Today's Venture Capital Pulse
Clip raises $500M to expand fintech platform
Mexican fintech Clip secured a $500 million funding round, lifting its valuation above $2.5 billion. The capital will fund the rollout of a consumer‑focused wallet and broaden its suite of financial‑services tools.
Also developing:
By the numbers: OpenAI raises $122B in private financing
Exclusive: Founded By 2 Brothers In Their 20s, YC-Backed Denki Raises $4.1M To Automate Financial Audits
Denki, a YC‑backed AI startup founded by two brothers, raised $4.1 million to automate financial audits for public companies. The funding, led by Base10 Partners and Shine Capital, comes as fintech AI investment surged 27 % in 2025. Denki’s platform replaces manual, Excel‑heavy audit workflows with software that logs evidence and tests controls like code. Its early customers are pre‑IPO and listed firms facing heightened regulatory scrutiny.
Swedish Agaton Raises $10 Million Seed to Turn Customer Conversations Into Revenue Intelligence
Swedish AI startup Agaton secured a $10 million seed round led by Inception Fund and Alstin Capital to scale its agentic AI platform that transforms everyday customer conversations into real‑time revenue intelligence. The software detects buying intent, sentiment shifts and churn...
Science Corp. Raises $230M as It Races to Bring Its Brain Implant to Market
Science Corp., founded by former Neuralink president Max Hodak, closed a $230 million Series C round that lifted its post‑money valuation to $1.5 billion. The funding will accelerate commercialization of PRIMA, a rice‑grain‑sized chip implanted in the eye that pairs with camera‑glasses to...
Cheer Raises $4.5M for Next-Generation Mobile Puzzle Studio
Cheer Games, a mobile puzzle studio with Turkish roots operating out of Barcelona, secured a $4.5 million funding round to develop next‑generation puzzle titles. The raise follows a $4 million round by fellow Turkish‑based Vento Games, highlighting regional investor enthusiasm. Cheer plans...
Lio Raises $30M From Andreessen Horowitz and Others to Automate Enterprise Procurement
Lio announced a $30 million Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz, bringing its total funding to $33 million. The startup’s AI‑agent platform automates the entire procurement workflow, from contract review to supplier negotiation. Early customers report that processes once taking weeks now...
Irish-Founded Startup Evervault Raises €21 Million to Advance Encrypted Data Orchestration
Irish‑founded Evervault announced a €21 million Series B round, led by Ribbit Capital with Sequoia Capital and Index Ventures participating, bringing its total financing to €39 million. The developer‑first platform encrypts and orchestrates sensitive data, chiefly for card‑payment workflows, and now processes over...
Active Investors Spent More On Fewer Deals In February
Active venture investors concentrated capital on a handful of mega‑deals in February, with generative‑AI heavyweights dominating the landscape. OpenAI secured a record‑breaking $110 billion round, the largest startup financing ever, while overall deal count remained flat. Y Combinator, Andreessen Horowitz and...
BrewDog Investors Have Lost Everything - Are There Better Ways to Back Small Firms?
BrewDog’s EquityPunk crowdfunding scheme raised £75 million from 200,000 investors before the brand entered administration and was taken over by Tilray, wiping out those investors entirely. The collapse underscores the liquidity constraints and limited transparency inherent in equity‑crowdfunding platforms compared with...
CVCA and NACO Offer Competing Visions for Feds’ $750-Million Venture Envelope
The Canadian government has earmarked $750 million to bridge early‑growth funding gaps, complementing a $1 billion Venture and Growth Capital Catalyst Initiative. The Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) urges the money be directed toward Series B‑plus companies to address a...
QFEX Launches with $9.5m Seed Round to Disrupt Global Trading
QFEX, a Cambridge‑backed trading exchange, launched after closing a $9.5 million seed round that values the startup at $95 million. The platform offers 24/7 direct trading of traditional assets, perpetual futures with no expiry, and up to 50× leverage, eliminating brokers and...
Exclusive: Rainmatter Leads InfinityBox’s Pre-Series A Round
InfinityBox, a Jaipur‑based reusable packaging startup, closed a pre‑Series A round of ₹14.1 crore, led by existing backer Rainmatter. The round also saw participation from AAR EM Ventures, Capital‑A and an individual investor, bringing the post‑money valuation to roughly ₹87 crore. Revenue surged 3.1‑fold...
After Raising $5.5 Million for Hyperbridge, Polytope Labs Wants to Build for Nigerian Fintechs Too
Polytope Labs, fresh from a $5.5 million raise, is building an on‑chain stablecoin infrastructure to streamline foreign‑exchange settlement for Nigerian fintechs. The product sits atop its Intent Gateway, part of the Hyperbridge protocol, which has already processed roughly $500 million in cross‑chain...
E706 | Jo Slota-Newson & Marc Sabas, Almanac Ventures: Systemic Deep Tech for Industrial Decarbonisation
Almanac Ventures, founded by deep‑tech scientist Jo Slota‑Newson and finance‑focused Marc Sabas, invests seed‑stage deep‑tech solutions for industrial decarbonisation across Europe. They target technologies that improve performance, lower costs, and cut emissions in complex, capital‑intensive sectors that account for 75%...
From EdTech to Learning & Work: Where Europe’s $1.6B Investment Surge Is Actually Going — and Why
In this episode, host Luigi Morino talks with Rhys Spence, author of the European Learning and Work Funding Report 2026, about a surge in European investment—doubling to €1.6 billion—and the shift from traditional edtech to a broader "learning and work" taxonomy....
Turn a $500K Ask Into Realistic Growth Strategies
If an investor wrote you a $500K check right now and needed a 3X return in 1 year, what would you do?
Mezcla Raises the Plant-Based Protein Bar with $9.5M in Series B Funding
New York‑based Mezcla closed a $9.5 million Series B round led by Bluestein Ventures to accelerate product development and broaden distribution. The funding brings total capital to $16.5 million and follows a 128 % compound annual growth rate since 2022. Mezcla’s plant‑based bars, built...
Cultivated Seafood Is Getting Real
San Diego‑based BlueNalu has raised $11 million in insider‑led financing to accelerate production of cultivated bluefin tuna toro, targeting a commercial launch in 2026. The funding will support scale‑up of bioreactor facilities and advance regulatory approval, with FDA clearance expected soon....
Ignite VC: How Gaingels Scaled to 2,700+ Investments with Lorenzo Thione | Ep243
In this episode, Lorenzo Thione, Managing Director at Gaingels and former founder of PowerSet (acquired by Microsoft), shares his journey from an Italian graduate student to AI pioneer, angel investor, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship advocate. He discusses the early challenges of...
The Health System Opportunity Stack: A Builder’s Guide to the Most Underserved Enterprise in America
Health systems are drowning in operational blind spots, especially in financial operations, while existing software focuses on clinical documentation. The essay maps a high‑value opportunity stack—from payer‑contract intelligence and AP automation to workforce forecasting, OR utilization, and prior‑authorization automation—highlighting quantifiable...
Exclusive: Venture Giant A16z Crypto Targeting Around $2 Billion for Its Fifth Fund Amid Blockchain Market Downturn, Sources Say
Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto arm, a16z crypto, is raising its fifth venture fund targeting about $2 billion, with a planned close by mid‑2026. The raise is smaller than the 2022 $4.5 billion fund but follows a faster, shorter fundraising cycle to match crypto’s...
JetStream Security Inks $34M Seed Funding
JetStream Security announced a $34 million seed round, marking one of the largest early‑stage financings in the cybersecurity sector this year. The round was led by Redpoint Ventures and featured strategic participation from the CrowdStrike Falcon Fund. Angel investors included George Kurtz...
HawkEye 360 Adds $23M to Series E Funding
HawkEye 360 announced a $23 million addition to its Series E round, attracting new investors Ghisallo, Principia Growth and Sixty Degree Capital alongside existing backer Strategic Development Fund. The infusion follows a $150 million debt‑equity package used to acquire Innovative Signals Analysis (ISA)...
Create Music Group Completes $450M Fundraise
Create Music Group announced the close of a new financing round that raised more than $450 million in equity and debt, pushing its post‑money valuation to $2.2 billion. The round was led by institutional investors Ares Management, 2 Mile and Flexpoint Ford, while...
Sats Terminal Scores Funding
Sats Terminal, a Bitcoin‑native financial super‑app, secured a strategic investment from Gate Ventures, though the amount remains undisclosed. The partnership follows a $1.7 million pre‑seed round led by Coinbase Ventures and Draper Associates in late 2025. Sats Terminal provides a modular...
Qnetic Raises $7.1 Million
Qnetic, a leading provider of long‑duration flywheel energy storage, closed a $5 million financing round, its biggest to date. Combined with a $2.1 million equity crowdfunding effort last year, the company has raised $7.1 million over the past twelve months. Early RegCF investors...
Pitch, Learn, Then Build Without Waiting for VCs
I’m hearing a theme lately from the tech startup crowd. They're doing lots of pitching, lots of applause and interest… that leads no where. VC firms either being super risk averse or using potential investment as a carrot to get...
Trust, Transparency, and Structure Outshine Flashy Returns
Bridger Pennington isn’t just talking capital. He’s built credibility where it counts, showing investors that trust, structure, and operational rigor matter more than flashy returns. In this power-packed episode, we cover: - Why trust and transparency beat pitch decks every time. - The...
Mutable Tactics Raises $2.1 Million for AI Drone Coordination in Satellite-Denied Environments
Mutable Tactics, a British AI startup, secured $2.1 million in pre‑seed funding to build software that lets swarms of military drones operate autonomously when satellite navigation and communications are unavailable. The round was led by Seraphim Space, with participation from the...
Turkish Mobile Developer Vento Games Secures $4m in Seed Round Funding
Google announced a major overhaul of its Play Store fee structure following its settlement with Epic Games. The standard in‑app purchase commission drops from 30% to 20%, with an extra 5% service charge applied in the EEA, UK and US....
Selling Your Business Can Accelerate Its Growth
Selling your business may be the best way to help it grow. Hear what Smita Bakshi, co-founder of zyBooks, has to say on the matter: https://lnkd.in/efcrW6dN #mergersandacquisitions #startupexits #investmentbanking #saasfounders #software #saas #tech #founders #pathtoexit
UnityAI Secures $8.5M to Scale Agentic AI for Healthcare Operations
UnityAI announced an $8.5 million Series A round led by Third Prime, bringing its total capital to $15 million. The startup deploys an agentic AI workforce that autonomously manages patient scheduling, referrals, and staff shift coordination across hundreds of care sites. It already...
Escaped Social Capital Politics, Now Investing My Own Capital
What happened at Social Capital was several things: 1) Personally, I was going through a divorce. It was a very hard time. 2) My ostensible “cofounders” spent more time jostling for board seats and credit for deals with outsiders vs doing...
NY's Top Venture Capital Firms Ranked by Crain’s
The Largest VC Firms in the New York Area according to Crain’s New York Business (2/23/26) https://t.co/lbkNXcwzE2
Latitude59 Opens Pitch Applications as Investors Raise the Bar on Operational Readiness
Latitude59 has opened applications for its 2026 pitch competition, with a deadline of April 15, 2026. The event will take place May 20‑22 in Tallinn, featuring jurors, mentors, and regional angel networks. Last year attracted 407 applications from 48 countries,...
Find Straightforward Banks for Efficient Fund Management
Which banks don’t suck for Fund managers Need to be able to txt a person and get stuff done without nonsense
10 Venture Capital Firms Hiring Investors Now
10 venture capital firms HIRING investors right now 👇 ♻️ Repost to make VC more accessible.
Hunter Point CEO: Japan’s Emerging GP Landscape Ripe for Future Stakes Deals
Hunter Point CEO Avi Kalichstein told Private Equity International that Japan’s general‑partner (GP) ecosystem, though still nascent, is gaining momentum. He highlighted a growing talent pipeline and an increasing appetite for partnership among Japanese firms. Kalichstein believes these dynamics will...
PLD Space Secures $209M, Targets 2024 Guiana Launch
Launcher startup @PLD_Space, fresh from its $209M equity round led by @ME_JP_official and including Spanish govt, on the road to planned inaugural flight this yr from @esa @CNES Guiana Space Center. Transport vessel already booked. @defis_eu.https://t.co/rpPd1GDsBX https://t.co/n23Zg1E14q
Great Journalism Turns Into VC Investment, Wired Missed
Trae Stephens Wants to Buy Wired. He’s Right. A 2011 article about male birth control became a Founders Fund investment. That’s what great journalism does. Wired forgot. https://t.co/nJv3I8Tg81
ARQ Raises $70M To Expand Stablecoin Banking In Latin America
ARQ, formerly DolarApp, raised $70 million in a Series B led by Sequoia Capital and Founders Fund. The funding will fuel a rebrand, team expansion, and rollout of new financial products beyond its core stablecoin remittance service. With more than two million...
Intersection Of Biosecurity And AI Sees Seed-Stage Spike
Seed‑stage investors are betting on the convergence of artificial intelligence and biosecurity, with two startups raising sizable early rounds. Valthos closed a $30 million seed round and Red Queen Bio secured $15 million, both counting OpenAI among investors. A nonprofit, SecureBio, also...
RegTech Firm Vivox AI Secures £1.3m Funding
RegTech startup Vivox AI announced a £1.3 million first‑round funding to scale its compliance‑focused AI platform for banks and other regulated financial institutions. The round attracted high‑profile backers such as former German central bank president Axel Weber, former Google UK MD...
UK Venture Funding Surges Into AI, NatWest’s ‘Future of UK Innovation’ Report Finds
UK venture capital hit £17.5 bn in 2025, with AI startups alone securing more than £6 bn – over a third of all funding. Large, later‑stage rounds now dominate, as deals above £25 m accounted for more than 70% of total investment, the...
Diligent AI Raises $2.5M to Support KYC and AML Teams with AI Agents
London‑based Diligent AI, a Y Combinator‑backed startup, has closed a $2.5 million seed round led by Speedinvest with participation from fintech investors and strategic angels. The company builds autonomous AI agents that automate repetitive KYC and AML tasks such as risk...
AI-Music Artists Get Their Own Accelerator From Prose Ventures
Prose Ventures has launched the AI Music Creators Accelerator, an eight‑week program that supports human musicians using generative AI tools. The inaugural cohort presented a diverse demo day on February 27, streamed publicly on Twitch and later on YouTube. Founder...
Create Music Group Scores $450 Million Raise at $2.2 Billion Valuation
Create Music Group announced a $450 million financing round that lifts its valuation to $2.2 billion. The capital structure blends debt and equity, while the founding team retains majority ownership. Minority investors include Ares Management, Flexpoint Ford and 2 Mile Capital. The raise follows...
Best Nights VC Invests in Mad Monkey with EXS Capital
Best Nights VC, the venture arm of Jägermeister, has invested in socially‑responsible hostel chain Mad Monkey alongside lead investor EXS Capital. The deal supports Mad Monkey’s expansion across Southeast Asia and Australia, where it already delivers over one million bed‑nights to more...
Rethinking Biotech’s Valley of Death as Federal Grants and Family Offices Step In
Federal budget approvals for 2026 dramatically increase nondilutive capital for biotech, raising NIH funding to $49 billion and expanding programs like CDMRP and ARPA‑H. Seed‑stage companies are responding, with 38 % planning to rely on grants and other non‑equity sources. Simultaneously, mission‑driven...
E705 | Martin Schilling, Deep Tech Momentum: Why Europe’s Deep Tech Problem Isn’t Funding
In this episode, Martin Schilling, co‑founder of Deep Tech Momentum, explains that Europe’s deep‑tech challenge is not a lack of funding but a commercialization gap: large corporates aren’t buying or partnering with startups at scale. He highlights stark statistics—European firms...
PLD Space Raises $209 Million to Shift Into Serial Rocket Production
PLD Space announced a €180 million Series C round, the largest European space funding this year, to accelerate serial production of its Miura 5 launch vehicle. The round was led by Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric, which will receive priority launch access for its satellite...