UPMC Enterprises. The undisclosed amount will be used to scale its value‑based pharmacy solutions and...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
Bricks.sh Raises €1.6M in Pre-Seed Funding
Bricks.sh, a Milan‑based AI‑native internal‑tool builder, announced a €1.6 million pre‑seed round. The financing was led by Primo Capital with participation from Octopus First Cheque Fund, Eden Ventures, Vesper Holding, Vento, and several angel investors. The capital will be used to...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
Aspen Power Receives $200M Strategic Capital Commitment From Deutsche Bank
Aspen Power, a New York‑based distributed generation platform, secured a $200 million strategic capital commitment from Deutsche Bank. The funding will expand its nationwide development, vendor engagement, and project deployment capabilities. Led by CEO Jorge Vargas and CFO Bill DeLong, the firm...
By FinSMEs
Social•Jan 13, 2026
Founder Friends Seoul: Eric Bahn & Ethan Cho Live Jan 20
There are 7 days until Founder Friends Seoul. @ericbahn will be chatting with Ethan Cho and you know is gonna be a great chat when two super unhinged, honest, and hilarious humans hang. If you're in Seoul and free Jan 20, save...
By Elizabeth Yin
News•Jan 13, 2026
OutSee Closes £2.5M Seed Funding Round
OutSee, a Cambridge‑based AI genomics startup, closed a £2.5 million seed round led by Ahren Innovation Capital, with participation from Kadmos Capital, Panacea, Empirical Ventures and 26 angel investors. The funding will accelerate experimental validation of therapeutic targets, expand an internal...
By FinSMEs
News•Jan 13, 2026
Accelsius Raises $65M in Series B Funding
Accelsius, an Austin‑based provider of two‑phase direct‑to‑chip liquid cooling for AI and high‑performance computing, closed a $65 million Series B round. The financing was led by Johnson Controls with a strategic investment from Legrand. The capital will fund rapid expansion of Accelsius’s...
By FinSMEs
Podcast•Jan 13, 2026•55 min
E680 | Oskar Hartmann, Accumulator: From Beast Mode to a New Angel Investing Model
In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm talks with Oskar Hartmann, a serial founder turned super‑angel, about his "beast mode" approach, burnout lessons, and the importance of product‑soul fit. Hartmann explains the new Accumulator model—a share‑pooling mechanism that gives founders and...
By The European VC (EUVC)
Social•Jan 13, 2026
Most B2B AI Features Fail; Winners Do Differently
Hot take: 90% of "AI features" shipping in B2B right now are terrible. The companies winning are doing something completely different. Come to SaaStr AI 2026 May 12-14 and learn what actually works from founders with the receipts. https://t.co/Ff7DKVt1H2
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Jan 12, 2026
Six Key Steps to Close an M&A Deal
What are the basic milestones 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...
By Michael Lyon
News•Jan 12, 2026
EpiBiologics Closes $107M Series B
EpiBiologics announced the close of a $107 million Series B round, co‑led by GV and Johnson & Johnson Innovation‑JJDC. The financing also attracted Novartis Venture Fund, Aulis Capital, Avego BioScience Capital, Samsara BioCapital and a slate of existing backers. The capital will...
By VC News Daily
Social•Jan 12, 2026
YC Partner Pete Koomen Discusses AI Boom with KTH
YC partner Pete Koomen (@koomen) is visiting KTH this month for an off-the-record talk with @HenrikTaro, KTH alum and CEO of Vesence. They’ll talk about startups, Stockholm, and how the AI boom is unfolding in Silicon Valley. Learn more at https://t.co/ymSLsFFmTw https://t.co/XEP0YL8QKO
By YCombinator