News•Feb 19, 2026
This VC’s Best Advice for Building a Founding Team
In a Build Mode podcast, General Catalyst MD Yuri Sagalov shares practical guidance for founders assembling their first team. He warns against micromanaging investors, recommends partnering with hands‑on VCs, and stresses vetting them through portfolio references. Sagalov also advises a modest equity differential between co‑founders to prevent deadlocks and urges early hires to be mission‑driven, with transparent discussions about risk and upside. The episode frames these tactics as essential for building a resilient culture and scalable compensation structure.
By TechCrunch Venture Feed
News•Feb 19, 2026
Innovation Is A Game Of Two Halves
The article argues that innovation historically relied on public markets, not just private venture capital, citing Amazon, Microsoft, Cisco and Nvidia as examples that scaled after early IPOs. It highlights a shift toward “private‑for‑longer” financing, with the median age of...
By Crunchbase News
News•Feb 19, 2026
Uganda Overtakes Rwanda, Tanzania in Startup Funding
Uganda attracted $30 million in venture capital in 2025, surpassing Rwanda ($12 million) and Tanzania ($5 million). The number of Ugandan deals doubled to 22, marking a seven‑fold increase from the previous year. Local financing from Uganda Development Bank and supportive tax incentives...
By The East African
News•Feb 19, 2026
San Francisco–Based Venture University Launches UK Investor Accelerator
Venture University, a San Francisco‑based investor accelerator, has launched VU UK, an innovation hub delivering a hands‑on VC, PE and angel investing program in the United Kingdom. The cohort‑based accelerator blends a rigorous education curriculum with an apprenticeship that lets participants...
By Startups Magazine
News•Feb 19, 2026
Plato Closes $14.5M to Bring AI Automation to Wholesale Trade
Plato, a Berlin‑based startup, secured a $14.5 million seed round led by Atomico to embed generative AI into wholesale distribution. The company links AI directly to legacy ERP systems, turning historical sales data into automated quotes, revenue alerts, and risk flags....
By The Next Web (TNW)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Emergent Launches Vibe Coding App, Reaches $100M ARR in 8 Months
Emergent announced its AI‑powered mobile app, Emergent AI, as the company hit a $100 million annual run‑rate in just eight months, doubling from $50 million in a single month. The platform now supports over six million builders across 190+ countries who have created...
By Startups Magazine
News•Feb 19, 2026
Swedish CubaseBio Emerges From Stealth with €5.9 Million to Scale Volumetric DNA Microscopy
Swedish startup CubaseBio has emerged from stealth after raising €5.9 million in blended financing – a €2 million European Innovation Council grant plus €3.9 million from Voima Ventures, Nordic Science Investments, Illumina Ventures and other life‑science investors. The capital will accelerate development of...
By ArcticStartup
News•Feb 19, 2026
Taylor Wessing Hunts for Investors to Back Start-Up Funding Platform Outpace
Taylor Wessing is actively courting investors to fund Outpace, a new start‑up financing platform it helped launch. The firm aims to leverage its legal expertise and client network to accelerate capital access for early‑stage companies. Outpace will provide a tech‑driven...
By The Lawyer (UK)
News•Feb 19, 2026
Phoenix Tailings Completes $40.2M Series B-3
Phoenix Tailings closed an oversubscribed $40.2 million B‑3 amplification round, lifting total Series B capital to $116.6 million. The financing comprised $30.2 million in equity and $10 million of venture debt supplied by Nomura. New strategic partners such as Traxys, Eni Next and Geodesic Alliance Fund...
By VC News Daily
News•Feb 19, 2026
‘What We Don’t Want Are Bad Apples,’ DCALTA Founder Says
Jonathan Epstein, founder of DCALTA, has spent over a decade lobbying for retirement savers to gain access to private‑fund investments. He argues that broader participation can boost portfolio diversification and returns for workers. On the brink of a major regulatory...
By Private Funds CFO
News•Feb 19, 2026
Extending Scientific Rigor From Bench to Boardroom
Researchers who launch biotech startups often abandon evidence‑based decision‑making once they enter the boardroom, falling prey to technology myopia, base‑rate neglect, and confirmation bias. Their lack of formal training in commercialization, financial modeling, and competitive analysis amplifies these pitfalls, leading...
By BioSpace
News•Feb 19, 2026
On Its 15th Anniversary, Foresite Capital Looks Ahead
Foresite Capital marked its 15th anniversary by projecting a resurgence in biopharma venture capital, anticipating a year‑over‑year rise in financings and IPOs starting in 2026. The firm highlighted a surge to $149 billion in biopharma VC dollars in 2025 and a...
By GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Canadian Fintech Investment Down Nearly 75% Last Year, After Record-High 2024
Canadian fintech investment plunged 75% in 2025, falling to US$2.4 billion across 113 deals, down from a record US$9.9 billion in 2024. AI and digital‑asset firms dominated the reduced deal flow, while later‑stage platforms attracted the bulk of capital. The three biggest...
By Financial Post — Finance
News•Feb 18, 2026
NewCo Boom Shows No Signs of Slowing
The NewCo model, where Asian biotech assets are spun out into Western start‑ups backed by Western capital, surged in 2025 with 13 new companies—more than double the six disclosed in 2024. Early 2026 already sees three additional launches, including Kidswell...
By BioCentury
News•Feb 18, 2026
Frist Cressey Ventures Raises $425M Fund to Invest in AI-Native Care
Frist Cressey Ventures closed an oversubscribed $425 million Fund IV, lifting its assets under management close to $1 billion. The new fund zeroes in on early‑stage, AI‑native healthcare companies that can reshape care delivery. Strategic limited partners such as Cigna, MedStar Health and...
By HIT Consultant
News•Feb 18, 2026
EDGX CEO Details the Startup’s Push for AI-Enabled Onboard Processing
Belgian AI space startup EDGX secured €2.3 million funding to accelerate its Sterna edge‑AI computer for satellites and has already signed a €1.1 million multi‑unit contract with a satellite operator. CEO Nick Destrycker says the company will focus on European defense and...
By Via Satellite
News•Feb 18, 2026
DG Matrix, Which Builds Solid-State Transformers to Handle up to 2.4 MW and Boost Data Center Power Efficiency, Raised a...
DG Matrix, a startup developing solid‑state transformers (SSTs) for data centers, announced a $60 million Series A round led by Engine Ventures. The company’s SSTs can handle up to 2.4 MW, promising higher efficiency and reduced footprint compared with legacy transformer technology....
By Techmeme
News•Feb 18, 2026
Digital Savings Startup Vestwell Lands $385M, Doubles Valuation
Vestwell, the New York‑based digital savings platform, closed a $385 million Series E round led by Blue Owl Capital and Sixth Street Growth, pushing its valuation to $2 billion—double its prior level. The fintech now reports annual recurring revenue above $200 million, serving more...
By Crunchbase News
News•Feb 18, 2026
Circuit Raises $30M in Funding
Circuit, an Austin‑based AI platform for manufacturing and service firms, announced a $30 million financing round. The round was led by a roster of high‑profile backers including Jim Breyer, Lew Cirne, and other tech investors. CEO Tyson Tuttle said the capital...
By FinSMEs
News•Feb 18, 2026
STAT+: Biotech Startup Raises $175 Million to Advance Alzheimer’s Antibody Therapy
Korsana Biosciences announced a $175 million financing round led by Fairmount, Venrock, Wellington Management and TCGX to develop its Alzheimer’s antibody candidate KRSA‑028. The startup positions KRSA‑028 as a next‑generation “brain shuttle” designed to clear amyloid plaques more efficiently than existing...
By STAT (Biotech)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Epetōme Secures Multi-Million-Pound Investment to Scale Its Subscription-Based Gut Health Range Globally
Epetōme, the UK‑based gut‑health brand founded by nutritionist Emily English, has secured a multi‑million‑pound investment led by Active Partners and Redrice Ventures. The funding will accelerate its international rollout and fund expanded clinical trials on probiotics and prebiotics. Since its...
By InternetRetailing
News•Feb 18, 2026
French VC Quantonation Raises €220 Million for Flagship Quantum and Deep-Physics Fund
Quantonation Ventures closed its second flagship fund at €220 million, making it the world’s largest dedicated quantum‑investment vehicle by assets under management. The round attracted both returning backers such as Vertex Holdings and new limited partners including the European Investment Fund,...
By EU-Startups
News•Feb 18, 2026
Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund Dumps ETHZilla Stake as ETH Treasuries Face Pressure
Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund has completely divested its 7.5% stake in ETHZilla, the former 180 Life Sciences company that rebranded to run an Ether‑focused treasury. The stake, worth about $40 million when disclosed in August 2025, is now reported as zero...
By Cointelegraph
News•Feb 18, 2026
InKind Raises $450M in Funding
Austin‑based restaurant commerce platform inKind announced a $450 million funding round backed by Peak6 founders, former Sodexo US CEO, and Condé Nast CPTO. The capital will fuel a rollout to an additional 10,000 U.S. restaurants over the next twelve months. inKind already...
By FinSMEs
News•Feb 18, 2026
Drug Discovery Platform Peptris Raises Rs 70 Cr in Series A Round
Peptris, a Bengaluru‑based AI drug‑discovery startup, closed a Rs 70 crore ($7.7 million) Series A round co‑led by IAN Alpha Fund and Speciale Invest. The capital will accelerate its pipeline, moving novel chemical entities and repurposing programs toward clinical readiness within 24 months. Peptris’ platform...
By Entrackr
News•Feb 18, 2026
Is Australia’s Secondaries Market the Solution to Delayed Exits and Liquidity Pressure?
Australia’s venture ecosystem is confronting a liquidity crunch as exits stretch and companies remain private longer. Secondary transactions have moved from occasional fixes to a structural component, with analysts estimating a US$2.6 billion pool of liquidity in tech firms over the...
By Startup Daily (ANZ)
News•Feb 18, 2026
Fabless Semiconductor Startup Vervesemi Raises $10 Mn in Series A Round
Fabless semiconductor startup Vervesemi announced a $10 million Series A round co‑led by Ashish Kacholia and Unicorn India Ventures, with participation from Roots Ventures, Caperize Fina, and MAIQ Growth Scheme. The funding will accelerate commercialization of its machine‑learning‑enhanced analog signal‑chain ICs, expand...
By Entrackr
News•Feb 18, 2026
Zest Equity Launches Zest Arrange and Zest Escrow Following FSRA Authorisation
Zest Equity, backed by Morgan Stanley and regional investors, launched two new FSRA‑regulated services—Zest Arrange and Zest Escrow—expanding its private‑market infrastructure platform. Zest Arrange digitizes end‑to‑end deal‑making workflows, while Zest Escrow provides a regulated escrow function with segregated UAE bank...
By FinSMEs
News•Feb 18, 2026
Artociti Raises Rs 1 Cr on Shark Tank India at Rs 13.33 Cr Valuation
Artociti, a Bokaro‑based 3D wall‑art startup, secured Rs 1 crore on Shark Tank India in exchange for a 7.5% stake, placing its post‑money valuation at roughly Rs 13.33 crore. The funding, provided by investors Namita Thapar and Vineeta Singh, will finance a new manufacturing...
By Entrackr
News•Feb 18, 2026
SatVu Raises £30M to Accelerate Its Constellation
UK‑based thermal‑imaging firm SatVu announced a £30 million equity raise, bringing its total financing to £60 million. The funding, sourced from the NATO Innovation Fund, British Business Bank and existing backers, will accelerate the deployment of its HotSat constellation after the on‑orbit...
By Payload
News•Feb 18, 2026
Early-Stage Biotechs Suffer in 2025 As VC Shuns Risk: PitchBook
Venture capital in biopharma rebounded in 2025, delivering $33.8 billion across 1,171 deals, but the capital is increasingly concentrated in late‑stage companies. Early‑stage startups received only 32% of the funding, down from over 40% during the pandemic surge, while median deal...
By BioSpace
News•Feb 18, 2026
India’s AIF Industry Crosses Rs 15 Lakh Crore as Domestic Capital & Liquidity Reshape Private Markets
India’s alternative investment fund (AIF) sector has crossed the ₹15.05 lakh crore mark, underscoring rapid scale and emerging maturity. Equity‑oriented AIFs have delivered roughly 8.7 % alpha over the BSE Sensex across multiple cycles, highlighting consistent outperformance. Domestic investors now contribute about 55 %...
By The Economic Times – Markets
News•Feb 17, 2026
Breakthrough Victoria Scores 5x Uplift on Investment in US Quantum Startup Listing on the NYSE
Breakthrough Victoria’s A$29 million stake in US‑based Infleqtion has generated a five‑fold value increase after the company listed on the NYSE via a SPAC merger. Infleqtion raised US$550 million, debuting at US$14.25 per share and closing at US$15.59, a 14% first‑day gain....
By Startup Daily (ANZ)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Temporal
Temporal announced a Series D financing round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, bringing new capital to the open‑source durable execution platform. The round includes Lightspeed partners Anoushka Vaswani, Ravi Mhatre, Bucky Moore and Justin Shen. Temporal’s technology underpins mission‑critical services at...
By Lightspeed » Ideas
News•Feb 17, 2026
QuadSci Receives $8M Series A Funding Round
QuadSci announced an $8 million Series A round led by Crosslink Capital, with participation from Alumni Ventures, Correlation Ventures, and several angel investors. The startup’s AI platform uniquely ties product usage telemetry to revenue outcomes, enabling firms to predict churn, uncover growth,...
By VC News Daily
News•Feb 17, 2026
ChipAgents Completes $50M Series A1 Round
ChipAgents announced the close of an oversubscribed $50 million Series A1 round, raising its total capital to $74 million. The round was led by Matter Venture Partners, a TSMC‑backed HardTech VC, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Micron, MediaTek and Ericsson. ChipAgents’ Agentic...
By VC News Daily
News•Feb 17, 2026
Dragonfly Raises $650M for Crypto Venture Fund IV
Dragonfly Capital announced the close of its fourth crypto venture fund with $650 million in commitments, topping the original $500 million target. The fund will back early‑stage blockchain projects across infrastructure, DeFi, stablecoins and tokenized real‑world assets. Recent allocations include...
By Ventureburn
News•Feb 17, 2026
Meridian Closes $17M Seed Round to Bring Agentic AI to Financial Modeling
Meridian, an AI‑driven financial modeling startup, emerged from stealth with a $17 million seed round at a $100 million post‑money valuation. The funding was led by Andreessen Horowitz and The General Partnership, joined by QED Investors, FPV Ventures, and Litquidity Ventures. Meridian...
By The AI Insider
News•Feb 17, 2026
Dragonfly Raises $650M for New Fund to Back DeFi, Prediction Markets and Stablecoins
Dragonfly Capital announced the close of its fourth venture fund, raising $650 million to back projects in decentralized finance, stablecoins and prediction markets. The fund marks the firm’s largest commitment yet, reflecting confidence that the crypto sector remains in an early...
By The Defiant
News•Feb 17, 2026
Announcing Our Investment in Temporal: Agents Make Mistakes. Your Workflows Can’t.
Lightspeed announced a strategic investment in Temporal’s $300 million Series D, positioning the durable‑execution platform as essential infrastructure for AI‑driven agents. Temporal’s technology lets agents recover from failures, maintain state, and run for extended periods without manual intervention. The company reports 380%...
By Lightspeed » Ideas
News•Feb 17, 2026
AI-Powered Worksite Safety Startup Fyld Raises £32m Series B
London‑based AI startup Fyld has closed a £32 million Series B round, led by Energy Impact Partners with participation from Partech’s Growth Impact Fund. The funding will fuel the expansion of its real‑time safety and compliance platform for frontline workers into the...
By Sifted
News•Feb 17, 2026
Cloud Startup Render Raises Funding at $1.5 Billion Valuation as AI-Built Apps Boom
Render announced a $100 million financing round that lifts its valuation to $1.5 billion, reflecting the surge in AI‑generated applications. The San‑Francisco startup reports revenue growth exceeding 100 percent and a developer community of more than 4.5 million users. It runs on AWS and...
By CNBC – Markets
News•Feb 17, 2026
How the Uninvestable Is Becoming Investable
Venture capital is moving into traditionally “hard” sectors—government, defence, energy, manufacturing—after years of avoidance. Rapid growth in public‑sector tech spending, which more than doubled between 2021 and 2025, and the rise of AI‑first solutions are reshaping procurement cycles and lowering...
By The Next Web (TNW)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Daffodil Health Raises $16.3M for AI Claims Automation
Daffodil Health announced a $16.3 million Series A round, bringing its total capital to $20.9 million. The San Francisco startup uses AI and large‑language models to automate health‑plan administration, focusing on out‑of‑network pricing and payment‑integrity workflows. Funds will accelerate product development and expand...
By MobiHealthNews (HIMSS Media)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Side Letter: M&G’s Liquidity Play
M&G has introduced a side‑letter that leverages the secondary market to provide liquidity for its private‑equity commitments, allowing investors optional redemption windows while preserving long‑term value. The move comes as Q4 private‑equity exit volume fell below expectations, highlighting a slowdown...
By Private Equity International
News•Feb 17, 2026
MeitY, IVCA Mobilise ₹500 Cr VC Commitments For AI Startups
At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, MeitY and the Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA) announced a collective ₹500 crore VC commitment from 16 member funds to accelerate Indian AI startups. Sixteen investors, including Accel, Antler and Prosus, pledged...
By Inc42
News•Feb 17, 2026
From Client to Cap Table: Shakudo Converts Customers Into Investors with $7-Million USD Raise
Toronto‑based AI infrastructure startup Shakudo closed a $7 million USD Series A2 round, led by Wittington Ventures, adding investors from its client base such as Loblaw and CentralReach. The round brings total funding to roughly $18 million and places Wittington managing partner...
By BetaKit (Canada)
News•Feb 17, 2026
Kenya’s Arc Ride Secures $5 Million IFC Commitment for Regional Expansion
Kenyan e‑mobility startup Arc Ride has secured a $5 million equity commitment from the International Finance Corporation to fuel its Series A round and regional rollout. The funding will accelerate the deployment of battery‑swapping stations across East Africa, complementing earlier debt deals...
By TechCabal
News•Feb 17, 2026
Emirates NBD Leads $31 Million Round in Real Estate Investment Platform Stake
Stake, a fractional real‑estate investment platform, closed a $31 million financing round led by Emirates NBD, bringing its total capital to $58 million. The raise backs Stake’s rapid expansion beyond Saudi Arabia into the United States and supports its regulated offering in the Kingdom....
By Finextra
News•Feb 17, 2026
Danish Fintech Pluto Secures New Funding From Seed Capital and Unicorn Founders to Scale Commission-Free Investing Across Europe
Copenhagen‑based fintech Pluto announced a €5 million funding round led by Seed Capital and a syndicate of ten Danish unicorn founders, including executives from Pleo, Synthesia and Zendesk, with footballer Thomas Delaney also participating. The capital will fuel the launch of “Pluto...
By ArcticStartup