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The official channel of V3V Ventures. We share updates on our investments, portfolio companies, and fund activities. Buy Ads: @strategy (this is our only account).
💡 Most popular chatbot apps
Microsoft is spending billions on Copilot — but it’s hopelessly behind OpenAI, the company it invested $13 billion into.
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🎶 Mantis VC closes $100M fund to double down on B2B
Founded by The Chainsmokers, Mantis has raised a $100M third fund — up 25% from their previous $80M, defying the broader VC slowdown.
🟡 Fund III comes in at $100M, 25% bigger than Fund II
🟡 Portfolio includes B2B bets like Chainguard and Rogo
🟡 Unlike most celeb VCs, they avoid consumer plays
🟡 Use access to Fortune 500 (via private shows) to help with intros
🟡 Still lean team, but deep enterprise network leverage
Not just another celebrity fund — Mantis is turning concerts into go-to-market strategy.Читать полностью…
🚀How Notion went from failure to 30M+ users
In 2015, Notion was nearly shut down.
The first version was clunky, confusing — and funds were running out. Only a few months left to fix it.
💵SoftBank's $200B Lesson in Patience
In 2019, SoftBank sold its entire 4.9% stake in Nvidia for $6B.
That same stake today would be worth $200B.
✍️ Sequoia and the silent playbook
Sequoia’s go-to crisis move?
Say nothing and wait.
After partner Shaun Maguire’s July 4 tweet calling a NYC candidate an “Islamist” from “a culture that lies,” backlash followed — 5M+ views, 1K+ petition signatures.
What did Sequoia do?
Nothing. No comment. No apology.
Why?
🖱 Maguire is tight with Stripe’s Patrick Collison
🖱 Helped close a $20M Stripe deal at GV
🖱 Led Sequoia’s $1.1B Bridge deal (acquired by Stripe)
🖱 Rumored link to Elon Musk
🖱 Sequoia has $500M+ in Stripe
🎥Maguire apologized, then doubled down:
→ Threatened critics
→ Claimed it was just “1% power”
🧠 AI and critical thinking: most people don’t read past the headline
A viral article claimed devs using AI felt 20% more productive — but actually saw a 20% drop.
Everyone reposted.
Almost no one checked the details.
The study used Claude 3.5, while real coding today happens on Sonnet 4 or Opus.
That’s like benchmarking an iPhone 6 and judging the iPhone 15.
❕The real edge isn’t prompting — it’s thinking
MIPT-style logic applies here: when the program is too big to cover, extract what matters and deliver.
That’s what AI work requires now — clarity, structure, and prioritization.
Any brain — human or LLM — has limits.
If the task fits, things work. If not — hallucinations.
The fix: break it down. Systematize. Apply judgment.
♨️ In practice? Structured thinking wins
One of our team’s current builds is ~500K lines of code.
Mostly JavaScript, written entirely via Claude Code.
The model slips? It’s caught, corrected, refined.
No whining. Just progress.
Total AI spend: $200/month.
Result: clean UX, working product, real value.
⚙️ It’s not about the tools — it’s about how you use them
People want to write one prompt:
Make me a startup, build it, market it, send dividends.
When a VC decides to invest in a startup...
Then Google, Anthropic, or OpenAI drops a new model that instantly wipes it out.
📈 China’s LLMs are catching up fast
Spotted an interesting chart in The Wall Street Journal — Chinese language models are gaining traction globally and narrowing the gap with U.S. giants.
DeepSeek is already not far behind Gemini and GPT in usage trends.
🇬🇧UK unveils £500M plan to back diverse founders and fund managers
The British government will deploy a £500 million ($674M) package to close the venture gap for women, minority founders, and underrepresented fund managers.
🔥£50M earmarked for women-led VC funds, bringing total support for female ventures to £100M
🔥£400M to back diverse GPs, early-stage startups, and expand access for those from disadvantaged backgrounds
🔥At least 50% of funding will target female fund managers
🔥Deployment begins in 2026 under the “Plan for Change” economic strategy
🔥Less than 2% of UK VC funding currently goes to Black founders — and only 3p per £1 to women
The UK is betting that inclusion isn’t just fairness — it’s fuel for long-term venture growth.Читать полностью…
🧠 SiPearl Tapes Out Rhea1 to Power Europe’s Supercomputing Future
France-based SiPearl has secured €130M in Series A funding to accelerate its Rhea1 processor—Europe’s answer to U.S. chip dominance in AI and HPC.
✅ Driving European Tech Sovereignty
• Builds secure, backdoor-free chips for critical infrastructure
• Rhea1 features 80 Arm Neoverse V1 cores for exascale systems
• Partners with TSMC while ensuring EU control over chip design
⚙️ Energy-Efficient, High-Performance Design
• Tape-out complete; samples expected in early 2026
• Uses 61B+ transistors, HBM2E memory, and DDR5 interfaces
• Targets 50% less power than traditional chips—optimized for AI & HPC
📈 Scaling for Impact
• Rhea1 to power Germany’s Jupiter exascale supercomputer
• Team expanding across France, Germany, Spain, and Italy
• Preparing for a Series B to fund large-scale production
SiPearl is building Europe’s first sovereign HPC chip—efficient, powerful, and ready to challenge Nvidia on its home turf.
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🧠 Mistral AI Prepares $1B+ Round to Boost Europe’s Open-Source AI Ambitions
Mistral AI is gearing up for a $1 billion+ funding round to strengthen its role as Europe’s open-source answer to U.S. AI giants like OpenAI and Anthropic.
✅ Building AI for European Sovereignty
• Partnering with Abu Dhabi’s MGX and NVIDIA on a major data center near Paris
• Positioned as a homegrown alternative to U.S.-led models
• Aligned with France’s €109B national AI strategy
⚙️ High-Performance, Open-Source Models
• Offers leading models like Mistral 7B, Mixtral 8x7B, and Magistral
• Apache 2.0 licensing allows free commercial use
• Growing traction with major firms like AXA, BNP Paribas, and CMA CGM
📈 Rapid Growth and Global Ambitions
• Tripled business in 100 days amid demand for sovereign AI
• Forecasting $100M+ in revenue and scaling to a 100MW GPU facility
• Funding to scale compute, expand team, and deepen model development
Mistral AI is fueling Europe’s open-source AI future—combining scale, performance, and sovereignty in one ecosystem.
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💻 Amazon Expands Anthropic Partnership to Lead in AI Infrastructure
Amazon is considering a fresh multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic to solidify its position as the company’s largest backer and strengthen its AI ecosystem.
✅ Key details
• Follows an initial $8B commitment to Anthropic
• Aims to surpass Google’s $3B stake
• Deep integration with AWS and Trainium 2 chips
• Anthropic powering Alexa+, Prime Video, and AWS tools
🌐 What sets this apart
• Anthropic uses AWS as primary cloud and AI chip provider
• Amazon gains deeper infrastructure and product alignment
• Partnership rivals Microsoft–OpenAI and Google–DeepMind
🚀 Why it matters
• Puts Amazon at the center of next-gen AI development
• Strengthens AWS as a leader in model training and deployment
• Reflects a long-term shift toward strategic AI alliances
Amazon’s growing stake in Anthropic signals a deeper bet on owning the future of generative AI.
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👁Skleo Health Secures €3M to Scale Six‑Minute Eye Screenings Across Germany
Skleo Health has raised €3 million to expand its AI-powered eye screening solution, offering fast, accessible vision checks nationwide.
✅ Rapid, Accessible Screenings
• Detects 8 eye conditions in just six minutes
• Screened 3,200+ users—311 referred for further care
• Partners with optician chains for local reach
🧠 Certified AI for Early Detection
• Analyzes retina images with high-speed, high-accuracy AI
• Connects users to telemedical follow-ups when needed
• Integrated with major hospitals like Charité Berlin
📈Scaling With Vision
• Founded by ophthalmologists with a diverse leadership team
• Funding to expand nationwide and enhance platform capabilities
• Targets underserved communities with affordable eye care
Skleo Health is reshaping vision care in Germany with fast, AI-powered screenings for early intervention.
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NVIDIA becomes the first company to reach a $4 trillion market cap.
Читать полностью…
💱 Propel Finance Secures £1.5B to Boost SME Lending Across the UK
Propel Finance has raised £1.5 billion to expand its asset-based lending for UK SMEs, helping businesses invest in vital equipment and technology.
✅ Fast, flexible business funding
• Supports sectors like manufacturing, transport, and tech
• Over 50,000 SMEs financed in the past 3 years
• Enables growth without upfront capital strain
⚙️ Smart embedded finance tools
• PropelPay offers point-of-sale B2B finance for vendors
• Backed by Barclays, Bank of America, Citi, and British Business Bank
📈 Scaling with confidence
• New mezzanine and receivables facilities enhance lending capacity
• Plans to double SME support through digital-first expansion
Propel is powering SME growth across the UK with streamlined, accessible finance built for scale.
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📝 Top Books to Level Up Your Venture Mindset
Venture capital isn’t just about deals.
It’s about strategy, analysis, and spotting trends before others do.
Here’s a list of books to help you understand how startup investing really works 👇
🟡 Venture Deals — Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson
How term sheets, deal structures, and negotiations really work.
🟡 Secrets of Sand Hill Road — Scott Kupor
How VCs make decisions and what founders need to know about the system.
🟡 Super Founders — Ali Tamaseb
A data-driven breakdown of unicorns and what made them stand out.
🟡 The Power Law — Sebastian Mallaby
The history and logic behind power law outcomes in venture.
🟡 High Growth Handbook — Elad Gil
Scaling after PMF: hiring, fundraising, and managing hypergrowth.
🟡 Creative Capital — Spencer Ante
The story of Georges Doriot, one of the fathers of modern venture.
🟡 The Art of Startup Fundraising — Alejandro Cremades
A practical guide to raising money and building investor relationships.
🟡 Blitzscaling — Reid Hoffman & Chris Yeh
Why VCs back aggressive scale and how to build for massive growth.
🟡 The Power of Unreasonable People — John Elkington & Pamela Hartigan
Spotting game-changing entrepreneurs, with a focus on social impact.
🦄 Top unicorns by revenue multiple
7x is the standard SaaS multiple — but AI startups are way above that.
Second place goes to Bolt (the fintech, not the taxi app).
They raised at a $11B valuation in 2021–22.
That number never moved — but the revenue didn’t grow either.
Still looks like a unicorn.Читать полностью…
Just don’t check the denominator.
📈 Cognition acquires Windsurf’s core team and product
After Google took Windsurf’s CEO and top researchers in a $2.4B deal, Cognition moves fast to buy the rest — including IP, product, and ~250 employees.
🟡 Cognition is integrating Windsurf’s AI IDE into its own AI engineer, Devin
🟡 Windsurf had 350+ enterprise clients, hundreds of thousands of users
🟡 ARR reached $82M before the breakup
🟡 OpenAI’s $3B offer expired prior to Google’s acquisition
🟡 The remaining Windsurf team joins Cognition for continued product development
A rare split-acquisition in AI: Google got the researchers, but Cognition walked away with the engine and the builders.Читать полностью…
💎 Hidden Gems in Claude Code: How to unlock 125x more context
Almost no one knows this — Claude Code responds differently depending on how you phrase your prompt.
Say “think” and it uses 1K tokens.
Say “ultrathink” or “megathink” — and it loads 128K tokens.
That’s 125x deeper reasoning for the same question.
⚙️ Prompt triggers that actually work:
• “think” or “think about” — for fast ideas
• “think hard” — for complex problems
• “think deeply” — for system design
• “ultrathink” — for full-stack deep dives
This isn’t magic — it’s engineered behavior. Claude Code is wired to allocate different compute depending on trigger words.
Example:
❌ Bad: “Can you check what I can improve in my app?”
✅ Good: “ultrathink about JavaScript optimization in frontend component X”
💰Microsoft commits $4B to AI workforce training
Microsoft is investing over $4 billion to teach 20 million people how to work with AI — from schools to nonprofits, across 10+ countries.
🟡Includes grants, cloud credits, and free AI tools
🟡Launching Elevate Academy to upskill adults
🟡Supporting “Hour of AI” with Code.org
🟡Building a national AI teacher center with OpenAI & Anthropic
One of the biggest education pushes in AI history — and a clear signal: the AI labor gap is now a global priority.Читать полностью…
📈 When you explain to an investor that it's not a crash — it's just a "market cycle"
A market cycle is a natural process where economies and financial markets move through recurring phases of growth and decline. These shifts reflect changes in demand and supply, investor sentiment, tech breakthroughs, and macro forces.
🔥Best Newsletters on Venture & Startups
Want to stay on top of deals, trends, and investor insights?
These 5 newsletters are must-haves 👇
1️⃣StrictlyVC
Fast daily updates on deals, funds, and investor interviews.
Great for tracking what’s happening week-to-week.
2️⃣Term Sheet (Fortune)
One of the most widely read in the industry.
Covers major rounds, LP moves, and strategy shifts.
3️⃣Not Boring (by Packy McCormick)
In-depth essays on companies and trends with a venture twist.
Ideal for sharp insights and big-picture thinking.
4️⃣a16z Tech Newsletter
Content from Andreessen Horowitz — from AI infra to biotech and fintech.
Best for understanding where entire sectors are heading.
5️⃣The Diff (by Byrne Hobart)
Deep dives into companies, markets, and capital structure.
For those who look at venture through macro + finance lenses.
The venture world is too big to track everything. But with the right sources, you’ll always be one step ahead.
📊 Crypto Venture Weekly: July 7–11, 2025
Messari’s latest breakdown highlights $109M raised across 15 projects last week — with a sharp focus on real products in AI, stablecoins, and DeFi infra.
Here’s what the top 6 are building👇
⚪️Agora ($50M, led by Paradigm)
Full-stack platform for launching white-labeled stablecoins (like AUSD) across 13 chains. Shared liquidity, instant compliance, and stablecoin infra-as-a-service.
⚪️DigitalX ($13.5M, Animoca, ParaFi)
Australia-based digital asset manager offering tokenized funds and crypto treasury strategies. Publicly traded on the ASX.
⚪️Kuru ($11.6M, Paradigm, Electric)
On-chain CLOB built natively on Monad. Targets ultra-low latency and full decentralization for pro-level DeFi trading.
⚪️Remix ($6.75M, Archetype, Coinbase, Variant)
TikTok-style mobile platform for creating and playing short-form games. 800+ games live, 600K users, Telegram and wallet integrations.
⚪️Velvet Capital ($3.7M, DWF, YZi)
DeFAI OS for portfolio management across chains. Used by 25K+ users, managing $100M+ with non-custodial, AI-driven flows.
⚪️BridgePort ($3.2M, Further Ventures)
Institutional middleware for off-exchange settlement. Connects custodians and exchanges to automate collateral and clearing.
💡Capital is flowing toward core infrastructure for crypto-native UX and regulated, composable finance.Читать полностью…
🚀 SpaceX Eyes $400B Valuation in New Tender Offer
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is launching a new share sale that would peg its valuation at $400 billion, reinforcing its lead as the most valuable private company in the U.S.
✅ Offering Liquidity, Staying Private
• $1B+ tender offer lets employees and investors cash out
• Shares priced at $212, matching prior round
• Strategy allows funding without going public
⚙️ Starlink and Starship Fuel Momentum
• Starlink now generates over half of company revenue
• Starship progressing with long-duration test flights
• Strong demand from global governments and enterprises
📈 No IPO—Yet
• IPO timeline remains uncertain despite high valuation
• Musk signals intent to stay private until Starship is ready
• Focused on scaling operations, not public listing
SpaceX continues building the future of space and satellite internet—on its own terms.
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💼 wefox Raises €151M to Reshape Digital Insurance in Europe
Berlin-based wefox has secured €151 million (€76M equity, €75M credit) in a round led by Searchlight Capital to scale its digital insurance platform and reach profitability.
✅ Expanding in Core Markets
• Strengthens operations in Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland
• Offers broker-friendly digital tools and life insurance products
• Focused on strategic, profitable growth
⚙️ Lean, Tech-Driven Insurance Model
• Asset-light MGA model with simplified structure
• Divested non-core operations in Italy and Liechtenstein
• Combines digital distribution with flexible financing
📈 On Track for Profitability
• Targets breakeven by end of 2025
• Adds Searchlight partner Prateek Puri to the board
• Backed by strong executive leadership
wefox is redesigning how insurance works—blending tech, distribution, and capital efficiency to lead in Europe.
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💼 re:cap Secures €125M to Expand Capital OS Across the UK
Berlin fintech re:cap has raised €125M to bring its Capital Operating System (Capital OS) to the UK, offering tech startups flexible, non-dilutive growth capital and real-time financial tools.
✅ Key details
• €125M facility backed by HSBC Innovation Banking UK and Avellinia Capital
• Serves startups with €1M+ ARR
• Combines funding with liquidity and forecasting tools
• Already active in Germany and the Netherlands
🌐 What sets it apart
• Provides debt funding without equity dilution
• Fully integrates capital access and financial planning
• Zero defaults to date; strong VC and institutional backing
🚀 Why it matters
• Helps early-stage startups avoid costly equity rounds
• Equips founders with tools to scale sustainably
• Positions re:cap as a leader in non-dilutive, software-led finance
re:cap’s Capital OS is changing how European tech companies raise and manage capital—faster, smarter, and without giving up control.
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💱 Solence Snaps €1.6M to
Transform PCOS Care with Lifestyle Solutions
Solence has raised €1.6 million to launch a tech-driven platform offering holistic, lifestyle-based support for people with PCOS.
✅ Personalized, Everyday Support
• Combines nutrition, fitness, and stress management tools
• Focuses on non-medication care tailored to user needs
• Empowers users with symptom tracking and insights
⚙️ Smart, App-Based Care
• Offers guided coaching and daily habit tracking
• Integrates wearables for sleep, activity, and stress data
• Built-in community and telehealth features
📈 Mission-Driven Expansion
• Led by female founders addressing a long-overlooked condition
• Funding to scale product, launch pilots, and grow across Europe
Solence is redefining PCOS care with accessible, lifestyle-first digital health tools.
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👁️🗨️ Xpanceo Rises as UAE’s 12th Unicorn with $250M to Launch AI‑Powered Smart Contact Lens
Dubai-based Xpanceo has raised $250 million at a $1.35 billion valuation to commercialize the world’s first AI-integrated smart contact lens, joining the ranks of the UAE’s unicorns.
🧠 Invisible, intelligence‑driven AR interface
• Lens thinner than a human hair supports AR overlays, night vision, and zoom
• Built-in AI agent delivers data and apps into the wearer’s view
• Combines display, biosensors, and wireless connectivity in a seamless form
💡 Advanced health & vision tech
• Intraocular pressure sensor offers 50% better glaucoma detection
• Biosensors track glucose, stress, hormones, and more via tear fluid
• Wireless charging companion extends power range beyond competitors
🚀 Vision for market launch by 2026
• 15 working prototypes built in two years
• Plans full product debut by 2026 with screenless computing goals
• Backed by deep-tech leadership and research partnerships
Xpanceo is redefining personal computing—merging AI, health data, and AR into a single, wearable lens.
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🌱Cariqa Launches Transparent EV Charging Platform Across Europe
Berlin-based Cariqa is rolling out its EV charging payment platform to bring full pricing transparency and control to both operators and drivers.
✅ Fair, direct, and transparent
• Shows real-time, operator-set prices with no hidden markups
• Removes third-party resellers and subscription barriers
• Connected to 420,000+ charging points across Europe
⚙️ Smart tools for operators and drivers
• Offers dynamic pricing and instant payments via the Cariqa app
• Boosts trust, flexibility, and usage efficiency for CPOs and EV users
📈 Built to scale across the EU
• Backed by €4M to expand adoption of its Pay-as-You-Go model
• Builds on momentum from a €1M pre-seed round in 2024
• Growing partnerships with major European charge point operators
Cariqa is making EV charging simpler, fairer, and fully transparent—empowering users and operators across Europe.
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