Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Slash Financial lands $100M Series C, valuation hits $1.4B
Slash Financial announced a $100M Series C round that lifts its valuation to $1.4B. The AI‑powered banking platform now serves over 5,000 online businesses and saw card volume jump from $1B in 2024 to $3B in 2025.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Beeline Medicines raises $300M Series A led by Bain Capital
Clean-Tech Startup PadCare Labs Raises $3 Mn Led by Rainmatter
PadCare Labs, a clean‑tech firm specializing in sanitary‑waste recycling, secured $3 million in a pre‑Series A round led by Rainmatter, with participation from 3one4 Capital, Brigade REAP, PKRBCV Shroff Trust, existing backers and debt from EXIM and ICICI banks. The capital will fund a scale‑up to 2,000 metric tonnes of annual recycling capacity by March 2027 and expansion into Bengaluru and Delhi NCR. PadCare, founded in 2018, now serves 685+ clients across 24 Indian cities and plans a B2C app, PadCare Orbit, plus APAC growth. The company reports 26 % EBITDA margins and has been PAT‑positive for two consecutive years.
Tech Decentralizes: Unicorns Can Thrive Anywhere
Silicon Valley is a lagging indicator. Tech moved out of Delaware. Now it’s moving out of California. There are hundreds of other places. You can build a unicorn anywhere. So: cut bait on failed states. Our destiny is decentralization. That’s what the Internet means. https://t.co/9gygAEDScs
Earth Observation Data Provider Constellr Closes €37 Million Series A
Munich‑based Constellr closed a €37 million Series A round, bringing total capital to €75 million. The funding, led by Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar, will accelerate its HiVE microsatellite constellation toward defence‑grade thermal imaging. Constellr plans to upgrade resolution from 30 m to sub‑5 m...
Entellus Industries Bags ₹50 Crore in Funding to Scale Rare Earth Metals and Alloy Manufacturing
Entellus Industries announced a ₹50 crore ($5.5 million) funding round led by ZeroW, adding to a prior $12 million raise from Social Capital. The capital will fund capital‑expenditure to launch sintered‑alloy production, targeting high‑stress automotive components such as engines and transmissions. The company...
ZAST.AI Raises $6M Pre-A to Scale "Zero False Positive" AI-Powered Code Security
ZAST.AI announced a $6 million Pre‑Series A round led by Hillhouse Capital, bringing total funding near $10 million. The Seattle‑based startup claims its AI‑driven platform delivers “zero false‑positive” code security by automatically generating and validating proof‑of‑concept exploits. In 2025 the company uncovered...
The Art Behind Scientific Pitch Decks: 6 Design Principles to Sell Your Science
The article outlines six design principles for crafting scientific pitch decks that translate complex research into investor‑ready narratives. It stresses that slide titles should form a coherent story, business models need visual simplification, and content density follows a 70:30 data‑to‑visual...
LP10X - Advising $90 Billion in Institutional Capital - Nolan Bean, CIO, FEG Investment Advisors
In this 39‑minute conversation, Nolan Bean, CIO of FEG Investment Advisors, shares how institutional investors allocate over $90 billion across public and private markets, focusing on risk appetite, liquidity, and long‑term returns. He explains the four core risks institutions manage, why...
Ovation Secures $3M in Funding Led by Customers
Ovation, a guest‑experience platform for multi‑unit restaurants, closed a $3 million funding round funded entirely by its own customers, bringing its total capital to $12 million. Nearly a dozen restaurant owners and operators, including leaders from Dave's Hot Chicken and Cheba Hut...
AngelNV Programme Supporting First-Time Investor Education
StartUpNV has launched the 2026 AngelNV programme, a 13‑week curriculum that educates first‑time angel investors while linking them to high‑potential Nevada startups. The initiative builds on the Nevada Certified Investor law, which lowered investment thresholds and helped the prior cohort...
Energy Scaleup Group Secures £55m Series B Round
London‑based tem has closed a $75 million (£55 million) Series B round, led by Lightspeed Ventures and backed by Hitachi Ventures, Atomico and others. The startup, founded in 2021, offers what it calls the first AI‑native energy transaction infrastructure, combining an AI‑powered engine,...
E692 | Debbie Wosskow OBE, Chair of the UK’s Invest in Women Task Force: Mixed Teams, Better Returns, Real Incentives
In this episode, Andreas interviews Debbie Wosskow OBE, a serial founder and chair of the UK’s Invest in Women Task Force, about the shift from gender‑equity intentions to actual capital flows in venture. She explains how aligning incentives and power...
Hypersonic Systems Startup Emerges From Stealth with Series A and Test Launch
Munich‑based Hypersonica has emerged from stealth, announcing a €23.3 million Series A round led by Plural and backed by Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation, General Catalyst and 201 Ventures. The startup also reported its first successful hypersonic missile test on 3 February from...
Vesiro Raises €1.6M to Optimise Elasticsearch and Lower Server Energy Use
Vesiro, a Gothenburg spin‑out from Chalmers University, secured €1.6 million in seed funding backed by Chalmers Ventures, Industrifonden and other investors. The startup offers a performance‑focused plug‑in for Elasticsearch that accelerates search queries and reduces the number of servers required. Internal...
Deel Has $21 Million up for Grabs in Its Global Seed-Stage Startup Comp, The Pitch
Deel, the global HR and payroll platform, has launched The Pitch, an international competition offering a $15 million prize pool for seed‑stage startups. Up to 100 regional winners will each receive $50,000, while ten global champions can earn $1 million to accelerate...
Early Learning Startup Panda’s Box Raises Rs 1.2 Cr From Shark Tank India
Panda’s Box, a screen‑free early‑learning startup founded in 2022, secured Rs 1.2 crore after appearing on Shark Tank India. The round was led by investors Aman Gupta and Namita Thapar. The capital will fund product development, broaden distribution, and boost the brand’s...
When IPOs Freeze, Liquidity Finds Another Way
The 2025 Endeavor Catalyst report shows a dramatic rise in private liquidity, with ten secondary sales and acquisitions compared with just one in 2024. Global secondary market volume is on track to hit US$122 billion in 2025, nearly six times the...
Nirav Mody Backs SportsSkill Ladder, Launches Beta Platform
SportsSkill Ladder, a sports‑tech startup, has secured a lead investment from serial investor Nirav Mody, though the amount remains undisclosed. The funding will accelerate product development, user‑experience enhancements, and platform scalability ahead of a broader rollout. The company launched a...
Deals in Brief: Sleek EV and Polybee Raise Funding, Sea Limited Backs Noematrix, Eight Other China Investments, and More
Sleek EV secured $8.5 million Series A to expand Thailand production, AI software and battery‑swap networks, positioning the firm as a regional two‑wheel electric leader by 2026. Singapore‑based Polybee raised $4.3 million to scale its AI‑driven agricultural drones across 4,000 acres, while Australian...
Afreximbank Announces 8 Accelerator Finalists
Afreximbank has announced the eight finalists of its inaugural Accelerator program, chosen from more than 1,600 applications. The three‑month initiative, starting in March, will provide each startup with up to $250,000 in equity financing, mentorship, and access to the bank’s...
Dr. Phone Fix Reports Preliminary 2025 Revenue of $12.1 Million, EBITDA Improvement
Dr. Phone Fix Canada Corp. posted preliminary 2025 results showing revenue of about $12.1 million, a 19% increase over 2024, and adjusted EBITDA rising to roughly $0.6 million. Gross margins remained in the high‑40% range while the store base expanded from 35 to...
Naboo Raises $70M From Lightspeed for AI-Powered Events Procurement
Paris‑based event‑tech startup Naboo announced a $70 million Series B round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Notion Capital, ISAI and Ternel. The financing follows a €20 million Series A and supports the company’s expansion beyond its core events platform into a...
CZ's Untold Story: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Binance's Founder
The All‑In panel traces Changpeng Zhao’s (CZ) journey from his immigrant childhood in Canada to founding Binance, detailing his early tech career, the launch of his first Shanghai startup, and his discovery of Bitcoin that led him to go all‑in...
Petcare Startup Supertails Raises $30 Mn Led by Venturi Partners
Petcare startup Supertails secured $30 million in a funding round led by Venturi Partners, with participation from Nippon India Alternative Investments, Titan Capital Winners Fund and existing backers. The round values the company at roughly $130 million post‑money and brings total capital...
Bose-Funded Noise Revenue Declines 24% to Rs 1,048 Cr in FY25
Noise, the Bose‑backed Indian wearables brand, reported FY25 revenue of Rs 1,048 crore, a 24% drop from the prior year. Operating expenses fell 25% to Rs 1,067 crore, aligning with the revenue contraction. A deferred tax benefit of Rs 47 crore pushed the...
Start-Up Funding, the Perils of Compounding, and Neuropsych Insights — a BioCentury Podcast
BioCentury reports that 2025 ended a four‑year decline in biotech series A financing, with 144 companies raising $8 billion. The “BioCentury This Week” podcast highlights which venture‑capital‑backed firms attracted capital and what the trends indicate for emerging technologies. Washington editor Steve Usdin...
The Next Wave of Biotech Growth — a Perspective
Biotech investors have long chased scientific hype that rarely translated into commercial wins, often leaving value to large pharma. The article argues the next growth wave will stem from biotechs launching independent therapeutics that achieve meaningful sales, mirroring the early‑2010s...
Operata Raises $11 Million Series A as AI Reshapes Contact Centres
Melbourne‑born SaaS firm Operata secured an $11 million Series A round, lifting its valuation to $100 million. The funding, led by Tidal Ventures with participation from Glitch Capital and existing backers, will accelerate integration with major contact‑centre platforms and global expansion. Operata positions...
MrBeast’s Company Buys Gen Z-Focused Fintech App Step
YouTube star MrBeast’s holding company, Beast Industries, announced the acquisition of Step, a teen‑focused banking app with more than 7 million Gen Z users. Step, which has raised roughly $500 million and counts celebrity investors such as Charli D’Amelio and Will Smith, offers...
Neara Powers up to Unicorn Status with $90 Million Capital Raise
Neara, a Sydney‑based digital‑twin startup, secured $90 million in a Series D round, pushing its valuation above $1 billion. The round, led by TCV and joined by existing backers, brings total external capital to roughly $180 million. Neara’s AI‑driven platform now models 15 million assets...
2026 AI Agent Deals: Contracts Over Collaboration?
So we added one new AI Agent to our arsenal this week, and it's a great one, even though it's pretty new. Much more to come. And another? In the end, we decided not to deploy it. What happened? It's...
Founders Quitting in AI Era Shows Lack of Resilience
Watching three 3 founder CEOs at $200m+ ARR quit their start-ups the past 2 weeks or so. On the one hand, I get it. Growth way down, no M&A options, it was supposed to get easier at that stage. Now...
Databricks Closes $7B+ Financing Round at $134B Valuation
Databricks announced a financing round exceeding $7 billion, lifting its valuation to $134 billion. The round includes more than $5 billion in equity and $2 billion in debt, led by JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft and other major banks. The capital will accelerate development of the...
Upcoming Events for Founders & Investors
Three upcoming events worth checking out for anyone building or investing: 🤖 Lead Your Team With AI - February 24, virtual A practical session on how founders can effectively use AI to lead their teams. Featuring Doug Peete, CPO at https://t.co/Wcl0Ro2nMv 🤝...
Modveon Banks $10 Million Funding
Modveon, a Palo Alto‑based startup building a verified operating system for governments and citizens, announced a $10 million financing round. The round was backed by Coinbase Ventures, Firebolt Ventures, Humla Ventures, Strategic Cyber Ventures, and several angel investors. The capital will...
Reflecting on the Significance of Today’s Moment
Great post that explores this moment in time...
Waymo Raises $16B Investment Round
Waymo announced a $16 billion financing round that lifts its post‑money valuation to $126 billion. The round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global and Sequoia Capital, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Silver Lake, Tiger Global and other heavyweight firms. Alphabet...
Harvey Reportedly Raising at $11B Valuation Just Months After It Hit $8B
Harvey, the legal‑AI startup, is reportedly negotiating a $200 million raise that would push its valuation to $11 billion, led by Sequoia and Singapore’s GIC. This follows a rapid funding series: a $300 million Series D at $3 billion, a $300 million Series E at $5 billion, and...
Only 26 African Startups Raised $174 Million in January. Here’s What It Signals
African startups raised just $174 million in January 2026, $102 million less than the same month last year and far below the 12‑month average of $263 million. Only 26 companies secured more than $100,000, the lowest January count since 2020. Two deals –...
UAE’s Omnispay Closes $2m Round to Expand AI-Native SME Payments and Credit Platform
UAE fintech Omnispay closed a $2 million pre‑Series A round led by Infinity Value Capital to accelerate its AI‑native SME finance platform. The company, which cut settlement times to 24 hours, has doubled its customer base, quadrupled processing volume and lifted revenue 5.5‑fold...
Anthropic Closes in on $20B Round
Anthropic is nearing the close of a $20 billion financing round that values the AI startup at $350 billion, more than double its original target. The bulk of the capital is expected from strategic partners Nvidia and Microsoft, alongside a slate of...
SPAC Ecosystem Is Undergoing Significant Transformation : Analysis
The SPAC market, which exploded in 2021 with over 600 offerings raising $162 billion, has entered a maturation phase as of 2025‑2026. New SEC regulations introduced in 2024 have forced sponsors to adopt tighter disclosure, performance‑linked incentives and longer deal timelines,...
Avoid Exclusivity: Protect Your Deal Leverage
Buyers and investors will commonly request exclusivity as part of a transaction process. As a founder, you should be hesitant to grant that request. Exclusivity is a period of time in which a seller is locked into negotiation with just...
VC Token Hype Ends; GPs Exit, LPs Furious
"All the general partners are leaving. LPs are pissed. The VC-token flashy side of the industry is done The game has changed And now everyone wants to be like us." @nic_carter https://t.co/gNuh8qfmoE
Physical AI Robotics Draws Millions in Funding as Digital Markets Face Correction
In 2025 venture capital redirected billions from speculative crypto to physical AI robotics, allocating $211 billion to hardware solutions. Global venture funding reached $425 billion, highlighted by Mimic Robotics’ $16 million seed round to develop dexterous robot end‑effectors for manufacturing. ETH Zurich researchers...
Kyle Samani Reportedly Exits Entire Multicoin Capital Stake
The rumor on the street is that Kyle Samani redeemed his entire position in Multicoin Capital, say @nic_carter and @austincampbell https://t.co/gNuh8qeOz6
Avoid Copycats: Dare to Think Differently for Startup Survival
When the typical outcome for a post seed, post series A, and post series B startup is death. Perhaps the best strategy is to be careful how much you copy the startups around you. Are you brave enough...
Investors Believe AI Will Replace Labor Costs Instead of Just Software
Investors are increasingly betting that generative AI will replace labor costs rather than compete for traditional IT budgets. Lightspeed partner Sebastian Duesterhoeft argues AI captures the far larger pool of workforce spend, a view reinforced by Anthropic’s $350 billion valuation after...
Being a VC Is Mostly About Mastering Sales
Aspiring VCs - do you know VC is a ton of sales? Externally: - Pitching to LPs - Winning over founders & other VCs - Recruiting talent Internally: - Pitching new deals to your team - Proposing new firm initiatives - Suggesting new firm processes
FinTech Funding Soars: Over $1 B Raised in February
February FinTech funding off to flying start with over $1bn raised https://t.co/2EDie8Yh7q $1.02bn raised across 29 rounds. Past two-weeks Fintech funding topped $2.3bn.
Bug‑Fix Speed Reveals a Founder’s True Mastery
If you use any software, you will hit bugs. Only a tiny 5% of your users will ever report bugs. The speed at which those bugs are fixed is the true measure of a founder in mastery of their craft.