How to Win as a Solopreneur, Software Moats Are Dead, VC Tax Loopholes

Another week, another pulse check on venture.

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

Let’s dive in 👇

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Brought to you by Harmonic — the startup discovery engine

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The world’s best VCs use Harmonic to find their fund returners.

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In-Depth Insights 🔍

• Early-Stage VC in the Age of Vertical AI 📊
  Generalist VC is out, niche focus is in. Here’s why the smartest investors are going deep. [Euclid Ventures]

  

• The AI Reasoning Revolution - Scaling Smarter LLMs 🧠
  AI models are getting smarter—not just through better training, but by scaling their thinking at inference time. [Sebastian Raschka, PhD]

• Software Moats Are Dead—Now What? 🏰
  The days of defensibility through code alone are over. Here’s how to build a real edge. [OnlyCFO]

  

• Kirsten Green’s Playbook for Iconic Brands 🎨
  The mind behind Glossier, Warby Parker, and more shares what makes brands legendary. [Mario Gabriele]

• How to Win as a Solopreneur 🔧
  No cofounder, no problem—here’s how to build, scale, and thrive solo. [Hemant Pandey & Niharikaa Kaur Sodhi]

• 224 Tax Loopholes Every VC Should Know 🏦
  The tax moves and QSBS tricks that separate elite funds from the rest. [Doug Dyer]

  

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📢 Want to get in front of +300k founders and investors?

For sponsorship opportunities across this newsletter and my other media assets, email: rdominguezibar@gmail.com

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Interesting Reports 📊

• 100 GenAI Apps That Matter Today 🤖

  a16z showcases the most disruptive AI applications across industries.

  

• The 2025 Fundraising Guide—Backed by Data 📊

  A data-packed breakdown of startup fundraising trends and investor behavior.

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Recently Launched Funds 💸

• Vento Capital is doubling down on Europe’s startup scene with a fresh €75M Fund II for early-stage bets.

• Informed Ventures is going all in on AI-powered digital health, launching a new early-stage fund.

• National Grid Partners just committed $100M to back AI startups shaping the future of energy. Big power play.

• Bessemer Venture Partners is making a strong India push, rolling out a $350M second fund for the region.

• Equator locks in $55M to fuel African climate tech startups tackling sustainability head-on.

• Optimist Ventures is putting money where the storms hit—its accelerator fund now open for hurricane recovery startups.

• Aligned Climate Capital closes an $85M second fund to drive climate innovation. Green money for a greener future.

• Fusion Fund secures $190M for Fund IV, fueling deep tech and frontier innovation. The future is now.

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Fundraising?

If you're raising a round,

Luis Llorens

and I can help. We gather startup fundraising data and share it with our audience of 300k+ investors and startup enthusiasts. Fill out this form and we’ll will do our best to connect you with the right investors! 🚀

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VC Jobs 💼

• Citi Ventures (New York, NY): VC Vice President (apply here)

• Untapped Ventures (San Francisco, CA): VC Intern (apply here)

• Bessemer Venture Partners (Boston, MA): VC Associate (apply here)

• New Catalyst (Washington, DC): VC Investor (apply here)

• Biotech Fund (Remote): VC Investor II (apply here)

• BITKRAFT (Remote): VC Principal (apply here)

• Flybridge (Remote): VC Intern (apply here)

• BITKRAFT (Remote): VC Associate (apply here)

• ADA Ventures (London, England): VC Associate (apply here)

• Speedinvest (Berlin, Germany): VC Associate (apply here)

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Hottest Deals 💥

• Insilico Medicine, Hong Kong-based AI drug discovery powerhouse raised $110M in Series E to push the limits of pharma innovation. (read here)

• Aura, San Francisco’s newest darling snagged $5.5M in Seed funding to speed up AI model validation and shake up rental marketplaces. (read here)

• Darwin, NYC-based supply chain optimizer bagged $5M in Seed funding to help businesses evolve smarter, faster, better. (read here)

• Human Computer, Austin AI startup scored $5.7M in Seed funding to rewire human-machine conversations. (read here)

• Terabase Energy, Solar tech trailblazer raised a blazing $130M in Series C to supercharge renewable energy automation. (read here)

• Flock Safety, Public safety innovator flew away with $275M at a sky-high $7.5B valuation to make communities safer. (read here)

• Accropeutics, Biotech disruptor secured $12M in Series B+ to fuel its next breakthrough cancer therapies. (read here)

• nunu.ai, LA-based social AI platform locked in $6M in Seed funding to rewrite online interactions. (read here)

• Lumafield, Cambridge startup lit up $75M in Series C to bring X-ray CT tech to every factory floor. (read here)

• Disputed.ai, Portland-based fintech landed $1.12M in Seed funding to automate chargeback disputes and save businesses big. (read here)

• Fixated, LA content studio nailed down $12.8M to double down on creator-driven storytelling. (read here)

• Anyware Robotics, Bay Area robotics startup pulled in $12M in Seed funding to build the Swiss Army knife of mobile robots. (read here)

• Strolll, UK-based digital therapeutics startup walked away with £10.35M in Series A to help patients move better, faster, stronger. (read here)

• Omni, SF business intelligence platform bagged $69M in Series B to turn data chaos into clarity. (read here)

• Cloud Gateway, London’s cloud connectivity expert locked down £1.5M to make secure networks a breeze. (read here)

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RESOURCES 🛠️

✅ Ultimate Investor List of Lists (+5k VCs)

✅ 40 Pitch Decks That Raised Over $460M

✅ The Startup Founder’s Guide to Financial Modeling (7 free templates included)

✅ SAFE Note Dilution: How to Calculate & Protect Your Equity (+ Cap Table Template)

✅ 400+ Seed VCs Backing Startups in the US & Europe

✅ The Best 23 Accelerators Worldwide for Rapid Growth (and How to Get Into Them)

✅ 144 Family Offices That Cut Pre-Seed Checks

✅ The Ultimate Startup & Venture Capital Notion Guide: Knowledge Base & Resources

✅ AI Co-Pilots Every Startup & VC Needs in Their Toolbox

✅ How to Create a Co-Founder Agreement + 3 Templates