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  • Peter Thiel bets on HR Tech, find out the distribution of industries in AI startups

Peter Thiel bets on HR Tech, find out the distribution of industries in AI startups

Discover what kind of services and products are most commonly being produced with AI

News in VC this week

  • Dragonfly Capital Eyes $500M for Crypto Fund: San Francisco-based Dragonfly Capital is raising $500 million for its fourth fund, which will focus on cryptocurrency investments. This highlights continued confidence in the crypto space despite market volatility. (Source: Coin Telegraph)

  • Point72 Veteran Targets $50M for Ukraine Defense Tech: Perry Boyle, formerly of Point72, is raising $50 million for a fund dedicated to Ukrainian defense technology startups. This fund highlights the growing interest in defense-related tech, especially in conflict-affected regions. (Source: PitchBook)

The Graph

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Investments from the past week

Seed

Update (USA) - $7.96m: 0 calorie, 0 caffeine energy drink
E-Commerce & FnB

Energy drinks designed to provide a caffeine and sugar-free alternative to traditional products. The company's beverages come in various flavors like berry, lime, mandarin, and peach, leveraging paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine. This enables consumers to enjoy the energy boost without the typical side effects such as jitters or crashes. Recently, the company secured $7.96 million in Seed funding from K5 Global, RiverPark Ventures, and Hello World Investments, with $75,000 of the total raised through SAFE notes that were later converted into equity.

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Zeno (USA) - $9.50m: Battery-as-a-service subscription platform
CleanTech

Full-stack Battery-as-a-Service platform designed to transform how individuals access and utilize energy. The platform supports electric mobility and flexible energy storage solutions, offering home charging, swap stations, and destination chargers. Users can power various forms of transportation, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers, as well as household appliances like electric cookstoves and solar water pumps. The company recently raised $9.5 million in Seed funding led by Toyota Ventures and Lowercarbon Capital, with additional participation from MCJ, RedBlue Capital, Alumni Ventures, 4DX Ventures, and two other investors.

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Jet HR (Italy) - $13.33m: Get insights on every interaction with your customer
HRTech & SaaS

Cloud-based platform designed to simplify administrative management for small businesses. The platform automates employee-related tasks, including payroll, benefits, device management, compliance, attendance, and expense reports, enabling SMBs to streamline operations and reduce bureaucracy. The company recently secured €12 million in Seed funding led by Picus Capital, with participation from Benetton Group and nine other investors.

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north.io (Germany) - $9.44m: Turning oceans of data into mountains of understanding
AI, Big Data, CloudTech, SaaS

Geospatial data management platform designed for efficient organization and analysis of geospatial information. The cloud-based platform offers tools to make geospatial data easily accessible, quickly searchable, and understandable, enabling government agencies and businesses to make informed decisions, solve complex challenges, and maximize the use of geospatial data. The company recently secured €8.5 million in Seed funding led by VAERING, with additional participation from undisclosed investors.

Series A

Functional Finance (USA) - $20.0m: Streamlining insurance companies’ finance ops
FinTech, InsurTech & SaaS

Platform designed to enhance operational efficiency in the insurance industry. The platform provides tools for billing, invoicing, payment collection, statement generation, and real-time automatic reconciliation for every invoice and policy. This enables insurance companies to streamline and automate all financial operations without needing to replace their existing infrastructure. The company recently secured $20 million in Series A funding led by Walkabout Ventures, with participation from Munich Re Ventures, Summit Peak Investments, and Philip Edmundson, setting the company’s pre-money valuation at $60.15 million.

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Mercor (USA) - $32.0m: One application to reach thousands of companies
AI & HRTech

AI-powered hiring platform designed to streamline recruitment for candidates and companies. The platform connects candidates with top remote job opportunities, allowing them to apply once and reach thousands of employers, simplifying the hiring process for all involved. The company recently secured $32 million in funding led by Benchmark Capital Holdings, with participation from Peter Thiel, Jack Dorsey, Adam D'Angelo, Larry Summers, Bill Gurley, and Victor Lazarte, setting the company’s pre-money valuation at $218 million.

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Ferovinum (UK) - $23.09m: AI-powered Sales Development Representative
FinTech

Working capital platform designed to support the wine and spirits industries by unlocking cashflow and driving growth. The platform leverages technology to offer inventory financing solutions traditionally available only to large commodity producers and traders, enabling businesses to finance expansion, improve profitability, and mitigate risk. The company recently secured €20.8 million in Series A funding led by Notion Capital, with participation from Semapa Next and Shapers.

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Jump (France) - $19.81m: Insurance for of your products/services
FinTech & SaaS

Financial consulting platform designed to enhance the value of employees' work. The platform specializes in creating quotes, managing commercial contracts and invoices, tracking receipts, handling unpaid bills, managing professional expenses, processing salary payments, and overseeing day-to-day cash flows. It enables managers and freelancers to optimize their earnings and secure financial stability. The company recently secured €11 million in Series A funding led by Breega, with participation from Index Ventures and Raise Ventures. The funds will be used to accelerate growth in the French market and expand into Europe, with a focus on the United Kingdom.

Series B

Angel City FC (USA) - $123m: VC-backed soccer team
Sports

Professional women’s soccer club based in Los Angeles, CA. The club offers membership programs, a community forum for fan interaction, live streaming of games online and on TV, a mobile app, as well as exclusive virtual and in-person events, stadium experiences, and members-only merchandise. The platform enables fans to engage with the excitement of professional soccer and foster a deeper connection with the team and its players. The company recently secured $123.07 million through a combination of Series B-1, B-2, and B-3 from undisclosed investors, setting the company’s pre-money valuation at $230 million. Earlier, the club was acquired by Robert Iger, Kara NorWillow Bay on September 5, 2024, for an undisclosed sum.

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Pony (France) - $22.2m: Shared electric bikes & scooters for urban areas
MobilityTech, Ridesharing

Micro-mobility services designed to decentralize vehicle ownership for urban transportation. The platform offers bikes and scooters for hire, allowing users to find, unlock, and ride vehicles through an app. Vehicle owners can earn profits by sharing their bikes, creating a peer-to-peer transportation network. The company recently secured €23 million in Series B funding led by Groupe La Poste and ADEME Investissement, with participation from other undisclosed investors.

Series C 

Twelve (USA) - $245m: Turning CO2 into essential products through electrochemistry
CleanTech & ClimateTech

CO2 recycling devices designed to create a climate-positive world and a fossil-free future. The company's technology can be attached to any source of carbon emissions and, using only water and electricity, transforms carbon into essential chemical products, allowing industries to reduce their carbon footprint while generating new revenue streams from waste. The company recently secured $245 million in Series C funding led by TPG, Pulse Fund, and Capricorn Investment Group, with additional participation from Munich Re Ventures, Alaska Star Ventures, DCVC, Northstar.VC, and others. The transaction included $45 million in debt financing.

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Datamaran (UK) - $33m: AI-powered ESG analysis
AI, Big Data & SaaS

AI-driven ESG data analysis platform designed to help organizations navigate environmental, social, and governance complexities. The platform provides real-time monitoring of ESG risks and opportunities, double materiality analysis, and comprehensive reporting tools, enabling businesses to align their strategies with stakeholder priorities, improve decision-making, and manage risks related to regulatory changes and reputational issues. The company recently secured $33 million in Series C funding from Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital. The funds will be used to accelerate growth in the U.S. and Europe and advance initiatives in generative AI.

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