Today's Venture Capital Pulse
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
Pi Labs Leads $7M Round in VerbaFlo for AI Real Estate Platform
VerbaFlo, a conversational AI platform for residential real estate, secured a $7 million seed round led by Pi Labs, bringing its total financing to roughly $9 million. The startup automates leasing, operations, and resident engagement through purpose‑built AI agents that integrate with existing property‑management systems. Its technology currently supports over 200,000 units across the UK, Europe, and an expanding presence in the United States. The new capital will fund further product development, U.S. market expansion, and global team growth.
BambooBox Announces $6.6 Million to Build the Managed ABM Operating System for Enterprise Revenue Teams
BambooBox announced a $6.6 million Series A round led by Peak XV’s Surge to accelerate its Managed ABM Operating System. The platform blends AI‑driven orchestration with forward‑deployed ABM experts, aiming to solve the execution gap that many enterprises face with traditional ABM tools....
Grow Revenue First; Let VCs Chase You
Entrepreneurs: NEVER beg a VC for a check. Focus on growing your REVENUE. Then, VCs will beg you to take their check…trust me 🙏🏾
Investors Seek Insightful, Market‑Aligned Contrarians, Not Mere Rebels
everyone claims they want "contrarian" founders but what they actually want - founders with a non-obvious insight that happens to align with an explosive market This is bc contrarian + right = visionary. contrarian + wrong = unemployed
Frore Systems Raises $143M Series D, Valued at $1.64B to Cool AI Chips
Silicon Valley‑based Frore Systems announced on March 18, 2026 that it closed a $143 million Series D round, bringing its post‑money valuation to $1.64 billion. The funding, led by MVP Ventures among other investors, will accelerate the rollout of its liquid‑cooling platform for...
AI Funding Fears Trigger the Very Engineer Displacement
If privately held software companies are losing their access to funding because investors fear AI… Then AI replacing software engineers is becoming a self- fulfilling prophecy.
Upvest Secures $125M Funding, Valued at €640M, Backed by Tencent and Sapphire Ventures
Berlin‑based fintech Upvest announced on Tuesday that it has closed a $125 million equity round led by Sapphire Ventures and Tencent Holdings, alongside a $35 million debt facility, valuing the company at €640 million. The raise follows a year of processing over 100 million...
Partech Closes €300M Impact Fund to Boost European Climate‑Tech Scaleups
Paris‑based venture firm Partech announced the final close of its debut €300 million impact fund this week, targeting 15 European B2B climate‑tech and industrial companies with revenues above €10 million. The fund, backed by investors such as Bpifrance, the European Investment Fund,...
Dimension Ventures Targets $700 Million Third Fund to Back AI‑Science Late‑Stage Startups
On March 18, 2026, Dimension Ventures announced it is raising a third fund with a $700 million target to invest in late‑stage companies that blend artificial intelligence and scientific research. The firm, founded by three former Lux Capital and Obvious Ventures...
Advanced Navigation Raises $158 Million Series C Round with NRFC Backing
Australian deep‑tech firm Advanced Navigation secured $158 million Series C led by Airtree Ventures, with $50 million from the National Reconstruction Fund Corporation. The funding supports expansion of its AI‑enhanced inertial navigation systems that operate without GPS, addressing rising jamming and spoofing threats....
Sequen Lands $16M to Transform Customer Experiences
Sequen, an enterprise AI infrastructure startup, announced a $16 million Series A round, bringing its total funding to $22 million. The round was co‑led by White Star Capital and Threshold Ventures, with Greycroft participating again. Sequen will use the capital to accelerate product...
Native Security Secures Cloud with Unified Policy Controls
Announcing the Series A of Native Security (https://t.co/w7e6BeMXxj) which we (Ballistic Ventures) led. The latest greatest thing to happen to cloud security. Set policy intent and have it translated to native controls in all the major clouds. Exactly what I wanted...
Surf Raises $57M to Automate Security With AI Agents
Surf, a New York‑based cybersecurity startup, announced a $57 million Series A round led by Accel to develop AI‑driven security agents. The funding underscores growing investor confidence in “agentic AI” that can autonomously detect and remediate threats. Surf’s platform continuously monitors cloud...
ISPTech Raises €5.5M Seed Round to Redefine How Spacecraft Manoeuvre in Orbit
ISPTech, a German spin‑off from the DLR, announced a €5.5 million seed round led by Join Capital and backed by several European venture funds. The capital will fund expanded manufacturing, critical‑infrastructure testing, and the commercial rollout of its non‑toxic propulsion suites,...
Due Diligence Starts with People, Not Paperwork
Before you ever open a 200-page PPM, real diligence starts somewhere else. You have to vet the people behind the deal. Talk to past investors. Understand their track record. See how they communicate when things go right, and wrong. Documents matter, but trust is built...
Tord Olav Dønnum
Norwegian serial entrepreneur Tord Olav Dønnum, now CBO of OLHSO, leads the world’s first fully autonomous Korean BBQ kitchen. Earlier, he built a capital‑raising platform that linked over 20,000 startups with hundreds of funds, processing more than $10 billion in transactions...
STAT+: VC Firm Dimension Scouting Out $700 Million for New Fund
Dimension Ventures, founded by former Lux Capital and Obvious Ventures partners, is launching its third fund targeting the intersection of artificial intelligence and life sciences. The firm aims to raise roughly $700 million, following a 2023 debut fund and a second...
Young "Bug Bounty Hunter" Bags $6M Pre-Seed Round for Security Startup
French cybersecurity startup Lupin & Holmes, founded by 23‑year‑old former bug bounty hunter Roni Carta, closed a $5.9 million pre‑seed round led by 20VC and Seedcamp. Carta, who earned nearly $800,000 hunting vulnerabilities for FAANG firms, built Depi, an upstream security...
AI Commands Over Half of VC Deals, Sparking Froth Concerns
"AI and machine learning have helped prop up venture capital as funding for other sectors cooled. AI accounted for 52% of global VC deal value in Q4 2025." As I research and write my report on "Defense Innovation", I'm struck by...
Turquoise Health Secures $40M for AI-Powered Healthcare Pricing Platform
Turquoise Health announced a $40 million Series C round, led by Oak HC/FT with participation from a16z, Adams Street Partners and Yosemite. The funding will accelerate its transition from a pricing data vendor to an AI‑driven workflow and transaction operating system that...
Sell When You're Thriving, Not When Growth Slows
Many founders wait until growth slows before thinking about selling or raising capital, but the irony is: buyers and investors are often most interested when a business is performing at its best. In this episode of Vista Point Advisors The...
VCs Must Balance Power and Responsibility in Defense
“I don’t want to be the person they call and say, can we hit the enter button on this command. But I also don’t have a God complex.” @davidu of @a16z on the Anthropic-DoD rift, why VC has a right to...
British Business Bank Promises £50m for SuperSeed’s Physical AI Fund
The British Business Bank has pledged up to £50 million as a cornerstone commitment to SuperSeed Fund III, a seed‑stage vehicle focused on B2B AI and SaaS firms building physical AI for manufacturing, energy, construction and autonomous systems. The investment, made...
Turquoise Health Secures $40M Series C, Boosting Price Transparency
Congrats to @TurquoiseHC on their $40M Series C, led by @oakhcft — ~$100M raised in total. Turquoise is the healthcare price transparency platform trusted by 300+ of the largest health systems, insurers, life sci co's, and employers as...
Backing Proven Repeat Founders and Unicorn Operators
In the last 12 months, we invested in 8 companies, 5 were repeat founders. Before starting these new companies, those 5 had already: - Raised $200M+, IPO’d one startup, and sold another for 9 figures - Raised $100M+, scaled to $50M+ ARR, and...
Exclusive: Candex Extends Series C To $40M+ To Help Enterprises Easily Onboard Global Vendors
Candex has extended its Series C round to $40 million, bringing total funding above $120 million, with HSBC joining as an investor. The New York fintech acts as a master vendor, allowing large enterprises to pay one‑off or irregular suppliers without separate onboarding,...
As Flat as the Top of Table Mountain 🚠
The Big Deal analysis shows African startup funding has settled into a steady “cruising speed” of about $3.1 b over the past year, a level maintained since August 2025. This plateau follows a volatile cycle that peaked at $6.3 b in mid‑2022,...
Audience, Not Spreadsheets, Becomes the New VC
A VC event where no one said “AI moat.” Instead, influencers heard pitches for diamond memorials, soda startups, and underground robots. The room cared less about spreadsheets and more about attention. Founders need reach. Creators want equity. Both trade on followers. Is audience the...
California VC Diversity Reporting Rule Temporarily Paused
wait, so that weird CA rule where every VC has to ask their portfolio about diversity stats and submit by April 1st is now on pause? https://t.co/gLKVEsa0wY
Ironlight Group Raises $21M for Crypto Tokenized Securities:
Ironlight Group announced a $21 million Series A round to build blockchain infrastructure for tokenized securities. The round was led by former TD Bank CEO Greg Braca and other senior fintech investors. Ironlight aims to enable digital issuance, trading, and settlement of...
Predict VC Hires by Tracking Fund Launch Cycles
Not many people think about this but there's actually an insanely strategic way to get ahead of open VC roles and it's by tracking fund lifecycles. Firms hire at new fund launches. If you can predict those new fund launches, you...
Earn a VC’s Yes by Protecting Their Reputation
A VC’s job is to say yes. The ones who say yes are betting their reputation on you. Make it easy for them to believe.
Letter #322: Doug Leone and Assaf Rappaport (2021)
In a candid conversation, Sequoia partner Doug Leone and Wiz CEO Assaf Rappaport discuss Sequoia’s new permanent‑capital fund, its “spiky” founder ethos, and the firm’s expanding European presence. They highlight Wiz’s meteoric rise—from $1 million to $500 million ARR in 18 months—to...
R1 Secures $78M to Advance Kidney Drug Development
R1 starts up with $78M, aiming for a better kidney drug https://t.co/PQQjX47ODM by @gwendolynawu #biotecjh #startups
What Top-Tier VCs Actually Look For in 2026
Fundraising in 2026 has slowed dramatically, with deals now taking six to nine months versus three to four in 2021. Seed investors expect the same unit‑economics and go‑to‑market rigor that once belonged at Series A, and AI startups command roughly 42%...
Who’s Who in Tech: Equatic Is ‘Sinking’ in the Ocean
Equatic, a Santa Monica carbon‑removal startup, secured $11.6 million Series A funding to build a 100‑kiloton ocean‑based CO₂ capture plant that also produces green hydrogen. The technology electrolyzes seawater with renewable power, generating base that pulls carbon from the air while the...
Six Trends Shaping the Emerging Manager Landscape
The article identifies six pivotal trends reshaping the emerging manager landscape, from tighter fundraising cycles to evolving LP expectations. It highlights that limited partners now prioritize demonstrable track records and ESG credentials when allocating capital to new general partners. Niche...
Who’s Who in Tech: Antares Working on Nuclear Solution
Antares Nuclear, founded in 2023, secured $96 million in Series B funding (bringing total capital to about $130 million) to build modular, transportable reactors for hard‑to‑reach energy deserts. The startup is targeting the U.S. military and aerospace sectors rather than commercial data centers,...
Fix Process Issues, Not Pitch, to Unlock Capital
Every delay has a root cause. Unclear documents. Messy onboarding. Inconsistent updates. Confusing governance. Fix the process, not the pitch. When you do, the capital starts moving again. 🔗Tribevest #structureisstrategy #capitalraising #raisingcapital #fundoffunds
Kudwa Lands $1.1 Million Funding to Scale Its AI Finance Manager Platform
Kudwa, a UAE‑USA fintech SaaS, secured $1.1 million in a round led by 1818 Venture Capital, F6 Ventures, Sparked VC, IM Fndg and IVP. The AI‑powered finance manager automates reporting, forecasting, and insights, linking to ERP and accounting systems. The capital...
UAE Blockchain Startup Utexo Raises $7.5 Million Seed Led by Tether
UAE‑based blockchain infrastructure startup Utexo announced a $7.5 million seed round led by Tether, with participation from several venture firms. The company builds enterprise‑grade APIs that let financial institutions, digital wallets and exchanges process USDT stablecoin payments directly on the Bitcoin...
Maximize Founder Leverage After Buyer Diligence, Avoid Early Exclusivity
At what point does a founder have the most leverage in a transaction? The point at which buyers have completed all their diligence, fully understand the business, and can close on a rapid timeline. This is when you can extract...
Top Founders Now Priced Efficiently, Limiting Upside
This is actually kind of a contrarian take in a world where power-law thinking would suggest that price doesn't matter for the "best" founders.
Record Number of Female Founder Startups Raised Funding in 2025
TechIreland’s Female Founder Funding Review 2026 shows a record 82 Irish women‑founded startups raised €131 million in 2025, the highest annual total since 2017. While the number of deals surged, the average round shrank to €2.3 million and the median fell sharply...
From 5050 Support to $400K Daily Revenue
A portfolio founder we initially supported through 5050 pre-company just shared revenue has grown to $400,000. A day. Nothing more satisfying than seeing a sparkle in a founder's eye grow into a real company creating impact at scale.
Anticipate, Rehearse, and Follow up on Pitch Questions
Prepare for the inevitable questions that will follow your pitch. Anticipate potential queries and objections, and rehearse your responses to demonstrate your expertise and preparedness. But if you don't know an answer, it's okay - say that and then follow up via...
Understood Care Raises $5M in Seed Funding
Understood Care, a New York‑based AI‑native patient advocacy platform, announced a $5 million seed round led by Rethink Education and Zeal Capital Partners. The funding follows a $3.4 million pre‑seed round backed by 1984 Ventures and Y Combinator. The capital will accelerate...
Ironlight Group Raises $21M in Series A Funding
Ironlight Group, an Austin‑based fintech, announced a $21 million Series A round. The round was backed by Greg Braca, the Sei Development Foundation and Laidlaw Private Equity. The capital will be used to scale Ironlight Markets’ alternative trading system and its tokenized...
Visa Processing Startup Atlys Raises $36 Mn in Series C Funding
Visa‑processing startup Atlys announced a $36 million Series C round led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, with participation from existing backers and new investor MakeMyTrip. The funding will fuel expansion into additional international markets and accelerate the company’s AI‑driven visa platform, covering...
Oxford Medical Simulation Secures €5.78 Million to Tackle Healthcare Training Gap with Virtual Reality
Oxford Medical Simulation (OMS) has secured €5.78 million in growth funding from Salica Investments. The capital will fund OMS’s expansion into U.S. health systems and universities, and accelerate product innovation such as AI‑driven scenarios, learning analytics, and workflow tools. The round...