☕ Figma files to go public, Amazon hits 1M warehouse robots & Apple is working on 7 new headset products.
Grammarly acquires Superhuman & US Senate removes controversial ‘AI moratorium’.
In 1945, an engineer noticed the chocolate bar in his pocket had melted just from standing near a radar machine.
His name was Percy Spencer. That accidental moment led to the invention of the microwave oven.
Sometimes, paying attention leads to billion-dollar ideas.
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📬 What’s in store:
Today’s Picks: Financial model template, freemium pitfalls, legal docs pack, fixing AI product issues, EU VC list, proving your idea, India VC list, picking North Star metrics, valuation guide, data room kit.
Figma reveals financials ahead of potential $1.5B IPO.
Amazon hits 1M warehouse robots and unveils new AI model.
Grammarly acquires Superhuman to power AI email agents.
US Senate removes controversial ‘AI moratorium’ from budget bill.
Google hit with $314 million verdict over unauthorized data use on idle Android phones.
Apple is reportedly working on 7 new headset products.
VC & Startup Jobs: VC & investors backed startup hiring for remote roles.
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🗞️ What else is brewing
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Common AI product issues and how to fix them.
Startup legal document pack – essential legal docs for founders.
6000+ European VC Firms Contact Database (LinkedIn Links).
How to prove your startup idea is worth backing.
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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS
💰 Startup funding updates
Tailor, a San Francisco, CA-based headless ERP platform for modern retail businesses, raised an additional $8m close of its Series A funding, bringing the total raised to $22m. New investors included JIC Venture Growth Investments (JIC VGI), a Japanese government-backed investment fund, and New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Y Combinator, which participated in Tailor’s seed round, also increased its investment.
Syntis Bio, a Boston, MA-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral therapies for obesity, diabetes and rare diseases, raised $38M in Series A funding. The round was led by Cerberus Ventures with participation from new investors Mansueto Investments, Woori Venture Partners, Apollo Labs, BOLD Capital Partners, W. R. Berkley Corporation, Safar Partners, Portal Innovations, Colorcon Ventures and Cerity Partners Ventures.
Field Medical, a Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA-based clinical-stage company for cardiac ablation with new pulsed field ablation (PFA) technology, raised $35M in Series B funding. The round was co-led by BioStar Capital and Cue Growth, with participation from existing strategic investors. With this round, Field Medical has raised $75m to date.
Deeto, a NYC-based AI-native platform turning authentic customer voice into a dynamic engine for growth, raised $12.5m in Series A funding. The round was led by Jump Capital, with participation from UpWest, TAL Ventures, Mertor, and TAU Ventures — bringing total funding to $17m to date.
Feliqs Corporation, a Fukuoka, Japan-based biotechnology company developing first-in-class small molecule therapeutics targeting oxidized lipids for rare pediatric retinal diseases, closed a $9m Series A funding round. The round was co-led by a major American pharmaceutical company and Beyond Next Ventures Inc., with participation from, Japan Science and Technology Agency and existing investors, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co., Ltd., Keio Innovation Initiative, Inc. and FFG Venture Business Partners Co., Ltd.
Civ Robotics, a San Francisco, CA-based construction robotics company, raised $7.5M Series A funding. The round was led by AlleyCorp with investments from Bobcat Company, ff Venture Capital, and previous seed investors.
Genesis AI, a Paris, France- and Palo Alto, CA-based physical AI research lab and full-stack robotics company, raised $105M in funding. The round was co-led by Eclipse and Khosla Ventures, with participation from Bpifrance, HSG, Eric Schmidt and Xavier Niel.
Emerald AI, a Washington, DC-based AI-driven compute orchestration company, raised $24.5M in seed funding. The round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from NVentures (NVIDIA’s venture capital arm), AMPLO, CRV, and Neotribe.
Wisq, a Redwood City, CA-based company which specializes in Agentic HR, raised $15M in funding. Backers included Norwest Venture Partners, Shasta Ventures, and True Ventures.
Skynopy, a Paris, France based satellite startup, raised $17.6m in seed funding. Backers included Alven, Expansion, Omnes, and CNES as well as existing investor Heartcore Capital.
Mozart AI, a London, UK-based music AI startup, raised £530K in Pre-Seed funding. Backers included EWOR, New Renaissance Ventures, Stefan Glaenzer (founder of last.fm, early backer of Monzo), Atlantis Ventures, and serial entrepreneur Felix Jahn.
Tandem Health, a Stockholm, Sweden-based AI AI-native operating system for clinical workflows across Europe, raised $50m in Series A funding. The round was led by Kinnevik, with participation from Northzone, Amino Collective, and Visionaries Club.
Portal Biotech, a London, UK-based biotechnology company providing a platform for researchers, raised $35M in Series A funding. The round was led by NATO Innovation Fund and Earlybird Venture Capital, with participation from existing investors SCVC, Pillar VC, 8VC, Amino Collective, and Outsized, as well as new investors We Venture Capital, British Business Bank and WS Investment Company.
Gallant, a San Diego, CA-based animal health biotechnology company, raised $18M in funding. The round was led by Digitalis Ventures, with continued support from BOLD Capital and Hill Creek Partners, and new participation from NovaQuest Capital Management.
NEW VCs IN THE MARKET
🏦 Venture Capital updates
Catalio Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm focused on healthcare and biotechnology, announced the close of Fund IV at over $400 million. The firm, founded in 2020, has made 100+ investments and already backed 16 companies through this latest fund, including PinkDx (diagnostics) and Superluminal Medicines (drug discovery). Catalio previously raised a $381M Fund III in 2020 and a $100M Fund II in 2019.
Halogen Ventures, a Los Angeles-based VC firm founded by Jesse Draper, closed a $30 million Fund III to invest in early-stage startups focused on the “future of family.” The fund will back companies improving household health and financial well-being, with a focus on startups led by at least one female founder. Halogen’s past investments include Teal Health and Vibrant Planet. The firm previously raised $21M for Fund II in 2021 and $10.4M for Fund I in 2018.
KEY STORIES IN TECH
📜 Latest in tech
Figma reveals financials ahead of potential $1.5B IPO:
Figma filed its S-1, showing $821M in rolling 12-month revenue, 91% gross margin, and a return to profitability after a 2023 loss due to a one-time stock comp expense.
IPO experts estimate the design software company could raise up to $1.5B, potentially matching 2025’s largest IPO to date (CoreWeave).
Risks include fast-moving AI design competitors like Lovable, though Figma is investing in its own AI tools to stay competitive.
Amazon hits 1M warehouse robots and unveils new AI model:
Amazon now operates 1 million robots in its warehouses, reaching near parity with its human workforce; 75% of global deliveries involve robotic assistance.
The company released DeepFleet, a generative AI model built with SageMaker to optimize robot routing and boost operational speed by 10%.
Its newest robot, Vulcan, features dual arms and a tactile sense, and is central to Amazon’s next-gen fulfillment centers launched in late 2024.
Grammarly acquires Superhuman to power AI email agents:
Grammarly has acquired email client Superhuman to expand its AI productivity suite; financial terms were not disclosed.
Superhuman’s CEO Rahul Vohra and team will join Grammarly, aiming to build AI agents that collaborate across communication tools.
The deal follows Grammarly’s $1B non-dilutive raise from General Catalyst and builds on its recent acquisition of productivity tool Coda.
US Senate removes controversial ‘AI moratorium’ from budget bill:
The US Senate voted 99-1 to remove a provision that would have blocked states from setting their own AI regulation for the next ten years.
Silicon Valley executives supported the "AI moratorium" to prevent an unworkable patchwork of state regulation that they argued could stifle AI innovation.
Bipartisan opposition arose from senators who warned the ban would harm consumers and let powerful AI companies operate with very little government oversight.
Google hit with $314 million verdict over unauthorized data use on idle Android phones:
A California jury ordered Google to pay $314.6 million to Android users for collecting data without consent while phones were idle.
The class action, representing 14 million Californians, argued Google used this data for targeted ads, consuming users' mobile data.
Google plans to appeal, claiming users consented to data use via privacy policies and that no actual harm occurred.
Apple is reportedly working on 7 new headset products:
Apple plans an M5 Vision Pro for 2025, followed by a cheaper and lighter Vision Air in 2027 featuring an iPhone processor and fewer sensors.
A redesigned second-generation Vision Pro with a Mac-class processor is planned for 2028, while the first Apple Glasses are expected to enter mass production in 2027.
The company is also developing two XR smart glasses, with the first model expected in 2028 using Liquid Crystal on Silicon and waveguide technology for its display.
LAST COFFEE SIP
☕Other news
Apple fails to dismiss US government antitrust lawsuit:
A US judge rejected Apple’s motion to dismiss the Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit, clearing the way for a trial that will examine its core businesses.
The lawsuit alleges the company created technical roadblocks to block rivals' smartwatches, prevent "super apps," and limit access to its digital wallet and messaging.
Even as Apple adds features like RCS, the DOJ may seek regulations modeled on the EU DMA to force more options and open up its NFC reader.
HIRING ALERT: STARTUPS & VC ROLES
💼 Today’s VC & startup job opportunities
Corporate Development & Strategy - Figma Venture | USA - Apply Here
Associate - OMERSE Venture | USA - Apply Here
Principal - Al Fund | USA - Apply Here
Chief of Staff to Founding Partner - One Way Venture | USA - Apply Here
Investor (AI) - Samsung Next | USA - Apply Here
Operations Associate - Techstars | USA - Apply Here
Investment Trainee (US) - Hashkey Capital | USA - Apply Here
Associate - Episode 1 Venture | UK - Apply Here
Fund Operations Manager - Teja Venture | Singapore - Apply Here
Chief of Staff - 11x Capital | India - Apply Here
All-In-One VC Interview Preparation Guide: With a leading investors group, we have created an all-in-one VC interview preparation guide for aspiring VCs. Don’t miss this. (Access Here)
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