Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Clip secures $500M to accelerate consumer wallet rollout
Mexican fintech Clip raised $500 million, pushing its valuation above $2.5 billion. The new capital will fund the rollout of a consumer‑focused wallet and broaden its financial‑services platform. Investors were not disclosed and the round remains under review.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Francisco Partners raises $18B for new tech funds
Caterpillar Acquires Monarch Tractor, Adding $251M VC‑Backed AI Platform to Its Portfolio
Caterpillar Inc. announced the acquisition of Monarch Tractor, a California startup that raised roughly $251 million to develop electric and autonomous off‑road vehicles. The deal, disclosed in mid‑April, gives the heavy‑equipment maker access to Monarch’s MK‑V “data platform on wheels” without taking on its manufacturing footprint, a move seen as a strategic play as venture funding for clean‑tech agriculture dries up.
Can Private Data Platforms Sustain Eka Ventures’ Pre‑Seed Edge?
Do VCs with private data platforms find the best pre-seed deals? Eka Ventures was early with proprietary tools, but can it keep its edge? https://preseednow.com/p/eka-ventures-camilla-dolan
This Long Beach Startup Says It Has a Patch for California's Power Problems
Long Beach‑based Critical Loop secured $26 million in new funding, bringing its total to $49 million, to accelerate deployment of battery‑and‑grid‑management systems that deliver power in days rather than years. The startup’s controller instantly switches between the public grid, on‑site batteries, solar...
How to Build a $1bn African Investment Firm
In a candid interview, Richard Okello, co‑founder of Johannesburg‑based Sango Capital, explains how his firm grew to manage just under $1 billion in assets since its 2011 launch. He frames African investing as a high‑speed boat ride through choppy waters, emphasizing...
Capsule Security Raises $7m to Secure AI Agents at Runtime
Capsule Security emerged from stealth with a $7 million seed round led by Lama Partners and participation from Forgepoint Capital International. The startup’s runtime‑first platform aims to secure AI agents while they execute tasks, preventing prompt‑injection attacks, data leaks, and unintended...
SA Firm Raises R85m to Scale AI Stethoscope for TB Screening
South African medtech firm AI Diagnostics secured roughly R85 million (about $4.6 million) in a pre‑Series A round led by The Steele Foundation for Hope. The capital will accelerate rollout of its AI‑enabled Ostium digital stethoscope, which screens for tuberculosis using lung‑sound analysis...
Men’s Personal Care Brand Unbound Raises Rs 8 Cr Led by Fireside Ventures
Men’s personal care brand Unbound announced it has raised ₹8 crore (approximately $960,000) in a round led by Fireside Ventures. The capital will be used to launch its inaugural line of skin, hair and body care products tailored for modern Indian...
Audrey AI Secures $1.8M to Develop AI Platform for Financial Auditors
Audrey AI, a Dublin‑based startup, closed a $1.8 million pre‑seed round led by Sure Valley Ventures and Delta Partners. The company is building an agentic AI platform that automates data requests, evidence gathering, transaction testing and review for financial auditors. Pilot...
Cohoma Coffee Raises Rs 5 Cr Seed Round Led by IPV
Cohoma Coffee, a specialty coffee roaster and machine maker founded by Kanika and Paritosh Birla, closed a Rs 5 crore (approximately $0.53 million) seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures with participation from Swishin VC. The funding will be deployed to expand its...
Autotech Ventures Expands Into UAE to Drive GCC Auto Commerce Digitization
Autotech Ventures, the global VC dedicated to ground‑transport innovation, has opened a regional office in the United Arab Emirates to capture the Gulf Cooperation Council’s emerging auto‑commerce opportunities. The firm will back early‑stage founders building mobility fintech, AI‑driven dealership platforms,...
YC-Backed Openlaw Closes $3.3M Seed to Digitise Europe's Notary Nightmare
Openlaw, a YC‑backed legal‑tech startup, closed a $3.3 million seed round led by Y Ventures, Moonfire Ventures and a slate of angels. Its German platform beglaubigt.de digitises company formation, shrinking the typical eight‑week GmbH setup to as little as three days...
VinoBuzz Launches AI Wine Marketplace in Hong Kong
VinoBuzz, Hong Kong's first AI‑driven wine marketplace, announced an angel round that values the startup at US$10 million. In just two weeks of beta, it attracted over 1,000 registered users and aggregated more than 4,000 unique wine SKUs. The platform leverages...
Funding, Not Technology, Drives AI Leadership
Building AI models may be easier than many think. But according to @a16z 's Martin Casado, the real constraint is not technology, it is access to capital, especially the “cheap money” that has fueled rapid scaling. The implication is important. AI may...
Many Raise $10‑100M via SPVs in Top Startups
Incredible how many people I run into who are raising $10-100m each in SPVs in high flying companies.
The Reserve Strategy Illusion: Why Most Funds Misprice Follow-On Capital
HealthVC’s latest newsletter argues that the common claim of reserving 50% of a fund for follow‑on investments is largely a façade. While the reserve model looks disciplined on paper, real‑world outcomes—driven by power‑law returns and uneven company trajectories—turn the reserve...
Anthropic Reportedly Eyeing $800B Valuation:
Anthropic is reportedly entertaining investment offers that could value the AI startup at about $800 billion, roughly double its valuation from just months ago. The figure would place the privately held firm among the most valuable companies ever, eclipsing many public...
Wonderskin CEO Michael Malinsky on Turning a Viral Product Into a Thriving Beauty Brand
Wonderskin, founded by Michael Malinsky in 2020, turned a TikTok‑viral metallic blue lip‑stain into a multi‑category beauty brand. The $22 Wonder Blading Lip Stain Peel‑Off Mask has sold over 6 million units, fueling a 300% revenue surge that hit roughly $125 million...
From Losing $1M a Month to a $1B Exit — Jim Sorenson on Building Impact That Pays
In this episode, Jim Sorenson recounts how he turned a company burning $1 million a month into a near‑$1 billion exit in under three years by pivoting from a mass‑market video‑compression startup to a niche video‑relay service for the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing....
NectarFi Secures $170K Pre‑Seed to Launch Unified Crypto Finance Platform
NectarFi announced a $170,000 pre‑seed funding round and the public launch of its unified financial platform, aiming to eliminate the fragmented app experience that crypto users face. The startup hopes to bring banking‑level convenience and credit‑building to digital‑asset holders.
Newfund Closes €60 Million Neuro‑Tech Fund, Europe’s First Dedicated Brain‑Tech VC
Newfund announced the closing of a €60 million ($65 million) venture fund dedicated to neuro‑technology companies, reaching its hard‑cap within weeks. The fund, the first of its kind in Europe, aims to back early‑stage startups developing brain‑computer interfaces, neuro‑diagnostics and cognitive‑enhancement tools,...
Plata Hits $5 Billion Valuation in Bicycle Capital-Led Funding
Plata raised $405 million in a Series C round, pushing its valuation to $5 billion—the largest for a private financial services firm in Latin America. The round was led by Bicycle Capital and included investors Kora, Qatar Investment Authority and BTG Pactual. The funding...
Y Combinator-Backed AI Call Receptionist Raises $22 Million Series A
Y Combinator‑backed Phonely announced a $22 million Series A round, valuing the AI call‑receptionist startup at roughly $100 million. The funding, led by Base10 Partners and backed by YC and three enterprise customers, builds on a prior $750,000 seed raise. Phonely’s platform can...
Aura Aero Lands Additional €50 Million in Funding
Aura Aero, the developer of a 19‑seat hybrid‑electric regional aircraft, closed a €50 million (≈ $54 million) Series B financing round, bringing its total capital raised to €340 million (≈ $400 million). The round was led by Safran Corporate Ventures and included investors such as the French...
Inside a Live Venture Fund: 12 Startups, $250K+, 6 Weeks to Invest
Neal’s post reveals the inner workings of San Diego Angel Conference Fund VIII, a live venture fund that has raised roughly $250,000 and is evaluating 12 finalist startups. Over the next six weeks the fund will narrow the field to...
Yoga Joint Secures $5.5M Growth Round
Yoga Joint, the infrared‑focused fitness chain, announced a $5.5 million growth round led by industry veteran Adam Shane. The capital, sourced from a strategic group that includes Port Street Ventures and former executives of Barry’s, Crunch and UFC Gym, will fund the...
Wayve Lands Backing From AMD, Qualcomm and Arm to Boost Autonomous Driving Tech
Wayve announced it has secured new financing from semiconductor leaders AMD, Qualcomm and Arm, though the size of the round was not disclosed. The backing signals deepening ties between chip makers and autonomous‑vehicle innovators as the race to commercialize self‑driving...
Bluefish Secures $43M Series B to Scale Agentic Marketing for Fortune 500
Bluefish announced a $43 million Series B round co‑led by Threshold Ventures and NEA, lifting its total capital to $68 million. The funding will accelerate rollout of its Agentic Marketing Platform (AMP) to roughly 10% of Fortune 500 companies, positioning the startup at the...
Across Ventures and SBI Holdings Launch $100 Million Micro‑VC Fund‑of‑Funds
Across Ventures and SBI Holdings announced a strategic alliance to create Across Ventures Fund I, L.P., a $100 million fund‑of‑funds that will back more than 20 specialized micro‑VCs. The vehicle is designed to give Japanese enterprises direct exposure to early‑stage U.S....
Sunbound Hits $1B+ Payment Volume, Launches Sunbound.ai AI Revenue OS for Senior Living
Sunbound announced the launch of Sunbound.ai, an AI‑first Revenue Operating System for senior‑living operators, after tripling its annual payment volume to more than $1 billion. The rollout coincides with a Series A close and five senior‑level hires, underscoring the company’s push...
Timeshifter Recieves New Funding
Timeshifter, the creator of the world’s most‑downloaded jet‑lag app, announced a new funding round led by Skip Capital, the private fund of Atlassian co‑founder Scott Farquhar and Kim Jackson. The round attracted high‑profile strategic investors including F1 champion Nico Rosberg, astronaut...
HockeyStack Pulls in $50M Funding
HockeyStack, a San Francisco‑based enterprise revenue‑agent platform, announced a fresh $50 million financing round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, Y Combinator and Uncorrelated Ventures. The capital brings its total funding to just over $50 million and will back the rollout of its...
HYFIX Announces $15M Seed Round
HYFIX Spatial Intelligence, a Santa Clara‑based semiconductor startup, announced a $15 million seed round to develop a new class of American‑made chips for high‑precision drones and autonomous robots. The financing was led by Craft Ventures and included Catapult Ventures, Multicoin Capital,...
Spain Plants US$200m Flag in Boston with Debut US Biotech Fund
Spain has unveiled a $200 million venture‑capital fund based in Boston, anchored by $57 million of public seed capital. The fund will back Spanish life‑science startups seeking to scale within the U.S. ecosystem and co‑invest in select American biotech firms. A new...
Parasail Secures $32M Series A
Parasail, a San Francisco‑based AI Supercloud startup, announced a $32 million Series A round, bringing its total capital to $42 million. The round was co‑led by Touring Capital and Kindred Ventures, with participation from Samsung NEXT, Flume Ventures, Banyan Ventures and existing backers. Parasail’s...
From Near Shutdown to $40M in Five Months
🚨 Last call 🚨 This week, I'm sitting down with @EricSimons, Co-founder & CEO of @boltdotnew, to talk about how they went from weeks away from shutdown to $40M in 5 months. If you're a founder, investor, or just trying to understand...
Emerging Funds Deliver 15%+ CAGR in Last Five Years
Dropping a list of up-and-coming funds with impeccable track records and great returns since inception. Most launched in the last 5 years, still early, but impressive work thus far. 1) Jackson Peak Capital — 40% CAGR (2023) 2) Kathmandu Capital — 29%...
Parasail Closes $32M Series A to Build the Supercloud that Puts Developers in Control of Their AI
Parasail announced a $32 million Series A round, bringing its total capital to $42 million, led by Touring Capital and Kindred Ventures. The funding will expand its AI Supercloud—a global GPU‑aggregated platform that automates inference optimization and lets developers launch custom AI models...
Investors Demand Proven Revenue Before Funding; Bootstrapping Essential
Investors are basically telling early-stage founders to figure it out first, then come back for money. I know how that lands, but after a month of conversations with founders, investors, and accelerators - it's hard to argue with the pattern. Investors want...
Allbirds Shifts to AI, Secures $50M Financing
Allbirds pivots to an AI company and raises $50M via convertible financing. Nothing surprises me anymore.
Smartwage Raises €2M to Scale AI-Driven Corporate Welfare Platform
Smartwage, an AI‑driven corporate welfare startup, closed a €2 million pre‑seed round led by Step Fund. The funding, roughly $2.2 million, will be used to expand platform architecture, security, and AI models. The platform lets employees spend welfare credits across any provider,...
Ignoring Insider Feedback Guarantees Fundraising Rejection
It’s rough when founders don’t listen to insiders during fundraising prep then go to raise only to find out external investors pass exactly because of the questions insiders raised. But it basically happens every single time when founders fail to do...
Founders Who Shun Investor Scr
When founder is annoying that investors are asking questions and doing due dilligence there is a very high chance this founder will not succeed. Building companies is a collaborative marathon where investors aren’t just dumb money and nuance. Best investors engage in...
Lanchi Ventures Secures $560 Million for Fourth Dual‑Currency Fund, Boosting AUM to $2.9 Billion
Beijing‑based Lanchi Ventures closed its fourth flagship dual‑currency fund with $560 million in commitments, lifting total assets under management to roughly $2.9 billion. The vehicle will split capital between yuan‑denominated investments in policy‑aligned Chinese tech and dollar‑denominated bets on AI startups led...
Rethinking Healthcare: Julie Yoo on Infinite Growth
I really enjoyed interviewing @a16z 's @julieyoo : Rethinking the Rules: Julie Yoo on Infinite Healthcare, Compound Businesses, and the New Investor Playbook https://t.co/fdIq6NbQ7b cc @startuphealth
YC Remains Top Fintech Investor Despite Deal Decline
YC Once Again Tops Ranks Of Most Active Fintech Investors In Q1 Even As Deal Count Drops https://t.co/zmmPsTQOdx via @crunchbasenews
VC Investing Exploits Two Core Market Inefficiencies
seems like an appropriate time to repost this: https://t.co/jl8rkqEIxy TLDR: Investing is about capitalizing on market inefficiencies. There are two inefficiencies in VC.
20% Seed Dilution Now Standard, Up From
Most founders will sell 20-25% in a seed round right now, up from 15-20% a few years ago. Selling 20% is reasonable 99% of the time.
VC Shifts From Moonshots to Front‑Running Deals
Venture capital is not what it was. An industry long defined by underdogs and moonshots is becoming more about front-running. https://t.co/MhVxDdp9B3
Atomico’s Data Engine Fuels One‑third of New Deals
What does it take to invest across Europe’s startup ecosystem? @atomico built an internal data engine, using Crunchbase data as its backbone, that powers 1 in 3 new opportunities to instantly review company funding history, & uncover deeper market intelligence. 🔗:...
VCs Re‑add Allbirds Logo Amid AI Pivot
VC's who invested in Allbirds are all quietly adding the logo back to their website today after the pivot to AI