Advertising on the Telegram channel «Venture Capital»

🪙 Ara Partners closes $800M fund to decarbonize industrial infrastructure Ara Partners has raised an $800M climate-focused infrastructure fund aimed at retrofitting legacy industrial assets — targeting one of the hardest and most capital-intensive segments to decarbonize. ✅ What’s in the fund • Oversubscribed beyond its $500M target, backed by pension funds, endowments, sovereign wealth • Strategy: Repurpose and retool existing infrastructure for low-carbon use • First deals include a biofuels terminal developer and an Irish organic waste recycler 🌎Why it matters • Bridges the capital gap for hardware-heavy climate startups beyond VC stage • Plays in a segment where cost parity for clean tech is finally here • Helps scale proven tech — not moonshots, but execution-driven decarbonization 📈 Ara’s thesis • Industrial decarb isn’t just about new tech — it’s about buying, upgrading, and operating smarter • Prior bets like Divert show how upcycling food waste into biogas beats landfills in both carbon and cash • Focuses on climate impact with infrastructure economics, not just ESG optics For late-stage climate infra, Ara’s latest fund is a signal: the green premium is fading, and industrial decarb is going mainstream — balance sheets first. ✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🧠 Warren Buffett steps down as Berkshire Hathaway CEO After decades at the helm, the 94-year-old investing icon passes leadership to Greg Abel — but plans to stay involved. 💬 What’s happening • Buffett will step down as CEO at the end of 2025 • Greg Abel, vice chairman for non-insurance ops, will take over as CEO • Buffett plans to remain with the company in a yet-to-be-defined advisory role • The board will finalize his future responsibilities this weekend 📊 What it means for Berkshire • Ends long-running speculation around succession at the $900B conglomerate • Abel inherits control of major businesses across energy, railroads, insurance, and tech • Despite trimming its Apple position, AAPL still makes up over 20% of the company’s equity portfolio • Investors will be watching Abel’s capital allocation decisions — and how closely he mirrors Buffett’s playbook The handoff is quiet, calculated, and classic Buffett — now all eyes are on what comes next. ✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🧩 Fivetran acquires Census to complete the data stack loop After 13 years of ETL dominance, Fivetran is becoming a full-stack data movement platform — acquiring reverse-ETL startup Census to offer true end-to-end sync. ✅ What’s inside the deal • Fivetran acquires Census (last valued at $630M in 2022) for undisclosed terms • Census raised $80M+ from Sequoia, a16z, and Tiger Global • Entire Census team, including CEO Boris Jabes, joins Fivetran • Census brand to be phased into the Fivetran platform ⭕️ Why it matters • Fivetran has long been the go-to for ETL (into warehouses) — now adds reverse-ETL (out to tools) • Customers wanted end-to-end sync; Fivetran had a prototype but went the M&A route instead • Deep product and cultural alignment: “People who like Fivetran also like Census” 🧠 Backstory and synergy • Founders have known each other since YC Winter ‘13 — Census was still just a whiteboard idea • Shared vision, shared customers, shared philosophy • Fraser: “In some ways, this has been fated” Fivetran just closed the loop — pulling data in, pushing insights out, and keeping itself right in the middle. ✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

🔥 Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez Becomes the New Ambassador of 1win 1win keeps signing major names in global sports — joining the team is Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, one of the most decorated boxers of our time.

📌Canelo’s record: 60 wins, 2 losses, 2 draws 📌 He holds the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF titles in the super middleweight division 📌 On May 3rd in Riyadh, Canelo will fight William Scull for the undisputed championship

He’s one of the most recognizable and respected fighters in modern boxing — a name that has long been synonymous with the sport at its highest level. Now, Canelo is part of Team 1win. #ad

💼 Volution and Japan’s SBI launch $100M fund to scale UK tech beyond Series A Volution VC has partnered with Japan’s SBI Investment to create a $100M co-GP fund aimed at solving the UK’s chronic Series A–B funding gap — a stage where many startups stall or exit too early. ✅ What’s inside the deal • $100M co-GP fund backed by SBI, targeting FinTech, AI, and SaaS • Focused on UK startups with £5M+ ARR, post-Series A and ready to scale • Leverages SBI’s corporate network and Japan’s $3.6T pension ecosystem • Builds on Volution’s first fund, which saw 300% average revenue growth across 11 portfolio companies 🌎 Why it matters • UK Series A funding dropped 44% in 2024; A→B conversion rates down over 50% in five years • The fund provides long-term capital and operational support to fill this structural gap • UK startups gain access to Japan’s $5T economy amid deepening UK-Japan tech ties • ESG-aligned with carbon carry scheme and net-zero reinvestment from AI-heavy portfolios A timely bet on UK productivity, cross-border VC alignment, and AI-driven scale-ups — just when the Series B void is at its peak. ✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

💻Lightrun grabs $70M to tackle AI-driven code chaos Israeli startup Lightrun has raised a $70M Series B round to scale its AI-powered debugging and observability platform, helping enterprises catch and fix software issues before they reach production. ✅ Inside the deal • $70M Series B led by Accel and Insight Partners • Strategic participation from Citi, Glilot Capital, GTM Capital, and Sorenson Capital • Total funding raised now $110M • Serving major clients like Microsoft, Salesforce, ADP, and ICE/NYSE 🔍 What makes Lightrun stand out • AI-based "Runtime Autonomous Debugger" integrated directly into IDEs • Observes code in development and predicts production failures • Enables fixes before code goes live, minimizing downtime and risk 🚀 Why it matters • AI-driven code boom is flooding production with new bugs • Demand for proactive observability and remediation tools is surging • Lightrun addresses critical gaps that existing players like Datadog haven't solved Is Lightrun building the future of zero-downtime software — or will the complexity of AI coding outpace even today's smartest tools? ✔️Powered by V3V Ventures

💧 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

🌎 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