Today in VC’s Post

🔋 #TodayinVC - All of the biggest deal announcements in venture capital - August 1st, 2024. Sourced from Litquidity's Exec Sum. 💰 Fundraising Announcements: - Boost, an infrastructure platform for MGAs and digital insurance providers, raised  $40M from BHMS Investments, LP (BW) - Spring Health, a mental health platform for employers / health plans, raised a $100M Series E at a $3.3B valuation led by Generation Investment Management (PRN) - GenAI startup Ema Unlimited raised a $36M Series A led by Accel and Section 32 (FN) - Graphyte, a leader in the durable carbon removal, raised a $30M Series A led by Prelude Ventures and Carbon Direct Capital (FN) - Checkly, a startup for developers to track software dev tasks, raised a $20M Series B led by Balderton Capital (TC) - Onepak, Inc, a digital supply chain and reverse logistics platform, raised $20M from Nuveen Green Capital (BW) - AI debugger startup Lightrun raised an $18M SAFE round from GTM Capital and Glilot Capital Partners (TC) - Sybill, an AI assistant for sales reps, raised an $11M Series A led by Greycroft (TC) - Layer2 Financial, a regulated payments infrastructure startup, raised a $10.7M Series A led by Galaxy Ventures (PRN) - Tezi AI, an AI agent for hiring managers, raised a $9M seed round led by 8VC and Audacious Ventures (TC) - Golf improvement startup Shot Scope raised an $8.5M Series B led by Guinness Ventures (EU) Congrats to all - what #startups do you have your eyes on? 👀 Follow Today in VC for daily #venturecapital news! 📆

💡 #Investor Activity Heats Up! 💡 The most active startup investors in Q2 2024 reshuffled the rankings with increased activity across the board. 🔼 Khosla Ventures topped the list with 26 deals, its first time at #1. 🔼 Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners significantly upped their game. 🔼 Andreessen Horowitz led in spending, backing large rounds for Wiz, Formation Bio, and more. 🔼 Coatue and Accel also made major investments, leading huge rounds for CoreWeave and Scale AI. AI drove much of this activity, capturing a record share of global funding. 🚀 Source: Crunchbase #VentureCapital #Startups #Investing #AI #Innovation

VCLink's Daily Round Report (Part 1) 1. VinGroup and founder Pham Nhat Vuong have infused an additional $3.4 billion into VINFAST , a leading electric vehicle company, to support its global expansion and operational challenges. https://lnkd.in/dGwTnqCk 2. Pierpaolo Barbieri's Ualá, an Argentine-based neobank, has raised $300 million in Series E funding led by Allianz X. Stone Ridge Holdings, Tencent, and Goldman Sachs Asset Management also participated in the round, helping Ualá expand its financial services across Latin America, including Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia. https://lnkd.in/dRjFibH5 3. Firefly Aerospace, has closed a $175 million Series D round, led by RPM Ventures, putting its valuation at over $2 billion. The funds will support the launch of its lunar lander and continued development of the Alpha rocket. Investors GiantLeap Capital and Human Element also participated in the round. https://lnkd.in/dYsfisRp 4. Juniper Networks-backed Recogni, an AI startup, has raised $102 million in a late-stage round co-led by Celesta Capital and GreatPoint Ventures. This funding will help the company build an AI inference system targeted for server racks. https://lnkd.in/d58xurQU 5. Trace Neuroscience, has launched with $101 million in funding to create RNA-binding therapies targeting ALS. The round was led by Third Rock Ventures, with participation from Atlas Venture, RA Capital Management, and GV (Google Ventures). https://lnkd.in/d2KfTgKv 6. Satispay, a FinTech provider, has raised €60 million ($65 million) in new funding from Greyhound Capital, Lightrock, and Addition. The funds will support the development of new investment services set to launch in 2025. The firm is also considering acquisition opportunities. https://lnkd.in/dZQJJPbc 7. Conduktor, a data management company, has raised $30 million in its Series B round led by RTP Global, with participation from Ansa, M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund, and Accel. Its platform enables companies to manage, monitor, and share real-time data streams while maintaining data policy compliance. https://lnkd.in/dP3VCBhp 8. KAMEREO, a Vietnam-based foodtech startup, has raised $28 million in its Series B round led by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group. https://lnkd.in/duCNzU7Z 9. Jack Carrere's Prokeep, a communications platform provider for distributors, raises $25 million in its Series A round led by Dahlia Equity Partners. Ironspring Ventures, S3 Ventures, and Benson Capital Partners also participated in the round. https://lnkd.in/dzf8B_3n

OpenseedVC, a VC firm looking to back operators turned founders across Europe and Africa, has reached the first close of its $10 million early-stage fund. “London-based OpenseedVC is targeting at least 60 startups over the next five years. The early-stage fund, which says it operates with an open application process and allows founders to apply without needing an introduction, will provide checks of up to $150,000 to startups focusing on the future of commerce (including B2B software, AI, and fintech), future of work (productivity), and digital health.” “We chose Africa and Europe to apply our thesis to work in these regions. Our thesis is that by backing experienced operators early in their journey with the right capital and support from peer operators, you can build a diversified portfolio that generates incredible returns for investors and provides crucial support for ambitious operators when they need it most,” said Maria Rotilu, General Partner, OpenseedVC. Via TechCrunch. https://lnkd.in/dSyYpiGG #funding #fundingnews #venturecapital #startups #tech #innovation #africanstartups

Dallas Venture Capital (DVC) has led a 42 crore Series A-funding round in the AI-based enterprise spend management platform Dice. GVFL Limited also participated significantly in the round. The company said it would use the proceeds to primarily support Dice's go-to-market strategies aimed at expanding market reach and improving customer engagement. DICE is a cutting-edge AI-powered enterprise spend management platform that streamlines the process of managing and controlling business-to-business expenditures. Founded in 2018, the company has secured a $5 million Series A-round of funding led by Dallas Venture Capital (DVC). Participating significantly in the round was GVFL. The funds raised will be utilized to strengthen Dice's go-to-market strategies, expand market reach, improve customer engagement, and develop advanced AI capabilities for enhanced user experience. Dice's innovative solutions cover a wide range of expense areas, including travel, reimbursements, and procurement. Under the guidance of Co-Founder and CEO Prashant Kushwah, the company aims to expand its product offerings and achieve rapid growth in international markets, particularly in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Factacy.ai Congratulates and wishe them well as. read more about this company at https://lnkd.in/gsGiTuDt #innovation #management #digitalmarketing #technology #creativity #futurism #startups

**Everything that happened in the startup funding world yesterday** Over 600 million dollars has been raised between 50 startups. Storyblok, an Austria-based marketing management company, raised $80 million from 3VC, Brighton Park Capital, Firstminute Capital, and HV Capital. Twelve Labs, a United States-based video AI company, raised $50 million from Index Ventures, Korea Investment Partners, New Enterprise Associates, and NVentures. Nium, a Singapore-based FinTech company, raised $50 million from BOND, NewView Capital, sovereign wealth funds Temasek, and Tribe Capital. Carv.com, a Netherlands-based AI recruitment company, raised $10 million from Global Founders Capital. Thoughtly, a United States-based AI voice agent company, raised $3 million from Afore Capital, Andrew Ofstad, and IA Ventures.To get the full list, comment below.

Congratulations Maria Rotilu on the incredible launch of OpenseedVC; a $10m African and European focussed venture capital fund. Starting a venture capital fund is no small feat; starting it as a solo General Partner even harder. I couldn’t be prouder of your discipline, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit evidenced throughout this journey. I had the privilege of witnessing magic from the most unique vantage point, and it’s inspiring to see your vision and hard work come to life. I believe in OpenseedVC’s mission, and I'm confident the focus themes (of commerce, health, work) will make significant marks in the planets. The combination of capital to day-zero founders, and (more importantly) support from a 50+ elite operator network is exceptional. I’m excited to be one of the earliest Limited Partners in the fund. OpenseedVC is poised to make a significant impact in European and African focussed startups and I have no doubt that your leadership will drive success for the operator led startups you invest in. In your first major set of decisions, you’ve hit it right out the park with investments in an AI-enabled supplier dispute resolution software, and also in a real-time speech to text transcription model for African accents. Two solid starts. Cheers to new beginnings, groundbreaking investments, unicorns, and a future filled with remarkable achievements (and, of course outstanding IRRs and astonishing exits cc: Ludovic Phalippou). European and African startups have gained a solid operator/rockstar on their side with you, Maria Rotilu. To learn more, and get started, check out www.openseed.vc I’m wishing you and your team all the best as you embark on this exciting journey. Read more about OpenseedVC’s launch here: https://lnkd.in/eh4CRJGA #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #NewBeginnings #ProudLP #preseed #earlystage #OpenseedVC #Deloitte #Uber #Branch #HustleFund #OxfordSeedFund #OctopusVentures #AlumniAngel University of Oxford Alumni, Wolfson College, Oxford Alumni, Covenant University Alumni, Covenant University Alumni Association (CUALA), @AlumniAngel

We're thrilled to announce that Dig Ventures led the $3.3 million pre-seed funding round for Desia, a system of intelligence that leverages advanced AI for automation, analytics, and productivity in financial services. About Desia: Founded by Raffaele Terrone, co-founder of Italy's first unicorn, Scalapay, alongside former Advent International executive Alessandro Amaro and Mehmet Öner Yalçin, Desia aims to revolutionize how investment professionals interact with data. Why It Matters: The manual sorting of vast amounts of often unstructured data is costly and time-consuming for investment professionals. Desia’s AI-driven approach not only streamlines these processes but also drives a transformative shift towards more informed and effective investment strategies. Their approach is focused and will change the way professionals discover, collate, analyse and present data. This is an important step for human-ai collaboration. Plus I'm super excited to be working with Raffaele and his team. A big shout-out to our co-investors 2100 Ventures, Vento by Exor Ventures, Octopus Ventures, Foreword Ventures, Plug & Play Ventures, and LaunchBay Capital, and to the visionary angel investors who joined this round. Sifted: https://lnkd.in/emgtDme7 PR: https://lnkd.in/eXq6dsaT #VentureCapital #ArtificialIntelligence #FinancialServices #Innovation #StartUpFunding

Top 5 funding rounds of the week: 📌 1. OpenTrade - a London-based startup enabling fintech companies to offer stablecoin-based investment products, making financial services more accessible and innovative. ➝ Founded by: David Sutter ➝ Raised: $4 million in a seed extension led by Albion VC, with additional backing from Andreessen Horowitz and CMCC Global. 📌 2. Volta - Milan and Paris-based startup providing a platform for businesses to create and manage online stores, streamlining B2B sales. ➝ Founded by: Paul Guillemin and Mario Parteli ➝ Raised: $6.3 million in pre-seed funding led by Emblem, with participation from Robin Capital, Founders Future, Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and the Berlusconi and Agnelli family offices. 📌 3. Roon - a New York startup offering medically vetted videos and support for individuals facing complex health conditions, providing clarity during challenging times. ➝ Founded by: Vikram Bhaskaran, Rohan Ramakrishna, MD, and Arun Ranganathan ➝ Raised: $15 million at a $68 million valuation, co-led by Forerunner Ventures and First Mark, with Sequoia Capital and TMV also participating. 📌 4. Wherobots - a San Francisco-based startup developing cloud-based software to analyze spatial data, including satellite imagery and GPS, for actionable insights. ➝ Founded by: Mo Sarwat ➝ Raised: $21.5 million in Series A funding led by Felicis, with JetBlue Ventures, P7 Ventures, Clear Ventures, and Wing VC contributing. 📌 5. Capitolis - a New York and Israeli startup providing software to help banks and financial institutions optimize capital efficiency in trading and investment. ➝ Founded by: Gil Mandelzis ➝ Raised: $20 million led by Citi, with participation from Morgan Stanley, UBS, State Street, Andreessen Horowitz, and others. Total funding to date: $300 million. Congrats to all these startups on their impressive milestones! 👏

🔋 #TodayinVC - All of the biggest deal announcements in venture capital - August 6th, 2024. Sourced from Litquidity's Exec Sum. 💰 Fundraising Announcements: - AI chip startup Groq raised a $640M round at a $2.8B valuation led by BlackRock (TC) - AI-powered location analytics startup Placer.ai raised a $75M round at a $1.45B valuation (TC) - Space-as-a-service startup Muon Space raised a $56.7M Series B led by Active Capital (TC) - Savvy Wealth, a digital-first platform for financial advisors, raised a $15.5M round led by Canvas Ventures (BW) - German spacetech DCUBED raised a $10.4M Series A led by Expansion and BayBG (EU) - Hedra, a GenAI startupfor videos , raised a $10M seed round from Index Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and others (FN) - Cartridge, an infrastructure provider for provable on-chain games, raised a $7.5M Series A led by BITKRAFT Ventures (FN) - Hyperbolic, a provider of GPU resources and AI services via cloud, raised a $7M seed round led by Polychain Capital and Lightspeed (FN) - VC and OpenAI-backer Thrive Capital raised $5B across two VC funds (WSJ) Congrats to all - what #startups do you have your eyes on? 👀 Follow Today in VC for daily #venturecapital news! 📆