☕ NVIDIA invested in 67 AI startups in 2025 & Apple to cut Vision Pro headset production by 95%.
Tech billionaires cashed out $16 billion in 2025 & Samsung losing money on Galaxy Z TriFold handset.
Breaking News
Nvidia is rapidly expanding its influence beyond chips, participating in nearly 67 startup funding rounds in 2025 as AI demand accelerates. Through its NVentures arm, Nvidia is backing everything from frontier AI models like OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Mistral to data centers, robotics, healthcare AI, and cloud infrastructure, tying capital deployment directly to long-term GPU demand across the full AI stack. More Here
Apple has reportedly cut Vision Pro headset production and marketing spend by more than 95% after demand fell well short of expectations, according to multiple reports cited by IDC and supply-chain sources. Fewer than 50,000 units were sold in the most recent quarter, with manufacturing partner Luxshare halting production in early 2025, pushing Apple to rethink its mixed-reality roadmap and shift focus toward AI-driven wearables. More Here
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STARTUPS RAISING MILLIONS
💰 Startup Funding Updates
PRE-SEED
Soverli, a Zurich, Switzerland-based cybersecurity company, raised USD 2.6m in pre-seed funding. The pre-seed round was led by Founderful, with participation from the ETH Zurich Foundation, Venture Kick, and other figures in cybersecurity.
SEED
Dazzle AI, a Palo Alto, CA-based new company on a mission to close the gap between what people want and what they can do with AI, raised $8m in seed funding at a $35m post-money valuation. The round was led by Kirsten Green of Forerunner with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Greycroft, Offline Ventures, Slow Ventures, and Bling Capital.
Lemon Slice, a San Francisco, CA-based builder of foundational technology that transforms a single photo into interactive, conversational video, raised $10.5m in seed funding. Backers included Matrix Partners, Y Combinator, Arash Ferdowsi (CTO Dropbox), Emmett Shear (CEO Twitch), and EDM-pop duo, The Chainsmokers.
Vibranium Labs, a NYC-based provider of AI-powered incident management solutions that help on-call engineering and SRE teams proactively detect, triage, and resolve infrastructure issues in real time, raised $4.6m in seed funding. The round was led by Calibrate Ventures and Mirae Asset with participation from Franklin Templeton, Plug and Play, Gaingels, Wildcard Capital, FalconX, and DCG.
ZeroPhase, a Munich, Germany-based defense tech startup, raised $6.8m in seed funding. The round was led by BlueYard Capital.
Peripheral Labs, a Toronto, Canada-based developer of an AI-driven neural rendering platform for immersive sports replays, raised $3.6m in seed funding. The round was led by Khosla Ventures with participation from Daybreak Capital, Entrepreneurs First, Transpose Platform, and various angel investors.
Traini, a Palo Alto, CA–based pet emotional intelligence startup, closed a $7.5m funding round. The round was led by Banyan Tree, Silver Capital, ZhaoTai Group, and NYX Ventures, with participation from Starting Gate Fund, Jade Capital, and tech investors.
Speed1, Inc., a Dubai, UAE-based builder of Bitcoin and stablecoin payment infrastructure, raised $8m in funding. The round was co-led by Tether and Ego Death Capital.
GROWTH
Biobeat Technologies, a Petah Tikva, Israel- and Boca Raton, FL-based blood pressure monitoring startup, closed a $50m Series B equity financing. The round was led by new investors Ally Bridge Group, OrbiMed Advisors and Elevage Medical Technologies and included participation from a strategic investor.
Vyriad, Inc., a Rochester, Minn.-based clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted genetic therapies for cancer and other serious diseases, closed the $25M final tranche to its Series B financing, bringing the total Series B round to $85M. The Series B, including this latest tranche, was led by Mr. Harry Stine of Stine Seed Farms, Inc., with participation from several family offices.
CHAMP Titles, Inc., a Cleveland, OH-based provider of digital solutions to motor vehicle agencies, raised $55m in funding. The round was led by W. R. Berkley Corporation, Point72 Ventures, and ORIX Corporation USA, with participation from other existing investors as well. Total funding now exceeds $100m.
BriefCatch, a Washington, DC-based legal-writing platform used by law firms and courts, raised $6m in Series A financing. The round was led by Full In.
Truemed, an Austin, Texas-based provider of a health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) payment marketplace, raised $34M in Series A funding. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Long Journey Ventures, BoxGroup, and Trust Ventures.
TODAY’S RESOURCE PICK
🔥 Equity dilution decisions guide: ownership, control, and negotiation
Equity decisions are permanent and most founders get them wrong not because they’re careless, but because they’re rushed and negotiating without clarity.
This guide helps you understand how dilution actually works, how investors think about ownership and control, and how to make equity decisions without panic or regret.
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If you want to raise capital without waking up later wishing you’d handled equity differently, this guide is for you.
NEW VCs IN THE MARKET
🏦 Venture Capital Updates
NYC-based proptech VC Fifth Wall has raised $123.25M for its REACT fund, with a $500M target focused on real estate, climate, and energy tech. Founded by Brad Greiwe, Roelof Opperman, and Brendan Wallace, the firm has $3.2B AUM and is backed by investors like Public Storage, Ryman Hospitality, and Kite Realty. Past exits include Urbint ($325M), NZero, Wreno, and a $6.3B IPO of ServiceTitan, showing strong momentum despite a broader proptech slowdown.
KEY STORIES IN TECH
📜 Latest In Tech
Nvidia’s AI empire: A look at its top startup investments
Nvidia has dramatically expanded its startup investing as AI demand exploded, participating in nearly 67 venture deals in 2025, up from 54 in all of 2024, alongside a sharp increase via its NVentures arm.
Its largest bets span core AI infrastructure and frontier models, including OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, Mistral AI, Cursor, and major data center players like Crusoe and Nscale, tying capital directly to GPU demand.
Beyond models, Nvidia is backing the full AI stack, from robotics and autonomous driving to data labeling, fusion energy, healthcare AI, and cloud infrastructure, positioning itself at the center of the entire AI ecosystem rather than just as a chip supplier.
Tech billionaires cashed out $16 billion in 2025 as stocks soared
Tech executives sold more than $16 billion worth of shares in 2025 as AI-driven rallies pushed stock prices to record highs, based on Bloomberg’s analysis of insider trading data.
Jeff Bezos led with $5.7 billion in Amazon share sales, followed by Safra Catz at $2.5 billion and Michael Dell at $2.2 billion.
Other major sellers included Jensen Huang with $1 billion, Mark Zuckerberg with $945 million via his foundation, and executives at Arista Networks, Palo Alto Networks, and Robinhood, largely through pre-arranged trading plans.
Samsung to double Gemini-powered devices to 800 million units in 2026
Samsung Electronics plans to expand the number of mobile devices running AI features powered by Google’s Gemini from about 400 million to 800 million units this year, covering smartphones and tablets.
Samsung’s co-CEO T M Roh said the company aims to apply AI across all products, services, and functions, using Gemini integration as a key differentiator in its push to regain smartphone market leadership from Apple.
The move strengthens Google’s position in the consumer AI race against rivals like OpenAI, while Samsung expects rising AI adoption despite challenges such as memory chip shortages and slower-than-expected growth in foldable phones.
OpenAI prepares audio AI upgrades for first ChatGPT hardware
OpenAI is reportedly upgrading its audio AI models as it prepares its first hardware device, expected to rely primarily on voice interactions rather than screens, according to The Information.
The upcoming device is being developed with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, and OpenAI is reorganizing engineering, product, and research teams to close the gap between its audio models and its more advanced text-based systems that power ChatGPT.
OpenAI has reportedly built a new audio model architecture that delivers more natural and accurate responses, can handle interruptions, and speaks simultaneously with users, with the first audio-first hardware and model upgrades expected in early 2026.
Samsung losing money on Galaxy Z TriFold handset
Samsung is reportedly selling its Galaxy Z TriFold at a loss, with a report from The Bell suggesting the device is priced below its production cost despite a retail price of around $2,500 in South Korea.
The tri-fold phone is positioned as an engineering showcase rather than a mass market product, with Samsung executives indicating it is aimed at early adopters and limited volumes rather than near-term profitability.
High component costs, especially memory during a global shortage driven by AI demand, are squeezing margins, and the Galaxy Z TriFold is expected to launch in the US in early 2026 with similarly premium pricing.
Apple cuts back Vision Pro headset production by 95%
Apple has reportedly slashed production and marketing spend for its Vision Pro headset by more than 95% after demand fell short of expectations, citing high prices and limited everyday use cases.
Despite strong sales across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, the Vision Pro has struggled to gain traction, with International Data Corporation estimating only around 45,000 units sold in the final quarter of last year and production reportedly halted by manufacturing partner Luxshare in early 2025.
Apple is said to be reconsidering its VR roadmap, exploring a more affordable version while shifting focus toward AI-driven wearables, a move that mirrors broader industry trends including Meta redirecting investment from VR to AI glasses.
LAST COFFEE SIP
☕ Other News
French and Malaysian authorities investigate Grok over sexualized deepfakes
Authorities in France and Malaysia have joined India in probing Grok, the chatbot built by xAI and integrated into X, over its generation of sexualized deepfake images involving women and minors.
Grok issued a public apology for generating an AI image of underage girls in sexualized attire, admitting a failure in safeguards and prompting criticism that the apology lacks real accountability.
Regulators are escalating pressure: India has warned X to restrict illegal content within 72 hours, France has opened a criminal investigation, and Malaysia’s communications regulator is formally investigating alleged online harms tied to Grok’s outputs.
DAILY PICKS
🗞️ What Else Is Brewing
Y-Combinator’s framework for building a successful MVP. (Link)
Raising a seed round 101: Templates, Tips and Strategy to Raise. (Link)
Use this 30-minute GPT prompt stack to validate your startup idea. (Link)
Fundraising simplified: What to show investors at each stage. (Link)
What every early-stage founder should know about valuations. (Link)
HIRING ALERT: STARTUPS & VC ROLES
💼 Today’s VC & Startup Job Opportunities
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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Investment Associate - Energy Impact Partner | London - Apply Here
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VC Intern | lvlp Venture | Remote - Apply Here
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