Venture Capital

🚀 Vento launches €75M fund to back Italian founders - wherever they are! 🇮🇹

Vento, one of Italy’s most active early-stage VCs, has announced a new €75M fund to support Italian startup founders globally. Inspired by Paris-based Kima Ventures, Vento aims to bridge Italy’s startup ecosystem with the world.

Why does this matter❕

Despite Italy’s rich entrepreneurial spirit, the startup ecosystem has lagged behind compared to other European markets. Vento, originally launched by John Elkann (chairman of Stellantis & Exor), hopes to change that by backing Italian founders at home and abroad.

➡️Key facts about the fund:

😀 375 investments planned over five years
😀 €150K standardized ticket size, with follow-ons
😀 Selective 2.5% conversion rate from 3,500+ applicants at Italian Tech Week
😀 Investment committee includes top tech veterans like Diego Piacentini & Mike Volpi

📈 Italy’s startup momentum is growing!

Venture capital investment in Italian startups has tripled in the last five years, hitting $5.72B (2020-2024).

Vento CEO Diyala D’Aveni says Italy just needs more success stories to kickstart a full-scale ecosystem boom, much like France.

💬 Is this the turning point for Italy’s startup scene? Let’s discuss!👇

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🤖DeepSeek: The hottest AI Startup that’s saying “No” to VC money - for now

DeepSeek has taken the AI world by storm, but unlike its rivals, it hasn’t raised a single round of VC funding. While other AI companies secure billions from investors, DeepSeek’s founder, Liang Wenfeng, is keeping full control.

Why? Here are three key reasons⬇️

▶️Maintaining Control
Liang owns 84% of DeepSeek, with the rest held by affiliates of his hedge fund, High-Flyer. He’s wary of VCs prioritizing fast profits over long-term AI research. By staying independent, he ensures DeepSeek follows his vision—not investor demands.

▶️Self-Funding Success
DeepSeek doesn’t need outside funding—yet. Liang has fueled the company’s growth using profits from High-Flyer, allowing DeepSeek to operate without financial pressure from external investors. As he put it: “Money has never been the problem for us; bans on advanced chips are the problem.”

▶️Trust & Privacy Risks
As a Chinese company, DeepSeek faces strict data laws that already make global expansion challenging. Accepting investments from Chinese entities could deepen concerns, leading to more bans—just like Huawei and DJI faced in the past.

Will DeepSeek take VC Money❔

While DeepSeek has resisted outside investment so far, things might change:

😀 The company recently announced its first profit margin, signaling a shift toward monetization.
😀 AI development requires high-end chips, which are expensive and heavily restricted in China.
😀 High-Flyer’s performance has dipped since 2022, and China’s crackdown on hedge funds adds more uncertainty.

With major players like Tencent and Alibaba already showing interest, will DeepSeek finally open its doors to investors? Time will tell.

📌 What do you think - should DeepSeek keep its independence or take the funding to scale faster?

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💵LoftyInc Capital raises $43M to bridge Africa’s series A Gap

Africa’s startup scene just got a big boost! LoftyInc Capital, one of the continent’s most active VC firms, has secured $43 million in the first close of its third fund, LoftyInc Alpha.

🌍 Why This Matters:
For over a decade, LoftyInc has backed early-stage African startups, making early bets on unicorns like Flutterwave, Andela, and Wave. But the firm is now shifting focus: late-seed and Series A funding - a critical gap in Africa’s investment ecosystem.

According to a recent Partech report, Series A funding in Africa saw an 18% drop in average ticket size in 2023, making it harder for promising startups to scale. While pre-seed and seed investments are still thriving, many startups struggle to reach the next level. LoftyInc aims to change that.

💰The Fund’s Focus:

✔️ Investing $1M-$5M in 20-25 startups
✔️ Supporting Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya & Francophone Africa
✔️ Key sectors: Fintech, logistics, health tech, retail, climate, deep tech & AI
✔️Backed by major investors, including Meta, IFC, FMO, Proparco, and sovereign wealth funds from Africa and the Middle East

🏆 More Than Just Capital:
LoftyInc isn’t just writing checks. With 200+ investments and 14 exits, the firm provides:

✅ Market access to help startups scale
✅ Business development support to refine strategy
✅ Investor matchmaking to secure future funding rounds

LoftyInc has already invested in some of Africa’s biggest rising stars, including:
🚗 Moove (Uber-backed vehicle financing)
😀 Thndr (Egypt’s Robinhood-style trading app)
🛒 OmniRetail (B2B e-commerce)

By helping startups bridge the funding gap, LoftyInc is paving the way for Africa’s next generation of unicorns.

Will this be the fund that launches the continent’s next big success story?

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🔥 ResilienceVC launches $56M fund to drive financial inclusion

ResilienceVC, a new fintech-focused VC firm, has just announced its $56M debut fund to back startups making financial stability accessible to all Americans 🇺🇸

Founded by Tahira Dosani & Vikas Raj, ResilienceVC is investing in fintechs that help with homeownership, affordable insurance, and access to benefits - bridging the gap in a system that often overlooks low-to-moderate-income individuals.

📌 Key Highlights:

✅ 25 investments planned, with an initial $1M per startup
✅ 75% of portfolio companies have underrepresented founders
✅ Strong regulatory ties from its Washington, D.C. HQ
✅ Backed by MetLife, Skoll Foundation, Ally Financial, & more

With fintech shifting focus to high-net-worth clients & enterprises, ResilienceVC is betting on AI & embedded fintech to build profitable businesses that serve everyone.

💡 What do you think - will this reshape fintech? Drop your thoughts below!👇

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Millie raises $12M series A to transform maternity care👶

Millie, a California-based maternity clinic founded by Anu Sharma, has secured a $12 million Series A funding round from an all-female investor group, including RH Capital, TMV, and Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Ventures. This brings the company’s total funding to nearly $19 million💵

Why Millie❓

Sharma’s inspiration for Millie came from her own pregnancy experience in 2019. Despite being the daughter of a doctor, she faced complications that were overlooked by medical professionals. That experience led her to create the maternity clinic she wished had existed when she gave birth - one that offers comprehensive, high-quality, and personalized care for mothers at every stage.

🏥 What Does Millie Offer?

Millie provides full-spectrum maternity and gynecology services, including:

✅ Hybrid care model – in-person visits + virtual consultations
✅ Postpartum coaching & mental health support
✅ Nutrition counseling & remote patient monitoring
✅ AI-powered workflows for efficiency
✅ Collaboration with major insurers & healthcare providers

Unlike traditional maternity care, Millie blends technology with human-centered care, ensuring mothers receive continuous support from pregnancy through postpartum recovery.

📍What’s next?
With fresh funding, Millie plans to expand its physical clinics across California, enhance its AI-driven technology, and grow its network of healthcare partners.

As maternal health challenges persist, innovative, accessible, and personalized care models like Millie could be game-changers.

What do you think - can FemTech reshape the future of maternity care?💬

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👀 Arize AI: Leading the charge in AI Observability

As AI becomes an essential part of modern business, ensuring its reliability is more critical than ever. That’s where Arize AI steps in.

Much like traditional observability platforms monitor software, Arize focuses on AI models and applications, helping companies detect and fix issues before they escalate.

🗓 Founded in 2020 by Jason Lopatecki and Aparna Dhinakaran, Arize has grown into a key player in AI observability, working with industry giants like Uber, Klaviyo, and Tripadvisor. The company’s open-source tool, Arize Phoenix, sees over 2 million downloads per month, proving its growing influence in the AI community.

💵With $70 million in fresh Series C funding, backed by Adams Street Partners, Datadog, PagerDuty, and others, Arize is set to expand its reach, focusing on AI agents, voice AI, and enhancing its core platform. Despite increasing competition, Arize stands out by offering both pre- and post-launch evaluations for a wide range of AI applications.

As AI adoption skyrockets, observability becomes a must-have rather than a luxury. Will Arize’s first-mover advantage give it dominance in this fast-growing market?

💡What do you think—does AI observability hold the key to the future of AI reliability? Share your thoughts!

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🧬 New Biotech Venture Fund launches Amid NIH Funding uncertainty

The biotech industry is facing uncertainty as the Trump administration pushes for limits on NIH funding for research institutions. While a federal judge has temporarily blocked the move, early-stage biotech startups relying on SBIR grants could still face funding delays or cuts.

🌼 Enter Altitude Lab Pre-seed Venture Fund – a new initiative by Recursion CEO Chris Gibson and biotech entrepreneur David Bearss. This fund will invest $100K–$250K in 10–15 biotech startups, offering early support in a critical time.

🔬Why It Matters:

✅ NIH grants have been a key funding source for biotech startups
✅ Recursion itself got a $1.46M SBIR grant in 2014, fueling its AI-driven drug discovery platform
✅ The fund provides startups with 12 months of office & lab space at Salt Lake City’s Altitude Lab

💡Gibson's Vision: Build a mini-Cambridge in Salt Lake City & help promising biotechs survive funding gaps.

With biotech innovation at stake, this fund could be a lifeline for groundbreaking startups.

What do you think? Will private capital step in as government funding wavers?

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💼 Marc Andreessen wants to make a16z a lasting company

Many wonder if Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), the $45B venture giant, will go public. Co-founder Marc Andreessen says he’s not rushing into an IPO but aims to turn a16z into a long-term investment business that stands the test of time.

✅ The Problem with Venture Capital Firms
Traditional VC firms operate as partnerships—small groups of investors making decisions together. But this model heavily relies on individuals and loses value when the founding partners step away.

✅ What’s Andreessen’s Vision?
He takes inspiration from JP Morgan and Blackstone, which started small but grew into financial powerhouses. He believes a16z should function as a real business—with structured management, scalability, and long-term sustainability.

✅ Why Does This Matter?
Andreessen wants a16z to keep investing and supporting founders across generations. Plus, as he bluntly put it: "In most partnerships, people eventually realize they don’t actually like each other that much."

Will a16z become the next Goldman Sachs?🤔

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🎙VC Sheel Mohnot on Twitter fame, Fintech, and AI hype

If you follow fintech on X, you've probably come across Sheel Mohnot, co-founder of Better Tomorrow Ventures (BTV). With 150K+ followers, he’s not just a well-known investor but also a social media personality.

⭐️Fintech & Investments
Sheel's firm, BTV, manages $300M and focuses on pre-seed & seed-stage fintech startups. They’ve backed AngelList, Charlie, Coast, and Unit, and run the Mint accelerator.

⭐️Viral Moments & Social Media Strategy
From posting memes to appearing in a Justin Bieber video, Sheel's online presence has helped attract founders and win deals. His metaverse wedding with Taco Bell? Just another chapter in his unconventional story.

⭐️Fintech is back!
Sheel believes the market is heating up again, with more exits on the horizon. His biggest bets?

✅ "Everything is fintech" – SaaS and B2B marketplaces integrating financial services
✅ Accounting startups – A growing sector due to the shortage of accountants

⭐️AI Startups: Hype vs. Reality
Sheel sees many companies claiming to be AI-driven, but only a few truly are. However, he notes that recent developments like DeepSeek are driving down AI costs, benefiting startups using AI in meaningful ways.

💬 What do you think - are we in an AI bubble, or is fintech + AI the future? Let’s discuss!

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🔍 The AI Startup that creates jobs – not just replaces them

Silicon Valley is racing to build AI agents that automate human labor, putting millions of jobs at risk. But VC Mike Ghaffary of Burst Capital is on a mission to back startups that don’t just replace jobs—they create well-paying, middle-class jobs for people without AI or ML degrees.

He’s looking for companies that:

✅ Empower small business owners (like Owner or GlossGenius)
✅ Automate tasks while keeping jobs intact
✅ Use AI for vocational training in high-paying trades (electricians, plumbers, etc.)

💬 Ghaffary believes that without startups focusing on job creation, society will face massive underemployment. Could your startup be the solution?

What do you think? Drop your thoughts below!👇

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🍒 Cherry Ventures rises $500M Fund

Can it fuel Europe’s first Trillion-Dollar Startup?💵

Berlin-based VC firm Cherry Ventures has raised a new $500M fund, aiming to back early-stage startups and support Series B+ follow-ons. But will it be enough to compete with U.S. giants?

✅ Bold Vision – Cherry wants to build Europe’s first trillion-dollar company and push back against pessimism about the region’s startup ecosystem.

✅ Tough Competition – U.S. AI startups raised $97B, while Europe’s AI funding lags at $8B.

✅ Not the Biggest Player – Cherry didn’t make last year’s HEC-Dow Jones VC ranking, while Balderton Capital recently secured $1.3B for European tech.

✅ Diverse Portfolio – Includes The Exploration Company (space tech), Flink (grocery delivery), Robeaute (neurosurgical microbots), and logistics unicorn Forto.

✅ Strong Backers – LPs include Miki Kusi (Wolt), Ilkka Paananen (Supercell), and Jochen Engert (Flix).

Will this fund be enough to drive Europe’s next big wave❓

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📈 IPO Buzz for 2025: Companies ready to go Public 🚀

Tech companies are gearing up for an exciting 2025, with IPOs expected to heat up across various sectors like fintech, space tech, and AI. Fueled by a more favorable regulatory climate, here’s a glimpse of the companies in the works for their IPOs this year:

✅ Filed in 2025:

🟠eToro (Israel): A $5B valuation in the works for this popular trading platform.

🟠Voyager Technologies (US): Valued at $2-3B, this space & defense tech company is set to go public.

🟠Karman Holdings (US): Aiming to raise $100M, this missile tech startup could reach a $3B valuation.

✅ In the Works Since 2024:

🟠Chime (US): This digital bank plans its IPO in 2025, aiming to hit a $25B valuation.

🟠Klarna (Sweden): The buy-now-pay-later fintech, valued at $14.6B, is set for a 2025 debut.

🟠Genesys (US): AI cloud startup eyes a 2025 IPO with a potential $2B raise.

🟠Cerebras (US): Competing with Nvidia, this chip startup may go public after raising its $4B valuation.

✅Trying Since 2023:

🟠Shein (Singapore/China): After setbacks, this fast-fashion giant is still trying to IPO with a $45B valuation.

🟠Oyo (India): Aiming for an IPO in early 2025 after previous attempts fell through, valued at $3.8B.

Expect more companies to hit the market, with a new wave of tech-driven IPOs poised to reshape industries in 2025💡

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🧱 “Want to Build Legos? Sign This NDA First!”

Nat Friedman, former GitHub CEO and well-known tech investor, has made an *unusual* offer on X (formerly Twitter):

*“Need volunteers to come to my office in Palo Alto today to construct a 5,000-piece Lego set. Will provide pizza. Have to sign NDA. Please DM.”*

Yes, you read that right. Legos, pizza, and... an NDA? 👀

🔒Why the NDA?
- Is Friedman hiding a secret Lego cult?
- Does he have access to ultra-rare Lego sets (the Birkin bags of the nerd world)?
- Or is he just protecting the location of his office from overzealous Stanford sophomores?

😮 The Mystery Deepens:
While building Legos with a tech legend sounds like a dream Friday night, the NDA has everyone wondering: *What’s so secretive about a Lego session?*

😀 Hot Take:
If you’re in Palo Alto and love Legos (and don’t mind signing an NDA for the lowest-stakes secret ever), this might be your chance to join the weirdest Silicon Valley gathering of the year.

And if you go, please break the NDA and tell us what really happened😄

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🚀 TravelPerk raises $200M as valuation nearly doubles to $2.7B!

TravelPerk, the business travel management platform, has just secured a massive $200 million in funding, pushing its valuation to $2.7 billion — nearly double its previous figure!

📈 Investors are clearly confident in TravelPerk’s potential, especially as the business travel market continues to recover post-pandemic. The platform offers seamless booking, trip management, and reporting tools, making it a favorite among companies worldwide.

What’s next? TravelPerk plans to expand its services, invest in new technologies, and strengthen its market position.

Do you use tools like TravelPerk for business travel? Share your thoughts in the comments!👇

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⚡️ Neko, the body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek, snaps up $260M at a $1.8B valuation

Neko Health, a body-scanning startup co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek, has raised $260 million in a Series B funding round, valuing the company at $1.8 billion. The funding will help Neko expand into new markets, particularly the U.S., where demand is high, and allow for the development of new diagnostic technologies and additional clinics. Neko has seen significant interest, with a waitlist growing to over 100,000 people.

The startup focuses on preventative healthcare, offering comprehensive health assessments using proprietary technology that generates extensive health data. Its clinics provide detailed examinations for various health risks, and a majority of customers rebook for follow-up appointments. Neko aims to innovate in the healthcare space by vertically integrating its services, making its own medical devices and software, and continually enhancing its offerings.

The funding round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from other investors. As healthcare increasingly shifts towards preventative measures, Neko positions itself as a key player in this evolving landscape.

💬 Source

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⚙️ RedNote, Flip, Clapper and Likee claim the top of the App Store as TikTok comes back online

As TikTok returns online after a brief ban, several competing apps have surged in popularity, dominating the App Store's top charts. RedNote (Xiaohongshu) has claimed the No. 1 spot, gaining 700,000 new U.S. users during the TikTok ban. Other apps like Clapper, Flip, and Likee also ranked high, with Clapper and Likee taking the No. 4 and No. 2 spots, respectively.

The TikTok outage prompted users to explore alternatives, signaling a preference for Chinese apps over Instagram. Despite TikTok's restoration, these competitors continue to thrive, with significant download increases reported. Notably, VPN apps also saw a spike in downloads as users attempted to bypass restrictions during the ban. The app landscape is expected to shift again as users reconsider their choices with TikTok back online.

💬 Source

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🌐 China is reportedly open to Elon Musk acquiring TikTok US

Chinese officials are reportedly considering the possibility of selling TikTok's U.S. operations to Elon Musk if the Supreme Court upholds a law banning the app. While the Chinese government prefers that TikTok remains under ByteDance's ownership, discussions about a sale to Musk are seen as part of a strategy to engage with the incoming Trump administration.

If the acquisition occurs, Musk’s company, X, would gain access to TikTok's 170 million American users and significant advertising revenue. However, a TikTok spokesperson dismissed the report as "pure fiction." The extent of ByteDance and TikTok's awareness of these discussions remains unclear, suggesting potential Chinese influence over the platform.

💬 Source

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‼️ UK in-home healthcare provider Cera raises $150M to expand its AI platform

Cera, a UK in-home healthcare provider, has raised $150 million in a mix of debt and equity to expand its AI-driven platform. This funding comes amid increasing pressure on public healthcare systems, particularly the NHS, which is struggling post-pandemic. The investment was led by funds affiliated with BDT & MSD Partners and Schroders Capital.

Cera's platform utilizes proprietary AI modeling to analyze patient data, which has reportedly led to significant reductions in hospitalizations, patient falls, and faster hospital discharges. The company claims to be EBITA-positive and free cash flow positive, indicating a shift towards self-sustainability. With this new funding, Cera aims to enhance its services and technology, positioning itself as a major player in the home healthcare space, covering approximately 30 million people in the UK. Cera's success highlights its role in alleviating pressure on the NHS while providing comprehensive home healthcare services.

💬 Source

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😥Microsoft to pump $3 billion into cloud and AI push in India

Microsoft plans to invest $3 billion in India to enhance its cloud and AI capabilities, aiming to expand Azure services and upskill 10 million people by 2030. CEO Satya Nadella announced this initiative during an event in Bengaluru, highlighting the growing demand for Microsoft’s technologies among Indian clients, including firms like Infosys and Air India.

This investment is part of a broader strategy by American tech giants to establish a significant presence in India, which has become a crucial market for technology development. More than 17 million developers in India utilize Microsoft's GitHub platform, showcasing the company's significant footprint in the region.

💬 Source

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🔻 Nvidia unveils $2,000 RTX 5090 GPU

Nvidia has unveiled its new RTX 5090 GPU during CES 2025, priced at $2,000. This GPU features 92 billion transistors, 4,000 AT TOPS, 380 ray-tracing TFLOPS, and 1.8 TB/s bandwidth, promising to outperform its predecessor, the RTX 4090, by up to 2x. The RTX 5090 is part of the Blackwell family, which aims to enhance gaming and creative applications through AI-driven rendering technologies.

In addition to the RTX 5090, the lineup includes the RTX 8050, 5070 Ti, and 5070, priced at $999, $749, and $549, respectively. Laptops equipped with these GPUs will start at nearly $3,000 and will be available beginning in March. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, emphasized the GPU's role in revolutionizing graphics technology, likening it to past innovations in computer graphics.

💬 Source

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