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Venture Capital News
Medium
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278
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Founders Are Option Contracts on Conviction
- VCs buy optionality, not a predictable slice of cash flow models.
- Startups are like equity but function as options, requiring conviction.
- Founders are evaluated as option contracts on their beliefs and conviction.
- Investors seek durable conviction, spot real irrationality, and price founders accordingly.
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Medium
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104
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Why We Invested in Mahalo
- Mahalo is a company working on a comprehensive post-purchase customer experience platform for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) using generative AI.
- They focus on efficiently processing warranty claims and preventing them through intelligent self-service and proactive customer support.
- The platform automates support interactions, streamlines warranty claim processes, detects fraud, and offers AI-driven product registration workflows and customer analytics.
- Mahalo, led by CEO Rob Lowe, received funding in a $2.6 million pre-seed round to scale product development and sales and marketing efforts.
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Siliconangle
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213
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Clearspeed raises $60M to expand voice-based risk assessment platform
- Clearspeed, a voice risk assessment startup, secures $60 million in funding to expand its AI-driven platform analyzing vocal patterns for risk indicators.
- The platform identifies risk in various industries by analyzing vocal characteristics like tone and stress, offering risk assessment in over 60 languages without relying on semantic content.
- Clearspeed's technology is adopted beyond government and military agencies, aiding insurers and financial services to streamline low-risk interactions, halve claims handling time, and curb fraud significantly.
- The Series D funding, totaling $110 million for Clearspeed, was led by Align Private Capital among other investors, with the goal of enhancing risk assessment capabilities across different sectors.
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Saastr
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401
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The Great AI Talent Grab: The Latest 20VC with Jason, Harry and Rory
- The latest 20VC episode discusses Silicon Valley's AI talent migration and economic paradigm shift.
- Meta's $100B AI spend is defensive, emphasizing the importance of talent and market positioning.
- Insights on loyalty shifts, strategic positioning, and B2B platforms' choices in AI landscape.
- Cluely's controversial marketing tactics and the broader implications for fast-moving AI markets.
- Key questions on AI's impact on labor budgets, market support, and defensive strategies for incumbents.
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Medium
2w
427
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What We Can All Learn from How Women Lead in Startups
- The startup ecosystem is often competitive and male-dominated, discouraging many individuals who don't fit the traditional mold from participating.
- Electrify, an event showcasing women leaders in startups, promoted diversity, resilience, empathy, and partnership as key values for success.
- The event highlighted the importance of expanding funding conversations beyond traditional pathways like venture capital to include alternative models and diverse approaches to growth.
- Electrify emphasized the significance of visible role models in inspiring founders, regardless of gender, to embrace diverse styles of leadership and success, leading to more inclusive entrepreneurship.
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Medium
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335
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Investing in the Impossible: How We Backed the Hypersonic Vision of Destinus
- Andrey of an investment club embarked on a journey with Destinus, a company aiming to revolutionize global logistics with a hydrogen-powered suborbital aircraft.
- Investors were captivated by Destinus' vision of environmentally friendly door-to-door delivery in under 2 hours, envisioning a carbon-free and hyperfast transportation future.
- The investment in Destinus in 2021 led to substantial growth, successful test flights, and a promising exit in 2025, showcasing a 2.7x return on investment in just over three years.
- The story of Destinus reflects a commitment to supporting innovative ventures that aim to redefine industries and create a more sustainable and efficient future for global transportation.
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Medium
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178
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Navigating the Founder Journey
- Founder Outpost serves as a base camp for founders to sharpen skills, spark connections, and prepare for the startup journey.
- Raising venture funding involves challenges and opportunities, leading to more cash and experienced advisors for founders.
- Crafting a compelling story is key for founders, with guidance available to help resonate with investors, partners, and customers.
- Founders are encouraged to ask questions and build authentic branding strategies to enhance company reputation.
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Guardian
2w
222
Image Credit: Guardian
The arithmetic is tricky for a Shell bid for BP today. Next year may be different
- BP is seen as a potential target for a takeover bid due to underperformance and recent strategic setbacks.
- Shell, a likely bidder, clarified that it has no intention of making an offer for BP, cooling market speculation.
- Shell's focus on buying back its undervalued shares sets a high bar for considering a mega bid for BP.
- While a Shell-BP deal could offer cost-saving opportunities, Shell's share price needs to rise for the numbers to work out.
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13 Likes
Medium
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183
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Why We Invested in Loadex
- Loadex is developing an AI platform to automate dispatching tasks for large U.S. trucking fleets, increasing operational efficiencies and reducing labor costs.
- The platform provides automation for tasks like rate negotiation, load matching, and driver communication, seamlessly integrating with existing TMS tools.
- Loadex has onboarded significant fleet customers after launching in December 2024 and receiving support from various venture funds.
- With a team possessing deep domain knowledge and technical expertise, Loadex aims to address the pressing need for automation in the freight industry amidst rising costs and operational challenges.
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11 Likes
TechCrunch
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357
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Suno snaps up WavTool for its AI music editing tools amid ongoing dispute with music labels
- Suno, amidst legal disputes with music labels, has acquired WavTool, an AI digital audio workstation, to enhance its editing capabilities for songwriters and producers.
- WavTool, known for tools like stem separation and AI music generation, will integrate into Suno's new editing interface launched this month.
- The terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed, with 'most' WavTool employees transitioning to Suno's teams; acquisition strategically announced amid ongoing legal battles.
- This move comes after a recent lawsuit by Tony Justice and 5th Wheel Records alleging copyright infringement by Suno, following earlier lawsuits by major music labels.
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21 Likes
99Bitcoins
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283
Galaxy Digital Raises Over $175 Million For Crypto Investments
- Galaxy Digital raised over $175 million in capital commitments for investing in early-stage companies developing infrastructure for the onchain economy.
- The fund will target investments in growth areas like stablecoins, payments, and tokenization, supporting technologies that make these viable.
- Galaxy Digital's initial target was $150 million but exceeded it due to high investor demand for digital asset venture opportunities.
- US-based startups received 46% of global crypto VC funding in Q4 2024, as per a report by Galaxy Digital, showcasing the country's dominance in the crypto sector.
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17 Likes
Saastr
2w
410
Image Credit: Saastr
AI Won’t Replace Sales Reps So Much as ‘Deflect’ Them: What Support’s 70% Deflection Rates Tell Us About Sales’ Future
- Customer support achieved 60-80% deflection rates with AI, handling routine inquiries efficiently.
- Sales is now following support's lead with AI Account Executives handling routine transactions.
- Companies like Decagon and Intercom are paving the way for AI in sales interactions.
- AI's impact on sales is imminent, with deflection rates set to increase steadily.
- Sales leaders should prepare for AI handling routine sales, freeing reps for complex deals.
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24 Likes
VC Cafe
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187
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Israeli FinTech is Back with Momentum
- 2025 is proving to be a successful year for Israeli FinTech, highlighted by Melio's acquisition by Xero for up to $3 billion.
- Israel's FinTech sector is showing resilience and growth, attracting significant funding and housing valuable companies like Rapyd, Deel, Tipalti, eToro, Forter, and Fireblocks.
- Anticipated lower interest rates and advancements in AI are expected to drive a FinTech revival, offering opportunities for innovation and disruption across sectors like banking and healthcare.
- Israeli FinTech startups are maturing, raising larger rounds, expanding teams, and exploring public market opportunities, marking a pivotal moment for the industry.
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11 Likes
Medium
2w
423
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The Unicorn Crack Mirror: How VC’s $1B Fantasies Exposed Society’s Fault Lines (And What…
- Unicorns may reflect pre-existing societal fractures, not cause them directly.
- The 'Unicorn Era' exacerbated inequality, precarious work, and digital echo chambers.
- Historian Gary Gerstle's framework sheds light on the neoliberal collapse and interregnum chaos.
- Venture capital landscape shifts post-2013 mirror geopolitical changes and neoliberal order collapse.
- Corporate investment strategies shifted in the interregnum towards compliance and system resilience.
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25 Likes
Medium
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96
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Why We Invested in Xona Space Systems
- Craft has announced its investment in Xona Space Systems' Series B, totaling $150 million, to support their low Earth orbit satellite network providing precise positioning and navigation.
- Xona aims to revolutionize navigation technology, currently reliant on decades-old GPS satellites 20,000 kilometers above Earth, by offering a more accurate and reliable solution.
- Xona's Pulsar constellation, with satellites flying closer to Earth and transmitting stronger signals, will offer centimeter-scale accuracy and compatibility with existing GPS chips through a firmware update.
- Xona's founders, with experience at companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, possess the expertise and vision to address navigation challenges, with the recent launch of their first commercial satellite, Pulsar-0, marking a significant milestone.
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