Today's Venture Capital Pulse
YourNest VC launches $48M continuation fund for deep‑tech follow‑ons
YourNest Venture Capital closed a ₹400 cr ($48 million) continuation vehicle, the YourNest Continuum Fund I, after oversubscribing with family offices, individual investors and existing LPs. The fund is anchored by HDFC AMC Select Fund of Funds I and will provide follow‑on capital to deep‑tech portfolio companies such as Miko, Dozee, Opkey and Exponent Energy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Mach Industries raises $300M Series C
Iconiq’s $5.75 B AI Fund Fuels San Francisco’s Startup Shift
San Francisco‑based wealth adviser Iconiq announced plans to raise a multibillion‑dollar AI‑focused venture fund, adding to its $5.75 billion last‑year raise and $3 billion AI‑startup spend in 2025. The move intensifies a clash between traditional venture capital caution over AI valuations and new capital eager to back the sector, while other AI‑focused founders like Objection AI launch with high‑profile backing.
Kustomer Raises $30M to Pivot to AI‑Native CX Platform
Kustomer disclosed a $30 million financing round and unveiled an AI‑native customer‑experience platform at its CX Now conference in New York on Oct. 14. The shift replaces its legacy ticket‑centric UI with embedded intelligence, positioning the company as an intelligence layer for...
Investors Now Demand Proven Distribution Over Funding
The landscape for early-stage investing has fundamentally shifted in recent months, and the change centers on one critical factor: distribution. As software becomes increasingly commoditized, investors are laser-focused on how startups plan to acquire and retain customers. Unfortunately, early-stage companies...
Fast Funding, No Brakes: Race to Finish
The goal is to finish the race. VC hands you a faster car with no brakes.
Google's 6.1% SpaceX Stake Could Be Worth $122 Billion in $2 Trillion IPO
Alphabet's Google unit holds about 6.11% of SpaceX, a stake that Bloomberg values at roughly $122 billion on a projected $2 trillion IPO price. The potential listing, slated for June, could raise as much as $75 billion, making it one of the largest...
CreaoAI's Self‑Built Product Signals Strong Conviction
$30M raised quickly is one thing But @CreaoAI rebuilding and running on their own product is what makes this interesting That’s a strong signal of conviction
What Happens Next.
The News Items podcast features Daniel Adamson, co‑founder and co‑CEO of Collective Global, discussing how venture capitalists can raise capital, anticipate emerging trends, and source the next generation of successful companies. Adamson, who has overseen more than $3 billion in private‑equity...
SuperFile Raises $110 M After Hollywood Names Appear in Pitch Deck
SuperFile, a Chicago‑based file‑sharing platform, closed a $110 million Series B round led by Ryan Kavanaugh’s Knight Global and backed by Hollywood figures. The deal drew scrutiny after screenwriter Jono Matt discovered he was listed as an advisor without his consent, highlighting...
Europe Is Pouring Tens of Billions of Public Money Into VC. The Hard Part Is Making It Work
Europe is committing over €80 billion (≈$86 bn) of public and mobilised capital to venture and growth investing, highlighted by the EIF’s €15 bn (≈$16.2 bn) ETCI 2 fund, Germany’s WIN €12 bn (≈$13 bn) initiative, France’s Tibi €7 bn (≈$7.6 bn) programme, the Scaleup Europe Fund €5 bn (≈$5.4 bn)...
Loop Secures $95 Million Series C to Power AI‑Driven Supply‑Chain Disruption Forecasts
Loop announced a $95 million Series C round led by Valor Equity Partners and its Atreides AI Fund, with participation from 8VC, Founders Fund, Index Ventures and J.P. Morgan Growth Equity. The funding will accelerate the startup’s AI platform that transforms unstructured supply‑chain...
Cursor Is Raising $2 Billion at a $50 Billion Valuation as AI Coding Tools Become the Fastest-Growing Software Category
AI coding platform Cursor is in talks to raise at least $2 billion, valuing the company at roughly $50 billion—almost double its November 2025 valuation. The startup has accelerated from zero to $2 billion in annualised recurring revenue (ARR) within three years, serving...
Spice AI Secures $13.5 M Seed Funding to Build AI‑Powered Web3 Data Platform
Spice AI announced a $13.5 million seed round led by Madrona, with participation from Blackbird Ventures, Basis Set, and GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke, who also joins the board. The funding will expand its AI‑driven platform that gives developers SQL access to blockchain...
OpenAI Investors Question Sam Altman's Fitness to Lead $850 B IPO Amid Conflict Concerns
Backers of OpenAI have privately flagged concerns that CEO Sam Altman's personal investments and side ventures could clash with the company's upcoming $850 B public offering. The debate intensifies as Elon Musk’s lawsuit seeks Altman's removal and investors weigh board changes...
Paxos Labs Secures $12 Million to Accelerate DeFi Infrastructure for FinTech Giants
Paxos Labs announced a $12 million funding round led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from Robot Ventures, Maelstrom and Uniswap Labs. The capital will fuel its DeFi‑focused platform that lets fintechs launch stablecoins, earn interest and offer crypto‑backed loans, positioning the...
Seed Managers Push SPVs to Co‑invest in Growth
There is a lot of truth in that statement. And also, many seed managers saying “wait, why don’t I also raise an SPV and invest alongside you in the growth stages.”
Climate Investors Bet on Efficient AI Infrastructure in Sygaldry’s $139m Raise
Vietnam‑based Earth Venture Capital participated in Sygaldry Technologies’ $139 million financing, comprising a $34 million seed and a $105 million Series A led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures. The startup is building quantum‑accelerated AI servers that promise lower energy consumption and cost while fitting into...
The Battery Recycling Paradox: VC’s Next Big Underrated Bet
Battery recycling is emerging from a niche, low‑margin segment into a multi‑billion‑dollar industry as the first wave of EV batteries reaches end‑of‑life. The market, valued at $28.62 billion in 2025, is projected to expand to $91.72 billion by 2034, driven by an...
From Hosteller To GobbleCube— Indian Startups Raised $60 Mn This Week
Indian startups raised just $60.4 million across 15 deals between April 13‑17, an 83% drop from the previous week’s $361.5 million. AI companies led the funding pool with $23 million, while ecommerce secured only $13 million from six deals. Seed‑stage capital collapsed 86% to $3.3 million,...
Ulysses Secures $46 Million to Accelerate Ocean‑Tech Fleet, Led by A16z’s American Dynamism
Ulysses announced a $38 million Series A, led by Andreessen Horowitz’s American Dynamism fund, pushing total capital raised to $46 million including an earlier $8 million seed round. The funding will fund production of its Mako underwater vehicle, Leviathan surface craft, and Kraken...
Upscale AI Seeks $2 B Valuation in $180‑200 M Funding Round Despite No Product Launch
Upscale AI is negotiating a $180‑200 million financing that could lift its valuation to roughly $2 billion, despite having no commercial product. Backed by Tiger Global, Xora Innovation and Premji Invest, the startup’s third funding round in seven months underscores the willingness...
Spektr Secures $20 Million Series A to Scale AI Compliance Platform
Spektr announced a $20 million Series A round led by NEA, with participation from Northzone, Seedcamp and PreSeed Ventures. The funding will accelerate its AI‑powered compliance platform aimed at automating manual KYC/KYB work for banks and fintechs, underscoring growing VC interest...
Nas.com Secures $27 Million Series A Led by Khosla Ventures to Scale AI‑Powered Solopreneur Platform
Nas.com closed a $27 million Series A round led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from 500 Global and a slate of high‑profile angels. The funding will accelerate the AI‑driven platform that already serves 3.5 million users in more than 150 countries, highlighting continued...
Antioch Raises $8.5M to Become the ‘Cursor’ for Physical AI Simulations
Antioch, a New‑York‑based robotics simulation startup, announced an $8.5 million seed round that values the company at $60 million. Backed by A* and Category Ventures, the firm says its platform will let developers train autonomous robots in high‑fidelity virtual warehouses, cutting the...
Slash Financial Secures $100 Million Series C, Valued at $1.4 Billion
Slash Financial closed a $100 million Series C round, valuing the AI‑powered business banking platform at $1.4 billion. Led by Ribbit Capital with participation from Goodwater and Khosla, the funding fuels product expansion and deeper market penetration.
AI Security Startup Artemis Raises $70M to Combat AI‑Driven Cyber Threats
AI‑security startup Artemis announced a $70 million Series A, led by Felicis Ventures, as it emerges from stealth. The funding will accelerate its AI‑native defense platform that processes billions of events per hour and promises sub‑five‑minute investigations.
Storm Therapeutics Secures $56 Million Series C to Push METTL3 Cancer Drug Into Phase 2
Storm Therapeutics announced a $56 million Series C financing led by Pfizer Ventures, M Ventures and other pharma‑backed investors. The cash will fund a Phase 2 monotherapy study of STC‑15, a first‑in‑class METTL3 inhibitor, in hard‑to‑treat sarcomas. The round signals growing confidence in epitranscriptomic...
Cursor Eyes $50 Billion Valuation as AI Coding Demand Surges
Cursor, the AI‑powered coding platform, is in advanced talks to raise about $2 billion, which would push its valuation past $50 billion. The startup last November closed a $2.3 billion Series D round at a $29.3 billion valuation and reported over $1 billion in annualized revenue....
Wayve Secures $60 Million From AMD, Arm and Qualcomm to Accelerate UK Robotaxi Push
London‑based Wayve announced a $60 million (≈£44.2 million) investment from chip leaders AMD, Arm and Qualcomm Ventures. The funding follows a $1.2 billion round that valued the company at $8.6 billion and is aimed at expanding its embodied AI driver across multiple vehicle compute...
SpAItial Secures $13 Million Seed Round to Build 3‑D AI Foundation Models
SpAItial, a Munich‑London AI venture, closed a $13 million seed round to fund its 3‑D foundation models. The financing underscores growing European deep‑tech interest in spatial AI, a niche beyond text and image generation. CEO Matthias Niessner says the capital will accelerate...
Ignite Startups: The Truth About Venture Debt and Growth Capital with Ryan Ridgway | Ep259
In this episode, host Alex talks with Ryan Ridgway, founder and CEO of Cirrus Capital Partners, about the underserved middle‑market segment that needs non‑dilutive financing. Ridgway explains the difference between working capital and growth capital, how venture debt can bridge...
Founder Liquidity Without Compromising on Growth
Founder liquidity—selling a portion of personal equity—can free up cash without forcing an exit or diluting the company. The article explains that secondary transactions let founders sell shares directly to investors, sidestepping new funding rounds. Structured deals can even preserve...
Sources: Cursor in Talks to Raise $2B+ at $50B Valuation as Enterprise Growth Surges
AI coding startup Cursor is close to a new financing round that could bring in at least $2 billion, valuing the company at roughly $50 billion. The round, led by returning backers Thrive and Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Battery Ventures and...
The Week’s 10 Biggest Funding Rounds: Transportation And Biotech Take The Lead
Transportation and biotech dominated this week’s U.S. startup funding roundup, highlighted by Slate Auto’s $650 million Series C for low‑cost electric pickups. Boston‑based Beeline Medicines emerged from stealth with a $300 million Series A to develop precision autoimmune therapies. Other notable deals include $170 million...
Zenskar Secures $15 Million Series A
Zenskar, an AI-native billing and revenue automation platform, announced a $15 million Series A financing round. The round was led by Susquehanna Venture Capital with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Shine Capital, Rho, Rocketship, J‑Ventures, Future Back Ventures, and Converge. The capital...
TextQL Closes $17M. Here's Why We Backed Them Before Anyone Else Would.
TextQL announced a $17 million Series A round led by Blackstone, building on an early seed investment from Unshackled Ventures that helped the founders secure a visa. The startup’s AI agent, Ana, lets executives ask natural‑language questions of their data without writing...
Sage Haven Scores $3M Pre-Seed Financing
Sage Haven has launched a safer messaging and voice‑calling app aimed at children after a successful beta phase. The startup secured $3 million in pre‑seed financing, a round led by prominent Silicon Valley investors such as Hustle Fund, a16z Scout Fund,...
What VCs Actually Look For in Defense Tech Right Now
Venture capitalists at TEVCON say early‑stage defense tech is no longer judged on invention alone; the ability to field and scale solutions quickly is the new bottleneck. Investors are gravitating toward dual‑use companies that originate in commercial markets and later...
UK Wants to Build Sovereign AI — with Just 0.08% of OpenAI’s Market Cap
The UK government announced a new Sovereign AI fund with up to £500 million (about $675 million) to back domestic AI startups. The programme can invest up to £20 million per company, provide 1 million GPU‑hours, and fast‑track visas for talent. At roughly 0.08%...
NorthX Invests $2.2 Million in Trio of BC Wildfire Tech Startups
NorthX Climate Tech announced over $1.6 million USD in follow‑on funding for three British Columbia wildfire‑tech startups—Crwn.ai, Nova, and Skyward Wildfire. Crwn.ai receives about $726k USD to roll out 500 AI‑powered line sensors; Nova gets $444k USD to expand its drone...
Ramp Is Telling Investors It Is About to Hit $1.4 Billion in Revenue a Year, as the Company Prepares to...
Fintech startup Ramp says it will hit a $1.4 billion annual recurring revenue run rate this quarter, up from the $1 billion announced in September. The company, which offers a corporate charge card and expense‑management software, reports a 70% year‑over‑year increase in...
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Understanding Seed Capital: Definition, Process, and Example
Seed capital is the earliest financing round that covers a startup’s basic costs such as business planning, rent, equipment, and R&D. It typically comes from personal networks—family, friends, and high‑net‑worth angels—who accept high risk in exchange for loans or equity....
Expo Secures $45M and Unveils New Expo Agent Tool
Expo, the open‑source leader behind React Native, closed a $45 million Series B round led by Georgian. The funding will fuel its new "agentic" strategy, including the rollout of Expo Agent, an AI‑powered assistant embedded in its CLI to bridge the gap...
NOC Energy Raises $2.7M to Launch Hybrid Cement Plant Tech Delivering 1,200°C Heat
NOC Energy announced a $2.7 million seed round and unveiled a hybrid cement‑plant system that injects electric heat into existing kilns. The technology can generate temperatures up to 1,200 °C and switch between electricity and fossil fuel, offering manufacturers a low‑cost path...
StageOne Ventures Elevates Netanel Meir to GP and Avi Shulman to Partner After $165M Fund Close
StageOne Ventures announced the promotion of Netanel Meir to General Partner and Avi Shulman to Partner after closing its $165 million fifth fund. The moves aim to deepen the firm’s expertise in cybersecurity and enterprise AI as it enters the next...
Venture Capital Is Missing a Market — And It’s Costing Billions
Eva Longoria announced a $1 million investment to create data infrastructure for Latina entrepreneurs, highlighting a systemic blind spot in venture capital. The article argues that VC funding gaps stem not from a lack of capital but from the absence of...
5 IT Funding Deals to Watch
This week’s funding roundup highlights a shift toward AI‑era infrastructure layers beyond traditional data‑center expansion. Investors are targeting networking, developer tooling, and operational reliability as core components that reduce friction in AI workload deployment. Five deals illustrate capital flowing into...
AV Startup Funding Triples in 2026, One Deal Dominates
Funding to autonomous vehicle startups has seen a massive resurgence in 2026, more than tripling so far this year compared to all of 2025 globally, @crunchbase data show. One outsized deal made up 3/4 of the total. But it wasn't ...
Emerald AI Boosts Data Center Flexibility with $25M Funding
Great @CatalystPod with @vsiv explaining data center flexibility and what Emerald AI is doing to make it possible (and why @shaylekann and Energy Impact Partners just led a $25m investment round in Emerald) https://t.co/nqSAqM1wj6 (note: I serve as an advisor to Emerald...
AI Threatens Tech Moats, Future Cashflow Valuations Collapse
If AI lives up to the hype, it will erode the traditional long term moats of technology companies. As a result, no one with a brain wants to pay for cashflows far in the future. These multiples cannot come back unless...
VCs Reveal 2026 Agentic AI Investment Trends
ICYMI, we’re back with another Crunchbase Predicts webinar. 👏 We’re diving into agentic AI & what top investors are betting on for 2026. Join to hear how VCs evaluate opportunities, where AI is gaining traction, & what could define the next wave...