Startups

The Mobile-First Company: $12 Million Closed To Expand Its AI Suite for Small Teams

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 1, 2025

The Mobile-First Company has raised $12 million (€10 million) in a Seed round led by Base10 Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners to accelerate the development of its mobile-first AI software for small businesses. The funding will support the company’s expansion into new product lines, its relocation to Miami, and plans to hire more than 30 people locally and remotely.

Q.ANT: Series A Funding Expanded To $80 Million Following Duquesne Family Office Investment

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 1, 2025

Q.ANT, a Stuttgart-based deep-tech company pioneering photonic processing for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC), has expanded its Series A funding round to a total of $80 million following an additional investment from Duquesne Family Office, the investment firm of Stanley F. Druckenmiller.

Whatnot: $225 Million Series F At $11.5 Billion Valuation Raised For Live Shopping Platform

By Amit Chowdhry ● Nov 1, 2025

Whatnot is a US-based e-commerce company launched by Grant LaFontaine and Logan Head that has a mission of to build a community-driven marketplace where buyers and sellers can shop, sell, and connect. The company recently announced it raised $225 million in Series F funding at a valuation of $11.5 billion. The funding round was co-led by DST Global and CapitalG, with participation from our new investors Sequoia Capital and Alkeon Capital and returning investors Greycroft, Andreessen Horowitz, avra, and BOND.

Sequoia Capital: $950 Million Closed For New Venture Funds

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 31, 2025

Sequoia Capital partner Konstantine Buhler revealed that the firm has raised $950 million in new funds. Of the $950 million, $200 million is allocated to Seed Fund VI, and $750 million is allocated to Venture Fund XIX.

Uluu: A$16 Million Series A Raised For Scaling Seaweed-Based Plastic Alternative

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 31, 2025

Uluu, an Australian startup developing sustainable materials from seaweed, has raised A$16 million in Series A funding to build a demonstration plant and advance its mission to replace fossil fuel-based plastics with natural biodegradable alternatives. The round was led by German growth investor Burda Principal Investments, with participation from Main Sequence, Novel Investments (the family office of one of the world’s largest textile groups), Startmate, and a consortium of impact and family investors including Fairground and Trinity Ventures.

Recess: $30 Million Series B Closed And Kyle Thomas Named As President And Co-CEO

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 31, 2025

Recess, a pioneer in the relaxation beverage category, has raised $30 million in Series B funding and appointed industry veteran Kyle Thomas as its new President and Co-CEO. The round was led by CAVU Consumer Partners, with participation from Rocana, Midnight Ventures, Torch Capital, Doehler Ventures, KAS Venture Partners, Vanquish, and Craig Kallman.

Hoop.dev: Seed Funding Raised For Advancing Secure Application Delivery For Developers And AI

By Amit Chowdhry ● Oct 31, 2025

Hoop.dev, a secure access platform designed to eliminate friction in application delivery, announced a seed funding round led by Venture Guides with participation from Y Combinator. The funding will help the company scale its platform, expand its team, and accelerate innovation at the intersection of developer productivity, security, and AI.