VC Dealmaking Sets Record, But Nearly All Funds Go to AI
The video highlights a record‑breaking venture‑capital fundraising year, but the surge is overwhelmingly concentrated in artificial‑intelligence startups. Data shows that 91% of the capital was allocated to deals of $100 million or more, with five AI companies alone absorbing 73% of that large‑deal pool, while traditional enterprise SaaS and other non‑AI businesses are largely left out. Key points include a stark funding disparity: roughly 25% of U.S. unicorns haven’t raised since 2022, and many “zombie” firms are stuck in down‑rounds or forced to consider SPAC exits. Sequoia’s announced $7 billion expansion underscores limited partners’ appetite for late‑stage AI exposure, and the market’s focus on a handful of headline names like Anthropic, SpaceX, and Databricks. Notable remarks from the panelists stress that companies will stay private longer, with VCs and LPs eager to maintain stakes in AI leaders that may delay IPOs. References to SpaceX’s confidential filing, Discord’s stalled public debut, and Figma’s post‑Anthropic rally illustrate how the broader IPO pipeline is waiting on AI giants to set valuation benchmarks. The concentration of capital raises concerns for non‑AI innovators, who face a funding vacuum and heightened competitive pressure. Investors’ focus on AI also postpones public market exits, potentially inflating private‑round valuations and reshaping the venture‑capital landscape toward a few dominant players.
Sequoia’s New Leaders Raise About $7B for Biggest Bets
Sequoia Capital announced a $7 billion expansion fund, the firm’s biggest raise ever, coming shortly after Pat Grady and Alfred Lin assumed co‑steward leadership. The new vehicle is roughly twice the size of the 2022 expansion fund and adds to the $2.5 billion...
What It Takes to Turn Academic Research Into a Venture-Backed StartupBM S2E9 FULL EDIT
The episode follows Capella Kurst, Stanford PhD‑turned‑founder, as she transforms a bio‑inspired dry adhesive from a university lab into Gecko Materials, a venture‑backed startup now operating on the International Space Station and serving semiconductor, automotive and robotics customers. Key insights...
Hybrid Drones CFO Provides an Insight Into How Funds Being Invested by S-Ventures Will Be Deployed
Hybrid Drones' CFO outlined a £1 million raise to bridge the final R&D phase and launch commercial operations for the Hydra 400 hybrid drone. The capital will cover remaining tests, certification, and early production, with a larger round planned once risk is...
Richard Harpin: How the UK Can Foster Entrepreneurs and Attract Talent
In a recent interview, Richard Harpin, founder of HomeServe and author of “How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps,” laid out his view on the United Kingdom’s entrepreneurial environment amid rising costs, tax pressures and geopolitical uncertainty. Harpin highlighted that...
Why India’s Wealth Is Moving Into Startups
The video explains how India’s newly affluent families and first‑generation billionaires are redirecting wealth that once sat in gold and land into high‑growth startups and venture‑capital vehicles. Data points: Hurun list shows 284 Indian billionaires, family‑office assets now $30 billion across 300...
Anthropic Draws Investor Offers at Over $800 Billion Value | Bloomberg Tech 4/15/2026
Bloomberg Tech reported that AI start‑up Anthropic is fielding investor term sheets that value the company at more than $800 billion, a dramatic increase from the $350 billion price tag cited in February. The term sheets, described by Bloomberg’s Natasha Mascarenh as “serious”...
How Much Equity Do Venture Studios Take?
The video examines how much equity venture studios typically demand and why those percentages matter for founders and later investors. Studios’ equity claims range widely—from 10% up to 80%—and the higher end can scare off follow‑on venture capital, which prefers a...
The Hill & Valley Forum: Sofreh Capital CEO Shervin Pishevar on Building Bridges
At the Hill & Valley Forum in Washington, D.C., Shervin Pishevar—founder and CEO of Freight Capital and former Uber board member—spoke about his two‑decade mission to connect Silicon Valley innovation with federal policy. He framed the gathering as a nexus...
Supabase: Is This AI Database Startup Worth $10 Billion? #shorts
Supabase, the open‑source Postgres fork founded in 2020, has just been valued at $10 billion, prompting analysts to ask whether the price is justified. The company rode an unprecedented AI tailwind, positioning its self‑deploying database as the default backend for autonomous...
AGCO Ventures Manager Optimistic About Autonomy, Drones & More
At the recent FEMA Supply Summit in San Antonio, AGCO Ventures senior manager Alex Rousomano explained the corporate venture capital arm’s purpose: to source and fund early‑stage technologies that advance the company’s farmer‑first, sustainable strategy. Rousomano said the fund acts as...
EBITDA Multiple Explained (How to Value Your Business)
The video breaks down the EBITDA multiple, the metric buyers use to price a company based on its annual operating profit. It explains why EBITDA—earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization—offers a cleaner, apples‑to‑apples view of cash generation than net...
Where Your Fund Fits in an LP Portfolio (And Why Specialization Isn’t for Everyone)
The discussion centers on how limited partners (LPs) should evaluate where a fund sits within their broader investment portfolio, weighing the appeal of sector‑specialized managers against the need for diversification. It highlights a market bias toward niche strategies while warning...
MD&M 2026 Keynote: $6.1B Advice From Ray Cohen and Tom West!
The MD&M West 2026 keynote, titled “Disrupting the Status Quo: Are We Innovating or Just Iterating?”, brought together veteran deal‑maker Ray Cohen and former J&J executive Tom West to debate what true innovation looks like in medical technology. Cohen warned that...
Cellbricks Secures $10M
Berlin‑based Celicks announced a $10 million financing round aimed at accelerating its proprietary 3D bioprinting platform for vascularized tissue implants. The capital will fund the transition of its lead programs from pre‑clinical studies into early‑stage clinical trials, positioning the startup at...