🎯Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Updated 2h agoWhat's happening: AI fuels a 17% surge in 2025 venture fundraising despite fewer deals
Venture fundraising jumped to $119.5 billion in 2025, up 16.9% from the prior year, while the total number of rounds fell 41% to 4,859, marking a six‑year low. Capital concentrated in larger, AI‑focused rounds, with AI startups capturing 58% of Series D cash, and median valuations rose across all stages.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OpenAI raises $110B in corporate funding
News•Oct 31, 2025
Elon Musk: OpenAI Betrayal, His Future at Tesla, and the Next Big Thing - Grokipedia
The episode dives into Elon Musk’s recent three‑year journey with X, examining the platform’s new algorithm, its impact on free speech, and the looming Tesla compensation vote that could influence his future at the company. It also critiques OpenAI’s shift to a for‑profit model, highlighting Musk’s lawsuit and the irony of its ownership structure, while exploring AI power efficiency, robotaxis, and the broader future of self‑driving tech. Additional segments discuss the creation of Grokipedia as a response to Wikipedia’s shortcomings, Bill Gates’s changing stance on climate change, and the hosts’ broader take on the future of information and technology.
By All-In Podcast
Social•Nov 1, 2025
Founders Fund Leads Another Early-Stage Investment
founders fund early again :) https://lnkd.in/gHsqPnuu
By Hunter Walk
Social•Nov 1, 2025
Make One Precise, Ready-to-Execute Ask to Busy People
If you are pinging someone who’s busier than you, you should have a single well-thought-out specific ask. Only ask for something you truly cannot do on your own, and where you have done everything you possibly can by yourself. For example,...
By Balaji Srinivasan
News•Oct 31, 2025
Equity Live: From $300M Seed Rounds to Data Center Builds, AI Is Feeling Bubbly
During TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, the Equity podcast team hosted a live session on the Builders Stage to debate whether AI is in a bubble. They highlighted recent funding trends such as $300 million seed rounds and $100 billion of AI‑related commitments, and...
By TechCrunch Venture Feed
Social•Nov 1, 2025
Boardy Boardman: AI Intro Partner Connecting VCs and Founders
I'm Boardy Boardman - an AI introduction partner who talks to hundreds of VCs and founders daily. https://t.co/4J8h8VYL9W
By Chris Fralic
Social•Nov 1, 2025
Bootstrapped SaaS Sold for $3.5M Proves Modest Success Works
We helped a founder sell their bootstrapped startup for $3,500,000 this week at @acquiredotcom. Another life changing outcome. Proof you don’t need a billion dollar startup to win. A profitable SaaS is enough. Huge congrats to the founder and to the next one...
By Andrew Gazdecki
Blog•Oct 31, 2025
Y-Combinator’s New Batch Doubles Down on Production-Ready AI, Unconventional Tactics for Validating Your Startup Ideas & Measuring True Efficiency in...
Paid AI adoption in the United States slipped 0.7% in September, but enterprise contract values surged from $143 K in 2024 to $530 K in 2025, showing a move from experimentation to deep integration. Y Combinator’s Summer 2025 batch of 165+ startups mirrors this...
By Sahil S
Social•Nov 1, 2025
Lux to Invest Billions in UK Defense Tech
An inspiring talk Lux has been spending lots of time in UK We funded one of the most important new defense tech companies (Cambridge Aerospace) and with this kind of attitude will and spirit from @matthewclifford I expect we will invest billions...
By Josh Wolfe
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Question Investor's “Market” Terms; Verify Real Range
The terms of an investment will range on a scale of founder-friendly to investor-friendly. Investors won't always give you the full sense of that range. When presenting a given term (like % of a transaction placed in escrow), investors will...
By Michael Lyon
Podcast•Oct 31, 2025•38 min
Beyond Chatbots: Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz on AI's Future
In the closing keynote of a16z’s Runtime conference, host Erik Torenberg chats with co‑founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz about the event’s highlights, the current capabilities of large language models, and why massive AI capital expenditures don’t signal a bubble....
By a16z Podcast
Social•Oct 31, 2025
AI Agents Will Shrink Software Seat Counts
AI is coming for your seats. And it doesn't even mean to. What do I mean? We've gone from 0 to 12 AI Agents at little team SaaStr this year, and as part of that ... we don't need...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Founders Quickly Become the Bottleneck, Not the Visionary
I have a long-running list of these surprises for first-time Founders and CEOs. Here are a few that weren’t on Brian’s list. 1. Your calendar becomes everyone else’s calendar. Every gap gets filled. 2. The hardest conversations are never on the calendar....
By Hiten Shah
News•Oct 31, 2025
Arlington Capital Partners Closes Fund VII, at $6 Billion
Arlington Capital Partners announced the closing of its seventh fund at $6 billion, targeting government‑regulated sectors such as onshoring manufacturing and supply‑chain assets, mission‑critical software for government efficiency, defense technology, cybersecurity, commercial aviation, advanced medical devices, life‑sciences development, and healthcare technology....
By FinSMEs
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Japanese Founders Seek Global Vision in San Francisco
Inspiring to see Japanese founders come to SF to think globally!
By Ann Miura-Ko
Social•Oct 31, 2025
AI Hype May Be a Bubble, yet Results Prove Usefulness
It’s quite possible there is a bubble in AI… But looking at the last week’s results you’d have to be just completely delusional to claim that none of this works, none of it is useful and no-one is using it.
By Benedict Evans
Podcast•Oct 31, 2025•1h 31m
20VC: Tim Ferriss: Why I Walked Away From Angel Investing After Uber | How I Accidentally Lost $150 Million |...
In this episode, Tim Ferriss reflects on why he stepped away from angel investing after his early involvement with Uber, recounting a costly $150 million mistake and how money both solved and later complicated his personal challenges. He shares insights on...
By The Twenty Minute VC (20VC)
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Consumers Redefine Products, Embracing Raw AI Power
The “pure consumer” debate shows how outdated our categories have become in today's market. We’re measuring success by yesterday’s playbook while the future is being built with new rules. ChatGPT reached 100M users faster than any product in history —...
By Kirsten Green
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Treat Seed Funding as Fuel, Not Runway
The real flex after raising your seed round; treating capital like 🚀 fuel, not runway and ship fast while others are still building pitch decks.
By Niko Bonatsos
Blog•Oct 30, 2025
It only Took 20 Years, but the Strategic Management Society Now Believes the Lean Startup Is a Strategy
After two decades, the Strategic Management Society has formally recognized the Lean Startup approach as a legitimate strategy, marking a symbolic shift in how iterative, customer-driven methods are viewed by mainstream strategy scholars. The movement originated from the author’s post-retirement...
By Steve Blank
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Sequoia Team’s Loyalty and Excellence Earn New Fund
If you have the chance to work with @roelofbotha @Alfred_Lin and the @sequoia team, you will be delighted by their work ethic, loyalty and commitment to excellence in company building. 🫡 Congratulations to the team on their latest funds 🙏🏼
By Jason Calacanis
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Profitable Skincare DTC Brand with 60% Repeat Rate
Love DTC brands built like this. Profitable e-com skincare brand with repeat customers & room to scale. > 1.2M TTM revenue > $334K TTM profit > 5000+ customers > 60%+ returning customer rate Now live on @acquiredotcom: https://t.co/Bd4vW4vxfy https://t.co/mPBpSG9VDe
By Andrew Gazdecki
Podcast•Oct 30, 2025•9 min
VC10X Micro - Intel's Epic Turnaround: Up 100% in 6 Months📈🤯
The episode dissects Intel’s dramatic reversal from an $18.8 billion loss to a $4.1 billion profit in six months under new CEO Lip‑Bu Tan, highlighting his outsider‑driven turnaround playbook that emphasized strategic capital, ruthless focus, and rapid execution, even attracting a $5 billion investment...
By VC10X
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Sam Altman Owns No Shares in OpenAI
Is it >crazy https://t.co/jO7J7KEwjU https://t.co/qQMTBJGyLp
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Securely Empower AI Agents to Spend with Controlled Budgets
Locus (@paywithlocus) gives your AI agents the ability to spend without losing control. A secure way to connect your agents to funds, with identities, budgets, and permissions. Make them pay: for anything, anywhere. https://t.co/Sw9dURzTLS Congrats on the launch, @coledermo & @eliotlee33!
By YCombinator
News•Oct 30, 2025
Four Thoughts From Bill Gates on Climate Tech
Bill Gates, the largest private funder of climate‑tech through Breakthrough Energy, warned that global efforts are overly fixated on short‑term emissions targets and national reporting, urging a broader focus on cheap, scalable solutions for energy, steel, cement and fertilizer. He...
By MIT Technology Review
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Demystify VC Funding with SaaStr AI VC
🤷♀️Getting funded shouldn't be a mystery 🔮Knowing the odds VCs will say Yes shouldn't be opaque 🤝 Meeting investors shouldn't require connections We're here to help. SaaStr AI VC -> https://t.co/XzJ5d0OYvZ https://t.co/XbFWOuetFF
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Founders Plead: Send an Email, Not 30‑minute Invites
Founders in 2025: “I am literally begging you to just send an email instead of a 30 minute calendar invite” https://t.co/3iEEBRXuTv
By Andrew Gazdecki
Podcast•Oct 30, 2025•31 min
"Is There an AI Bubble?” Gavin Baker and David George
In this a16z Runtime conversation, Managing Partner Gavin Baker and GP David George examine the macro forces driving the AI surge, including the trillion‑dollar data‑center expansion and shifting economics of GPU pricing. They assess whether the rapid growth signals a...
By a16z Podcast
Social•Oct 31, 2025
I’m Unable to View the Linked Tweet, so I Can’t Generate a Headline.
https://t.co/AiXIkG4BHK
By Alexis Ohanian
Social•Oct 31, 2025
IPO Valuations Dwarf Typical ARR Multiples
Times are good But Navan IPO’ing at ~$5B at ~$800M ARR run rate And JAMF selling for ~$2B at 3x ARR Well, they do make me wonder about some VC rounds these days
By Jason Lemkin
Podcast•Oct 30, 2025•49 min
E643 | Sebastian Peck, KOMPAS VC: Europe’s Industrial Tech Moment: Decarbonisation, AI & the Risk Appetite Gap
In this episode, Andreas Munk Holm talks with Sebastian Peck, a partner at KOMPAS VC, about why industrial tech—focused on decarbonisation, productivity and resilience—is finally gaining traction in European venture capital. Peck highlights the divergent energy strategies across regions, the...
By The European VC (EUVC)
Social•Oct 31, 2025
China Leverages State Power to Forge Global Monopolies
China is a conglomerate willing to use its GDP and power to cross-subsidize any internal business that benefits from scale economies and network effects, until that business achieves a global supply monopoly.
By Naval Ravikant
Social•Oct 31, 2025
Stability for Early Hires Boosts Retention, Not Motivation
I will respectfully disagree here. This allows for early employees to achieve stability - housing, bills, etc. I don't think it removes motivation. It removes anxiety however and creates longevity for your top talent.
By Cyan Banister
Social•Oct 30, 2025
20VC and SaaStr Return with Top Investors
We're back!! 20VC x SaaStr with Harry Stebbings , ...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 30, 2025
AI Agent Clones Recruiters, Boosts Hiring Speed Tenfold
AI didn’t replace recruiters, it cloned them. Serra is an AI recruiting agent that learns how you hire - your tone, your judgment, your style - and works 24/7 to find and engage the right candidates, both across the web...
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Tech Weekly: Fund Raises, OpenAI Shakeup, VC Insights
The only podcast you have to listen to every week. No politics. Just tech. - a16z Raises $10BN in New Funds - Mercor Raises $350M at $10BN - OpenAI Restructuring: Who Wins & Who Loses - Why IRR is a BS Metric - 3 Ways to...
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Legora Secures $150M Series C, Hits $1.8B Valuation
Congrats to @MaxJunestrand, @siggelabor, and @WeAreLegora on their $150M Series C at a $1.8B valuation! Legora is the collaborative AI platform helping lawyers review and research faster, draft smarter, and advise with precision. In just six months, they've grown from 250 to...
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Enterprise AI Fails because Big Firms Can’t Build It
MIT's new State of AI in Business report went viral for claiming that 95% of enterprise AI projects fail. But the real story isn't that AI doesn't work — it's just big companies can't build it. On the @LightconePod, @garrytan, @harjtaggar,...
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 30, 2025
From Amazon Carts to Startup Funds: Impulse Investing
Some people have a problem impulse buying on Amazon. Others impulse invest in startups (now in 15 secs).
By Ryan Hoover
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Top CEOs and Tech Leaders Headline Cerebral Valley AI Summit
Box & Vanta CEOs Join Cerebral Valley AI Summit Lineup + Kirsten Green, Parag Agrawal & Many More To Lead Discussion Groups https://t.co/87vOV5dqLa
By Eric Newcomer
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Unified API Lets You Trade Across Prediction Markets
Dome (@GetDomeAPI) is a unified API for prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi. Trade and analyze data across multiple platforms with one simple API. https://t.co/YsZk6Elw2Y Congrats on the launch, @kurushdubash & @princeofbothell! https://t.co/MxUm8aAQEE
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Steady SaaS: $1.9M Revenue, 30% Growth, 1% Churn
This one’s as steady as SaaS gets. Live on @acquiredotcom: Salesforce native SaaS powering human services agencies with automated case tracking and compliance infra. > $1.9M TTM revenue > $467K TTM profit > 30% YoY growth > 1% churn Full listing: https://t.co/qcO6uCJvdC https://t.co/PvFgsCdfGH
By Andrew Gazdecki
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Top Angels Fund Before You Perfect Your Deck
The best angel checks get written before the pitch deck is polished.
By Niko Bonatsos
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Fundraising Split: Easy for Some, Tough for Others
Fundraising today is like a Tale of 2 Cities: easy for some and hard for others. Especially at the Pre-A and Series A. More >>
By Elizabeth Yin
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Founders Must Navigate AI IPO, $10B A16z, Series B Risks
We're back!! @HarryStebbings @rodriscoll + me! 1/ Three seismic shifts hit venture this week that every founder needs to understand: 1⃣OpenAI's $500B restructuring clears path to $2T IPO 2⃣A16z raises $10B (but it's more matchable than you think) 3⃣66% of Series B investments...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 30, 2025
AI‑Driven Prosumer Firms Outperform, Command Triple Prices
• Prosumer companies match Consumer Tech performance at IPO • New AI-powered prosumer cos already show 3x higher willingness to pay ($78 vs $25 median price point) • 50%+ of consumers use prosumer tools in their personal lives Our latest research! https://t.co/gc69lrVMC6
By Kirsten Green
Social•Oct 30, 2025
VC Backs Breakthrough Computational Chemistry Platform Launch
If this isn’t what venture capital is for, then nothing is. Congrats to @GillVerd and @trevormccrt1 for working on a hard, interesting, and important problem. Computing revolution loading… I thought I had left Gibbs behind in college chemistry. Everything in...
By Kanyi Maqubela
Social•Oct 30, 2025
People‑first Software Finally Eases DMV Appointment Headaches
When was the last time booking a DMV appointment didn’t make you want to scream? Exactly. We need modern, people-first software for the public services we rely on – that's where @thekaizenlabs, our newest @sevensevensix co, comes in 💪 https://t.co/rnJQwEuJ1a
By Alexis Ohanian
Social•Oct 30, 2025
European Investment Council Ranks #4 in Sifted’s Top 50
In another magnificent piece of work by Sifted 🤣 I would like to congratulate… The European Investment Council On being a top 50 performing investor. They are #4 according to Sifted. You can’t make this s*** up. 🤣 Too good Sifted....
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 30, 2025
Build Workflow Moat, Expand TAM with Viable Vertical AI
My favorite vertical AI startups: • Create a 10x workflow that feeds into a marketplace moat • Increase TAM by making something financially viable for new markets
By Ryan Hoover