💧 Flow raises $100M+ at $2.5B valuation as Neumann returns to the spotlight

Former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann’s new venture, Flow, has raised over $100M, doubling its valuation to $2.5B. Flow is reimagining residential real estate with a vertically integrated platform combining AI, property management, and community building.

✅What’s inside the deal
• $100M+ raised with Andreessen Horowitz increasing its stake from 20% to 25%
• $2.5B current valuation, up from $1B in 2022
• Active expansion in Miami with major property acquisitions
• International footprint with teams in New York, Palo Alto, and Riyadh
• Focus on AI-driven residential management without third-party operators

📈 Why it matters
• Investors are betting on Neumann’s "second act," seeing potential beyond his WeWork legacy
• Flow’s model targets the $3.5T residential real estate market, far larger than WeWork’s office niche
• Heavy integration of AI signals a shift toward fully automated community management
• A patient, cashflow-positive approach could avoid WeWork’s hypergrowth mistakes

Neumann is making a comeback — but will investors’ patience outlast the ghosts of WeWork?

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🔥 Electra lands top-tier backing to decarbonise ironmaking

Electra, a Colorado-based climate tech startup, has closed a $186M Series B to scale its clean iron production platform — pulling in major names across climate, industry, and capital.

✅ What’s inside the deal
• $186M Series B co-led by Capricorn Investment Group and Temasek
• Backed by Breakthrough Energy, Lowercarbon Capital, BHP Ventures, Rio Tinto, Toyota Tsusho, Nucor, and others
• Total funding to date: $214M

🧠 Why it’s interesting
• Electra makes 99% pure iron using low-grade ores and renewable electricity, no blast furnace
• Its modular electrochemical process slashes emissions and enables local, distributed production
• Already securing downstream integration across mining, steel, and EV supply chains

🚀 Why it matters
• Iron and steel = ~10% of global CO₂ emissions
• Automotive and construction giants are hunting for clean feedstock
• Investors are betting this is the climate tech wedge into one of the dirtiest industrial sectors

Steel’s getting a software-style reset. Electra wants to be the Stripe of green iron.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🔥 Ready to take your startup to the next level?

Sber500 is an international accelerator helping startups grow faster, learn from global experts and connect with investors and corporations.

The 3-month online program selects 150 tech teams from around the world and offers:

✅ Mentors from top global companies like Google, Amazon, and Oracle
✅Personal growth tracks for each team
✅ Access to VC
✅ Piloting opportunities with large corporations
✅ Insights into the Russian market and connections with local corporations
✅ Media visibility in a new market

The top 25 startups pitch live at Demo Day in Moscow — in front of investors, corporate innovation leads, and top Sber executives.

All program activities are fully online, so you can join from anywhere for free. BRICS teams are especially welcome.

🗓️ Applications are open until May 12

Apply now  👉 Link 👈

🌎 Fluent Ventures bets on startup clones—with a twist

San Francisco–based Fluent Ventures is out to prove that the best startup ideas aren’t born—they’re adapted. The firm backs founders in emerging markets who localize proven models from the West, a strategy it proudly calls “geographic alpha.”

❓ What they’re doing differently
• Backing founders in Latin America, Africa, MENA, Southeast Asia, and select U.S. markets
• Investing $250K to $2M in early rounds via a $40M fund + co-investment vehicle
• Focusing on fintech, healthtech, and commerce, but with local product-market fit
• Portfolio includes Sabi (Nigeria), Prima (Brazil), BRKZ (Saudi Arabia), and Minu (Mexico)

🎤Not just copy-paste, says founder Alexandre Lazarow
Fluent avoids simple cloning and looks for deep local adaptation—like how Go-Jek built a motorbike-based super app in Indonesia rather than replicating Uber directly.

🧠 Why this matters now
• Unicorns are now emerging from 150+ cities globally
• IPOs like Nubank, UiPath, Swiggy show global outcomes are real
• Fluent’s backers include Nubank’s David Vélez, Sea Group’s Nick Nash, and LPs across multiple continents

📣Takeaway:
In a world oversaturated with U.S.-centric VC bets, Fluent is placing smart capital where localized innovation is just getting started. Are clone+local wins the future of global venture?

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

💰 Tapcheck raises $225M to rewrite how payroll works

Texas-based Tapcheck, founded by husband-and-wife duo Ron and Kayling Gaver, just secured $225 million in equity and credit to expand its earned wage access (EWA) platform—redefining how American workers get paid.

🧠 Built from lived experience:
• Founded in 2019 after years of dealing with payroll issues in their previous businesses
• Ron brings GTM and finance background; Kayling is a 20-year veteran in payroll tech
• Tapcheck is their third successful venture together

⚙️ How it works:
• Lets employees access earned wages before payday—at no cost to employers
• Integrates with 300+ payroll systems, providing accurate real-time wage data
• Reduces financial stress and boosts retention—used by Hilton, Taco Bell, and McDonald’s

🚀 Why it stands out:
• Combines real-time wage access with seamless integrations and white-glove support
• Backed by empathy-driven UX and high-touch customer service
• Enabled $1B+ in early wage funding, serving 12,000+ locations and hundreds of thousands of workers

With new capital from PeakSpan Capital and Victory Park, Tapcheck is building out AI features, expanding Mastercard access, and positioning itself as the most trusted EWA solution in the U.S.—a platform built for both impact and scale.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

‼️ The $195M Startup That Burned Out Over Coffee

A powerful founder story shared by Groove and Helply’s Alex Turnbull is making waves — and for good reason. It’s a wake-up call for the VC world, revealing how a startup that hit a $195M valuation collapsed under its own expectations.

✅ What’s inside the story
• Founder raised $33M, scaled to 100+ employees, reached $195M valuation
• But by 2025: $750K/month burn, flat growth, 3 months of runway
• Confesses: “Your 5-person company makes more profit than mine ever has.”

💡Why it matters
• Most founders won’t get the fairy-tale exit
• High-burn, valuation-first models are cracking under macro pressure
• “The math doesn’t work” — but the treadmill keeps going

⚖️ Venture vs. control
This isn’t an anti-VC narrative — it’s a realignment moment. Some founders are trading boardrooms and headlines for quiet profitability, lean teams, and full control.

🧠 Final thought
Not every startup needs a rocketship. In a market where exits are rare and burn is brutal, sustainable might be the new smart.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🎵 Aria: The First AI-Powered Artist Economy

Tired of streaming music without knowing where your money goes?
Aria changes that—instantly.

Aria is the first AI-powered music platform where fans drive the economy. With one simple subscription, you choose which artists get paid.
No middlemen.
No guesswork.
Just real support for the artists you love.

Why Aria❓

🔹Fan-Funded, Artist-First – Every dollar counts. Fans decide where their money goes, giving power back to the creators.

🔹 One Tap, Instant Impact – Subscribe once. Pick your favorite artist. Aria does the rest—sending revenue, unlocking perks, and building a real connection.

🔹 AI Discovery That Gets You – Our cutting-edge AI matches you with emerging and underrated talent before they blow up.

🔹 The Artist Marketplace – Buy exclusive drops, book experiences, and invest in your favorite artists’ success.

🔹 No More Mindless Streaming – Every stream, every click, every subscription fuels real careers. Be more than a listener—be a backer.

🚀 Smart. Easy. Revolutionary.
Aria isn’t just another music app—it’s a movement. Join the new era where fans fuel the future of music, and artists finally get what they deserve.

Join the fastest growing underground movement ‼️
Your support will go a long way—for the culture, the creators, and the community.

👉 AppStore Link 👈
🔑Invite Code: ariaco

💰We’re currently raising $3M to scale the platform—$440K has already been subscribed.

👉 Pitch Deck 👈

Let’s build the future of music together.

🎵 Aria: The First AI-Powered Artist Economy

Tired of streaming music without knowing where your money goes?
Aria changes that—instantly.

Aria is the first AI-powered music platform where fans drive the economy. With one simple subscription, you choose which artists get paid.
No middlemen.
No guesswork.
Just real support for the artists you love.

Why Aria❓

🔹Fan-Funded, Artist-First – Every dollar counts. Fans decide where their money goes, giving power back to the creators.

🔹 One Tap, Instant Impact – Subscribe once. Pick your favorite artist. Aria does the rest—sending revenue, unlocking perks, and building a real connection.

🔹 AI Discovery That Gets You – Our cutting-edge AI matches you with emerging and underrated talent before they blow up.

🔹 The Artist Marketplace – Buy exclusive drops, book experiences, and invest in your favorite artists’ success.

🔹 No More Mindless Streaming – Every stream, every click, every subscription fuels real careers. Be more than a listener—be a backer.

🚀 Smart. Easy. Revolutionary.
Aria isn’t just another music app—it’s a movement. Join the new era where fans fuel the future of music, and artists finally get what they deserve.

Join the fastest growing underground movement ‼️
Your support will go a long way—for the culture, the creators, and the community.

👉 AppStore Link 👈
🔑Invite Code: ariaco

Welcome to Aria. Music, Rebuilt.🫱

P.S. We’re currently raising $3M to scale the platform—$440K has already been subscribed.
Let’s build the future of music together.

👉 Pitch Deck 👈

📍 Ex-Sequoia Partner Matt Miller sets sights on Europe with new $300M fund

Matt Miller, who led Sequoia Capital’s expansion into Europe, is now launching his own $300M fund focused on scaling European AI and B2B startups from Series B onwards.

✅ What’s inside the fund

🔹Target: Growth rounds (Series B & C), with room for early-stage co-investments

🔹Base: London

🔹LPs: Institutional investors + 100+ founders/operators from Silicon Valley and Europe

🔹Team: Spencer Hemphill (ex-Sequoia) joins as CFO

📈 Why it matters

🔺Europe’s AI and enterprise SaaS scenes are maturing, but Series B/C capital remains scarce

🔺Miller’s fund fills a key gap in the scaleup pipeline with Sequoia-style rigor and independent flexibility

🔺Part of a broader trend of high-profile VCs spinning out to launch focused funds

🕖 What’s next?
The first cohort of portfolio bets will signal how Miller’s playbook evolves outside the Sequoia brand — and whether this marks a broader shift in how European late-stage capital is deployed.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

💵Revent doubles down on purpose-driven startups with new $100M fund

Berlin-based VC Revent has closed a €100M Fund II to back early-stage startups focused on “planetary and societal health” — from climate and healthcare to reskilling and industrial decarbonization.

✅ What’s inside the deal:
– Fund II backed by Otto Group, Oetker, Beiersdorf, EIF, and several European tech founders
– Targets sectors like energy transition, climate, healthcare, and economic empowerment
– Team now spans Berlin, London, Paris — with a new venture partner in SF

💡 Why it matters:
Revent isn’t chasing hype.
It's betting on long-term value in sectors others call “impact.”
The firm is positioning itself as a performance-first investor aligned with Europe's push for sovereignty and strategic innovation.

As U.S. narratives shift, Revent is doubling down on European values — and putting capital behind them.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

⚖️ Fraud Charges Hit Nate Founder Over Fake AI Claims

Albert Saniger, founder of AI shopping app Nate, has been charged with defrauding investors after it was revealed that the platform’s so-called AI was actually powered by a call center in the Philippines.

💰Nate raised over $50M from top VCs including Coatue, Forerunner, and Renegade Partners.

🛍 The app claimed it enabled “universal checkout” using AI — but DOJ alleges automation was “effectively 0%.”

💻 Hundreds of human contractors were completing purchases manually, contradicting investor claims.

📉 Nate ran out of cash and was forced to sell assets in 2023, leaving investors with near-total losses.

The case underscores growing scrutiny around AI “wrapper” startups and the due diligence gaps in hype-fueled venture deals.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🔥Andreessen Horowitz Prepares $20B AI Megafund

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is raising a $20 billion fund fully dedicated to artificial intelligence — the largest in the firm’s history and one of the biggest AI-focused venture funds ever.

The fund targets growth-stage AI companies and is already attracting interest from global LPs looking to back US tech without regulatory friction. It also positions a16z as a central infrastructure layer for AI startups, offering access to thousands of Nvidia GPUs for portfolio companies.

💡 Why it matters:

🔥 Marks a16z’s full commitment to the AI cycle.
🔥 Structured as a single AI-focused vehicle, signaling outsized conviction.
🔥 Could function as a private AI platform, tightly integrated with infra and capital.

With portfolio bets like xAI, Mistral, and shares in OpenAI, a16z is going all-in on the next wave of transformative tech. If successful, this megafund could reshape how late-stage AI is financed.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🐳Big News for Whale NFT!🐳

We’re moving to the Solana!🧂

🔥 Burn your old NFT
📦 Mint a cooler, upgraded one
👍 Dive into a top-tier NFT ecosystem

Active NFT marketplaces, High liquidity, Ultra-low fees. Ready to Upgrade? 🔝

Click here ➡️UPGRADE

🐳LEARN MORE: Whale.io

💰 Plaid Raises $575M at a $6B Valuation Amid IPO Delay

Fintech giant Plaid has raised $575 million in a new funding round, cutting its valuation to $6 billion from the 2021 peak of $13.4 billion. The move allows employees to cash out their equity as the company holds off on going public.

Funding Details:

⚪️Led by Franklin Templeton, Fidelity, and BlackRock.

⚪️Previous backers NEA and Ribbit Capital also participated.

⚪️Funding aimed at employee liquidity amid IPO delay.

Why it Matters:

🖱️Reflects a broader trend among private tech firms to offer liquidity through secondary rounds.

🖱️Follows similar moves by Ramp, Databricks, OpenAI, and Stripe.

🖱️IPO is still planned but not imminent.

Company Highlights:

🖱️ Сonnects users’ bank accounts to apps like Venmo, Robinhood, and Coinbase.

🖱️Expanded into bill payments, data analytics, and fraud prevention.

🖱️Growing focus on cybersecurity as AI-driven financial fraud surges.

As IPO markets remain uncertain, Plaid’s move highlights how late-stage startups are navigating market volatility while giving employees cash-out opportunities.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

💼 Construct Capital Raises $300M for Defense and Manufacturing Tech

Early-stage VC firm Construct Capital has closed its third fund with $300 million in capital commitments, focusing on defense, manufacturing, and transportation tech.

What’s inside the deal:

✅$300M fund for early-stage investments
✅ Follows a $225M second fund and $75M later-stage fund raised in 2022
✅ Focus on defense and domestic manufacturing amid geopolitical shifts

Why it matters:

⚙️ As defense tech gains traction, institutional investors see opportunities in manufacturing innovation.

🚀Construct Capital has backed startups like Hadrian, which manufactures aerospace parts, and Veho, specializing in last-mile e-commerce delivery.

🌎 With geopolitical tensions rising, defense and manufacturing sectors are poised for increased investment and innovation.

Construct Capital’s new fund reflects a strategic focus on critical industries, aiming to support startups that leverage technology to enhance national resilience.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

⚡️ Solace Set to Be Valued at Over $300M in New Series B Round

Patient advocate startup Solace is raising a Series B funding round led by Menlo Ventures, valuing the company at more than $300 million. The new funding aims to expand its platform connecting patients with healthcare advocates.

What’s inside the deal:

✅ Series B funding round led by Menlo Ventures
✅ Valuation expected to exceed $300 million
✅ Target raise: $40 million
✅ Previous funding: $21 million, including $14 million Series A from Inspired Capital, Craft Ventures, Torch Capital, and angel investors Anne Wojcicki and Susan Wojcicki

Why it matters:

💡 Solace connects Medicare patients with healthcare advocates to handle tasks like scheduling and insurance appeals, filling a critical gap in patient care.
💡 The company operates in all 50 states, offering support for over 100 conditions through virtual consultations with former healthcare professionals.
💡 Medicare recently began covering patient advocacy services, boosting the startup’s potential for growth.
💡 The company’s revenue run rate reached $10 million at the start of 2025.

With more startups addressing the complexities of healthcare, Solace's innovative patient-centric approach positions it as a key player in transforming healthcare navigation.

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🤖 Nerdio raises $500M to scale AI-powered cloud management

Cloud automation startup Nerdio has closed a $500M Series C led by General Atlantic, pushing its valuation past $1B as AI fuels demand for smarter infrastructure tools.

What’s inside the deal:

✅ $500M Series C led by General Atlantic
✅ Valuation now above $1B
✅ Follows a $117M Series B in 2022

Why it matters:
☢️ Nerdio automates Microsoft cloud setup, infrastructure optimization, and security monitoring with AI
☢️Cloudtech & DevOps startups saw $15.7B in deal value across 456 deals in 2024
☢️AI-native tooling is quickly becoming the new enterprise standard

With AI transforming IT operations, Nerdio is emerging as a key layer in enterprise cloud stacks.

👾 Will legacy cloud tools survive the AI-native DevOps era - or fade out fast?

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🧠 Brainomix raises €16.7M to expand its AI stroke and lung tech to the U.S.

Oxford-based Brainomix, a spinout from the University of Oxford, has closed a €16.7M Series C round to scale its AI imaging platform for stroke and lung fibrosis diagnosis across the U.S.

What’s inside the deal:
✅ Co-led by Parkwalk Advisors, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and new investor Hostplus
✅ Supported by LifeSci Capital
✅ Will fund U.S. commercial expansion and AI portfolio growth

Why it matters:
🫀 Brainomix’s platform, Brainomix 360 Stroke, is deployed in 300+ hospitals and has impacted 1.5M+ patients
🫀 Shown to boost life-saving stroke treatment rates by 50%
🫀 Also applies AI to lung fibrosis via Brainomix 360 e-Lung, developed with Boehringer Ingelheim

With 10 recent FDA clearances and presence in 20+ countries, Brainomix is scaling rapidly toward global healthcare impact.

👾 Is AI imaging the next frontier for life-saving diagnostics?

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🧑‍🎓 $5M Fund Targets University Founders to Solve Global Challenges

A new venture fund is betting on young talent straight out of universities to tackle some of the world’s toughest problems. Critical Venture Partners, founded by three recent UPenn graduates, has raised a $5M fund to invest in deep tech startups focused on climate, healthcare, and economic innovation.

💵 Funding Details:
- Check sizes: $50K–$250K
- 25% reserved for follow-on investments
- Backed by investors from Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, Beyond Meat, and Bain Capital

🔝 Boosting Young Entrepreneurs
To attract top talent, they’re partnering with Yope (formerly Founder.org) to launch a $100K startup competition, giving young innovators a platform to turn ideas into reality.

🔬 First Portfolio Companies:

✅ General Galactic – Converts CO2 into methane
✅ Mobius Industries – Extracts metals from waste
✅ Stratagen Bio – Enhances MRI scans with data

Co-founder Sam Strickberger puts it simply: "We’re young founders investing in young founders." With fresh perspectives and ambitious ideas, can university entrepreneurs drive the next wave of breakthrough innovation? 💡

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🚀 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!👇

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🤖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?

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

Sandler Crypt:
$Sandler Memecoin: A Hilarious Journey into the World of Crypto Introducing $Sandler, the memecoin that's got more laughs than a Sandler movie marathon.

🔥No Team Tokens
Ⓜ️🦎Fast track on CMC & CG 🔥
CEX listings coming: Kucoin. Bitget. Mexc
🎯Viral Marketing Campaigns
📈 Low initial MC

Web:sandlersmeme.com
TG:t.me/sandler2025

$Sandler presale details:

Start date: Tuesday the 11th of March 13:00 UTC
Soft cap: 100 BNB
Hard cap: 200 BNB
Minimum buy: 0.5 BNB
Maximum buy: 1 BNB

Pinksale link:https://www.pinksale.finance/launchpad/bsc/0xab9E3b25Fb7C36fc6977924CF8E6DCE4FfB80d85

X: https://x.com/SandlersMeme?s=09

💵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?

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🔥 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!👇

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

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?💬

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

👀 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!

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🧬 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?

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

💼 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?🤔

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🎙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!

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🔍 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!👇

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🍒 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❓

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

📈 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💡

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🧱 “Want to build Lego? 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😄

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🚀 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!👇

✔️Powered by V3V Ventures