Global AI Adoption📊, SaaS Multiples Compress📉, How People Use ChatGPT💬

Feb 15, 2026

Another week, another pulse check on venture.

From top insights and reports to new funds, VC jobs, resources, and the hottest deals, here’s everything you need to stay ahead.

Let’s dive in 👇

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In-Depth Insights 🔍

Direct access list targets leading 50 AI VCs📧
153 verified emails and profiles for partners at major venture firms. Outreach templates and sequencing aim to accelerate conversations without traditional referrals.

BREAKING: Senate control odds tighten ahead of 2026 midterms ⚖️
Prediction markets indicate shifting momentum as party probabilities adjust sharply. Trading volume suggests growing conviction around a potential power balance change. [Polymarket]

a16z says scaled venture platforms are evolution, not excess 💰
Supporters argue mega-firms reflect a market where category winners grow exponentially larger and remain private longer. Full-service ecosystems, brand gravity, and network effects now determine access to top founders. [Erik Torenberg]
Public SaaS multiples compress as few remain above 10x 📉
Only a small handful of listed software companies still command premium revenue valuations in 2026. Survivors tend to own infrastructure layers, solve mission-critical problems, and sustain growth at enterprise scale. [Jason Lemkin]
ChatGPT usage skews toward practical information needs 💬
Conversation data shows research, coding help, and task guidance dominate interactions over creative experimentation. Everyday productivity use cases far outweigh multimedia or exploratory prompts. [a16z]
General Catalyst bets on AI powered rollups in services 🔄
The firm is acquiring traditional service businesses and layering automation to expand margins and output. By combining consolidation with software leverage, it targets higher growth and profitability simultaneously.
Venture benchmarks confirm power law dominance 📊
Performance data across recent vintages shows top quartile funds consistently outpacing median returns. Elite managers maintain advantage across cycles, reinforcing concentration of capital with repeat winners. [Trace Cohen]
YC founder study shows team size outweighs pedigree 👥
Educational background and prior brand-name employment explain little variation in funding outcomes. Larger founding teams correlate strongly with higher capital raised across cohorts. [Arxiv]
AI crosses from assistance into full task replacement 🤖⚡
Recent model releases demonstrate sustained autonomous work beyond simple query response. Knowledge roles across industries face structural change within the next few years. [Matt Shumer
10 Claude Cowork Workflows That Actually Work ⚙️
The desktop integration connects models directly to local files and daily tools for automated execution. Structured workflows can streamline research, audits, and scheduling without technical setup.
The Lighthouse Playbook drives compounding startup growth 🤝
Founders identify aligned connectors who already influence concentrated audiences. Empowering those individuals to grow their own visibility creates reinforcing distribution loops. [a16z]

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Interesting Reports 📊

Anthropic Economic Index shows uneven global AI adoption 📊
New data indicates usage remains heavily concentrated in programming while varying sharply across income levels. Advanced economies deploy systems for professional collaboration, whereas emerging markets lean toward academic support and learning tasks. [Anthropic]
Defence security and resilience startups accelerate across Europe 🛡️
A comprehensive ecosystem review highlights rising venture flows into dual-use technologies amid geopolitical strain. Mapping across countries shows expanding founder activity and institutional backing in strategic sectors. [dealroom.co]
UK consumer tech regains post pandemic momentum 📱
Fresh industry data signals renewed investment and product expansion after several muted years. Consumer-focused startups across commerce, finance, and digital services are rebuilding growth trajectories. [dealroom.co]

The AI Corner

Claude Can Now Do SEO Like a $10,000/Month Agency (For Free)

The results changed how I think about SEO execution entirely…

21 hours ago · 49 likes · Ruben Dominguez

Recently Launched Funds 💸

Seligman Investments launched a $500M venture capital arm to back high-growth startups, expanding its platform into direct VC investing.
Union Capital Associates closed Fund IV at $450M, reinforcing its commitment to scaling middle-market and growth-stage companies.
Kindred Ventures raised approximately $227M across two funds to continue backing early-stage technology startups.
Shorooq established a $200M late-stage growth fund to support scaling technology companies across MENA and beyond.
Karmel Capital raised approximately $170M for a new AI-focused investment strategy targeting next-gen artificial intelligence startups.
Elaia held the first closing of its fifth digital venture fund at €120M, targeting European deep tech and digital startups.
Gerber Taylor closed a $111M co-investment vehicle to deepen participation alongside leading private market managers.
Masna Ventures launched a $100M defense-tech fund to invest in next-generation national security and dual-use technologies.
All Aboard Fund raised $99M for its maiden fund, focusing on supporting diverse and underrepresented founders.
Multimodal Ventures closed its first fund at $15M to invest in early-stage startups across multimodal and emerging tech sectors.

The AI Corner

OpenAI’s early pitch deck, broken down

Before ChatGPT…

a month ago · 50 likes · Ruben Dominguez

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VC Jobs 💼

DTCP (Hamburg, Germany): Visiting Analyst / VC Internship (apply here)
iGrow Venture Partners (Athens, Greece): Senior VC Analyst (apply here)
Ship2B Ventures (Barcelona, Spain): VC Manager (apply here)
Dragonfly (New York City, NY, USA): VC Investor (apply here)
DCG (Stamford, CT, USA): VC Analyst (apply here)
Erez Capital (Remote): VC Partner (apply here)
Amex Ventures (New York City, NY, USA): VC Manager (apply here)
Llama Ventures (San Francisco, CA, USA): VC Investor (apply here)
Plug and Play (Kissimmee, FL, USA): VC Analyst (apply here)
Lea Partners (Karlsruhe, Germany): VC Analyst (apply here)

Hottest Deals 💥

ElevenLabs, raised $500M in Series D funding to scale its AI voice technology platform and expand globally. (read more)
Inertia Enterprises, secured $450M in Series A funding to accelerate industrial innovation and expand operations. (read more)
NineDot Energy, received $431M in debt financing to expand its distributed energy storage portfolio. (read more)
Talkiatry, raised $210M in Series D funding to grow its nationwide psychiatry services platform. (read more)
Oxide Computer Company, closed $200M Series C funding round to expand its cloud-native infrastructure stack. (read more)
Tomorrow.io, raised $175M in equity financing to enhance its weather intelligence and climate resilience platform. (read more)
ICEYE, raised €150M in Series E funding and €50M in secondary placement to expand its SAR satellite constellation. (read more)
Solace, secured $130M in Series C funding to scale its healthcare navigation platform. (read more)
Vega, raised $120M in Series B funding to accelerate development of its space launch technology. (read more)
Garner Health, raised $118M in Series D funding to expand its data-driven healthcare platform. (read more)
Iliad Biotechnologies, secured $115M in Series B funding to advance its next-generation biologics pipeline. (read more)
Loyal, raised $100M in Series C funding to develop longevity therapies for companion animals. (read more)
Deep Fission, raised $80M in new funding to advance its underground nuclear reactor technology. (read more)
Bretton AI, closed $75M Series B funding round to expand its enterprise AI solutions. (read more)
TEM, raised $75M in Series B funding to accelerate growth of its digital health platform. (read more)