Japanese Firms Back VC Fund Targeting African Startups
Japanese conglomerates Mitsubishi Corp., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and Toyota Ventures LLC have pledged $147 million to a new Africa‑focused venture capital fund managed by Novastar Ventures. The fund also attracted capital from SBI Holdings, Mitsui OSK Lines, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. This collective investment underscores a growing Japanese appetite for African technology startups. The partnership aims to channel Japanese expertise and capital into high‑growth sectors across the continent.
Swedish Endform Raises €1.5 Million to Speed up Web Testing for AI-Era Development
Swedish startup Endform announced a €1.5 million (approximately $1.6 million) Series A round led by Alliance VC and other investors. The funding will accelerate its platform that slashes Playwright end‑to‑end test execution from roughly 30 minutes to under two minutes by running thousands of...
Early-Stage Funding Value Ticks up 46 Pc, but Numbers Decrease
Early‑stage startup funding in India rose sharply in value, climbing 46% to $879 million in FY 2025‑26, even as the total number of deals fell from 192 to 129. The surge is driven by larger cheques in Series A and B rounds, which...
AI-Generated Code Verification Startup Qodo Raises $70M
Qodo, operating as Codium Ltd., announced a $70 million Series B round, bringing its total capital to $120 million. The startup offers an AI‑driven code verification platform that inserts a governance layer into developers' CI/CD pipelines, using specialized agents to detect bugs, compliance...
As a VC, I Can Predict a Startup’s Success in Minutes — And It Comes Down to 3 Traits (Not...
A veteran VC argues that a startup’s fate can be judged in minutes by assessing three founder traits—clarity, context, and chemistry—rather than relying on a polished pitch deck. He explains that clear, jargon‑free storytelling reveals true problem insight, while deep...
The Small Saskatchewan City Putting Big Money Behind Rural Tech Founders
Saskatchewan’s Southeast Tech Hub (SETH) in the 10,000‑person town of Estevan is reviving its annual pitch competition, offering a $20,000 CAD (≈$14,800 USD) seed prize to rural entrepreneurs. The event, held April 16 at Southeast College and livestreamed region‑wide, showcases startups from...
Qodo Raises $70M Series B
Qodo, an AI‑driven code review and governance platform, secured $70 million in Series B financing, raising its total capital to $120 million. The round was led by Qumra Capital and featured participation from Maor Ventures, Phoenix Capital Partners, S Ventures, Square Peg, Susa Ventures, TLV Partners, Vine Ventures,...
Centivax Closes $37 Million Financing
Centivax, a clinical‑stage biotech focused on universal vaccines, closed an oversubscribed $37 million financing round led by Structure Fund. The round also attracted Meiji Seika Pharma, Sigmas Group, Kendall Capital Partners, and Stripe co‑founder Patrick Collison. The capital will fund pre‑clinical...
Mevo Raises $18M Round Led by Prosus
Brazilian digital prescription platform Mevo secured an $18 million funding round led by Prosus, with participation from Matrix, Jefferson River Capital and Floating Point. The capital will fund expansion of exam‑scheduling tools, patient‑support program integration, and growth of its online pharmacy...
ScaleOps Raises $130M Series C at Over $800M Valuation to Lead the Future of Autonomous Cloud and AI Infrastructure Resource...
ScaleOps announced a $130 million Series C round that values the company at over $800 million, led by Insight Partners and joined by existing backers. The funding brings total capital raised to more than $210 million as the firm scales its autonomous cloud and...
The $600 Million Asset Manager that Tracked a Startup for Three Years Before Investing $1.2 Million
BFA Asset Management, a $600 million spin‑off of Angola’s second‑largest bank, launched the Kimmo Fund to back mid‑market companies. The fund’s first deployment was a $5 million anchor from the sovereign wealth fund FSDEA into agri‑food processor FoodCare, followed by a $1.2 million...
Huskeys Raises $8m Seed to Modernise Legacy Web Security
Edge security startup Huskeys announced its emergence from stealth after closing an $8 million seed round led by investors such as 10D, SV Angel and a roster of athlete angels. The company launched its Edge Security Management platform, which sits atop...
Sett Raises $30m to Scale AI-Driven Marketing Automation Platform
Sett, a 2023 startup, raised $30 million in a Series B round to expand its AI‑driven marketing automation platform. The platform automatically generates playable and video ads while optimizing campaign performance across the user‑acquisition funnel for game publishers. The funding, led by...
Italy’s VC Ecosystem Matures Into €10B Engine — but Structural Gaps Still Hold It Back
P101’s tenth State of Italian VC report shows the ecosystem now generates about $10.8 B in output and employs roughly 62,000 people. Venture capital funding has quadrupled to $1.5 B annually in 2025, though the number of deals fell 35% and the...
Starcloud Raises $170M Series A at $1.1B Valuation
Starcloud, a Redmond‑based orbital data‑center startup, closed a $170 million Series A round that values the company at $1.1 billion. The financing, led by Benchmark and EQT Ventures with participation from institutional and angel investors, follows the successful November launch of Starcloud‑1, which...
Midas Closes $50M Series A to Scale On-Chain Investment Products
On-chain investment platform Midas announced a $50 million Series A round, bringing its total funding to $58.75 million. The round was led by RRE Ventures and Creandum, with participation from major crypto investors including Coinbase Ventures and Franklin Templeton. Midas’ technology tokenizes institutional‑grade...
UK ‘Venture Scientist’ Fund Secures £10m Commitment
Empirical Ventures, a UK investment group focused on scientific founders, has secured a £10 million (≈ $12.7 million) commitment from the British Business Bank, raising the bank’s total backing to £15 million (≈ $19.1 million). The funds will be channeled into deep‑tech and life‑science startups led...
YFM Backs Digital End-of-Life Platform
UK‑based digital end‑of‑life platform Aura Life has secured backing from YFM Equity Partners to accelerate its growth. Founded in 2019 after a co‑founder’s motor neurone disease diagnosis, the company offers a transparent, digitally‑enabled alternative to traditional funeral planning. The new...
Why Venture Investing Could Be a Win-Win for Family Offices
Family offices are increasingly turning to venture investing as a strategic extension of their philanthropic mission. By deploying permanent, patient capital into early‑stage companies, they can generate scalable solutions to health, climate, education and technology challenges while preserving the potential...
IQM Secures €50M to Accelerate Global Growth
Finland‑based quantum computing startup IQM Quantum Computers has secured a €50 million financing package, roughly $55 million, from BlackRock‑managed funds. The capital will bolster IQM’s balance sheet ahead of its planned SPAC merger that would make it Europe’s first publicly listed quantum...
Cedar Hill Capital Leads $1.5 Mn Round in Fraud Intelligence Startup Sign3
Early‑stage VC Cedar Hill Capital led a $1.5 million financing round for Gurugram‑based fraud‑intelligence startup Sign3. The round also included existing backer Smile Group and angels such as Rajesh Sawhney, Dinesh Agarwal, Anup Agarwal and Vinay Bagri. Sign3’s AI‑native platform, used by...
Bajaj Finserv To Invest ₹400-₹450 Cr In AI Startups, Launch Dedicated Fund
Bajaj Finserv announced a plan to invest between ₹400 cr and ₹450 cr (approximately $48‑$54 million) in AI‑focused ventures during FY27, combining a new dedicated private‑equity fund with direct balance‑sheet investments. The AI‑focused AIF, managed by its alternative‑investment arm Bajaj Alts, aims to...
Q&A with Whit Matthews: Fundraising Has Been ‘Especially Difficult’ for Emerging Managers
Whit Matthews, chief investment officer at HighVista Strategies, told Buyouts Insider that fundraising has become "especially difficult" for emerging private‑equity managers. He explained that limited partners (LPs) are tightening their due‑diligence standards and demanding clearer evidence of value creation. Matthews...
Finding the Right Partners Is Pivotal for New Funds
Limited partners (LPs) are increasingly demanding that emerging fund managers rigorously vet their third‑party service providers. The expectation is that these managers will prioritize partners who can demonstrate strong compliance, technology, and cost efficiency. By selecting high‑quality administrators, auditors, and...
Haven-1 and the Commercial Space Station Investment Case: What Nikon’s Bet on Vast Tells Us
Vast, the commercial‑space‑station developer, closed a $500 million financing round in March 2026 led by Balerion Space Ventures, bringing total investment in its Haven program to over $1 billion and adding industrial backers such as Nikon, Qatar Investment Authority, Mitsui and MUFG. The...
Where Startup Money Is Really Coming From Today
The article outlines a reshaped startup funding ecosystem where venture capital remains pivotal but now concentrates on companies with clear traction and growth potential. Early‑stage capital has fragmented into accelerators, incubators, corporate programs, grants and hybrid funds, creating a broader...
Inside Inflexor Ventures’ Investment Playbook; VC Inflow in India’s Startup Ecosystem Remains High
Inflexor Ventures, a Mumbai‑based VC, has been backing deep‑tech startups since 2015 and is now raising its third fund of roughly Rs 1,200 crore (about $145 million) to target pre‑Series A and Series A companies with validated products. The firm prioritises working prototypes, early customer...
The Key Signals that Inflexor Ventures Looks for While Investing in Deeptech Startups
India’s deep‑tech ecosystem is moving from pure scientific ambition to commercial scale, buoyed by a government‑backed Rs 1 lakh crore (≈$12 billion) Research, Development and Innovation fund. Inflexor Ventures, an early‑stage Mumbai VC, is raising a third fund of about Rs 1,200 crore (≈$144 million) to back...
Vegan Discovery Platform Abillion Shuts Down Amid Funding Struggles & AI Threat
Abillion, the vegan discovery platform with over a million downloads and two million active users, announced it will shut down by the end of March after failing to secure additional funding. The startup raised more than $17 million, including a $10 million...
EPIC Microsystems Raises $21M to Power Next-Gen AI Data Centers
EPIC Microsystems announced an oversubscribed $21 million Series A round, bringing its total capital to $26 million. The funding, led by Seligman Ventures with participation from Intel Capital and other venture firms, will accelerate commercialization of its hybrid switched‑capacitor (HSC) power delivery technology...
Singapore’s Tazapay Secures $36m Series B to Expand Cross-Border Payment Rails
Singapore fintech Tazapay closed a $36 million Series B extension led by Circle Ventures, bringing its total Series B to $36 million. The round added new backers Coinbase Ventures, CMT Digital and others, while existing investors like Ripple also participated. Funds will fuel licensing...
K-12 EdTech Startup Qweebi Raises $500k To Bring Hands-On STEM & Robotics To Millions Of Students
Qweebi, a Singapore‑based EdTech startup, secured $500,000 seed funding led by Inflection Point Ventures, with participation from industry veterans. The browser‑based platform now serves over 5,200 U.S. schools—about 4% of the market—and more than 100,000 K‑12 students, delivering hands‑on STEM...
Tokenized Platform xStocks Brings New Private Shares Fund On-Chain
Tokenized equities platform xStocks is launching a single token, VCXx, that represents the newly public Fundrise Innovation Fund, bringing late‑stage private‑market exposure onto its blockchain marketplace. The fund debuted on the NYSE at $31 per share, spiked to $575, then...
From Moon Hotels to Cattle Herding: 8 Startups Investors Chased at YC Demo Day
Y Combinator’s Winter 2026 Demo Day showcased eight startups that quickly became investor favorites, each flagged by at least two venture capitalists. Valuations ranged from a default $30 million seed benchmark to $100 million for companies already generating over $1 million in annual revenue....
Info Edge Exits Shopkirana via Swap Deal with Udaan’s Parent Trustroot; to Invest Rs 250 Cr in A88 Fund
Info Edge approved a strategic swap, selling its 26.14% stake in Shopkirana E Trading to Trustroot Internet for $32.97 million and receiving preference shares that give it a 2.13% indirect holding in Trustroot. The company will also inject $1.72 million, bringing total...
Helix Earth Secures $12 Million in Seed 2 Funding
Helix Earth, a Houston‑based hardware firm rooted in NASA aerospace technology, closed an oversubscribed $12 million Seed 2 round. The financing was led by Veriten and featured participation from Rua Ventures, Carnrite Ventures, Skywriter LLC, Textbook Ventures and other investors. Backers span...
Crowdcube Lists Opportunity to Invest in Blockchain.com in Pre-IPO Opportunity
Crowdcube, a leading UK crowdfunding platform, is running a pre‑IPO secondary offering for Blockchain.com. Shares are priced at £10.47 (about $13.4) each, valuing the crypto firm at roughly $4 bn, a steep drop from its 2022 $14 bn peak. The deal has...
Feds Reveal Streams Behind $1-Billion VC Initiative as Budget Becomes Law
Canada’s 2025 federal budget has become law, unlocking roughly $1 trillion CAD in five‑year investments and a $78.3 billion CAD deficit for 2025‑26. The budget earmarks a $1 billion CAD Venture and Growth Capital Catalyst Initiative, split into $700 million CAD funds‑of‑funds, $200 million CAD...
ICYMI Fintech Funding Round-Up: Chexy, Littlefish, Happy Pay, and More
FinTech Futures’ weekly ICYMI roundup highlights a wave of funding across the sector, with nine companies securing between $3.6 million and $14 million. Canadian paytech Chexy raised $14 million to scale its rewards‑based payments platform, while South Africa’s Littlefish secured $9.5 million to expand...
Deal Roundup: Advent Helps Shield AI to $12.7bn Valuation, Lone Star Completes AGI Buyout From Audax, Greenbriar Equity
Advent International led Shield AI’s Series G round, lifting the aerospace and defence technology firm’s valuation to $12.7 billion. The capital infusion supports the company’s push to scale autonomous, AI‑driven drone platforms for military customers. In the same roundup, Lone Star...
MTandT Rentals Raises Rs 100 Cr From ValueQuest S.C.A.L.E. Fund II
MTandT Rentals, a Chennai‑based provider of aerial work platforms and ground‑protection access solutions, secured ₹100 crore (approximately $12 million) from ValueQuest S.C.A.L.E. Fund II, marking its first institutional round after a prior ₹62 crore seed raise. The capital will fund nationwide expansion and enable...
Canadian VCs Are Starting to Fear an AI-Driven “SaaSpocalypse”
Canadian venture capitalists are increasingly worried that generative AI could trigger a "SaaSpocalypse," threatening the traditional SaaS business model. 2025 was the worst year for Canadian VC fundraising since 2016, leaving funds under pressure to return capital. AI‑native startups...
Update: Bellatrix Aerospace Raises $20 Mn in Pre Series B Round
Bellatrix Aerospace, a Bengaluru‑based spacetech startup, closed a $20 million pre‑Series B round led by Cactus Partners, with participation from Hero Investment Office, 35 North Ventures and existing backers. The financing values the company at roughly $105 million, a 2.7‑fold increase from its previous...
CurrentClient Raises $1.25M in Seed Funding
CurrentClient, a Provo‑based communication platform for financial advisors, closed a $1.25 million seed round led by Thicket Ventures. The investment brings Justin Wisz, Thicket’s partner, onto the company’s board. The capital will fund operational expansion and accelerate product development. Founded in...
Climate Investment Raises $450 Million to Address the “Missing Middle” In Climate Tech Finance
Climate Investment has closed a $450 million Decarbonization Acceleration Fund to fund the "missing middle" of climate‑tech finance, bridging the gap between early‑stage venture capital and large‑scale private‑equity or infrastructure funding. The fund targets proven decarbonization solutions in energy, heavy industry,...
Clasp Raises $20M Series B Funding
Clasp, a Boston‑based retention‑driven recruitment platform, secured $20 million in Series B financing led by Crosslink Capital and Digitalis Ventures, with participation from Juvo, Strada Education, Frank Britt and Jason Nazar. The capital will fund operational scaling and accelerated product development. The...
Pavestone Leads $3 Mn Seed Round in Lending Solutions Platform Uncia
Uncia, an AI‑native lending‑technology platform, closed a $3 million seed round led by Hyderabad‑based venture capital firm Pavestone. The capital will fuel accelerated growth in India and support expansion into the MENA region and North America. Founded in 2020, Uncia offers...
GoSwap Secures Backing From Azur Innovation Fund to Expand Urban Mobility Network
Moroccan electric‑mobility startup GoSwap has closed a seed round exceeding $2 million, led by Azur Innovation Fund, to scale its battery‑as‑a‑service network. The company’s swap stations, already 20 in Casablanca, let users replace scooter batteries in under 10 seconds, cutting operating...
zypl.ai Closes $5.5 Million Bridge Round at $80 Million Valuation
UAE‑based credit‑scoring startup zypl.ai secured a $5.5 million bridge round, valuing the company at $80 million. The round was led by Silicon Valley’s Carbide Ventures and featured investor Shukhrat Ibragimov. Zypl.ai will use the capital to accelerate global expansion and roll out...
