Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Updated 47m ago
Ramp projects $1.4 billion ARR as it gears up for IPO
Fintech startup Ramp says it will reach a $1.4 billion annual recurring revenue run rate this quarter, up from the $1 billion reported in September. The company cites a 70% year‑over‑year increase in its customer base and expects about $125 million in free cash flow for the year.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Beeline Medicines raises $300M Series A
Electric Propulsion Innovator Arc Raises $50M in New Funding
Arc, a Los Angeles‑based electric boat and powertrain firm, closed a $50 million Series C round led by investors such as a16z, Menlo Ventures, and Eclipse. The capital will be used to accelerate production of electric tugboat powertrains and to expand the company’s portfolio into ferries and defense vessels. Arc’s first electric tug is slated for delivery this year, with a second already under construction and further deployments planned nationwide. The company highlights its vertically integrated hardware‑software model as a catalyst for performance, reliability, and reduced maintenance.
Startup Ecosystem Systematized, Scaling Far Beyond Population Growth
Lotta folks commenting that this chart is an indictment of the progress of "startup science." I think it's the opposite. Since 2010 you've had a 7-10xing of seed rounds and a 3.5-7xing of A rounds. The US population has only grown...
FemTech IPO Outlook: Investors & Trends
FemTech is transitioning from a niche venture segment to a mainstream health‑tech investment theme, with the market valued at $9.12 billion in 2025 and projected to reach $10.67 billion in 2026. A surge in late‑stage mega‑deals—42 % of 2025 funding—has concentrated capital in...
Femtech Funding Soars, Yet Autoimmune & Cardio Remain Underserved
Nalina Murthy wrote a great post for our blog and I thought I would share her insights here: Women's health: less than 2% of healthcare R&D, despite women being half the population. 2024 changed that: $2.6B globally, up 55% from...
Give Founders Concrete Feedback, Not Vague “High Bar” Excuses
The worst feedback to give a founder is "our bar is high, and therefore we are going to pass." That doesn't define your bar and it doesn't give any substantive feedback to the founder. Founders are way more resilient...
Anthropic, Solana, Bitcoin Miners, SpaceX : FTX’s Visionary Bets That Bankruptcy Liquidated
FTX’s bankruptcy liquidated a $500 million Anthropic stake for $1.3 billion, far below the $30‑$70 billion valuation some social media posts claimed. The exchange also held sizable positions in Solana, Robinhood, Sui, Genesis Digital Assets, and a SpaceX‑linked fund, which together would be...
Biotech IPOs Show Strong Avg Gains, Weak Median
Quick Biotech IPO stats for 2026, with six offerings: $AKTS $AGMD $EIKN $SGP $MANE $GENB - Average post-IPO stock performance (offer price to 3/20/26 close): +38%. Without $MANE, avg is negative. - Median post-IPO stock performance: -24% - Total IPO gross proceeds:...
8 Proven Tips for Startup Fundraising Success
Asking for money is one of the hardest things about running a startup. Most people were never taught how to do it. Here are 8 tips the Hustle Fund team actually uses: 🧵
Exclusive: Exponent Energy Raising $20 Mn in an Extended Series B
Exponent Energy announced an extended Series B round that will raise Rs 182 crore ($20 million), co‑led by 360 One and TDK Ventures, with participation from existing backers. The funding lifts the post‑money valuation by roughly 56% to about Rs 1.25‑1.30 billion. Revenue surged 80% to Rs 30.2 crore...
We Overhyped Valuations, AI May Follow Suit
It's easy to make fun of 2021 valuations. But how in the world did we ever think Asana should be at a 60x revenue multiple... Seems like we will look back similarly at many private AI companies 🤔 https://t.co/VK8CqatqTn
YC’s Quick Vetting Means Fraud Isn’t Their Fault
It's not fair to blame YC for backing apparent frauds like Delve. They only spend 10 minutes with founders over zoom before investing. It's a cursory screen. They're not trying to deeply vet founders -- they're trying to give as many founders...
Exclusive: WeRize to Raise Rs 64 Cr From Existing Investors
Full‑stack fintech WeRize is raising Rs 64 crore (~$6.9 million) through convertible equity, with Sony Innovation Fund contributing Rs 46 crore and 3one4 Capital Rs 18 crore. The capital will fund general operations, working‑capital needs, capital expenditures, and geographic expansion. WeRize, founded by former Lendingkart executives, serves...
Follow Meghan for Top LP Market Trend Insights
If you are a VC who needs to understand LP market trends the best person to follow is Meghan
Should We Raise Capital?
Chenmark’s founders reflect on why they never took a $20 million external fund between 2015 and 2019, opting instead to bootstrap their hold‑co model. The lack of capital forced disciplined cash‑flow reinvestment, lean talent acquisition and a culture of shared risk....
Venture Capitalists Eye Indirect Paths to SpaceX Ahead of Expected $50B IPO
With SpaceX poised for a potential $50 billion IPO, venture investors are turning to indirect vehicles—Alphabet stock, ARK’s ARK Venture Fund, and private‑market platforms—to capture upside. The strategy reflects a broader shift toward private‑market exposure as high‑growth unicorns stay private longer.
Google Ventures Europe Mostly Invests In AI-Related Start-Ups
Google Ventures (GV) is allocating roughly 80% of its European portfolio to AI‑centric startups, reflecting a broader shift toward intelligent technologies. Since 2014, GV has poured over $1 billion into European ventures, including a $205 million stake in Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Tom...
AI Startups Command 41% of 2025 Venture Capital, Raising $52.5 B
AI‑focused startups captured $52.5 billion, or 41% of the $128 billion venture‑capital dollars deployed in 2025, delivering the strongest returns among sectors. The shift is prompting limited partners to re‑evaluate allocations and general partners to adjust fund strategies.
Autoscience Pulls In $14M Seed Round
Autoscience, an applied AI research lab in San Mateo, announced a $14 million seed financing round. The round was led by General Catalyst with participation from Toyota Ventures, Perplexity Fund, MaC Ventures and S32. The funding will accelerate development of its...
LP Secondaries Plunge Below Par as GP Continuations Surge
7% of LP-led secondaries in 2H’25 sold at par. Over a quarter sold < 80 cents. Meanwhile GP-led CVs are booming. Different structure, same problem The traditional exit isn’t there at the price the GP underwrote.
This Music Festival Company’s $30 Million Fundraise Proves AI Isn’t the Only Hot Sector for Investment
Breakaway, a live‑events company, closed a $30 million Series B round, valuing it in the nine‑figure range. The funding, led by RSE Ventures, Gross Labs and Human Ventures, follows a $6 million Series A raised in 2022. Revenue surged from $15 million to nearly $70 million,...
VCs Chase Hype, Not Diligence, Fueling AI Boom‑bust
I don’t know if there is anything shady going on here or not, but I will say, more generally, that VCs prefer social proof than actual diligence: “XYZ did the A, we must get into the B” or “ARR is...
Bluesky Raised $100M a Year Ago but for Some Reason Only Disclosed It Now
Bluesky closed a $100 million Series B round in April 2025, but only disclosed the financing in March 2026. The round was led by Bain Capital Crypto with participation from Alumni Ventures, Anthos Capital, Bloomberg Beta, Knight Foundation and True Ventures. Founder Jay Graber...
Earendil Labs Announces $787M in Financing
Earendil Labs, an AI‑driven biotechnology firm, announced a $787 million financing round. The capital came from a consortium that includes Dimension Capital, DST Global, Sanofi, and a Pfizer‑Hillhouse biotech fund. The proceeds will accelerate Earendil’s next‑generation biologics platform, leveraging artificial intelligence...
Earendil Labs to Scale AI-Driven Biologics Platform with $787 Million Funding
Earendil Labs announced a $787 million financing round, the largest recent capital raise for AI‑enabled drug development. The funding, led by Sanofi and the Biotech Development Fund, will be used to scale its AI‑driven biologics discovery platform, expand R&D teams, and...
AI Startups Are Eating the Venture Industry and the Returns, so Far, Are Good
AI startups accounted for 41% of the $128 billion venture capital deployed in 2023, a record share, driven by mega‑rounds at OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI. OpenAI secured a $110 billion round, Anthropic $30 billion, and xAI $20 billion, pushing combined funding above $160 billion. Carta’s...
Remitian Raises $7 Million, Unveils Tax Payment API
Remitian announced a $7 million seed round and the launch of its Tax Payment API, aimed at streamlining the final mile of tax remittance for accounting firms and fintech partners. The API embeds payment initiation, validation, and real‑time tracking directly into...
UK Tech Funding Roundup: This Week’s Deals From Edra to First Concepts
UK venture capital tracked £53.69 million across six deals from 16‑20 March, a 97% week‑on‑week drop. The largest round was Edra’s £22.4 million Series A for AI‑driven workflow automation, followed by Tracebit’s £15 million Series A in cloud‑focused cybersecurity. Smaller raises included Flexzo AI’s £8.9 million for...
Over $1.1bn Raised Across Funding Raises in Red-Letter Week for FinTech
FinTech saw a record week in 2026, raising over $1.1 billion across 23 deals. Consumer‑first privacy firm Cloaked led the pack with a $375 million Series B and growth financing round. CyberTech dominated the deal count with nine transactions, while the United States...
Only Pitch These Seed Investors with $20K+ MRR
If you’re doing $20K MRR, here are 10 Seed investors writing $1M-$5M checks 💰 - First Round Capital - Bessemer Venture Partners - Boldstart Ventures - Accel - Founder Collective - Bonfire Ventures - Uncork Capital - Point Nine Capital - Costanoa Ventures - SaaStr Fund If you do not have...
AI Success Determines Next Generation CEOs and Funding
RT Recruiters are using AI. Boards are replacing CEOs faster. Startups are fighting for capital. The leaders who win will have strong AI stories and measurable outcomes. #AI #Leadership #CIO @Star_CIO https://t.co/mIefOcbMM8
Uber Commits Up to $1.25 B to Rivian for 10,000 Robotaxis by 2028
Uber announced a multi‑year commitment of up to $1.25 billion to buy 10,000 Rivian R2 electric SUVs for robotaxi service, with an option for 40,000 more. The deal includes an initial $300 million cash infusion and targets commercial launch in Miami and...
Biotech Giant Earendil Labs Secures $787M Funding
Giant biotech round that hit right after I sent Pro Rata: Earendil Labs raises $787M https://t.co/NWt2bBA9Lr
Agentic Healthcare Platform Flexzo AI Raises £9m
Flexzo AI, an agentic workforce platform for hospitals, closed a £9 million ($12 million) Series A round led by Octopus Ventures with participation from Fuel Ventures. The funding will fuel a rollout across NHS Trusts and support expansion into the United States. Founded in...
Exclusive: Celesta Capital To Launch ₹2,000 Cr India-Focused Deeptech Fund
Celesta Capital, a San‑Francisco‑based venture firm, is preparing to raise a ₹2,000 crore (approximately $24 billion) Category II AIF dedicated to Indian deep‑tech startups. The fund will focus on early‑stage companies at Series A and B, with typical checks of $3‑7 million per deal. Celesta,...
Jeff Bezos in Talks to Raise $100 Billion Fund to Transform Companies With A.I.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is negotiating with investors in the Middle East and Southeast Asia to raise up to $100 billion for a new investment fund. The fund would sit alongside his AI venture, Project Prometheus, and aim to acquire or...
Beyond AlphaFold: AI Generates Functional Proteins From Scratch
The AlphaFold moment was never the finish line. It was the starting gun. @saakohl helped build the system that cracked protein structure prediction… then left @GoogleDeepMind to go one step further. Design the molecules themselves. From scratch. In silico. Before a single experiment...
Inside One VC’s Litmus Test for Investable Healthcare AI Startups
Katie Jacobs Stanton, former Yahoo, Google and Twitter executive, transitioned into healthcare investing after a stint as CMO at Color Genomics. In 2019 she founded Moxxie Ventures, focusing on early‑stage AI‑driven health companies such as Dandelion Health, Pharos Health, Luminai...
AI Legal Tech Startup MiAI Law Raised $2 Million
Australian legal‑tech startup MiAI Law, founded by barrister Laina Chan, announced a $2 million seed round raised in five days from family, staff and angel investors. The platform differentiates itself by linking case law and statutes through a transparent reasoning engine...
Audeo Ventures Will Close on $65m for Fund II by End of March
Audeo Ventures announced it will close its second fund with $65 million in commitments by the end of March. The fund’s limited partner base is dominated by single and multifamily offices, alongside sovereign wealth funds from the United Arab Emirates. Audeo...
Cape Nabs $100M Series C Round
Cape, the privacy‑first mobile carrier, announced a $100 million Series C financing round co‑led by Bain Capital Ventures and IVP, with participation from several new investors. The new capital brings the company’s total funding to $191 million, underscoring strong investor confidence in its...
Eclypsium Receives $25M Strategic Funding
Eclypsium announced a $25 million strategic financing round led by PEAK6 Strategic Capital, with participation from a top three U.S. bank and Ten Eleven Ventures. The round adds to prior backing from Qualcomm Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and other notable investors. Eclypsium’s...
Bluesky Announces $100M Series B After CEO Transition
Bluesky announced a $100 million Series B round led by Bain Capital Crypto, disclosed after closing in April 2025. The funding follows a recent leadership change, with CEO Jay Graber moving to chief innovation officer. User numbers have surged to over 43 million,...
Potomac Tech Wire - March 19
Virginia‑based tech firms announced a wave of capital raises in March, highlighted by Sands Capital closing a $1.1 billion Global Innovation Fund III and Cape securing a $100 million Series C for its privacy‑first mobile carrier. Other notable rounds include Claros’ $30 million seed...
YC’s Organic Rise: Word‑of‑mouth, Founders, and Evolving AI
Paul Graham is back on The Social Radars with @jesslivingston and @cjoneslevy. This time, they focus on what was happening behind the scenes at Y Combinator in the early years. PG shares how YC grew through word of mouth, what it...
Secondary Marketplaces Seek $1B Pre‑Seed at $4B Valuation
We are now in part of the cycle where secondary marketplaces are soliciting investors for a $1B pre-seed round at a $4B valuation.
Bezos Plans $100B Fund to Automate Manufacturing with AI
"Jeff Bezos is in early talks to raise $100 billion for a new fund that would buy up manufacturing companies and seek to use AI technology to accelerate their path to automation." https://t.co/UmA1I3g0xp
Airbnb Secured Highest Batch Valuation: $3M Post‑Money
After YC, Airbnb raised $615k at a $3M post-money valuation. We were the highest valuation in our batch.
Value‑add LP Era Emerging, but GPs Still Struggle Raising
New guest post on Signature Block this morning by @pavelprata. I want to believe we're entering the "the value-add LP era" but I'm skeptical when most GPs struggle to raise. Curious to hear more thoughts on this. Link to the piece below. https://t.co/TsXFYDrtqd
Verily Secures $300M, Ends Alphabet’s Majority Control
Major scoop from @ShelbyJLiv: Verily has raised $300M, ending Alphabet's majority control over the company https://t.co/6kjuC2FND7
Use YC‑style ‘Vertebrae’ for Stronger Demo Day Pitches
I'm glad she chose this excerpt about how to make a convincing Demo Day presentation. Founders would be so much more effective at fundraising if they gave their pitches YC-style "vertebrae".