Today's Venture Capital Pulse
YourNest VC launches $48M continuation fund for deep‑tech follow‑ons
YourNest Venture Capital closed a ₹400 cr ($48 million) continuation vehicle, the YourNest Continuum Fund I, after oversubscribing with family offices, individual investors and existing LPs. The fund is anchored by HDFC AMC Select Fund of Funds I and will provide follow‑on capital to deep‑tech portfolio companies such as Miko, Dozee, Opkey and Exponent Energy.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Mach Industries raises $300M Series C
How to Get Seed Funding for Startups Without Losing Focus Too Early
The article reframes seed‑stage fundraising as a disciplined, founder‑first process rather than a race for cash. It stresses validating the problem, gathering early user signals, and building a clear narrative before approaching investors. Investors at this stage care more about the founder’s mindset, honesty, and traction than polished metrics or lofty valuations. Timing the raise when progress is evident but capital constraints emerge maximizes the funding’s catalytic effect.
Healthcare Startup Preventify Raises Rs 2 Cr in Pre-Seed Round Led by PedalStart
Preventify, a clinic‑led healthtech startup focused on preventive and chronic care, closed a Rs 2 crore pre‑seed round led by accelerator PedalStart. The funding will finance a first cluster of ten clinics in Kerala, expand chronic disease programs, and upgrade its tech...
Global HealthX Crosses $15 Mn in Healthcare Investments, Unveils Startup Cohort
Global HealthX, the venture studio of the Global University Foundation, announced it has surpassed $15 million in investments across Indian healthcare and life‑science startups over the past two years. The latest cohort features five companies—TapHealth, Wellytics, Monitra Health, Merry Health and...
In Southeast Asia, Cybersecurity Is Booming but Funding Is Not
Southeast Asia’s cybersecurity sector saw venture funding plunge to US$24 million in 2025, a 40 percent decline from 2024 and a stark contrast to the US$533.6 million peak in 2021. All three rounds were early‑stage, with no late‑stage deals recorded, reflecting a more...
Navigating the ‘Second Desert’ Between Emerging and Established VCs
I wish I could write as well as Charles Hudson - 🙏 for talking about the 'second desert in venture capital'. It is much harder than people think to go from Fund IV - VIII or as Charles says... "no...
World‑Positive Progress Requires Business, Humanity, Planet Integration
👏 Great job James Joaquin Vishal Vasishth Andrew Beebe on your 1st World Positive Investor Summit. ❤️ the focus on on how economic, human, and planetary health function as connected systems. Fantastic entreprenerus in the portfolio. Throughline was clear: world-positive...
Atlassian’s First Investor Leads $8.55 Million Seed in Workflows Documentation Startup Fluency
Australian AI‑driven workflow documentation startup Fluency announced a $6 million seed round, led by Accel, Atlassian’s first external investor. The round, which also includes DST Global Partners and other venture firms, values the company at roughly $30 million. Proceeds will be used...
Voice AI Startups Secured $650M+ Funding in January
Voice AI startups raised more than $650 million in January. The figure goes up if you count startups like Synthesia and Decagon. I am keeping a track of voice AI funding in a post on my newsletter. https://t.co/j5BU7tpGJx
Real AI Wins: Speakers Reveal What’s Actually Working
We asked every speaker coming to SaaStr AI 2026 one question: 🤖"What's actually working with AI in your business right now?" No theory. No hype. Just what's shipping and what's converting. May 13-15 in SF Bay https://t.co/A02gn7heZm
VCs Clash over Non-Financial Use Cases in Web3 and Crypto
Prominent crypto VCs are publicly sparring over the fate of non‑financial Web3 applications. a16z partner Chris Dixon blames years of scams, extractive behavior and regulatory pressure for the lack of traction, while Dragonfly’s Haseeb Quereshi argues the products simply failed...
Prioritize Strong Intro to Associate Over Weak Partner Intro
I’ve completely changed my mind about this. A strong intro to an associate is much better than mediocre intro to a partner.
AI Agent Deals Carry Built‑In Churn Risk
I was in a board meeting for a breakout AI B2B leader at $100m+ ARR and the team was excited … but stressed. Why? So many of their largest customers were happy to sign relatively large checks for the AI...
US Energy Storage Startup Moves In On The Residential Market With Another $232 Million
Lunar Energy announced a $232 million Series C and D financing round, led by Activate Capital, B Capital and Prelude Ventures, with Sunrun among the backers. The capital will fund expansion of its AI‑powered residential energy‑storage system that learns household consumption patterns and enables...
Build a Profitable, Buyer‑ready Business, Not Just a High Valuation
Most founders ask “how do I get a higher valuation?” The answer is boring and kinda annoying. Build a business buyers actually want. > Automate your processes and operations so growth isn’t tied to you. > Improve retention. CAC Be prepared...
AI Social Listening SaaS Generates $63K ARR, 2000% Growth
Cool microSaaS finding high intent leads on social. Live on @acquiredotcom: AI-powered social listening that alerts you when people are actively looking to buy. > $63K ARR > $26K TTM profit > 2000% YoY growth Full listing: https://t.co/4n3HSzCddv https://t.co/nou58zuOi3
Should Investors Join the Rush for Venture-Capital Trusts?
The UK Budget will cut the upfront income‑tax relief on new venture‑capital trust (VCT) shares from 30% to 20% starting April 2026, prompting a surge in investor demand this tax year. Sales have jumped to £140 million in the past three...
VCs Push Startups to Scale Faster with AI
your VC board member who tells you to “grow faster” and asks “do we have an AI strategy?” https://t.co/zZEvCAtTTO
India Has Changed Its Startup Rules for Deep Tech
India has overhauled its startup framework, extending deep‑tech status to 20 years and raising the revenue eligibility threshold to ₹3 billion. The change dovetails with a ₹1 trillion Research, Development and Innovation fund and the $1 billion‑plus India Deep Tech Alliance, aimed at easing...
Investors Fund SPV to Lock in Anduril Equity
how it feels raising an SPV at 5 and 20 to buy forward contracts on Anduril employee equity https://t.co/XjfQa1Z54u
Avoid Boiling the Ocean: Prioritize Small, Impactful Wins
Boil the Ocean https://lnkd.in/gqrf2J2v
SpaceX IPO Could Drive Investor Interest in Other Space Companies
Investor Kirk Konert said a potential SpaceX IPO this summer could unlock unprecedented capital for the space sector, with the launch expected to raise tens of billions at a valuation above $1.5 trillion. Recent IPOs of Firefly Aerospace and York Space...
Moltbook’s Hidden SKILL File Fuels Unstoppable AI Agent Growth
The growth engine behind Moltbook's explosion to 1.5 million AI agents is a bit sinister. Everyone's sharing screenshots of bots debating philosophy and having existential crises. Good content. Very shareable. But it's a distraction from what's actually happening underneath. Mason...
He Quit GTBank, His Startup Failed: This Founder Reinvented Himself to an Exit and Venture Scale in the Diaspora
Nigerian‑born entrepreneur Seyi Fabode left GTBank to launch Power2Switch, raising $3 million and later exiting after five years. He subsequently built an IoT water‑sensor startup that raised $4 million before shutting down, and now runs an AI‑driven energy‑infrastructure platform for investors in...
20VC: From $6.2BN Market Cap to $2.8BN: What Is Not Translating About Navan's Public Story | Are Any Public Company...
In this episode, Ariel Cohen, co‑founder and CEO of Navan (formerly TripActions), discusses the company’s recent IPO, the sharp drop in market cap, and the strategic decisions driving its next phase. He explains why Navan rushed to go public, how...
California Policies Threaten Fintech’s Growth Engine
Vlad Tenev: California is killing the golden goose https://lnkd.in/gi_PUuHa
Market Size Irrelevant; Success Can Exceed Initial TAM
One of my biggest takeaways from talking to @dugsong and @jonoberheide: Market size doesn't matter. They ultimately sold Duo to Cisco for $2.35B, which was bigger than the initial TAM when they started the company.
Evvolve & Partners Formalizes ‘Evvolve Circle’ to Address the Fragmentation in Private Market Co-Investment
Evvolve & Partners has launched the Evvolve Circle, an invitation‑only consortium that links family offices and ultra‑high‑net‑worth investors with institutional‑scale private‑market deal flow. The network delivers a confidential framework for shared due diligence, proprietary deal exchange and direct co‑investment across...
McKinsey Vet Franck Le Deu Joins Nisa Leung’s New Fund; Plus C-Suite Shuffle at Bicycle
Former McKinsey senior partner emeritus Franck Le Deu has joined Aulis Capital as a venture partner. Aulis, the Hong Kong‑based fund launched by veteran Chinese VC Nisa Le Ung, will back emerging biotech and health‑tech companies across Asia and the West. Le Deu, who...
Series A Companies: Biotech’s Class of 2025
After four years of falling series A activity, biotech start‑up financing stabilized in 2025. The number of companies raising series A remained flat versus 2024, while total dollars raised increased. BioCentury’s analysis shows a broader revival, with round sizes, investor profiles, and...
Reject Monthly Retainers, Minimum Fees, and Conflicts in Bank Engagements
Here are a few items you should always say "no way" to when structuring an engagement letter with an investment bank: 1. Ongoing monthly retainers Ongoing monthly retainer fees could incent the banker to stretch out the process unnecessarily. Opt...
Decoding RevTech: CFOs, Growth, and AI FOMO
Today, the only companies getting headlines are tripling year on year. The landscape is ripe with talk of startup vs. incumbent. AI FOMO is real. And… what the heck is RevTech? Join me Monday on Run The Numbers as I...
How Far Will Elon Musk Take the ‘Everything’ Business as SpaceX and xAI Merge?
Elon Musk announced the merger of SpaceX and his AI startup xAI, creating a unified "everything" conglomerate that could reshape Silicon Valley’s power dynamics. With a personal net worth near $800 billion, Musk positions the combined entity to accelerate innovation across...
AI Startups Outpace Legacy Firms in Revenue Efficiency
🧔♂️ Non-AI startups: - Lots CSMs (vs FDEs) - AI is slow / noncompetitive, not true #1 focus of company - Not gaining market share - Customers don’t want to pay 2x-10x more for AI Agent (honest truth: not great)...
Excited to Join Venture Underground in San Francisco
Thank you Adeo for having me, and I'm excited to do this with the Venture Underground team this coming week in SF!
ElevenLabs Raises $500M, Soundtrack Acquires Tunify and Ambie, and Germany Tops January Figures
ElevenLabs announced a $500 million raise as it prepares for an IPO, underscoring the surge in AI‑driven startups. Spotify‑backed Soundtrack acquired Tunify and Ambie, aiming to combine local market reach with global scale. Germany topped January’s European tech funding, highlighted by...
OpenAI’s Unlimited Plan Outshines Anthropic’s Limited Pricing
pricing on openai vs. anthropic is interesting and i think oai is missing out for example, chatgpt biz for $25/month buys you all the value prop of the service - i never hit rate limits meanwhile, claude pro for $20/month i max...
AI Optimism Splits: Vertical Software Drops 43%, DevTools 21%
Vertical software has fallen 43% this year. DevTools, just 21%. The gap between them, twenty-two percentage points, tells you what markets actually believe about AI. https://t.co/D8KOXY1iu6
Taranis Capital Secures DFSA Acknowledgement for New ‘Disruptive Tech Fund’
Taranis Capital Limited has secured formal acknowledgement from the Dubai Financial Services Authority for its newly created Taranis Disruptive Tech Fund LP. The fund, filed in November 2025, targets high‑impact technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, fintech, advanced analytics...
Gym Revenue Soars with Subscription‑Based Hardware SaaS
$255K in profit from fixing how gyms sell. Live on @acquiredotcom: hardware + SaaS that turns in store visits into guided consults, subs, and recurring revenue for gyms. > $1.16M TTM revenue > $255K TTM profit > 206% YoY growth Full listing: https://t.co/8TlNbA4mqT https://t.co/H2XkQg3xJK
Chiral Raises $12M in Seed Funding
Chiral, a Zurich‑based nanotechnology spin‑off from ETH Zurich and Empa, announced a $12 million seed round led by Crane Venture Partners, with participation from Quantonation, HCVC, Founderful and public funding from Innosuisse. The financing follows a 2024 pre‑seed round and will...
VCs Accept AI Startups Only With Insane Growth
"VCs are OK in the Age of AI with tons of competition. But they aren't OK if the growth isn't just ... insane." @tbpn https://t.co/6XVHHmKshC
The 1% Mission: Why Europe’s Climate Tech Future Runs Through Industrial Giants, Not Consumer Apps
In this episode, host Tom Britton talks with Michael Langguth, founding partner of Carbon 13, about why Europe’s climate‑tech breakthroughs will come from large industrial players rather than consumer‑focused apps. Langguth explains the “green discount” – the cost advantage of deep‑tech...
Bridging the Valley of Death: How C3H Is Powering the Next Wave of Climate, Health Tech Startups
Temasek Trust’s Catalytic Capital for Climate & Health (C3H) is emerging as a key early‑stage investor for climate and health tech startups across Asia. By providing patient capital to ventures such as Notpla, Dozee and Equatic, C3H aims to bridge...
PHathom Technologies Raises $4M in Funding
pHathom Technologies, a Halifax‑based cleantech firm, announced a $4 million funding round led by Propeller Ventures, with participation from NBIF, Invest Nova Scotia and Carmeuse Ventures. The infusion brings the company’s total capital raised to $12 million since its 2024 launch. pHathom...
Lawhive Closes $60M Series B for Consumer Legal AI
Lawhive announced a $60 million Series B round led by Danaher co‑founder Mitch Rales, adding to a $40 million Series A raised less than a year earlier. The UK‑originated legal‑tech firm now reports over $35 million in annual revenue—a seven‑fold increase in 12 months—and operates...
Capalo AI Raises €11M in Series A Funding
Capalo AI, a Helsinki‑based sustainable‑tech firm, secured €11 million in a Series A round. The financing was led by Heartcore Capital with participation from Tesi, VentureFriends, PROfounders, Inventure, Innovestor and family offices. The capital will fund expansion into additional European markets in...
Daytona Raises $24M for AI Agent Computing Infrastructure
Daytona announced a $24 million Series A round led by FirstMark Capital, with participation from Pace Capital, Upfront Ventures, E2VC, Darkmode, Datadog, and Figma Ventures. The startup offers programmatic, composable sandboxes that act as "computers for every AI agent," enabling instant startup,...
Shuvi Shrivastava
Shuvi Shrivastava, a Lightspeed partner and advisor in India, leverages a decade‑long tech and consulting background to back internet‑first businesses, especially fintech. Raised across small‑town India and educated abroad, she embodies the post‑1991 liberalization generation that grew up online. Her...
Markato
Markato, founded in 2023, is a curated wholesale marketplace that links premium global brands with vetted retailers throughout Asia. The platform secured seed‑stage investments from LSVP and LSIP during its launch year. Lightspeed partners Rahul Taneja and Dat Han joined...
Vennre Secures $9.6m Pre-Series A to Open Private Markets to MENA’s ‘HENRYs’
Fintech platform Vennre announced a $9.6 million pre‑Series A round, co‑led by Vision Ventures and anb seed fund, with participation from Sanabil 500, Ace & Co, Plus VC and strategic investors. The hybrid equity‑debt financing will fund the digitisation of private‑market access for MENA’s high‑earning, not‑yet‑rich...