The End of YC, Why Specialists Will Win the Next Decade of Venture, Foundation Model Businesses

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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In-Depth Insights 🔍

• The Future of Foundation Model Businesses 🤖
  Foundation models are booming—but where’s the money? Generative Value digs in. [Eric Flaningam]

  

• Scaling Europe’s Most Active Impact Fund 🌱
  Europe’s busiest impact fund is growing fast. Climate Ventures explains how. [Hugo Rauch]

• The End State of the End of Software 💻
  What happens when software eats itself? Angular Ventures explores the next wave. [Angular Ventures]

• The End of YC: When Engineers Lose Their Edge 💸
  AI is making coding obsolete. What does that mean for YC’s edge? Benn Stancil weighs in. [Benn Stancil]

• Why Specialists Will Win the Next Decade of Venture 🚀
  Specialist funds outperform generalists by 47%. Deep expertise is the new alpha. James Sedgwick-Heath explains why. [James Sedgwick-Heath]

  

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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 📊

• Accelerating Europe: What’s Next for the Continent’s Startup Boom? 🌍
  Europe’s startup ecosystem is on fire. Dealroom breaks down the growth trends, key sectors, and why investors are doubling down.

  

• EU-Backed Startups: The Hidden Engine of Innovation 💡
  The EU’s Framework Programmes are quietly fueling some of the most exciting startups. Here’s how they’re shaping the future of tech.

  

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Recently Launched Funds 💸

• Ascent Energy Ventures is back with a $50M second fund, doubling down on the future of energy innovation.

• Doit is making big moves with a fresh $250M fund to acquire AI-driven CloudOps companies—reshaping the cloud game as we know it.

• Homegrown Capital locks in $30M for its second fund, betting on the next wave of early-stage disruptors.

• LoftyInc Capital secures a $43M first close for its Pan-African seed fund, fueling the continent’s most promising startups.

• Jumpstart Ventures wraps up Fund III with $25M, laser-focused on scaling high-growth tech ventures.

• Jsquare is launching its $50M Pioneer Fund, hunting for the next big breakthroughs in innovation.

• Sofinnova Partners raises a massive €1.2B to supercharge investments in life sciences and biotech.

• Disrupt.com is shaking things up with a $100M fund aimed at backing AI startups in the UAE.

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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 💼

• Spin Ventures (London, UK): VC Associate (apply here)

• One Planet Capital (London, UK): Development Associate (apply here)

• Identity VC (Berlin, Germany): VC Manager (apply here)

• Open Society Foundation (New York, NY): Senior VC Analyst (apply here)

• Planeteer (New York, NY): Operating Lead (apply here)

• Acrew Capital (San Francisco, CA): VC Investor (apply here)

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

• Chicago Ventures (Chicago, IL): VC Investor (apply here)

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

• Forum Ventures (Remote): Managing VC Director (apply here)

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Hottest Deals 💥

• Shield AI, the defense-tech unicorn, locked in $240M at a $5.3B valuation, with L3Harris and Hanwha Aerospace leading the charge. (read here)

• Turing, an AI-focused coding provider, secured $111M Series E at a $2.2B valuation, backed by Khazanah Nasional Berhad. (read here)

• PetScreening, streamlining pet policies for landlords, raised $80M Series B from Volition Capital and Guidepost Growth Equity. (read here)

• Spiritus, on a mission to make carbon capture work at scale, locked in $30M Series A with Aramco Ventures leading. (read here)

• Crogl, an AI-powered cybersecurity startup, banked $25M Series A from Menlo Ventures, plus a previously undisclosed $5M seed from Tola Capital. (read here)

• Lumata Health, focused on ophthalmology care, closed a $23M Series B from LRVHealth, McKesson Ventures, and Cencora Ventures. (read here)

• ReSource Chemical, betting big on bioplastics, raised $15M from Khosla Ventures and Fathom Fund. (read here)

• Flock Safety, the controversial license plate-reading startup, is in talks to raise $250M from Andreessen Horowitz at a $7.5B valuation. (read here)

• Epirus, makers of anti-drone tech, pulled in a $250M Series D, led by 8VC and Washington Harbour Partners. (read here)

• SpecterOps, a cybersecurity firm specializing in adversary simulation, raised $75M Series B from Insight Partners. (read here)

• Multiverse Computing, the Spanish quantum AI startup, secured €67M from the Spanish government to push AI compression tech forward. (read here)

• Zeitview, using AI to inspect construction projects, landed $60M from Climate Investment. (read here)

• Steady Energy, a Finland-based nuclear startup, raised €22M to advance small modular reactors, with 92 Ventures leading. (read here)

• Ataraxis AI, developing precision medicine for cancer treatment, secured $20.4M Series A from AIX Ventures. (read here)

• Stargate Hydrogen, an Estonia-based clean energy player, raised €11M to develop new hydrogen production tech. (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