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The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a data company using AI to forecast startups’ financial futures, and it caused quite a stir in venture capital circles. After all, that level of in-depth analysis has long been a core advantage afforded to a venture firm’s crack analytics team. With that edge somewhat offloaded to AI, it invites the question: Is it reasonable to think AI will replace VCs entirely?
Not in the foreseeable future. READ MORE
As venture capital has matured, growing 5x over the last 12 years to $350 billion, the scale of private holdings has never been greater. With the exit markets quiet and with both regulatory and market forces bringing uncertainty, there's an increase in pressure for exits. The VC business is predicated primarily on M&A and IPOs to produce returns. Still, given the economic volatility, VC firms will need to access the secondary market to thrive in this next economic era.
Venture capital buys shares in a company and holds them, typically for eight to 12 years. At some point, however, the firm must sell its shares. Sometimes, that occurs when a strategic acquirer buys them or when a company goes public and public market investors buy them. READ MORE
Global venture funding totaled $23 billion in April 2025, flat year over year and down significantly month over month from $68 billion invested in March, Crunchbase data shows.
April’s funding total marks one of the slowest months in the past year.
The slow month follows an exceptionally strong March, which had the highest monthly funding amount since 2022 due to the single largest private financing on record — $40 billion for OpenAI. READ MORE
It’s a cold, windy morning. I’m clutching my green tea like it’s a lifeline (yes, I’m that person with a tea routine — don’t judge). I unlock my phone for my sacred ritual: scrolling the news and pretending it’s productive.
And then — bam. Another one. Another LinkedIn post.
My brain screams, “Noope.” READ MORE
Startup investment has doubled over the past 10 years to roughly $300 billion globally per annum, Crunchbase data shows. Now the question remains: As the AI wave plays out, creating more value over the next decade, could that figure double or more again?
Since 2014, three major trends have pushed venture capital investment higher. READ MORE
Tech investors need to rethink how they put money to work in the new world order of Trump tariffs.
"I'd say for the last decade, 15 years, I mean everything that we were investing in, we'd say, is there a global TAM [total addressable market] for that? And I think then it was sort of, well, is there a global TAM, maybe less China? And now it is sort of, well, geez, you really do [need to] be the winner in the US at least," Greycroft co-founder and managing partner Dana Settle told Yahoo Finance at the Milken Institute Global Conference. READ MORE
The founder walked into the investor meeting with confidence, maybe too much of it. The slides were tight, the story compelling, and when it came time to talk numbers, they delivered the classic line: “The market is worth $4 billion. If we capture just 2.5%, we’ll hit $100 million in revenue within four years.”
There was a pause. And not the kind you want. READ MORE
With the IPO market still in a slump, startups are increasingly relying on M&A for exits.
And while usually this involves a sale to a strategic buyer, the next-likeliest suitor is probably a private equity firm. READ MORE
Going public via SPAC was a very 2021 thing to do.
During the peak of the last bull market, dozens of startups took this quick route to market, merging with publicly traded shell companies, or SPACs, in lieu of a traditional IPO. READ MORE
It was a big week for the space and defense sectors, as investors clearly were looking to the skies. However, other sectors including cyber, healthcare and even data orchestration also saw some big raises. While nothing came close to $1 billion, it was still a pretty good week for big rounds. READ MORE
Venture capital, as commonly conceived, is about investing in upstart companies in the hopes a few will grow into something big.
But looking at recent funding trends, it’s clear this conception is a dated one. READ MORE
Venture capitalists are in an odd spot: Financially motivated to pump billions of dollars into AI startups that could hasten their own extinction. READ MORE
The startup playbook that built Uber, Airbnb, and DoorDash is becoming obsolete in real-time. As AI compresses jobs that once required hundreds of employees into algorithms, we’re witnessing the birth of a new company archetype—capital-efficient, immediately profitable, and surprisingly small. With a variety of software to use for all aspects of building a business—from Shopify for e-commerce to Stripe for payments—and low operating costs, innovation just keeps making everything that much more efficient. READ MORE
Investors, particularly hedge funds, are doing a paltry number of venture capital deals. In fact, only a few managers have made more than one or two investments this month — even after a quiet first quarter.
But hedge funds — especially those that specialize in life sciences and biopharma investments — are active in the post-IPO private placement market. Listed companies use private placements to raise additional capital from accredited investors such as mutual funds. (Securities law requires that these deals be marked at the stock’s closing price when the private placement is completed.) READ MORE
It seems like we’re in a different spot with venture capital, compared to where it was five years ago, or 25 years ago, for that matter. There’s been a notable boom in individual investors and companies backing AI players, as the technology advances quickly.
We can see the results of this in the media, and in quarterly statements, and around the water cooler. READ MORE
A few years ago, if you asked a founder what they thought about corporate capital, the answer would've been simple: slow, bureaucratic and not worth the effort unless they're trying to acquire you. But that's not how it works anymore.
We're now seeing a shift that, frankly, would've seemed strange a decade ago — large corporations acting like VCs. They're not just launching "innovation labs" for show, but building full-blown venture arms, growth studios and capital teams that operate with the same urgency and risk appetite you'd find inside a fund. READ MORE
The U.S. has begun negotiations with several nations that on April 9 were granted a 90-day reprieve from high reciprocal tariffs, according to the White House. Baseline tariffs of 10% on goods from most U.S. trade partners remain in place, as do 145% duties on imports from China.
“President Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements in early April have caused a material shift in the global economic and financial outlook,” the EY report said. READ MORE
The private equity landscape is experiencing transformative changes due to evolving market dynamics and the new U.S. presidential administration. Political shifts usher in a wave of both risks and opportunities that firms must adeptly navigate to sustain their competitive edge and seize emerging trends.
Investor confidence has fluctuated due to recent economic changes. Initially, there was a confident boost as investors anticipated stability and clarity from the new leadership. However, the reality of the Trump administration’s policies has introduced new uncertainties, particularly regarding tariffs and regulatory changes. READ MORE
What is a venture capital firm supposed to do when it can’t generate enticing enough returns for its limited partners—the pension funds, family offices and sovereign wealth funds that supply cash to VCs to invest in startups?
Does it hand back $275 million to its LPs, as the Bay Area’s CRV did late last year, citing fewer investment opportunities for mature startups? Does it perhaps follow the examples of Seqouia and Y Combinator by laying off staff in the downside of the industry-wide boom in 2021? READ MORE