🎯Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Updated 38m agoWhat's happening: AI fuels record $119.5B venture fundraising despite fewer rounds
Venture capital fundraising jumped 16.9% to $119.5 billion in 2025, the strongest recovery since the 2022 market reset. The total number of rounds fell 41% to 4,859, concentrating capital in larger AI‑focused financings, with AI startups capturing 58% of Series D cash and median valuations rising across all stages.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OpenAI raises $110B in corporate funding
Podcast•Oct 21, 2025•58 min
Founder10x - Are AI Agents The Future of Doctor's Office? - Ganesh Padmanabhan, Founder, Autonomize AI
In this episode, host Prashant Choubey talks with Ganesh Padmanabhan, founder of Autonomize AI, about the emerging role of AI agents in medical practices. They explore how autonomous AI assistants can handle patient triage, appointment scheduling, and routine follow‑ups, potentially freeing clinicians to focus on complex care while reducing administrative overhead. Padmanabhan shares case studies showing improved patient satisfaction and cost savings, but also warns about regulatory, data‑privacy, and trust hurdles that must be addressed before widespread adoption. The discussion concludes with practical steps for doctors and health‑tech founders to pilot AI agents responsibly.
By VC10X
Social•Oct 21, 2025
AI Agents Turn CRM Into Passive Data Warehouse
AI is a pretty big threat to CRM. Not the need for CRM, but to its value proposition. I didn't totally get it until we deployed 11+ AI Agents. But what they do is push your CRM to the...
By Jason Lemkin
Blog•Oct 21, 2025
The Bear Roars: Dan and Brad
On The Bear Roars podcast, Dan Caruso and guest explored how advances in AI, quantum computing and robotics are reshaping not just technology but learning, leadership and collaboration, with a central claim that equitable access — broadband, curiosity and freedom...
By Brad Feld
Social•Oct 21, 2025
AI's Next Phase: Specialized Intelligence Over General Hype
What comes next for AI? Perhaps physically specific intelligence, more than artificial general intelligence. Here’s a draft thesis. (1) First, AI is now entering the trough of the hype cycle. Every tech, no matter how amazing, goes through this. It’s actually one...
By Balaji Srinivasan
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Cercli Secures $12M Series A to Power AI Hiring
Congrats to @akeed23, @twopac, and @cerclihq on their $12M Series A! Cercli is the single platform for enterprises to hire, manage, and pay their global workforce in the AI era. They've grown 10x over the last 12 months, processed over...
By YCombinator
Blog•Oct 21, 2025
The Forecast Model Every Startup Needs (with Free Template). | VC & Startup Jobs.
A simple, reusable financial forecast model — with a free Google Sheets template — is presented as essential for startups to project cash flow, prioritize spending, and guide fundraising and hiring decisions. The model focuses on five core sections: customer...
By Sahil S
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Deel Acquires: Replace Core Assets, Rebuild Adjacent
"At Deel, we do two types of acquisitions. 1. Buy an asset in our core market. Buy the team, revenue, bring them in-house, rip and replace their infrastructure with ours pretty fast. 2. Buy smaller companies that are in adjacent...
By Harry Stebbings
News•Oct 21, 2025
The Full TechCrunch Disrupt Stage Revealed: Where the Future of Tech Breaks First
TechCrunch revealed the full Disrupt Stage lineup for Disrupt 2025, headlined by 200+ sessions across five stages and marquee appearances from Alphabet moonshot chief Astro Teller, Microsoft CTO Kevin Scott, Netflix CTO Elizabeth Stone, Vinod Khosla and Sequoia’s Roelof Botha....
By TechCrunch Venture Feed
Social•Oct 21, 2025
YC Guides Founders on AI Pivots, Hiring, and Open‑Source Strategy
Every founder faces moments where they’re not sure what to do next — such as how to go to market with AI products, when to pivot, and who/when to hire. In this episode of Office Hours, YC partners @koomen, @bradflora, @dessaigne,...
By YCombinator
Podcast•Oct 21, 2025•37 min
How Kong Was Born: APIs, Hustle, and the Future of AI Infrastructure
In this episode, a16z host Martin Casado interviews Kong co‑founder and CEO Augusto "Aghi" Marietti about his journey from a Milan garage to building a leading API infrastructure firm, highlighting the relentless grind, near‑death moments, and the bootstrap funding that...
By a16z Podcast
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Project Europe Delivers Rapid Product-Market Fit, Secures Major Wins
Project Europe has product market fit so much faster and so much stronger than even we hoped. In the first 6 months: - 10 cracked teams invested in So what… of those 10: - 1 acquired by category leader - 1...
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 21, 2025
AI Voice Boosts Ecommerce Revenue, Solving Phone Conversion Gap
Proud @saastrfund is joining the round for @Consio_AI and the team building the AI voice layer for ecommerce!! Here's why we invested: 1⃣The Obvious Problem: Phone Converts Better Every ecommerce brand knows phone calls convert 3-5x better than web. But staffing a phone...
By Jason Lemkin
Podcast•Oct 20, 2025•53 min
Reid Hoffman on AI, Consciousness, and the Future of Humanity
Reid Hoffman, alongside Erik Torenberg and Alex Rampell, explores how AI will transform work, science, and humanity, emphasizing that the most impactful breakthroughs will arise beyond obvious productivity tools. They discuss current AI’s reasoning limits, debate whether consciousness is required...
By a16z Podcast
Social•Oct 21, 2025
AI-Driven VC Matchmaking for Fundable Startups Only
We’re launching something different at SaaStr AI. VC Matchmaking that actually works. Because most founders are pitching the wrong VCs. Or pitching before they’re ready. Join the waitlist → https://t.co/x5NqYcTMbt Here’s how it works: 1️⃣: You upload your pitch Real revenue. Real metrics. Real traction....
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Early Traction Hinges on Story, Not Metrics
Early on traction is a story problem, not a metrics problem. The best founders know which narrative unlocks the next stage.
By Niko Bonatsos
Podcast•Oct 20, 2025•1h 8m
95% Faster Video Production with Synthesia | Victor Riparbelli
In this episode, Victor Riparbelli, co‑founder and CEO of Synthesia, explains how his AI‑driven platform lets anyone create video without cameras, cutting production time by up to 95% and opening new possibilities for content creators. He and Kleiner Perkins partner...
By Grit (Kleiner Perkins)
Social•Oct 21, 2025
VCs Preach Agility, Yet Respond at a Glacial Pace
VC irony: We preach agility, yet often take forever to respond…
By Niko Bonatsos
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Simple Slack Email Tool Generates $22K Profit Autopilot
I love simple tools like this on @acquiredotcom. Manage team emails directly inside Slack. > $22K TTM revenue > $20K profit > 200+ customers > Runs on autopilot > Lean, profitable, dead simple Full listing: https://t.co/b3BlAnxTAb https://t.co/1DDfmVFl2z
By Andrew Gazdecki
Blog•Oct 19, 2025
20VC Newsletter - 19th October 2025
The 20VC newsletter (Oct. 19, 2025) distills three podcast episodes featuring Atlassian CEO Mike Cannon‑Brookes, investors Rory O’Driscoll, Jason Lemkin and Roger Ehrenberg, and Warp CEO Zach Lloyd, highlighting how AI will expand software development, reshape pricing models, and leave...
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Benchmark Your Pitch Deck Against 4,000 Startups
Wondering how you stack up? Try the new https://t.co/iXj7ZJdxfx VC Pitch Deck Analyzer -> https://t.co/S5UFYzoN7a We’ll share how you stack up against 4,000+ other start-ups. And we’ll provide you honest and confidential feedback on how to do better. https://t.co/YtZxaYnamq
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 21, 2025
AI Agents Streamline Trade Compliance for Suppliers and Brokers
MarkIt is building AI agents for trade compliance—helping suppliers, importers, and customs brokers classify products, manage documents, and navigate government requirements. https://t.co/tTaCTxaPR9 Congrats on the launch, @ch6nkim and @supadupacoda! https://t.co/cxhpOAGgFV
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 21, 2025
SubImage Raises $4.2M for AI-Driven Vulnerability Mapping
Congrats to @alexchantavy, @kunaalsikka, and @SubImageSec on their $4.2M seed! From the creators of Cartography at @Lyft, SubImage is an open-core alternative to Wiz, using AI to show how vulnerabilities and access paths lead to compromise. https://t.co/HpMp0e8sfN https://t.co/KMyFtUYNkC
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Heidi Roizen Shares Top Cold Emailing Tips
Very good cold emailing advice from @HeidiRoizen of @thresholdvc https://t.co/Ak8orSOI2F
By Chris Fralic
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Letter AI Secures $10.6M to Accelerate Sales with AI
Congrats to https://t.co/c9C4WZdYZj on their $10.6M Series A! Letter AI's enablement platform helps sales teams ramp up faster with AI-powered training and coaching, instantly find and personalize collateral for customers, and engage their buyers. https://t.co/mX4rRd1JVo https://t.co/mIGGfzxkUE
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 21, 2025
Limited AI Still Fuels Revolutionary Momentum, Like Beam Engines
Prediction: LLMs in their current form may not be able to do everything, but AI now has enough momentum that this won't matter. Beam engines couldn't do everything either, but they were enough to set off the Industrial Revolution.
By Paul Graham
Social•Oct 21, 2025
From $182M Loss to $38B Annual
https://t.co/GRwsz6132y is the go-to slur of the Dot Com era. Let's see: https://t.co/GRwsz6132y burned ~$182M total investor capital before going bust. Today, just US online pet goods sales = ~$38B/year; ~$70B total market cap including portions of Amazon & Walmart....
By Marc Andreessen
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Deploying 20+ AI Agents: Playbook, Lessons, Brutal Truths
A deep dive into the playbook, lessons learned, and brutal truths about deploying 20+ AI agents into production — that actually work.
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Own Your Software: Essential for Scaling Success
"A lot of SaaS is not tailored enough to the needs of the company. Owning most of the software makes a significant difference in what you can do. It is the dumbest thing to do when you are small. It...
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Scaling AI: Strategies for Building Intelligent Systems
How do you build AI systems that scale? On Nov 12 in SF, I’ll host Calvin French-Owen (Co-founder & former CTO @Segment, led @OpenAI's Codex launch) for a Theory Ventures Office Hours conversation on scaling intelligent systems. We’ll dig into: ⚙️ Building...
By Tomasz Tunguz
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Aim for a 3‑6 Month Transaction Timeline
How long should a transaction process last? Though there can be significant variance, a well-structured transaction process typically takes 3-6 months. From when you officially start marketing the business to when you close the deal, 3-6 months should give you enough time...
By Michael Lyon
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Alfred Lin: Deep Business Insight Makes Board Exceptional
"I would have most liked to have @Alfred_Lin on my board. He is one of the best investors in the world. He understands the business he invests in a lot more deeply than other board members." @Bouazizalex What have been...
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Early AI‑GTM Adopters Scaling Fast, Laggards Scrambling
It's time. 🏃♀️It's time to get ahead of the pack in AI + B2B. At SaaStr AI London Dec 1-2 -> https://t.co/ufOgU4yrs6 The companies that figured out AI + GTM this year already are now scaling aggressively—closing bigger deals, reducing...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Deel’s $300M Raise Reveals Aggressive Acquisition Strategy
I fricking hate podcasts where the guest does a podcast tour to promote something. @Bouazizalex just raised $300M+ at a $17BN+ valuation. He did one podcast to discuss the round and the crazy last 12 months. 20VC. - Raising $300M from Ribbit, a16z and...
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Join SaaStr Fund: Fast-Track Venture Deal Experience
I’m hiring an Associate at SaaStr Fund ($200m AUM) The job: 1️⃣ Screen 50+ inbound deals/week, find the 2-3 worth the deep dive. 2️⃣ Help manage the new https://t.co/D1x4RaX5t7 which over 5,500 founders have used in 5 years anywhere else for...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 20, 2025
AWS Outage? Try Our Always‑On Startup Valuation Calculator
AWS down for you? 👉Take a break and try our StartUp Valuation Calculator! -> https://t.co/jvgsU2zIKA It only takes seconds, it's super cool, and ... it's still up!! https://t.co/lVUsOvUCJR
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 20, 2025
AI Isn't a Bubble, Unlike the Dot‑Com Era
this time last year post-@stateofaireport we heard lots of “is ai a bubble” chatter, just like we do today we wrote a piece on @airstreetpress arguing that ai is not like the dot com thinking of writing up a v2...
By Nathan Benaich
Social•Oct 20, 2025
AI's Rapid Evolution Sparks Bubble Debate and Nvidia Dominance
got to chat about the @stateofaireport on @tbpn last fri w/@johncoogan @jordihays, incl. bits on financing dynamics, how today's ai is magical vs. 12 years ago when i started, ai bubble (yes, no?), nvidia's dominance, ai search/agent experience, industrial policy...
By Nathan Benaich
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Albacore Secures $6.5M Seed for Stealth Submarine
Congrats to @albacoreinc on their $6.5M seed! Albacore is building underwater drones for the military. Their first product, Ghostfin, is an 8ft modular autonomous submarine designed to patrol undetected for 1,000+ nautical miles & support special ops. https://t.co/j9Ud89JdDQ
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 20, 2025
AI Platform Automates Ads and Landing Pages, Replacing Agencies
Uplane (@uplane_com) is building software to replace marketing agencies. Their AI generates ads with matching landing pages and steers them across Meta, Google, TikTok, and others. https://t.co/WEay29YNYx Congrats on the launch, @juliuskoerfgen, @Marvin_A_M & @vollmer_lukas! https://t.co/CBq2rxJqTp
By YCombinator
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Real Traction Speaks: Customers Return, Pay, and Refer
Most founders waste time trying to look like they have traction. When traction’s real, you don’t need to choreograph it. It shows up when people return, pay again, and bring their friends. Customers end up doing the advertising for you.
By Hiten Shah
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Back AI’s Good Guys to Drive Safe Innovation
1/ I want to state plainly: in all industries, especially in AI, it’s important to back the good guys. Anthropic is one of the good guys. More thoughts about why we need to fuel innovation and talk safety at the same...
By Reid Hoffman
Social•Oct 20, 2025
Biannual Mock Fundraises Sharpen Founders' Reflection
Raising can be a grind, but it’s a good forcing function to reflect. Founders (and VCs) might benefit from doing biannual mock fundraising prep.
By Ryan Hoover
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Innovation Quest Launches: 70+ Founders Ignite AI Ventures
2025 USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy Founders Bootcamp Friday we kicked off the annual Innovation Quest with our 2025 Founders Bootcamp. Standing-room only & filled with energy, insight, & community. Over 70 IYA undergraduate &...
By Tina Sharkey
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Incumbents Erode OpenAI Share; Coding Tools Decline
Here are two very important charts about the current AI boom. Chart 1: Distribution Matters Open AI is still the clear leader but, interestingly, they are loosing percentage share as the market grows. This is normal for a category leader but...
By Chamath Palihapitiya
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Four Free AI Tools to Accelerate Fundraising
SaaStr.ai just launched four FREE AI tools that can save founders 100+ hours in fundraising prep. And maybe even get you funded: 1️⃣ AI Start-Up Valuation Calculator. Get VC-grade valuations using data from 5,000+ recent rounds, public comps, and AI insights....
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Angel Fundraise Details Reveal Top 1% Founders
You can tell a top 1% founder purely from how they structure the angel component of a fundraise. The blurb they suggest. The forwardable email they send for each. The specific angels they want in. All says so much about their...
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Bootstrapped Screen‑mirroring App Nets $1.8M Profit
Some mobile apps are crazy profitable. This one generates $1,800,000 per year!🤯 Now live on @acquiredotcom: Top rated iOS apps for screen mirroring and remote control. > 570K monthly users > $3.5M revenue > $1.8M profit > Bootstrapped Full listing: https://t.co/T7kDgxkfQp https://t.co/p6BkZYUyqN
By Andrew Gazdecki
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Startups Funding Peers: Warning Sign of a Bubble
Startups investing in other startups... is this peak bubble behavior? https://t.co/1paenKbhQh
By CJ Gustafson
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Speed Is a Feature of the Best
Just sent a deal to a dear friend and mentor who is one of the greatest of our time. Sent at 8:12AM PST and response provided to me and founder by 8:18AM. Speed is a feature of the best.
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Oct 19, 2025
Get Pre‑Screened Dealflow Directly on Our Waistlist
VCs: Want more dealflow? With deals pre-screened, selected, and analyzed for you? Get on our waistlist here -> https://t.co/t0woGMPLz6 https://t.co/LWckPofGUm
By Jason Lemkin